PortaBella Restaurant

Review summary

1. H

   HanLei

   Central Coast

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent meal. Food came quickly, pesto dip served with table bread was amazinggg! Pasta was perfectly al dente and all the seafood was fresh and delicious :)
   

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2. M

   Michael

   San Francisco

   8 reviews

   4.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Lunch and appetizers were absolutely delicious. Bread was amazing. Bread pudding tasted old and was not as good as what I had approx 3 weeks ago. Had to ask for coffee three times and by the time we got the coffee we were done with dessert.
   

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3. A

   Amanda

   Denver

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was delicious, especially the mushroom risotto! We will be back.
   

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4. J

   Judy

   Amarillo

   11 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Porta Bella was a fabulous dining experience! Cozy atmosphere, attentive staff provided excellent service, and amazing food. Highly recommend this restaurant in the heart of beautiful Carmel!
   

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5. J

   Julia

   Central Coast

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 19 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Very charming restaurant. Crowded/popular even on a November Monday evening. Food was delicious, good portion size.
   

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6. S

   Sherrill

   Los Angeles

   32 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   32 reviews

   Dined on 19 November 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   1st strike - any restaurant that upcharges the diner for using a credit card should make that clear when a reservation is made. I didn't have enough cash so had to pay extra for the privilege of dining at this restaurant. Shame on them! 2nd strike - service was uneven and not very attentive. We waited a long time for our water and it was 20 minutes from the time we arrived before we were asked if we were ready to order. 3rd strike - the food was ok, but not great and certainly not what I thought I was getting for the price. There are better places to eat in Carmel (lots of them as we discovered on our recent trip for my husband's birthday). Don't waste your time here on marginal food and service.
   

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7. D

   Demetra

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 17 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Cozy and elegant. We had a wonderful time. Thank you!
   

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8. g

   george

   Central Coast

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 16 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   As usual, an excellent all around experience Bashar and Richard added a true personal touch
   

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9. R

   Ruben

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   4.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 16 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   The tables were tight. About a foo apart which makes for a very noisy environment. In spite of the closeness it was very cold and we wore our coats through the whole dinner. Food was delicious and made up for most of the problems we encountered. Service was ok, but not great. We indicated it was my husband’s birthday, but no mention was made.
   

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10. A

    Amy

    Coastal Georgia

    10 reviews

    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    The place was so sweet.. ambiance was lovely and just what we would be looking for. Quaint and charming. My lamb went back once because it was well done instead of my request for rare … and when retuned as they noticed it was not rare, the second attempt was very tough sadly. My husband had lamb shank and said mine was better than his… sadly that did not say much for both dishes. We would go again however, as it was lovely and staff seemed sincere. It was also my 70th birthday that day!! And they knew it was!! … WELL in advance. And yet, they never acknowledged with any special attempt to make it special! Shocking!! They gave us the dessert menu and my husband purposely ordered something simply because it was my birthday ONLY! We are not dessert people but thought they might acknowledge in some way!?!?!! NOT!!! Was a mediocre eve for my 70th.. sadly.. very sadly.. and we reserved at least 3 weeks in advance coming from NY to the east coast’ special Carmel .. Has been 50+ years since I was last here in Carmel.. and could not have been more excited to come back.. so I waited for my 70th… for a place that has always been in my heart for so many reasons. Plus first time I brought my husband here after 38 years of marriage! It is still a charming restaurant however. Cheers xo
    

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