PORTOBELLO — Restaurant in Whistler Resort Municipality

Delicious food, but the cafeteria style set up takes away from the atmosphere, and there seemed to be a lot of chaos behind the scenes to coordinate 4 meals and 4 beverages. Pricing does not match the "serve yourself" on plastic trays experience, though the sandwiches and savoury pies were tasty. Not a great experience getting food, paying, and getting seated. Too much disorganization.

Here's the details if you want to read the full saga: My party of 4 ordered 3 beers and a glass of wine with our meals. I was charged for a full bottle of wine and neither I nor the cashier realized until after I'd paid (I was astonished at the price, but chalked it up to overpriced Fairmont markups). The cashier caught the error quickly after payment and pointed it out to me very politely and noted that they'd fix it, but needed their supervisor, who was on the way. Although there was an error, I wasn't upset with the service at this point, as it was handled well by the cashier. No harm, no foul. The supervisor didn't apologize for the error, and her solution was to simply refund the difference between the bottle of wine and the glass. I pointed out that I'd also tipped 15% (for a self service cafeteria style meal!) on the full price of the bottle of wine, and asked her what else she could do to make it right. At this point, my group had been seated for a few minutes and I was still fussing about at the counter with my plastic tray. I expected some kind of gesture for the inconvenience (comp the glass of wine, or offer a nominal 5% discount - something, anything to compensate for the inconvenience.) But that seemed beyond them. The supervisor told me she'd sort it out and would come to the table to process the refund. Meanwhile, while I was dealing with the payment issue, the other 3 in my party had dealt with order issues. Our orders needed to be confirmed by the counter staff several times (all meals were simple and on the menu: no special orders, no substitutions). We'd ordered 2 turkey sandwiches, and 2 savoury pies, and one side of soup (plus the beverages). The soup never materialized and my spouse had to go back down the counter to ask for it after the servers had already moved on to other orders. There was also no cutlery available anywhere, and when my party asked they were told it would come with our meals (which we already had, but no cutlery had been provided). Someone finally got cutlery for us, but, after sitting down, my spouse found there was no spoon for the soup and had to go back to the counter once again. After we'd figured out cutlery, napkins,etc and had sat down and begun our meals, the supervisor came over to the table to process the refund as promised. She refunded the entire bill and processed it again correctly with the exact order (no apology, no "the side of soup is on me, sorry for the inconvenience" , etc - it would have taken so little to leave a much different impression). Our drinks still hadn't arrived by this point, but showed up a few minutes later after we'd eaten half our meals. Overall, this experience was fine but wildly underwhelming. Mistakes happen, but it's how you resolve them that leaves the lasting impression. Try...

I'm not sure what happened but the pastries have taken a turn for the worst. What happened to the wonderful cake donuts (which are still shown on the website but you can't actually buy them), and the buttery flakey croissant pastries? Yes, they still have a full array of goods, but the quality is not as good as before and I hope they can go back to the amazingness that they were last year. The croissants and pastries have a slightly more grocery store quality now - "more bread-like" and not as buttery/flaky/crispy.

What happened to the croissant donuts?! Bring those back!

I will return there for dinner soon and I hope that changes haven't had a negative impact on dinner too! I have always felt that Portobello did a great job for dinners with family and friends.

UPDATE: I ate there for dinner and it was still good and a decent value for Whistler (which is rare). I wish they had prime rib like they did before but that might have been in years past. I didn't see a smoke ring on the brisket so I'm not sure how "smoked" it is. I was recommended the broccoli and bacon salad as a side but I'll admit that it wasn't for me - it's very heavy. I will have to try something else next time.

I went back and gave the bakery another try, ordering the chocolate croissant, chocolate donut and the fruit danish. I'd say that on appearance, they look like 5/5's but all taste 2/5. Super disappointing. Took a few bites of each and tossed them. They switched to yeast donuts and the one that I had was dry and dense and not fluffy. I still prefer the cake donuts that they had before. The croissant/danish pastry just wasn't up to par and a BIG step down from last year as well. Hope they go back to their...

Absolutely outstanding! The extraordinary hospitality provided by the team at PORTOBELLO within the Fairmont venue is simply unparalleled. For several years, my company has enjoyed the privilege of renting this space, and our daily coffee ritual at PORTOBELLO has become a highlight of our experience. From the moment I walk in, my coffee is prepared promptly, with a personalized touch that makes me feel truly valued and welcomed. The seamless collaboration among the staff ensures that every order is executed flawlessly, no matter how many coffees we request - even upwards of 10 at a time!

Peter, Lily, Luke, Jo, Yas, and Toni are not just baristas; they are exceptional individuals who go above and beyond to ensure that every interaction is memorable and every cup of coffee is crafted with care and precision. Their teamwork is a testament to their dedication and passion for creating a delightful experience for each and every customer. The level of service and accommodation they provide is nothing short of extraordinary.

Not only did PORTOBELLO exceed my expectations, but they also won the hearts of my entire staff with their impeccable service and exceptional coffee creations. Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly give PORTOBELLO a glowing 5-star rating. This establishment is a gem, where each staff member plays a crucial role in curating an absolutely exceptional experience for every visitor. Thank you, PORTOBELLO team, for setting the bar high and delivering an unparalleled coffee experience that leaves a...