Portofino — Restaurant in Grad Split

Overall, 7/10. UPDATED: 5-6/10

We have been looking for some outstanding dining experiences in Split and came across this restaurant.

Unfortunate location, everyone is shoulder to shoulder if you are sitting outside, there is a path right through the sitting area and people are walking through all the time, sometimes in giant groups.

We got octopus meatballs, bruschetta with shrimp, file Mignon, salmon wellington, Mojito, and tequila sunrise, lemon & raspberry tart.

First course – Octopus meatballs, while overall decent, are not worth 145 kunas. The balls had no spices and were pretty bland, accompanied by a bland sauce – that makes for an uneventful experience. However, the tomatoes on the plate were amazing, I would gladly pay 145 kunas for a plate of those. The accompanying sauce made the perfect dip for the complimentary bread. 6/10

Bruschettas were alright, exactly how you expect them to be if they were. 7/10

Main course – The first time they brought out file Mignon, it was terrible, like a shoe. However, they swiftly replaced it and the second one was perfect. Big props to the staff. The tender big cut of meat also had great plating. Didn't “get” the potato cream, though. Bland, like they forgot to add something. Meat - 9/10, side - 6/10.

Salmon wellington was so hyped to us in all the reviews, that we were ready to be ascended into gourmet heaven. Didn't happen. It's just a brick of salmon in a tasty shell. Where are the greens + butter inside? Or Dijon mustard? Or Mushrooms, spinach, or anything literally? Salt, pepper? If the price was 90 or 100 kunas then I would have said that this is a decent main course dish. For 205 though? No juiciness, no flavor, dry. If you love pure baked salmon, it is good, for others—do not order. 4.5/10

Cocktails—Eh. 6/10

Dessert – That tart was amazing!!! I would gladly come back here just to take home this dessert. Light, exploding in flavor. Marvelous work. 10/10

UPDATE: Went to other restaurants. This one is really not worth it spare for...

My partner booked us a table for two in preparation for my 30th birthday.

We got there at 7pm sharp and we were very friendly greeted by the host who showed us to our table and wished me happy birthday in the process. It also just happened that the tables on each side of us had very friendly American tourists and we started chatting to them.

Once we had a look at the menu and placed our orders for starters, mains and drinks, the host offered us complementary bread and butter whilst we waited for the food to come.

First to come were the drinks: my partner went for a Botanist cocktail, whilst I went for a Negroni.

After a 10 minute wait, the starters appeared: 4 slices of bruschetta classic and 2 octopus meatballs with a selection of sauces. The bruschettas were crunchy on the outside, but soft and with melted cheese on the inside. The meatballs had a slightly crunchy texture to them and they were nicely complemented by the black squid ink sauce.

For the mains, we both went for the risotto with king prawns. The risotto had just the right amount of firmness and the prawns were beautifully grilled. On request, the host offered us some grilled parmesan and black pepper.

For desserts, we went for a tiramisu and a full chocolate. The tiramisu had an interesting twist to it: it wasn't the usual multi-layered dessert but rather one layer of chocolate sponge at the base topped with cream and chocolate breadcrumbs, all with a side of coffee- flavoured cream. The full chocolate one consisted of multiple pieces of chocolate desserts and ice creams, one of them having a 24k gold foil on it.

All in all it was an impressive experience at a highly rated restaurant. The service was impeccable and it is definitely worth for a...

Definitely the best dining experience we had in Split. The atmosphere in the outside seating area is very romantic. Our waiter was great with recommendations and fantastic with dealing with a large group like us. We had two courses, wine and cocktails around the table and ended up spending 80 eur per face. The dishes were lovely across the table and perfectly executed. I would highly recommend the scallops 👏 Tuna steak was well executed and a generous portion 👌 Sea bass was tender with a nice crispy skin but the puree could be more flavourful Salmon tartar was simple yet fresh The lobster pasta at 50€ per portion was really full of flavour but I found the pasta slightly overcooked for my liking. It was also served with cheese which I personally do not approve of. 🦞 The steak was also treated with respect and accompanied by lovely a sauce. 🥩

In conclusion, the dishes were delicious across the table and everyone enjoyed their food. The rose wine recommended by our waiter was excellent with our food and some of the best wines we had during our stay in Croatia. Would definitely visit...