Portofino Bistrot — Restaurant in Portofino

Unfortunately, this was the worst dining experience we had during our entire week in Italy — and sadly, the only truly touristy place we visited.

While our waiter was nice enough, the rest of the staff were very unfriendly, even rude — not just to us, but to other guests as well. One older man, who appeared to be the manager or owner, was particularly unpleasant. At one point, we even saw him pushing people around on the sidewalk and an older woman on crutches, who asked to sit down was told she couldn’t because there was a “minimum of two people per table” — despite the fact that solo diners dressed in high-end brands like Prada and Dior were comfortably seated at large tables nearby.

We couldn’t help but feel judged for arriving in motorcycle gear and carrying helmets. It was hard to ignore the impression that we were being treated differently simply because we didn’t “look the part.”

As expected in Portofino, prices were high — but charging €13 for a Fanta (listed on the menu as a local Portofino orange lemonade) felt deliberately misleading.

What made this experience even more disappointing was the contrast with everywhere else we visited in Italy. Every other restaurant, bar, and bistro welcomed us warmly with a smile — full of the charm and kindness that makes this country so special. Here, we felt unwelcome and looked down on.

If I could give zero...

If you’re looking to be treated like cattle while forking over your hard-earned money, Portofino Bistrot is the place to go. From the moment we arrived, the staff made it abundantly clear we were not welcome. The waitress literally threw the salad on our table no exaggeration. Not served, not placed thrown, as if we were livestock being fed scraps. To add insult to injury, our desserts arrived at the same time as the main courses. The message was loud and clear: eat fast and get out. Unbelievable.The service? Utterly revolting. Cold, rude, and laced with a condescending attitude that bordered on racism. Funny how servers barely scraping by on Italian minimum wage feel entitled to look down on clients especially when they’re serving a clientele that could buy this place ten times over, blindfolded. Portofino may attract wealthy tourists, including many from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, but make no mistake: this restaurant is a disgrace. A pretty view doesn’t excuse disgusting behavior. Save yourself the disappointment. There are plenty of places in Portofino go anywhere but here. One of the Worst Dining...

If I could put no stars.. I would. Why do I not learn, all the poor reviews here reflect my experience. From now on I'm checking first Google first! The clues were there, when the waiter was rude to us about where to sit, why didn't we just walk away! There is no love at all in what they do. Yes portofino is overpriced, but that doesn't mean serve food that tastes like it's out of a can and charge 20 euros or charge 7.50 euros for a coke. It doesn't mean you can be sooooo rude to people. They add 15% service to the over inflated bill... Because no one would tip willingly. The minimum respect I expect from a restaurant is for them to say thank you when I pay... I got nothing, not even eye contact. The whole experience left us feeling like portofino is a trap and to be avoided... Which I am sure is not the case for other cafes and restaurants .... Avoid this feeling about portofino and avoid this restaurant /bar. I can only think that the owner and waiters that work here would also cheer up too if they abandoned the restaurant and did something...