Porto Pino Ristorante — Restaurant in Leiden

Our stay at Porto Pino was wonderful. We decided quite randomly to give this place a chance, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision.

From the moment we first stepped into the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed by a lovely waitress who informed us about their 4-course menu that is not set, so it’s a bit of a surprise.

We were asked whether we had any allergies or dietary restrictions the chef should be aware of, which is a great plus.

As an amuse-bouche, we were served bruschetta. The starter was served on several plates with prosciutto, grilled courgette, eggplant, mushrooms, caprese, cold cuts, and another version of bruschetta with bell peppers and anchovies (unbelievably delicious). Although the starter consisted of various dishes with their own flavor profiles, they complemented each other very well.

For antipasti, we had ravioli filled with tartuffi and a delicious tomato sauce on top. The pasta was al dente, and flavor-wise, it was perfect. The truffle wasn’t too aggressive in the pasta, very well balanced.

For the main course, we had sea bass with white wine sauce, buttery thyme potatoes, seared bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes. The main course was brilliant; the fish was just perfect - creamy and juicy, and the sauce was excellent, as well as the rest of the side dishes.

For dessert, we enjoyed homemade tiramisu, which was the cherry on top of the evening. The ladyfingers were nicely filled with coffee and liquor but were not soggy at all. The cream was excellent, so buttery and rich in taste.

As for the drinks, they offer a really nice variety of wines that pair perfectly with the food. If you’re unsure about your choice, you can always ask the staff, who are happy to help you.

The staff was excellent, especially the lovely waitress who paid fantastic attention to her guests.

The overall atmosphere was fantastic. The place wasn’t packed, which made it private, and with Italian music in the background, the whole place felt very homey.

Just as a heads-up, this place is not for a quick dinner. It’s for people to sit down, talk, and enjoy good food and good wine. Don’t rush it; enjoy the moment ;)

In summary, it was our first time there, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. We will definitely come back next time when we have the chance.

Thank you for such a wonderful...

The food was just okay. . . And maybe on the lower end of the okay scale. Antipasti was the bast part of the meal. It went downhill after that. Pasta course was way over-salted and a bit mushy. And the fish dish was cold and the broccoli was way overcooked. Service was excellent in spite of the fact that there was only one waitress serving 20+ people, but the business model of a set menu helps with her workload I guess. Atmosphere was nice. 150 euros for two people with two bottles of decent Italian Primotivo was not really great value for average food....

Too much food, too little quality. The menu is abundant with many dishes, but it has no concept whatsoever: just a random mix of very common italian plates. Some things are good some are not. Fish in particular is not good (essentially either dipped in butter or reheated or both). The worst three things are the following: -quality, basically the same of home cooking; -service, the waitress was unprofessional and at times unawarely rude; -interior, the place needs to be revamped, it is frozen in time ... and not in...