Portobello Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in George

Exceptional!

Portobello Italian Kitchen was, without a doubt, the most delightful surprise of our trip along the Garden Route. Conveniently located in George, parking is plentiful and secure (don’t forget to tip the friendly attendants!).

The service was impressively quick without ever feeling rushed, and the ambiance of the restaurant is simply stunning. With its playfully soft lighting, vintage hardwood floors, and striking tile work, Portobello radiates charm. For those cooler evenings, they’ve thoughtfully provided two wood-burning fireplaces, plus there’s outdoor seating for when the weather is more favorable.

The food? Absolutely exceptional! Authentic, simple Italian-inspired dishes that transport you straight to Italy. We especially loved the open kitchen—it adds such a wonderful, personal touch to the dining experience.

A special mention must go to our fantastic hostess, Sonja. Her charisma and confidence are unmatched, and she made us feel right at home. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more in their element than she is!

The Manageress, Chef’s and service staff were all friendly and wonderful to interact with!

Thank you, Portobello! The Nomads will definitely be back.

With...

We held my sister’s bachelorette dinner at Portobello. From the planning to the execution of I couldn't be happier with the evening. Thank you Tamsyn for all the support with the planning.

Izzy, the manager, gave us the warmest welcome along with his staff. Sharon, our waiter, was just fantastic with our large group.

Once seated, we viewed our specially printed menus with just the most fantastic set menu. It was a special evening for my sister and I cannot say thank you enough.

Portobello has a beautiful interior, which made for easy decoration for our occasion. The whole group felt very taken care of, especially by Sharon. She was also beautifully supported by the rest of the staff as well.

A very special shout out to the chef - the food was out of this world. From starters to desert, we all had the most stunning meal. The whole group was raving with each new plate.

I would highly recommend Portobello to anyone looking for a quite dinner, a function or date night.

Thank you so much for a...

Portobello Italian Kitchen is simply a great new find in the George area. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the food presented beautifully. We chose to share a variety of dishes and really enjoyed the experience.

However, we visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the restaurant was quite empty, which affected the atmosphere. It might be a good idea for them to use only one section of the restaurant on quieter days, so guests can be seated closer together.

I wouldn’t recommend the Italian margarita, as it was far too sweet for my taste. The standard margarita however was perfect. The mushroom ravioli was beautifully plated and very flavorful but could use a bit more oil or sauce. Also, the large pasta portions are huge, and it would be helpful if the servers mentioned this upfront—there was plenty left over!

That said, everything else we ordered was...