Porto Lounge — Restaurant in Bristol

We came in last night as a group of 3, after my friend had been ranting and raving about it only for her to have to apologise to us as it was THAT bad. We arrived around 7pm, in a queue which we took as a good sign as a busy restaurant should mean that the food and service was excellent. It was not. It took 20 minutes for us to be seated, and the waitress that seated us only said to us "How many?" and then pointed us in the vague direction of a table and gave us only 2 menus. Nonetheless, I put this down to being busy, I also work in hospitality and so I can understand that service would have left something to be desired but taking the extra five seconds to ask people how they are, especially when the floor staff do not need to take orders (all over QR code), can really go a long way in someone's experience. We ordered 3 tapas boards and some sides for the main part of our meal. It took a long time for it to arrive, understandable as there were queues going out the door while we were seated but when it arrived we were extremely underwhelmed, dare I say appalled with the food quality. Salt and Pepper Squid - was okay, though under seasoned. Extremely poor portion size. Onion rings - we had one that was still frozen in the bowl, they were not consistent in temperature somehow and they were also very greasy. Cheesy chips - Came in a congealed and greasy glob in the bowl, that was not even full. Chicken wings - nothing special, and two of us even noticed that the BBQ sauce which was unevenly spread across the wings tasted suspiciously like the Dominos BBQ sauce. Though it was the only thing that was served to us HOT. Meatballs - Somehow the three meatballs served to us were all different temperatures one hot, one cold, and one lukewarm. Also under seasoned. Arancini - Average, very crunchy on the outside, but also extremely oily. Edamame Guacamole - was more tomato garnish than guac. Also under seasoned and tasted like nothing. Came with 'pita bread' that was very moist (normally you have toasted pita with dip, correct me if I'm wrong.) Brisket - looked and tasted like brown mush, it did not fill the dish out and was mostly filled with aioli (garlic mayo) that took up at least a third of the dish it was served on. Sweetcorn fitters - these were the only thing we could agree on being decent in our mains, though even they were burnt on the outside, and tepid when they reached the table. Quesadilla - you get 2 measly slices that was more wrap than filling and they also arrived to our table soggy due to the garnish on top. The salsa that came with it however was very good and we ended up dipping most of our food in it in order to get some sort of flavour in our mouths. Patatas Bravas - I was super excited for these as they are a tapas staple. They were undercooked, and mushy both inside and out, might as well have been served crushed potatoes with a bit of paprika and aioli on it. Garlic Flatbread - It came to us hotter than food that had been sat under a pass light, so I'm assuming that was the last part of the food that was cooked to come to the table. Yet even that was underwhelming, not garlicy at all and was greasy. The one from Wetherspoons is quite literally better and I don't like spoons food. As previously mentioned, we were greeted, and it felt very rude when seated. Unfortunately that was only the start. The first waiter to bring one of the drinks was actually very nice, he presented the drink on the table and asked who it was for and then placed it down in front of me. However the next two drinks, as well as the cutlery were merely slammed on the end of the table. With no presentation or asking, it genuinely felt like Wetherspoons service. We received no checkback so we were unable to complain on the day, and we didn't want to send the food back as who knows how long we would have ended up waiting for our ENTIRE MEAL to be cooked again. I would have written more but have exceeded the character limit. Disappointing meal overall, wouldn't come back if...

Seeing as Google won't let me leave a different review which is odd as 2 experiences are rarely the same. I have to edit this one and I will leave the review below.

The Porto Lounge has moved premises since my first visit to a much larger establishment a little further down the road from the old place, so still a nightmare to park but the restaurant can't be blamed for yhat.

It was busy, as it should be as the food here is top quality and well worth the value. The staff were cheery and helpful (although there was one member of staff that looked and acted like she really didn't want to be there), We (my party and I) ordered by the App and was informed up front that due to the busy time there was a small wait for food, but that was fine it was a realistic time and they were up front about it so didn't mind waiting. So for the table we are all tea drinkers and ordered 3 pots of tea. This is rare but the tea was brilliant really nice flavour however not sure why there was as an issue with getting us additional sugar sachets, when we asked for more they gave us 6 with 3 people having a pot of tea each and each pot lasting about 3 cups 6 was an odd amount to bring. Waiting for the food was thirsty work so ordered 3 more pots of tea only this time their water was on short supply and our teapots only half full and was only just getting 1.5 cups out of it. Thing is, it's 1 teabag and enough water for 3 cups and they charge close to £2 for it so you feel a little short changed when they don't even fill the teapot with your one teabag.

The new venue is much much bigger nicer atmosphere and warmer, with an eclectic choice of paintings on the wall (each to their own). I will ofc be returning their food and staff are brilliant but sadly a little thing prevents me from improving my rating.

An early evening meal with my brother and his partner. We sat down straight away and due to the colder weather was pleased to see the table was situated right next to a radiator. Sadly radiator was just for show as it was stone cold. No table service here so you either order at the bar or through their app which both were easy enough. The menu had a lot to offer and a nice variety to choose from, no complaints there. Had a little wait for the food to arrive but they do seem a little unorganized as the food runner attempted to give us someone else's food. Food arrived and the runner apologised as no one had given us cutlery, the food itself was lovely and of high quality. We weren't informed when placing the order that there was a national shortage of potatoes as had I taken the effort to place my fries back in order I don't think I would have formed a whole potato. I know there is a cost of living crisis but when you pay over £10 for a meal you expect that might cover the cost of more than one potato. I really did enjoy my meal as did the others in my party, just wish there was more on the plate. There's a nice atmosphere in the Porto lounge and in fact the candle on the table was a nice touch (a source of warmth perhaps for the non working radiators not sure), the portion size lost it one star heres where it lost the other. It took me by complete surprise but they allow dogs in the restaurant, there was one being loud and unruly with the other patrons. I'm not opposed to restaurants being dog friendly just know I would never have chosen to eat here had I'd known. I'm not going to post or go into the obvious reasons why this shouldn't happen but to me couldn't stop thinking about the hygiene aspect of the restaurant which spoiled my visit.

If it were based on the food alone I would return in a heartbeat despite the potato famine in their kitchen. But the dogs in the restaurant is too off-putting.

For people wanting to travel to this restaurant by car leave with plenty of time as finding parking round here is...

I recently visited Porto Lounge in Bristol with a couple of friends, hoping for a relaxing evening and some good drinks. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected, which prompts me to write this review.

Upon our arrival, the ambiance seemed promising, but the service we received from the bar staff, particularly one bartender, was incredibly disheartening. This individual displayed an unprofessional attitude that bordered on rudeness. Their manner was curt, and we felt as though our presence was bothersome to them. As customers, we expected basic courtesy, but instead, we were treated with disdain.

What made the situation more uncomfortable was the feeling that our treatment might have been influenced by our racial background, as we were the only non-white patrons at the time. This is not an accusation we make lightly, but the distinct difference in demeanor we observed between our interaction and that of other customers was too stark to overlook.

We hoped for a warm, inclusive environment but found the atmosphere at Porto Lounge to be unwelcoming. It reached a point where we felt so out of place and disrespected that we decided not to finish our drinks and leave the establishment.

I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and kindness, regardless of their background. Porto Lounge fell short of this basic principle during our visit. It's crucial for any establishment to ensure their staff is trained in customer service and cultural sensitivity, to avoid such incidents that leave a sour taste in patrons' mouths.

I would not recommend Porto Lounge to anyone seeking a friendly and welcoming environment. It’s important for potential patrons to be aware that their experience may vary greatly, and unfortunately, ours was one we do not...