Portale — Restaurant in New York

Chef Alfred Portale is the owner and the chef at the same time of this contemporary Italian restaurant. He brings his heritage and passion for the cuisine and culture of Italy to his namesake, serving a contemporary Italian menu in a relaxed and convivial setting in the heart of New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. Ensconced in a renovated carriage house, located at 126W 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenue. Portale Restaurant explores the many regions of Italy, taking inspiration from the country’s seasonally driven approach to cooking. You can expect an abundance of roasted vegetables, market salads, pastas, and assorted grilled meats and fish. Portale’s offerings are intended to delight, restore, and evoke a sense of the modern Italian flair. Portale Restaurant's interior, designed by INC Architecture & Design, features delicately combined raw materials with meticulously crafted details in refined finishes that give the space a sleek metropolitan feel with homespun comfort. The venue is nicely designed, warm, modern, and minimalistic. Neat and clean. The same goes for restrooms. Some of their specialties include: different types of seasonal salads, homemade pastas (agnolotti, spaghetti, cavatelli), fish (halibut, salmon, branzino), and many others. The most astonishing is their wine list, officially awarded as a 2025 Wine Spectator's Choice. Italian wines (more than 200 I believe) from different parts of Italy (almost all 20 provinces) make this restaurant a wonderful choice. A true heaven for wine lovers! They have a great selection of sparkling wines, half bottles, and large formats (1.5L) as well. We had insalata pomodori (with peaches) and a pulpo (octopus) as our appetizer. The pulpo was overcooked, but the flavor was there, while the insalata was w/o texture (some croutons or pumpkin seeds would make a big difference). Our main course: pork chop and duck breasts were perfectly executed and served, no complaints. Two cocktails for the start ($18-25), and a white wine Petitte Arvine 2020 with our appetizers and main dishes. Prices are higher, but you pay what you get. The venue is very noisy for my taste. Tables are too close to each other (I could hear literally everything from a table next to us). Service is average and formal. They made some big-scale mistakes, but I guess they had just a bad day. Restrooms are located at the first floor. Same goes for a private room. Business hours: Mon-Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm, on Fri and Sat the kitchen is open until 10:30 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Portale is close to 14th Street Union Square and Madison...

Portale – A Chelsea Gem

Portale on 18th Street is the kind of place you almost want to keep secret, but it’s too good not to share. The space is beautiful — airy, elegant, and welcoming — but what truly makes it special is the people.

Our server Josh was warm, attentive, and clearly passionate about the menu. We also had the pleasure of meeting David, the General Manager, whose gracious presence and genuine care for every guest set the tone for the entire experience. The staff here aren’t just friendly — they truly love and believe in this restaurant, and it shows.

The food was outstanding from start to finish!

Service: Exceptional. The staff’s warm energy set the tone for the entire evening.

Food: •   Focaccia with Whipped Ricotta & Olive Oil – Served warm, the focaccia was airy inside with a crisp, golden crust. The whipped ricotta was silky and subtly sweet, with peppery olive oil adding a lush finish. Simple, but perfect. •   Grilled Octopus – Tender and perfectly charred, with just the right smoky depth and delicate brininess. Meaty yet soft—every bite was balanced and satisfying. •   Pasta Angelita – Handmade pasta stuffed with mascarpone, paired with sweet, buttery pops of corn and earthy chanterelles. The texture was silky, the flavors harmonious—a must-order dish. •   Duck with Fig Accompaniment – Seared to perfection with a crisp skin and rosy, tender center. The fig’s jammy sweetness cut beautifully through the duck’s richness. •   Halibut – Cooked just until flaky, preserving its delicate sweetness and moisture. Elegant in its restraint.

Desserts: •   Olive Oil Cake with Meyer Lemon & Poppyseed Crumble – Moist, fragrant, and light. The Meyer lemon added bright floral tang, the poppyseed crumble brought nutty crunch, and the vanilla ice cream tied it together. As a baker, I can say this outshines my favorite Italian olive oil recipe. •   Bomboloni Donuts with Chocolate & Raspberry Sauce – Warm, sugar-dusted clouds of dough that melted in your mouth. The chocolate sauce was velvety, the raspberry bright and tangy. Pure bliss.

Between the atmosphere, service, and food, Portale is a rare 11 out of 10 !! A true hidden gem in NYC dining—one I reluctantly, but...

The Fiorentini was very fishy, much more than I was expecting compared to other seafood pasta I've enjoyed. It was overwhelming, pungent, and dominated the dish, drowning out any other nuances or flavors. I love seafood but could not stomach this well.

Wow, Anatra was fantastic all around. Nothing bad can be said about it at all.

Our cocktail recommendations from Michael were excellent, the Parola was well described as spirit-forward, but we did not heed that as a warning but rather as a descriptor and it was not what we were looking for. We probably should have asked for something else but felt too timid to complain. We did choose it afterall. Brutus for me and Rametto for my partner were stellar matches, however.

Waters were topped off and bussing was attentive at all stages without feeling rushed.

Affogato is hard to mess up and it was indeed great. Mousse al cioccolato was not for us. Textures were AMAZING but all is drowned out by salted caramel. It's such a shame! Even u love salted caramel but perhaps a much lighter drizzle over top would be best to give the other flavors a chance.

Finally, we were sad that our anniversary was not celebrated more than verbally. It may seem silly, but we did expect something special and that was why we chose to celebrate with Portale. It was a celebration in many ways; a career celebration, graduation, business celebration. It won't be our choice for the next anniversary dinner or future birthday dinners but we will be back for casual dinners when family is in town.

Our check took a very long time to arrive but we could tell some important guests had arrived seeing as a manager came to shake hands and the chef(?) came out of the kitchen to sit and talk to this guest. Pity to be overshadowed on our anniversary but we are nobody of great import at the end of the day. The dining room grew surprisingly loud for a Tuesday dinner. We appreciated the tasteful COVID precautions and fixtures installed.

Michael was delightful and patient in his recommendations, and clearly knowledgeable about his menu. We appreciated his service very much and he made it a...