Portofino in Hartlepool

Booked well in advance for a table of ten. There was a wait for the table with very limited space to stand at the bar. Once seated the service was fairly slow but the menu was comprehensive. Service continued to be slow throughout the evening and staff were less than attentive. Most of the meals were fine. A steak was ordered medium but arrived tough and cremated. Pleasant evening but nothing special.

Ate here whilst staying overnight in Hartlepool Excellent meal served by friendly staff, very good Lasagne and prawn and chorizo risotto. Good red wine and local ales.

I recently had the unfortunate experience of dining at Portofino, and let me just say, it was one of the most disappointing meals I've ever had. I ordered the Liver in Wine and Garlic, hoping for a flavourful, well-balanced dish. What arrived was a disaster on a plate. The liver, instead of being tender and infused with the rich flavours of wine and garlic, was drowned in a pool of oil and grease. It was unappetizing from the moment it was placed on the table, and only got worse with every bite. The portion size was absurdly large, but quality should always come before quantity, and this was a glaring example of why. To make matters worse, the dish was paired with what I assume was meant to be mashed potatoes, but instead, it was an over salted, inedible mound. It felt like I was biting into pure salt—there was no attempt at balance, just an assault on the taste buds. When I brought this up to the waiter, I was met with rudeness and condescension. The chef’s defence? "That's the way it's supposed to be." No apology, no offer to replace the dish or even adjust it to meet basic culinary standards. The response was not only dismissive but entirely unprofessional, leaving me to question if anyone in the kitchen actually cared about what they were serving. This level of disregard for both food and customer service is unacceptable. If this is their idea of how food is "supposed to be," then I suggest they go back to the basics, because this was nothing short of a greasy, salty mess. Safe to say, I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values good food—or decent service for that matter.

Absolutely amazing , food was served piping hot We were a party of 4 each had something different but all equally good Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff

Having reviewed this restaurant, very positively a year ago, today's visit was the total opposite (20/08/24). The food did not taste freshly cooked more of a warm up. The bread crumbs on the squid had been overcooked or warmed up. Potato skins on bed of lettuce in the bowl, unusual. The lasagne was dry, again possibly warmed up with no sign of any sauce. The chicken Pepe was tough, overcooked?The only saving grace was the fresh bread and the service provided.

Took my daughter and boyfriend for her birthday treat, what an absolute gem of a place. I never knew Hartlepool had quality restaurants like this. Quality food great service and all at a reasonable price,would recommend a visit.

In the area and advisor recommended this place. Packed by 6pm Friday night. Food tasty and generous portions. Definitely go again if nearby

Went to portofino with the wife lovely staff good food also the decor need a bit of an update but we had a good night overall

Food was excellent as good as any where we have dined in the world great atmosphere and great price no hesitation in recommending a visit

Another favourite of ours when visiting Hartlepool. Consistent quality and cracking value. Highly recommended. Always on our itinerary when on a weekend break.

Great food, great service, great hospitality and great value. We were a party of 19, in Hartlepool for the evening and thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Portofino. Definitely would recommend to others.

11 of us visited here for a birthday treat, beautiful meals all round, red hot and very generous portions. Good deals including two courses for £16

Very unhappy this evening. I have been coming to this restaurant since it was in the hands of Krimo. Today (easter saturday) a party of 5 visited to be told we had to vacate our table at 18:30 as we had already been told that was when the table was to be vacated when booking . We had not finished our meals, it wasnt as if we were just sitting talking, the service was slow, so the fault of theirs not ours, we didnt even have cutlery to eat our main course with. The best the staff could say was theres nothing we could do as other people were waiting. So no dessert or coffee was had. Nice to see it was all about the money not the loyal customers. I will definately not return. We headed over to cafe rapport on the marina, they looked after us perfectly.

Went to this restaurant tonight for dinner it was lovely. The food was great and the staff ( special mention for posh holly and Elly ) were excellent. Would we go again the answer is yes in a heartbeat. If you are here give this place a go, you won’t be disappointed!

From arriving to leaving, we had an amazing experience. The staff, the ambience, and the food were amazing. We will definitely be returning all the way from Doncaster when next visiting family. We can't wait to return.

Came here with a colleague as my favourite restaurant local restaurant was shut I was surprised to see how busy considering a Wednesday evening We did not book but offered 2 tables, then menus and drinks ordered efficiently Good selection and nice to see Cameron’s local beers being sold, excellent by the way To start I had belly pork with black pudding bon bons that would have not been out of place on a Michelin star menu outstanding and my colleague had garlic mushrooms Mains both had meat feast Parmo as when in Rome The food was good and the service attentive and friendly I highly recommend

All excellent and food was top quality and very good value for money and the offers were very good as well. Would recommend and we will be back.

Placed an order to collect this evening rather than dining in the restaurant and the food was amazing! Portions are very generous, they even remembered little details such as bread basket & parmesan cheese As you would receive in the restaurant. Food was beautiful :)

Always a go to spot for lunch when in Hartlepool. Service is friendly and the food is always very good. With views of the marina and tall ship, Porto Fino is the place to go!

Fabulous Sunday Lunch, one of the best we have eaten in a long time. Lovely, friendly staff and atmosphere. Definitely recommend visiting here.

If you haven’t been here for Sunday lunch book now it’s not only one of the best but the staff are lovely. Sunday dinner at its best.

Went for a Christmas get together with friends. Staff were very nice, and the meal was nice. Good deals on the food and cocktails. Recommended to book beforehand as there aren't many tables.

Christmas kit what can I say ! Our 3rd year running that Noel and the team made our Christmas dinner perfect. I cannot thank them enough for taking all the stress away with the Christmas kits, massive portions, instructions that even I can follow and the perfect Christmas dinner, portofinos will always be the best restaurant in the north east. Keep up the fantastic work team portos. X

We travelled from Richmond (North Yorkshire) to try this restaurant recommended by friends from Hartlepool. First impressions a gorgeous setting and beautifully decorated for Christmas with music playing and a great atmosphere. The place was VERY busy (struggled to actually get through the door), and...

After our first visit, we were so pleased that we have had more evenings out here and the staff and service have never let us down.Needless to say the food is also incredible. Overall ECCEPTIONAL !

Regularly visit Portofinos, it is my favourite restaurant in town. Every experience has been unbelievable, from dinner/tea to sunday lunch or takeaways. 100% recommend for good quality food, with in budget. Warm atmosphere inside and free bread to start, makes it the perfect place every...

We have been here as a family many times and have never once been disappointed. The only downside I can think of is how long it takes me to pick something, I have a new favourite meal ever time I go. On my last visit...

I have been to Portofino several times and it’s always spot on, the food is delicious, the staff are friendly and smiling. Also, takeaways were on time and tasted very nice, as always. Looking forward for next time. Definitely recommended for all occasions.

I love Portofinos beautiful restaurant and outstanding food always. Lovely night had by all for my daughter birthday. Thankyou 😊

Beautiful food. I had the chicken paesano. The Chicken was so moist and the veg was perfectly cooked. The rest of my family enjoyed their meal too. We often eat here as it’s one of our favourite restaurants in the north east. Get yourselves there,...

Fabulous meal as usual, staff are very attentive, helpful and really friendly and patient when it comes to young children! Great atmosphere to compliment the great food - would highly recommend the chicken a la crème and the hot shot parmo! Yum.

We were in last week for a family meal, as always, we were greeted with a smile! The Restaurant was full when we arrived but it didn’t stop us getting prompt service and amazing food. (Chicken Pepe is the best Iv had) Could not fault...

Always speedy and efficient service. Great choice of dishes. Well presented . Polite and friendly staff. Great prices, too.

Met my friends here for a well over due catch up and what a lovely night we all had. Wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff and the food was delicious. We ended up being the last in the restaurant to leave as the drinks were just flowing...

Absolutely amazing meal as always! The parmo menu is second to none! Hubby is trying to go through the whole list and can’t decide which is his fave so far! Just beautiful and it’s always service with a smile! By far our fave restaurant -...

I had a lovely meal here with my family. The meals were all lovely, staff were very polite too I would definitely recommend this restaurant to a friend and family if they were wondering were to go, potato skins and rustica pasta were my favourite!

Disappointed in table/ staff uninterested. Food was nice. Felt very rushed yet ignored at the same time....strange.

This restaurant just never disappoints. Fantastic food and service in a lovely setting and offers great value. Huge a la carte menu with two course meal deals available, always a fabulous meal that doesn't break the bank. I opted for the starter and chicken main...

hey keep this to yourself but we just found out they do sunday lunch. and not only is it good but Cathrine and the girls make the whole experiance feel special. you have a bowl of veg to yourself none of that sharing carry on...

Beautiful food and staff. Nothing was too much trouble. The young girl waitresses were lovely helpful and always smiling. Obviously lead by the older (just by a little) waitress setting a good example thank you..food was delicious!

Portofino is our number 1 go to, always consistently great food and brilliant value. My friend travels from Scarborto visit and he won't leave without a meal at Portofino.

I would recommend this place, but defo book as it is very popular. we booked for 7:00, but it was heaving when we arrived so went over the road for a pint. Meals were good, only 1 person had an issue with a dry salmon...

Great for a nice casual evening with friends. Varied menu and a decent enough wine list. Very pleasant atmosphere helped by attentive staff. All in all a really good effort and very good value for money.

Been several times but on this visit the food wasn't as good , wondered if a change of chef ? With my main course ordered chips and salad but we're served in the same dish !!!! To me that is a faux pas!!!

Came during happy hour on a Friday night and had a lovely 2 course meal. Servers were friendly and polite. Had pate for starters which was delicious and tagine for main which was not really to my taste but possibly because have had the real...

Wow what an amazing restaurant the quality of the food was fantastic and value for money would definitely recommend giving this restaurant a try.

Our second visit to Portofino Hartlepool. An advanced booking for four persons. The staff were welcoming and friendly. We arrived on time and were escorted to our table. Our drinks order was taken and quickly delivered. Once again we ordered four different ‘Starters and Mains’...

Absolutely fantastic, read reviews and we were up for a long weekend The food was out of this world so much choice and really good portions, excellent value for money, great atmosphere, the staff were very happy polite and gave exemplary service. The food was...

Really enjoyed the food, staff very friendly and helpful not waiting a long term for food niether even though it was busy. Would recommend a visit

Really good dining experience here yesterday and such good value! We telephoned to book (£5 per head to reserve which is taken off your bill) and we were glad we did as people were being turned away. The lunch menu which offers two courses for...

High quality affordable food. Excellent service.lovely dining experience . Always book at portofino when staying in Hartlepool.

Great atmosphere, very polite staff & great food ! What more can you ask for ! 10/10 will definitely be back soon

Took my partner ther the other night and it was a great atmosphere the food was amazing as were the staff. I suggest anyone to go there and want a what was a romantic evening with quality food and drink.

A lovely restaurant with fantastic food and friendly, attentive staff. I always order the starter and main course for £11.45. There's an extensive choice and it's always difficult to choose! Thus visit I went with the squid rings to start. Superbly cooked and served with...

It has been many years since our last visit, probably when tall ships were here. We we re looking for a nice place for dinner when I remembered Portofinos. Vast menu with something for all to enjoy. Garlic mushrooms delish and the chicken belini (cream...

Best restaurant in Hartlepool by far! Pork belly and black pudding starter was cooked perfect, fillet steak and chicken dishes very tasty and our young son was very excited by his smily face pizza. Staff (especially Catherine) are also very friendly and organised even when...

Went to celebrate our daughters birthday, food was first class, service excellent, everything was perfect, first visit but will not be the last.

Gorgeous food as always, very nice staff, beautiful decor, always nice and clean with lovely views out the windows

Great food with excellent service despite the fact we were a large table. Restaurant was busy and booking was definitely needed. Only issue would be the entrance was up a high stair case so not great for those with mobility issues.

Staff seriously need training on customer service and hospitality. Young waitress with a right snotty attitude. Shame because the food is great.

Had a lovely meal for my Birthday. Great customer service too. Would definitely go back and recommend.

Most people know who have allergies or into!traces know how difficult it is to go out to a restaurant. I can fully recommend Portofino on Hartlepool Marina where I had choices and understanding staff. Felt safe to eat there and looking forward to going again.

We recently dined after a too long absence at Portofinos and found thankfully that nothing had changed. The staff were as friendly as ever and the food fantastic. Thanks to all at Portofinos and look forward to visiting again soon.

The best Vegan options I have seen in a restaurant. The food portions are amazing and are so tasty. My whole family love coming here as they cater for alll food allergies and diets.

The food was fresh and delicious. The resteraunt has great ambiance. The staff were efficient and very friendly Always know we will have a lovely time here

I went with my nine year old son, who really loves his food. He is often disappointed when eating out when the kids menu is just the usual bland chicken nuggets. We were both delighted that he was able to order of the main menu,...

Food excellent as usual, the staff very efficient and friendly and we will be returning again shortly

The staff are always friendly and efficient. The food is Italian style, well cooked and plentiful. The restaurant is upstairs and has a unique view down on to the deck of a Tall Ship from one window and a view over the marina basin from...

Portofinos is our favourite restaurant in hartlepool. There was a few issues with our visit this time, the pork belly starter was not crispy this time, still tasty but a bit disappointing. We ordered fillet steak but weren’t given a steak knife, we tried to...

Wow! Went on Friday evening & by chance caught the Happy Hour Menu. OMG! Place was packed! But not in anyway overpowering, atmosphere was buzzing! I ordered the Belly pork & black pudding as a starter - it was sublime! Followed with King Prawns in...

We came on a return visit with family and it was as fantastic as the first visit. Great food and for such a great price. The decor is done very well too creating an authentic feel. Staff were very helpful and friendly. We will definitely...

We decided at the last moment to see if we could get a table for two, we were told there would be a 30 minute wait. We were happy to wait but after 20 minutes we were seated. The staff were really attentive without being...

We'd heard this place was good and it didn't disappoint! We'd booked a table for Sunday lunch. I ordered the pork, and my husband had the beef. The food arrived promptly and was freshly cooked and totally delicious. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the...

Great food with a pretty taverna atmosphere. Separate vegan menu gave us a lot of choice with great starters, mains and sides. Unfortunately, no desserts (yet)!

Went here with my wife last week. Normally love coming here and never disappointed but tbis time was a let down. My soup for starter was very bland, while wifes pate was ok nothing flash. Mains were both poor chicken rosemary and chicken pepe. Both...

The food Well presented and full of flavour the staff were friendly and professional customer service was excellent.

Excellent food, 😋. brilliant service, relaxing atmosphere. We had a really lovely time celebrating a family anniversary and loved the whole experience

Absolutely brilliant service from all staff. The meal was out of this world and will definitely be back very soon x

Fully recommend Portifinos, we went for the early bird menu and wasn’t disappointed. Lovely food and great portion sizes. Also a great price, thank you 🙏

Lovely meal this Sunday, walked in and plenty of spaces but very quickly filled up. The Boureks were fantastic, always nice but even better today. Roast beef dinner was great with plenty of veg, mash & roasties. White wine lovely & chilled-service prompt & unintrusive-all...

Haven't been to Portofino for a long time and its the best its ever been. Its always been a good place to eat but I visited last night for a family meal and was very impressed. The meal arrived in good time, was piping hot...

Excellent service and food as always. Absolute value for money and a great place for a family meal. Would highly recommend

The meal was beautiful best place friendly very helpful always go back and it’s great food you must try

Cannot fault this place, I have loved going here for many years. The standard has always been high. Thank you noel

Amazing food,,lots of choice all fresh cooked and delicious and plenty of great meals for the kids. brilliantt service from smiling happy staff. We have visited 3 times for famliy get togethers and have enjoyed the food and the atmosphere every time, even when there...

We recently celebrated my mums birthday at Portofinos restaurant. We had a table of 10 people and the service was spot on. Staff were friendly, helpful, and patient. Food was brought our altogether so everyone could eat together. Potion sizes were really good, and everyone...

Three generations out for an evening meal. We each had something different and it did not disappoint. The service was friendly and efficient. We will be back.

Excellent friendly service sang happy birthday to my mother in law which made her day! Food was beautiful as always

This was my second visit both times the food has been excellent. We had planned on sharing some dishes but everyone loved their own dish so much that we kept them to ourselves. I recommend the belly pork as a delicious starter. Service could be...

Before visiting The Royal Navy Museum next door we dropped in here for lunch. There were seven in the party and we were made most welcome. The selection of food on offer was excellent and the staff could not have been more helpful. The childrems...

Took my wife for valentines night and tried there small plates menu ( tapas) Small plates maybe big portion excellent food both quantity & quality ordered the standard with and additional extra could not eat it all the taste was unbelievable and value for money...

My girl friends and I went here for happy hour last night and we were instantly transported to Italy when we walked through the door, due to the Italian themed decor. The food was superb and at great prices. We all really enjoyed the food...

The service really let the place down. It’s rare that I don’t leave a tip, but resolved that the service didn’t warrant even 10%. We booked for the number of people eating and didn’t include my 16 month daughter as she wouldn’t be having a...

We went for my daughters 40th birthday. We had a lovely evening. Nice atmosphere and staff were lovely and friendly. Food was gorgeous x

Haven’t been to Portofino for about 3 years, and I am glad I have again. The food was beautiful, fresh, hot and tasty. The staff were super. The restaurant is pretty and clean. There as a little wait for the main course but it was...

Ive now been 3 time tasting various food items and all where tasty. Venue is great as well as staff.

The 2 course lunchtime special is extremely good value. The quality of the food and the friendly and polite staff always makes a visit to Portofino's a real pleasure. Having been coming here for years and will continue to do so in the future.

Our first visit to Portofino Hartlepool. An advanced booking for four persons. The staff were welcoming and friendly. We arrived early and waited a few minutes for our table to be cleaned and made ready. Once at our table our drinks order was taken and...

14 in our group and we all got uor meals as ordered at pretty much the same time from staff that were first class. We will go again and again.

We went for our wedding anniversary. Delicious food great service we will definitely be going again soon.