Portofino Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly

Yet again, Portofino's has knocked it out of the park. Aside of the fabulous food, service and ambience, the staff assisted in making a 21st birthday meal very special by taking delivery of the fantastic cake and delivering it to the table at exactly the right time.The surprise was 100%. Nothing is too much trouble, the staff are so personable, it seems effortless, but they seem to make everyone feel like they are the most important ones in the establishment. Kudos. We will return for the next family milestone. Thank you Portofino's, you are fabulous.

Great food, great place to dine. Definitely a place to come back to 😋

Our first time there for my daughters birthday and from that experience it won't be my last visit there. As you walk through the door you are impressed by the ambience of the place, the very warm welcome by the staff and the decor all giving a great first impression. The food was excellent and a thoroughly enjoyable time was had by everyone .

One word and that's WOW. Cannot fault this place. Food was so delicious and reasonably priced to be fair

Fab evening, lovely food and company.

Loved the visit. Good food but even better staff - engaging, chatted, accommodating. Highly recommended.

Lovely ambience, friendly staff, cocktails and mock tails, Italian beers, wines and plenty of soft drinks. Delicious starters, mains, sides and desserts. Popular venue, we booked, but walk in were welcomed. Clean and accessible toilets.

A lovely greeting on our arrival. Once we were seated I asked for the wine list… only to be told they don’t have one,…wtf !!! Alarm bells !! Just one red wine on offer. Chianti not a good one either. Service was extremely slow. Just 2 waiting staff. Starter was fresh… out of the freezer ! 2 meatballs, dry & tasteless in a tomato sauce, thank god for Parmesan. Main course took almost an hour and a half to arrive. Pork ragu and pappardelle, Not great , very bland would prefer a dolmio. Nothing like our last visit, won’t be returning sorry.

Sadly the food here has lost it's spark. The pasta dishes were bland, made with cheap dried pasta. The chicken dish was sparse, with 2 potatoes halved. Desserts were better, but not worth going back for sadly. It's a shame as it's a treat to have an Italian restaurant in a small village, but it's not what it used to be.

Edited for the 3rd time due to owner response: 1. Maybe you should train your staff to be more attentive and ask customers if their meal was OK. They didn't. 2. Maybe next time you hire in an agency chef you should try their food first. 3. If you have a family emergency maybe you should just close for the night instead of letting customers spend their money on food that was not palatable. 4. You've just reaffirmed my reason for not returning to your establishment. Good luck & best wishes for future endeavours. Hwyl Fawr **Edited review after second visit last night** Saddens me to be writing this because I try to support my local restaurants but after my visit last night I won't be returning. Warm welcome, staff pleasant and also nice decor. But you simply can't put some passata on the cheapest you can buy dried pasta, stick it in a bowl with 2 cherry tomatoes and call it penne pomodoro. The dish was bland and underwhelming and and my thoughts were I can make this better at home ☹️ Pains me to say it but I'm not sure this restaurant will be around in the not so distant future. Italian recipes use simple ingredients but they are usually, tasty, filling and moreish. If you have a craving for an Italian meal out and can't make it to Italy then I'd suggest you go a few miles up the road to Blackwood. A message to the owner: do better. First visit review: Had a real nice meal here last week. Lovely food, great service and atmosphere. Highly recommend a visit if you're in the area however would advise to book if planning on visiting Friday or Saturday as it gets very busy.

Popped over from our AirBnB in Deri for a night out with my wife. Service was good and the staff was very friendly. The food was excellent! I had pasta and my wife had fish, and the tomato soup and fresh bread starters were just what we needed. The interior is modern and inviting, and if I were local I would definitely come again.

We had a great meal out. No draught drinks so bottled peroni was ordered. This didn't bother us but for those who like draught, you might be disappointed. Food was quick and well cooked. Very tasty with good presentation. My only feedback would be 1. The bread and oils board needs a variety of different bread to make it more exciting. 2. The portions could be a little better, as £16 for pasta is pushing the boundaries if it's a small plate. 3. Lasagne didn't even come with salad or garlic bread. Had to pay extra. 4. Only one choice of steak ( no description which cut this is ?) 5. More choices such as veal and steaks would be nice.

Portofino continues to impress. As a group, we tried (and greatly enjoyed!) a metre of pizza with four different toppings to suit every palate - it was, as trips to PF always are, outstanding. As always, the service was impeccable. The now familiar staff were again attentive, friendly, funny and welcoming. Even though we long overstayed our welcome and lingered until beyond closing, they remained polite and generous. The atmosphere was as cozy and inviting as ever, again enhancing the overall dining experience. The wine and cocktail selection is beautiful - and so reasonably priced - it is refreshing in the county. Portofino really is a local gem. The combination of value, quality, service, and ambiance makes it a must-visit. Can't wait to return, again, again, and again.

Compliments to the chef cooked perfect

Had a lovely lunchtime meal with retired work colleagues last Friday. Food was plentiful and delicious and we enjoyed great service and a relaxed ambience with lovely Italian tunes around us. I had the linguini marinara which was so delicious and a beautiful sorbet to follow! I think the atmosphere would have been enhanced with some other customers present...come on you lot support this small local family business, especially lunch times! Thanks to all the staff you couldn't have given us better xx

Went for a meal here a couple of weeks ago… There was only one waitress serving all of the customers and OMG what a legend she was. Never seen a more effective and amazing host. Food was amazing well priced and the quality was just 10/10. Highly recommend anyone visiting here for food and drinks, great atmosphere. Thank you and I will 100% be returning.

Good Italian food. I had the butterflies chicken with roast potatoes, green beans and pizziola sauce. My wife has a pizza. Both were well prepared and tasty. Good value.

Lasagna was excellent and a good large portion. Bread board, I would give a miss next time.

Staff were friendly and welcoming. Linguine marinara very nice. Steak cooked perfectly . That's the good bits. Peppercorn sauce was like gravy granules with peppercorns in, really awful. They did take it off the bill. Pornstar Martini?? With a slice of orange in it ?? Um, still trying to work that out. Not sure I would go back.

Took a while for food but good quality.

I went to Portofino in Ystrad Mynach for father's day with my children and two other adults, the food was incredible and everyone cleard their plates including my two year old! The food is very reasonably priced and the service was amazing, we will be back soon! Thank you

Absolutely gorgeous Italian food, brago brago. I loved it and its in a little village. The dining is fantastic, facilities top class and was very impressed. I loved it 😍 thank you soo much. ❤️

Great food, great staff what else is there to say?

Loved our Few Hours there for our Friends Get Together

Amazing food and staff will go above and beyond to help you. I visited with a large group and we all loved it!

It would be such a shame for anyone to miss out on the best Italian around by miles. We've eaten in every local Italian establishment, Portofino Ystrad Mynach is the very best on every level! The service is fabulous, the wine and cocktail list is very good, and the food we had last night was amazing. They currently have a 2 for £15, 3 for £20 course deal running at certain times, you can also upgrade to the normal menu if you choose to. I had gigantic prawns, deliciously cooked with garlic and white wine. The flavour definitely packed a punch! I also had a seafood linguine which was also really tasty. He had steak with garlic butter, cooked to perfection and so juicy! No room for desserts, so limoncello to finish. Our server was so attentive, she's an asset to the team. So thank you to her😊 Well done Portofino, we'll see you again soon 🍹

3 of us traveled for work and found this little diamond, the service was exceptional, drinks in plenty never waiting and food superb. Meatballs starter one of the best ever tasted . Waitress was a credit to the owners

Lovely little Italian, had a good deal on when we went £15 for 2 courses or £20 for 3 courses. Food was outstanding and service was great will definitely be returning it’s an easy 5 stars from me.

14 of us celebrated 3 birthdays here and the food and service was excellent. Recommended 👍🏼

Great food is a really good atmosphere and service!

I've been here a few times and will come many more. The staff are very nice and helpful and the food is always delicious 🤤 beautiful Italian restaurant.

Lovely meal, this was my 5th time visiting.

Food and service amazing. It's just a bit difficult to hear conversation if you're at a long table with lots of people as it's very echoey due to no soft furnishings. Also only bottled drinks available as they said they have no cellar to serve pints. Just minor issues for me, would definitely go again.

A must visit place for authentic Italian food. Staff are polite attentive and it's very affordable. Been here a few times with family members and always had great food great time. You won't be disappointed.

Yesterday I had my baby shower at Portofino, the staff were so so helpful & really couldn’t do enough for me. A special mention to Summer who has been in touch with me over the last few weeks while planning, there really wasn’t anything that was too much trouble. We had a party of 24 people & everyone was really happy with the service we received. Thank you so much to all involved, we will definitely be returning!

Disappointed as heard good reviews. Steak was undercooked and sent back still not the best lots of sinews. Requested water for table twice still didn't get. No options for alcohol free prosecco. Light didn't work in mens toilet. Took a while waiting for food . Didn't feel like a small Italian restaurant. Was noisy and not somewhere we would go again.

Ist time here, heard great things.. had 3 courses, recommend the King Prawns (Gamberoni) and the Bracio (stuffed pork) for starters 😋 My rib eye as come out under cooked, but it was whisked away and a perfect succulent medium ribeye returned minutes later with no problem. Hubby had the Linguine Marianer ..... he said it was beautiful....I had the pannacota with Mango sauce .....it was beautiful, hubby had the cheesecake 😍. We both had cocktails 🍸 totally recommend the Expresso Martini ..... We went the night after valentines as it was totally booked up, now I know why. The restaurant has a young vibe, the decor is beautiful and service is attentive. Best Italian for miles around, you get the full Mediterranean smells and taste, all freshly prepared, compliments to the chef for the authentic gastronomy. Will definately become a go to. Note: gets very busy thurs fri, sat so told by the waiting staff to book at least a week in advance.

An absolutely wonderful restaurant..great food and great service with friendly, helpful staff.

Beautiful food, lovely ambience, fantastic service (Thank you Summer). A real gem. Would highly recommend the cheesecake. Definitely somewhere we will be returning to.

Brilliant food and service. Thanks to Iggy, summer and Melissa.

Excellent food and amazing cocktails. Very accommodating, summer the waitress was very friendly and couldn't do enough for my dietary needs they have lots of vegetarian options and a few gluten free. The one thing I would say to save disappointment is on the menu it states alot of the dishes are vegan but they are not they are vegetarian but they do have vegan cheese and will go above and beyond to make a delicious meal for you . Can't wait to return. Keep up the good work guys xxx

Very disappointed with this restaurant. Heard good reviews on it but that was not the experience we had. On arriving at the restaurant we were seated. Drinks were ordered..first course arrived. At this point all was good. The main meals arrived..i ordered linguine with prawns. I asked the waitress could they be shelled and was abruptly told no..thats how we serve them. The whole meal was bland it was basically pasta in a very insipid tomato sauce with 3 prawns placed on top. The wrong cutlery was on the table and was informed by the waitress that's the only cutlery they had..and without shelling the prawns with my hands was difficult to do with utensils provided. The meal was hardly touched as it was not enjoyable. The waitresses were rude and had no idea of customer service. I explained why I hadn't eaten the meal and was just told.. oh sorry and here's the bill. Sadly I won't be returning or recommending this restaurant

Best lasagna al forno I have ever tasted

Lovely place for a meal. Great food, fast service. Would visit again.

What a lovely welcome we had. Our first and long awaited visit to this absolutely beautiful restaurant. The staff are amazing, attentive and friendly. The extensive menu has something for everyone and the food was excellent. Thank you. What a lovely meal to celebrate our anniversary.

Visited today for our works Christmas lunch and we all loved our meals , there was something for everyone including gluten free and veggie options. The service was amazing , everything was just spot on.

I’ve been coming to portofinos since it opened and I’ve never had a bad meal. I’ve tried lots of dishes off the menu and they’re all delicious, the staff are also great and really attentive. It’s lovely to have such a nice restaurant in Ystrad Mynach.

First visit to Portofino. Food was delicious, from the lasagne and garlic bread to the tiramisu. Staff were friendly and helpful. So glad to find this gem and will be back soon.

Visited here last night for a birthday celebration, food was great and our server, Summer was fantastic. Will definitely be coming back.

A beautiful little spot tucked right in the heart of Ystrad Mynach. This warm, vibrant Italian restaurant is a place you have to experience for yourself. The staff were friendly and engaging, and the food was extraordinary. It offers everything you come to expect from an authentic Italian restaurant, and the specials always leave you wanting more. Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Selection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Seating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Atmosphere ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Parking ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having worked in Italy for a number of years the food here is OK. Nothing beats authentic Italian food in Italy.

We were a large party of 18 out for a works leaving do/early Christmas meal. The restaurant is one I have visited before as a couple, as a family group and with friends. Each time I visit, I am always impressed with the hospitality of the staff. Summer and the team always gives everyone an excellent welcome and the service is attentive and friendly. Our meals were pre-ordered due to the larger numbers -this was all done easily via Instagram messages. The meals came out together and were delicious. I had the Pollo Scallopini with Peppe Nero and would definitely recommend. There were many drinks ordered throughout the night and staff took our orders quickly and efficiently all evening. The entertainment was a great addition to the night. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The spag bol was cooked and seasoned lovely. The food was 10/10. Given the time of year, this is a mere oversight. However, near the window, it's pretty cold at night and Saturday next to it. I do have a slight niggle though. We felt rushed. As we were enjoying our drink and had a little food on the table, the lady serving us asked if we had finished whilst pointing at the empty plates. We'd assumed she would only take the obvious empty plates as there we dishes with plenty of food still left on them and untouched. She proceeded to take everything off the table in a hurry. The side eye came from my partner, and we felt uncomfortable asking her not to take the plates that were full because she was quite loud and would 100% draw attention to our table. I wouldn't say evening was cheap when you add drinks, so I guess we just felt a little put off by the service in the end. 4/5 overall. I think a little courtesy in asking if we'd finished the plates that were full would have made this a nice 5/5.

Really liked this restaurant. Beautiful atmosphere and great food

Welcoming comfortable restaurant, easy access and nearby parking. Very attentive delightful service by the staff. Gorgeous food, great value considering the excellent quality.

This was our first time in Portofino. Although I’m from near by originally we have lived in London for a long time so I had no idea what kind of evening we would have as I booked last minute( never been before and didn’t know anyone who had) we were staying 5 mins from restaurant. We absolutely loved it. The food was delicious and the service was lovely. Summer and the other staff were incredibly kind, helpful, genuine, warm and hard working. Summer could not do enough for us and she brought such a personal element. The food was fresh, good quality and tasty. My mocktail was very nice, and the wine was good too. To start we shared meat balls and a pizza. Both were outstanding. I keep thinking about the pizza and will need to return soon to get my fix :) For mains, we had the pork and a pasta dish, again, very good. We finished with the pistachios ice cream which was excellent. Thank you for a really enjoyable evening. A warm and friendly atmosphere that we really appreciated. See you soon

Overhyped and just not that great. On arrival we were informed by the waitress that half the drinks menu was unavailable due to supplier issues (blaming a third party and not accepting responsibility) and that only a limited menu was available. Though, this is a common theme having read other reviews and needs ironing out imminently. I had the Arancini to start was which overcooked and served rock-hard. At £7.95 this was disappointing and is unacceptable. I then had the seabass for main which was far more enjoyable. To conclude I consider the restaurant decor, setting and staff to be very pleasant but the standard of the food just isn’t that great in my opinion as per my experience, and in comparison is no match for Volare in Caerphilly, which is head and shoulders above this restaurant.

Very welcoming with good quality Italian food

A group of friends meet up twice a year for a catch up. There were only 4 of us. There was a table of 8 and a couple of smaller tables but not a lot of people. Someone came to take the drinks order. They got the order wrong so we had to wait for it to be rectified. They then took our food order, only one of us had a starter and that came quite promptly. We then had to wait an hour for our mains having had to ask for them. We were told they were cooking a batch of steaks so we’re a bit behind. Bearing. In mind we’d been there since 7pm. The food when it arrived was piping hot and very tasty. We ordered another round of drinks and we had to wait a bit for those. We ordered desserts and coffee and had to wait again. We asked three times for the bill and had to resort to putting our coats on and going to the bar to get service. We told them about the poor service and they apologised and that’s no good as I’ve seen this was not a one off problem. They need more staff. The cabaret was great and the night was good apart from the awful service.

A beautiful little spot tucked right in the heart of Ystrad Mynach. This warm, vibrant Italian restaurant is a place you have to experience for yourself. The staff were friendly and engaging, and the food was extraordinary. It offers everything you come to expect from an authentic Italian restaurant, and the specials always leave you wanting more. Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Selection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Seating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Atmosphere ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Parking ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellent food and good dietary options. Really recommended. Evening slighty thrown off by an overly loud musician that caused us to have to shout

Portofino is a real Valleys gem. We are lucky to live locally but honestly it's worth a trip from Cardiff and beyond. The menu is spot on and the quality of the food is top notch. All dishes are always fresh, made with care, delicious and piping hot. The decor in the restaurant is premium and the atmosphere is always excellent. This place is always busy, and rightfully so - it's worth booking ahead. Lastly, the staff go above and beyond to make sure customers have an enjoyable experience. We recently had the pleasure of being served by Ciara (sorry if we've mis-spelled your name!) who was super friendly, attentive and hard-working. Restaurants like Portofino are vital for towns like Ystrad. Please keep up the good work and we'll be back again soon! 🇮🇹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Super 😊🖐Greetings to the employees

We came here for my parents in law’s 40th wedding anniversary and we had an amazing time. The food was absolutely delicious, of the 14 meals we ordered - everyone said how impressed they were with their food. The staff went above and beyond from putting up our decorations to bringing out a lovely personalised platter with profiteroles. They really are a credit to the restaurant and I couldn’t recommend this place enough. The atmosphere is lovely with authentic Italian music playing in the background. The staff were very attentive and helpful, we really couldn’t ask for more. We had a brilliant time celebrating here and will definitely be returning again.

So disappointed. We arrived for dinner had to wait at least 15mins for the waitress to take a drinks order. None of the 5 drinks we tried to order were available, and only one of the more expensive bottles of wine was available. When our drinks order finally arrived the almost another 15mins later the bottle of wine was corked. By this stage half an hour into the evening our food order had still not been taken. The service was very polite but very poor. When we complained we were told they were short staffed, only 2 waiters for a full restaurant, and we were told one of these was a trainee. At this stage we chose to leave rather than get more frustrated. Cannot comment on food, we were not preared to stay after the poor service and delays.

Food was so tasty and big portions, 100% recommend

What a fantastic place to eat! The food was amazing, so was the wine 😉 Staff were really friendly. Fantastic evening

Very busy which was nice to see. Lovely atmosphere. Service was excellent and staff were very attentive and friendly. Food was hot and really good. We all had different and we couldn't fault any of it. This was our first visit but we will definitely...

Decided to come here for a birthday meal on 23/9 since we’d never been here since it first opened, staff are very polite and welcoming, couldn’t do enough for us. The food really let the place down, 4 of my party sent their meals back...

Love the food here Although tonight my eyes were getting. Sore with the smoke and sizzling smell coming up the stairs Love the carbonara as always it really is the best carbonara compared to blackwood and Caerphilly

Parking not very easy, not much taste to the food but staff was lovely

Beautiful food, fantastic and authentic wine and beer. Service and atmosphere is also second to none. Thank you to the lovely waitress who showed us how to do a proper boomerang 😁

We ordered a home delivery. It was delivered on time, warm and tasted amazing. Will highly recommend. We even had a pot of Parmesan cheese. Lovely service

Visited on Tuesday 13th, and nothing to complain about. Well decorated, nice atmosphere, great service and a huge menu too (although I was always going to go for the carbonara). Would be a go to spot if we lived in the area.

Excellent service, delicious food, lovely atmosphere.Very happy that we found this restaurant, will come back definitely and will recommend it to our friends⭐️

Two lovely visits to Portofino this week - firstly with my family for Mum's birthday, and again with my best friends. Delightful food, friendly and attentive service and a really good buzz in the restaurant. Unfortunately, the 2nd visit was a little marred by an...

Another lovely night at PortoFino. The staff were quick to apologise that they didn’t have the appropriate members of staff available to serve this evening, but despite that, it was a (very) busy Thursday night and we had a fabulous evening. The food hit the...

Always have the best of welcome , at portofino . Summer is the most helpful host , she guides you through the menu , recommendations and dietary needs . The food is always delicious , with a friendly atmosphere and lovely surroundings . Nothing is...

It was a busy Saturday and the restaurant was full we were a party of ten. The food was very nice. There was some confusion with the steaks in relation to how they were cooked. Linguine marinera was very good. The best Tiramisu I've tasted. Very light with a delicate balance of coffee and sweetness. My wife had an Italian sausage and mushroom penne dish which was also lovely. Very attentive service to be fair. I would say this is a nice place to socialise and to eat. Forget Amici in Blackwood this is a 100 times better.

fantastic atmosphere, beautiful food, and the staff couldn't do enough so friendly and helpful! I cant wait to go back!!

2nd visit to the restaurant - first tried it in June and had a great experience, although we had been concerned by the inconsistent reviews. Returned for our wedding anniversary this month, service was incredibly slow (30 mins to take starter orders) and after another...

3rd. Is it here, as I’m GLuten free I always struggle with restaurants having a decent menu and selection room to chose from. Not only can you order any pasta/pizza off the menu and they’ll adapt you never have to compromise on taste and quality....

We were "welcomed" by the waitress making an announcement of extra charges. These were in addition to the prices on the three confusing menus which we had to keep passing round as we had one of the main menu, one of the specials menu and...

Amazing and will definitely recommend to my family and friends,professional and friendly from the minute we walked through the door,cocktails were amazing,steak was perfect and lasagna was enough for 2(took half home)the place was spotless and a lovely atmosphere,Will definitely return,so nice to see a...

A dreadful experience from start to end. Unfortunately rude staff that were drinking on the job resulting in very poor service, waiting 40 minutes between courses! Food was tasteless and like warm. And to finish off the night the bill was completely wrong because staff...

Absolutely stunning food!. Very nice and happy, helpful staff! Will be going back as soon as I can!. Thankyou for all the staff that made a fantastic meal and a lovely birthday treat for me 😁

Lovely food, nice relaxed atmosphere! Plenty of options for all dietary needs.

I have been to Portofino restaurant several times and rated it highly. We haven't been for several months and I felt let down. The menu is more restricted - basically pasta and pizza. My friend had a chicken breast which was actually one chicken breast...

Came to portofino for my husbands birthday, the first time for both of us and had a lovely meal and experience. The waitress was pleasant and friendly. The food was lovely, very tasty and we would return again.

Visited on a Monday night. There was one large group of around 8 and four other tables totalling 10 so 20 people in total. Unfortunately and despite the best efforts of the young lady waiting on tables that is too many for one person to...

Good choice of dishes. Friendly service.

Lovely home cooked food and a nice atmosphere. Great place for a meal for two or a celebration. We will definitely be back.

Had a pretty good meal here and enjoyed our evening. Shall definitely visit again.

Fantastic! A lovely meal, great atmosphere - very busy! Staff were great! Very attentive! We can walk to this restaurant which is great! Would highly recommend and will return.

it's very expensive way to overpriced. they ask for stupid money for a basic meal. nothing special. when i first visited a few months back it was stunning and the prices were ok, they have increased the prices now and if i'm honest it's ridiculous....

First but not last work meal here . Friendly staff, fantastic food and service. Nothing too much trouble. Such a lovely atmosphere. We will be back Caerphilly Speech and Language Team

Had lovely lunch today great food, great service. Will definitely go back. 100% try it if you haven't already. You won't be disappointed.

Perfect food, good service. The restaurant is just misding a bit of ambiente, small for the number of people seated.

5 star service throughout the evening, food superb, service excellent only to willing to please friendly throughout could not do enough for us .atmosphere and ambiance second to none completed the evening totaly.

Portofino What a fabulous location for meeting friends and family ! Our table of 10 (including one 2.5 year old) were well looked after with attentive and welcoming staff. The decor and vibe of the place was fab too ! Great selection of food and...