Portola Bistro

Review summary

1. L

   Linda

   San Francisco

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I had lunch there today with a friend from San Francisco. He had the burger, I ordered the chicken sandwich. We both agreed our sandwiches were good but tasted quite ordinary. The brioche buns quickly crumbled and got mushy, making for a messy experience. The olive tapenade that came with the bread basket was excellent- a nice condiment. John, our waiter, was very attentive and helpful. I was surprised to see the rest was only about 1/3 full by the time we left at @ 1 pm. Linda from Portola Valley
   

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2. C

   Christina

   Caribbean

   5 reviews

   3.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on January 13, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Our waiter was not very attentive. There were a total of 12 customers there and he felt busy and it took a long time to get order in. Then we closed restaurant down and there was nobody when we left working. It was a ghost town. Odd experience.
   

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3. M

   Marcel

   VIP

   San Francisco

   91 reviews

   5.0

   91 reviews

   Dined on January 13, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A nice menu with lots of diversity. The fried artichokes and tuna tartare for appetizers were exquisite. Beef bourguignon came with a delightful sauce and the branzino was moist and seasoned just right. Service was excellent.
   

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4. R

   Roy

   VIP

   San Francisco

   108 reviews

   4.0

   108 reviews

   Dined on January 10, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The staff is trying really hard and is very friendly and helpful. The menu is all over the place and execution is inconsistent. Our second visit and we'll go back.
   

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5. M

   Mariquita

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 7, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Large varied menu covers both full dinner dishes and lighter fare. Spacious, light, excellent service. Food great!
   

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6. A

   Anita

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on January 5, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Their lunch / brunch menu was varied and had good options for egg / pancake / french toast dishes without being overwhelming with breakfast choices. Our table had the avocado toast, eggs royale, and warm cabbage salad, and we finished with affogatos. Everyone enjoyed their meals.
   

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7. C

   Claude

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on January 3, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was our second visit. The food and service were very good. This place is much better than the Parkside Grill and we recommend it heartily. We had a 7:30 reservation on a Thursday night. The place did not have many customers and the waiter told us they had had many earlier reservations. This is consistent with our observation that dinners frequently start around 6:00 pm.
   

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8. J

   Judy

   VIP

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on December 28, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful casual but elegant restaurant! Food was amazing and the staff were warm and welcoming!
   

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9. K

   Kathy

   San Francisco

   18 reviews

   5.0

   18 reviews

   Dined on December 26, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent server and dinner for Christmas with our party of 7. Apps included, ahi, deviled eggs, calamari… Entrées of lobster ravioli, beef bourg, cabbage salad, burgers (they loved!) lamb chops for me - we all loved everything! Desserts, affogatos, and tiramisu, our server was so good, balance of friendly & professional, great work! Very memorable Christmas dinner! 🎄
   

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10. M

    Megan

    Seattle

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We were very happy to find this lovely place open on Christmas Day. They served us a lovely meal with generous portions. The service was impeccable. From the minute we walked in and throughout the meal staff were helpful and attentive. Hope to come back soon.
    

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