Porto Terra Tuscan Grill & Bar

This has been my restaurant of choice since I started working near the mall 13 years ago. I truly don't think I've ever had a meal here that I didn't love. This is not a typical ""hotel restaurant""; the food is always fresh and interesting. The tapenade is to die for; just give me a bowl of it and some bread and I shouldn't need anything else. But, then again, they have calamari so I have to have that too and then their fresh pasta, truly?!!! I just got back from lunch at Porta Terra. I had the Cannelloni with wild mushrooms and butternut squash. Oh my! Even though I just put leftovers in the refrigerator, I'm already planning my next trip so I can have it again. The downside is that it's expensive so I can't partake very often; but that's probably a good thing. Try it, but stay away from the sandwiches and pizza's that you can probably get elsewhere - go for their pasta's and specials. \r Enjoy. more

I absolutely love this restaurant. Been there about 4 times over the past 4 months. Everything I've had has been so good and so tasty, its my Italian place of choice. They have had unique daily specials everytime I went, two of the times I've been there I had the special, it sounded so good! The menu always sounds so good too, its always hard to decide. I agree with previous reviews, this place is different, they are fresh, they are delicious. Real food, so good. Fresh pasta from scratch! Thats rarer then you think. Lots of choices too, last time I went I had a choice of 3 menus: the bar menu, happy hour menu and the dinner menu. The bar menu seemed more tailored to classic bar/american italian, what your looking for in bar food. The happy hour was similiar to the bar menu as far as the style of food, but with just really cheap prices. The dinner menu is where the authentic italian come out, elegant food, rich flavors. I've only had items from the dinner menu, because they always sound so good. One of the times I went, a friend had the margarita pizza, which I believe was from either the bar or happy hour menu, and they loved it, so I'm sure everything that comes out of that kitchen is fantastic, no matter what menu. I'm getting hungry... Pros: Great choices, wonderful food, great restaurant more

The food was fantastic, tasty, different. They had very good deals on there ""specials"" section of their website, perfect if spending an evening downtown and great if you just want to try them out. They had a special related to the symphony crowd, having a special coursed dinner at about the time you would eat before you would go to a symphony or some other activity for the evening. We did that special the first time because we actually went to a symphony, and again the following week, just because it was a wonderful meal at a great special price!\r \r I would recommend this to anyone who wants great tuscan italian. To anyone who hasn't tried true Italian dishes and have stuck with franchises (Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, et al.) prepare to be AMAZED. Pasta is made from scratch! No prepackage dried pasta noodles. Try to get that in any franchise. And the amount of salad and seafood oriented dishes would please anyone, along with pleasing the steak lover also of course. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.\r \r I am relatively new in Portland (8 months) and have tried a LOT of Italian in my short time here. What surprises me is even the locally owned places try to emulate the predone/over-processed concept that the franchises have done. Over sauced, over generic, over americanized Italian food. Italian food is not: pasta+thick sauce+lotta cheese+bread. It is so much more, and this is the first place that has shown me that. Fresh = Italian. This place has it. Pros: Great selection, very nice italian, must try! Cons: None I could see. more

Went to the Porto Terra for the first time. The menu sounded great and the reviews were great so thought I would try it out for myself. The was a lot to choose from. For appetizer we got the carpaccio and the polenta. Very very good. They had a lot of great sounding salads and pastas but I went for the filet mignon and scallops. Wife went for the gnocchi. Both were so good, we shared each others plates, I probably took more then my fair share from her. We will be back soon. Loved the food, loved the wine! more

I was happy to see a wide selection of Italian dishes I don't see too often. There are far too many places out there that seem to think Italian is just pasta, lots of cheese, and thick red sauce or white alfredo sauce. My belly was excited to see real Italian oriented dishes and sides. I was originally going to go with the duck, which had a orange cherry sauce that sounded delicious, but ended up getting a pasta. I originally thought that pasta was the last thing I would try, since every Italian place I've been to thats usually the focus, and I've tried them all. Or so I thought, because there were some that had a new twist to them or even ones I never heard of. I ended up with the bolognese. Incredible flavor and different than your usual idea of Italian. Not to say this isn't Italian, this is just the Italian you've haven't been introduced to yet! Wife had the gorgonzola pasta, and aside from the obvious there was also walnuts and bacon in it. It was very good too. The homemade fresh pastas are really good, you can really tell the difference. There were other entrees that looked good to both of us, we plan on going back for sure.\r \r For appetizer, we had the calamari and prawns lemoncello (no, we couldn't eat everything but wanted to). Both were great which raises my eyebrow when I read a previous review concerning the marinara sauce for the calamari. Ours tasted like it was just made, fresh tomatoes and herbs. It was slightly sweet, slighty spicy. It was homemade and fresh. I think when people get used to premanufactured food items, thats how they think they are supposed to be. Its not supposed to be really thick filler sauces, machine breaded cheese sticks and fried items with way to much breading. The breading isn't supposed to hide the flavor of whatever is being breaded, unlike what most american italian franchises think. Our calamari was perfect. Just enough breading to complement the taste of the calamari along with the sauces. Great restaurant! Pros: Food is delicious! Selection! Real Italian. Cons: Nothing I can think of. more

I recently went there for dinner. We had the calamari to start. Delicious. Dippers were marinara and aioli. Breaded just right, great sauces. I had the maiale (pork chop), came with a mustard marscapone, calabrese sausage, and broccolini. Juicy chop, very good sides that went with it well. Friend had the Veal Tartufo, a great sauce to go with it, and fluffy truffle potatoes that were amazing. Everything was fantastic. Housemade gelato for dessert. I go in for lunch often because the food is great, the atmosphere is great, and the choices of real Italian courses are great. The menu selection from salad to pasta to entree to dessert includes the entire spectrum of tastes. Great wine selection. The dining room ambiance is great, and a lounge/bar area is available closer to the front. A great place, true Italian entrees. Pros: Great tasting food. Authentic courses. more

I was optimistic...trying a new place near where I needed to be later last night...the tomato bisque soup was basically pasta sauce...same thickness, same taste. The calamari left little to be desired...greasy, not coated well and the dipping sauce...was eerily similar (yet a bit more like liquid) to the soup that I had just eaten. I will say that the olive tapanade that came w/ the complimentary bread was great...I should have stuck with more of that and maybe another dish. Brushcetta is 2 pieces of bread w/ topping...a SMALL portion for the price...\r \r Service was slow...and it wasn't quite busy enough to merit it...overall, won't try again unless I'm feeling like giving a 2nd chance...perhaps other items on the menu are better. Pros: good location, nice atmoshphere for a hotel location Cons: service slow, good not great more

My wife and I have eaten here twice and loved it both times. The service is outstanding and the food was wonderful. Even items I usually don't care for were prepared so they were flavorful and enjoyable with every bite. It was a romantic atmosphere and quieter than other places I've been for dinner. Highly reccomended. Pros: Nice quiet atmospere Cons: nothing. more

We had dinner here last night. I ordered one of their specials - unique and yummy fresh spinach pasta with porcini mushrooms (got lucky with a vegetarian special!) - and my husband ordered cioppino, which was served in a more elegant way than normal. He reports that it was excellent. We drank water, and skipped dessert. Our total bill was $38 before tip. \r The service was very good. The bread and olive tapenade they brought out with our water was so good, we would have ordered it again and paid for it! It has a very classy interior, though it wasn't cozy enough to create the romantic, passion-inspiring date we were looking for. While we dined, there was a group of of six or eight that seemed to fit in just right. Pros: lots and lots of great seafood options! Cons: only one non-salad vegetarian entree more

Just had lunch there. The improvements in the decor are to be noted as well as the excellent service we received. My rant is that the salad with a choice of meat is $12.00 and doesn't have much on it. I ordered the mixed greens with steak. It was a nice pile of greens but only had 3 small strips of steak, 3 small pieces of tomato and about a teaspoon of chevre and pine nuts. That's it....for TWELVE dollars. It was very tasty, but not worth the price. This is, unfortunately, not the only restaurant overcharging for salads. Pros: Service, Ambience, Tasty food Cons: Lack of value more

We dined here for an early New Years Eve dinner with friends and enjoyed the food, ambiance and service. We all enjoyed our appetizers, entrees and desserts - the drinks and wine were great. They were serving complimentary champagne with appetizers. The service was excellent and we didn't feel rushed, even though there were people waiting for tables. They didn't accept our Passport Unlimited card that evening - I guess because it was a holiday - but we'll go back anyway - the wild boar canneloni was great! Pros: food, service, ambiance more

Not what one might expect in the lobby of a Hilton. Nice emphasis on locally grown meats and produce. Spot on risotto with fresh porcinis - al dente but not crunchy. Rich and robust take on tomato soup. Fresh made papardelle pasta sauced judiciously and well. Limited wine list. A bit noisy from the bar despite the high ceilings and open feeling. Good but not great service. Overall a pleasant experience on par with other Italian restaurants in the area. Pros: Local produce, Fair pricing, Easy parking Cons: Limited wine list, A bit noisy more

Don't think of this as a typical hotel restaurant. It could easily be a stand alone restaurant and compete in the Mingo, Tuscany, Serrato marketplace. It is easily in the top ten in a city with many Italian eateries. more

Try the chicken caesar ... it's awesome. Service was great and it's an easy spot for lunch downtown. more

At first I was concerned about the lack of separation between the bar and the dining room, but Porto Terra makes it work. It's not your typical bar--no loud music and lots of light. It didn't bother us much. The decor is nice, but the real treat is the food. The chef at Porto Terra understands that cooking vegetarian is not a limitation. My ravioli was stuffed with cheese, veggies, and a small amount of nuts. The sauce was a light veggie broth (my only complaint: a little too salty), and topped with slices of mozzerella that were thin enough to melt into the dish. Just heavenly. Bill's risotto was equally fantastic. The risotto itself was covered by a layer of fried zucchini, giving it the texture of a savory pie. As good as the ravioli was, I'm ordering the risotto next time. more

I love the atmosphere, the service is awesome with fresh bread & real virgin olive oil. The ensalata salad with salmon was the freshest I've had ever. The calamari was crisp & tasty. A well-hidden surprise. Pros: quality food, nice presentation, good atmosphere more

Yum for the breads and pastas made at the resturant! I haven't tasted Italian food like this since my last trip to Milan. The chef's Greek and mediteranian heritage and training in Italy ensures this food is authentic. more

I've been looking for a downtown alternative to Pazzo's and this is it. The variety is much better, and frankly everything I've tasted is better as well. The portions are large, and the prices fairly reasonable. I like the ambience of the bar especially. Give it a try. more

If you have not tried it already, go to Porto Terra Tuscan Grill & Bar. I know that it is in the new Hilton Executive Tower, but it was good. The food was flavorful and fresh. We started with the grilled asparagus with proscuitto, simple and fresh as well as the mussels in white wine and garlic. We kept dipping our bread it that sauce, awesome. My girlfriend then had the halibut, really simple but a nice saffron broth. I had the pork chops which were tender and had a nice white bean mixture underthem. We were stuffed, so we just had some gelato for dessert which was a great lemon/lime yogurt with flecks of lemon and lime rinds, so good! Go and check it out, we went before a show at the Schnitz, worked out, two blocks from there... Pros: Free Valet, Fresh Flavors, Location to Schnitz Cons: Still New more

The restaurant was fairly empty for a Saturday evening and the second you got in, it felt like a hotel. My wife and I were both disappointed with the ""hotel atmosphere"". The service was great, as we had three to four people waiting on us throughout the night. The calamari was good but we were extremely disappointed by the main course. We both had the seafood pasta. They touted it to be spicy but my wife and I got a dish that tasted like wet spaghetti that wasn't even hot (the sauce was very runny). I've been to a lot of Portland's Italian restaurants and I'd have to say this is on the bottom of our list. Even if the food was great (which it wasn't) we wouldn't go back because of the poor atmosphere. It was also disappointing because several people around us were business people from the hotel. Cons: Food, Atmosphere, Food more