Portico

Went here a few weeks ago on a Friday night and it was dead. We were seated and waited on promptly and ordered Carpaccio Manzo (Fillet), which was awesome and also had the Mozzarella Fried with Prosciutto which was also very nice. We ordered the Gnocchi quattro formaggio (4 cheese gnocchi) which didn't taste like four cheeses but was not that bad. Dinner time came and my GF ordered rissoto pesce (seafood and rice) and I ordered a veal dish with fontina cheese and prosciutto inside. The rissotto was very nice but the veal could've been better. This dish would probably be better with chicken. One problem was there was a club on top of the restarant in which you could hear the music or bass throughout the whole dinner. Rather not hear club music while paying $$$$ for dinner. The wait staff was incredible and we talked and laughed all night. Pros: Wait Staff, Intimate, Food Cons: Price, Atmosphere more

dont even waste your time! i asked ""why it was empty in here, your on walnut street"" and the server told its because the boss does't pay his employees...that was after i paid my bill for over priced over cooked food. more

There are at least 10 better spots for Italian food in Philly. The food is decent but not even close to worth the price. Pros: Quiet, Good Location Cons: Price, Menu, Attitude more

Went during restaurant week and was initially impressed with the decor and service at the bar. Overall, the food was very mediocre and very overrpriced. The gnocci looked like it had been sitting under heat lamps in the kitchen and the lobster bisque was very ordinary. My husband had the veal, the high point of the evening. We were very rushed throughout the entire meal (3 courses and the check in 1hr.) and it was obvious that the staff was trying to move us along. Why? The restaurant certainly wasn't full. With so many excellent restaurants in Philly, I will never return to this one. Pros: ambience Cons: food, drink, service.... more

I would not recomend it. It was a Wed night and we decided to walk in. The restaurant at the back had several free tables. But we were told that the wait was more than 45 min. Trying to maintain a standard is one thing but trying to do it this way --- they have delusions. Pros: would see them if I got it Cons: snobbish about reservation more

... and the person who tried to take my reservation was exceptionally .... rude. I love it when restaurants make it seem like that last thing they need is your patronage. As if telling me where their parking lot is does me a huge favor. I think pizza hut is nicer to customers over the phone. Cons: We cancelled our reservation because the maitre d was as charming as head lice. more

I was in Philly on business and was walking down Walnut with a co-worker. We didn't know where to go to eat and so we walked down Walnut. We decided on Il Portico after reading menus. I am not Italian, but love to cook italian foods. I have eaten at many different italian restaurants, and the gnocchi's I ordered were wonderful. I have never eaten such a soft gnocci that melted in your mouth. The four cheese alfredo sauce accented this dish very well. My co-worker raved about her 3 dishes she had. Service was wondeful. Pros: Homemade food, Service , Ambience Cons: N/A more

Loved the food! We got seated right away. Great ambiance. The waiter was very helpful and made several suggestions as what to order. The dessert was divine. Pros: Service, Food Cons: Parking more

I must have caught Il Portico on a bad night. I can't believe all the positive reviews this place has received, and many of them recently! I thought this restaurant was no more than mediocre, and for the expense, I would never recommend it! I sampled the meals of the other five people who dined with me and couldn't believe that my meal-one of the cheapest items on the overpriced menu no less (""tagliolini with salmon in a brandy sauce"") was by far, the tastiest item at the table. The $40 fish of the day AND the $27 skewer of assorted seafood baked with garlic and bread crumbs were bland and overcooked. The $25 spaghetti with langostino in cognac sauce was nothing special. The $25 veal in the scaloppini with imported fresh mushrooms was tough. The $21 risotto ai porcini was tasteless and gloppy. more

I thought the food was delicious, though not quite as good as nearby Toto (they both specialize in Tuscan cuisine). But what stands out in my mind despite the excellent food and gracious service, is the extraordinarily drab surroundings, even shabby. So eat with your eyes closed! Pros: food, service Cons: , cost more

I would like to say that this restaurant is highly overated. The service however is very slow. I sat at my table for over 8 minutes waiting for a server to come ove to take my drink request. I then waited another 5 minutes for it to be brought over. After that I had to wait another 9 minutes for the server to come over to take my supper order. I ordered the bow ties and shrimp. The meal came out very quickly which made me suspicious of how much work they put into it and soon I found out. The bow ties were cooked relatively well. However, the shrimp was undercooked. I thought they were the grossest thing ever. I could only half of one. I pushed the meal away in utter disgust. I told the server what I thought of the meal and left. Cons: , Bad food more

My wife and I were ambling down Walnut St. at 9:30 on a Saturday night, looking for a decent looking restaurant which would be able to seat us without a reservation. Enter Il Portico, a Tuscan-influenced northern Italian eatery. Il Portico has a decent enough menu - including a section devoted entirely to carpacci! However, I opted for a 'special' - rack of lamb in barolo reduction sauce. The entree was incredibly expensive, but oh, the taste! The flavor of that poor lamb who generously died for the whim of my palette should be praised in song by the bards for many years to come. The service was top notch. The ambience, aside from a questionable chandelier here and there, was nice and cosy. I highly recommend Il Portico for anyone who wants incredible Tuscan food and isn't afraid to pay for it. Pros: Incredible food, Impeccible service, oh, the lamb! Cons: Expensive more

I went to Il Portico for my 10th Anniversary with my girlfriend and had a fantatsic meal. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the specials and the menu. Both my girlfriend and I took his recommendations and were not disappointed. Great dinner, great service. Definately expensive though... Pros: food, service Cons: prices more

My girlfriend and I got to Center City a couple of hours before we were to see a show at the Merriam Theater. It was a Saturday night, and we didn't have reservations anywhere. We walked down Walnut Street and decided to try our luck. Il Portico was in our midst, so we went in and were seated immediately. The food was out of this world. My girlfriend has the gnocci, and it did not disappoint. It was perfect. I had oracchetti pasta with sausage and broccoli. Again, amazing. We were running too late to try dessert, but you can bet we'll be going back sometime soon! (The only minor negative was some relatively inattentive service. Had the waiter been more available, they would have had me for a second glass of wine before we had to jet.) Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Availability more

besides the excellent food this italian classic has some of teh best desserts in the city! more

a favorite birthday/anniversary resturant. the service is the best around, and the food...delicious! a little pricey, which is why its more of a special occasion place, but worth the money. sometimes a little dead in the early dinner hours... Pros: excellent service Cons: pricey more