Pizzeria Portofino

Melissa our server was awesome! Topnotch customer service. Very attentive, has very pleasant personality. We enjoyed and had a great time celebrating our 4th year anniversary. Even surprise us with very own 4th year anniversary menu souvenir. Great food, big serving reasonable price.

So good! My friends and I went here just for a little girls night and the food was so good! We had old fashioneds, vodka rigatoni, caramel apple sundae and the warm Nutella cookie and everything was awesome. But above all CODY (with a d) was so great! He was so nice and laughed at our silliness and even sent us a firework dessert! Not to mention the gorgeous setting along the river! A must try in river north!

Fantastic service and food. We came for my friend’s birthday and they not only made her a personalized menu, but also gave her a free dessert. Amazing server. He was so kind and patient with us! The food was some of the best I’ve ever had. GET THE TIRAMISU. I loved this restaurant and will recommend to everyone! The view is amazing as well!

Great first time experience!! The charred pepperoni is amazing, the hot honey makes it so unique. Garlic parm fries a must and the rigatoni with vodka sauce fantastic. Service was excellent and we were seated right away on a Friday night with no reservations. The food also came out quickly.

Incredible experience! The waterfront location was the perfect lunch spot. We got calamari and Burrata to start which were both amazing. The charred pepperoni pizza was a nice twist on the classic with the peppers and hot honey. Absolutely love the Neapolitan style crust. Light, crispy, soft. Will definitely be back.

Famous for the outside seating with the beautiful river view, this place has pretty good pizza and pasta. We had the Margherita and the Sausage Fennel pizza, as well as the caccio peppe pasta and the Mozzarella Fritta. Everything was really tasty, and well executed. The pizza was thin and light, super easy for sharing and you definitely can try different ones. Ambience and service were top notch, I'll be coming back!

Came here for dinner before a concert. Very nice atmosphere on the waterway. Sat at the bar due to it being a very busy night. Staff at bar were attentive while some of the other staff seemed a bit snotty. Food came out quickly and was good. The tiramisu is amazing.

Pizzeria portofino came highly recommended and I couldn't wait to give it a shot. Made a reservation for my wife and I to sit outside along the river. Lunch with a view. Can't beat it! We were seated and the waiter came to our table right away. Very friendly and patient at explaining the menu as it was our first time. Ordered the Parmesan truffle fries with the aioli dip as an appetizer. They came out pipping hot! We dug in and enjoyed every single perfectly fried fry. Absolutely delicious! We then ordered 1 cheese pizza, 1 pepperoni pizza, and a marinara pasta. Food came out fresh and hot. The pasta is the best I have ever had out at a restaurant! The sauce was so flavorful and the pasta is made at rpm Italian and brought down to portofino. The texture and taste of the pasta was nothing short of amazing! For a simple marinara it was absolutely delicious. The pizza had an amazing crust that was light and crunchy. The sauce was full of flavor. The pizza had a nice little char that gave it a little more flavor. Whole experience was great. Can't wait to go again. 100% recommend!

Our waitress was wonderful and so was the manager for the early evening. They both double checked on us and made sure we were all good. Appreciate the lively service. I’ll definitely be back .

We visited this restaurant and really loved the atmosphere. The view was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the drinks were great. We tried a pizza and a pasta, and both were amazing. Definitely a place we’d come back to and recommend!

This Italian restaurant is both good and well located, close to the river. It’s so nice when the sun’s out. We tried the cacio e peppe and vodka pasta + pizza and I was very happy with our choice! Did not try the meat options though, as I am a veggie.

Ellie and Rachel made this experience even better than it already was. We were in town and spent our anniversary dinner here, the food was by far the BEST i’ve ever had, and everyone was so kind. Not to mention the gorgeous view. We came back again the next morning for lunch because it was that good. If we find ourselves back in Chicago we will definitely be here again.

We went to the pizzeria and were truly impressed from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious — the dough was perfectly made, the ingredients were fresh, and every bite was full of flavor. The atmosphere added to the whole experience, with a warm and inviting vibe that made us feel right at home. Service was quick, friendly, and attentive, which made everything flow seamlessly. One of the highlights was definitely the setting. The riverside location is fantastic, and their patio overlooking the Chicago River takes the experience to another level. Enjoying great pizza and drinks while taking in the beautiful views made for such a memorable time. Between the food, the service, and the atmosphere, this pizzeria really has it all.

Pizzeria Portofino was definitely worth the visit. I had the Due Funghi, which was super unique, and the truffle fries were unmatched—a huge plus to the meal. The patio view was easily the best part, giving the whole experience an extra charm. My friend ordered the spaghetti and said it was probably the best he’s ever had, full of flavor. If you’re planning on going, I recommend booking a few days or even weeks in advance to secure a good time. Overall, between the food, the service, and the atmosphere, this spot is a gem.

Super cute for a date! We celebrated my birthday here and the staff were so great! They made me a personalized menu and surprised me with a dessert that had a sparkler in it. The food was great! Definitely recommend!

Pizzeria Portofino is one of our absolute favorites! Reservations are highly recommended since it’s always packed, and for good reason. The food is incredible — fresh, flavorful, and consistently delicious. The views are unbeatable, making it such a perfect spot for any occasion. On top of that, the service is always so friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. Definitely worth every visit!

Oscar was fantastic, along with the entire restaurant staff. My girlfriend and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary here, and they truly went above and beyond to make it memorable. The food, service, and atmosphere all deserve nothing less than five stars. One of the best Old Fashioneds I’ve ever had, and my girlfriend said the espresso martini was the best she’s ever had as well. Thank you, Oscar and team, we’ll definitely be back, and next time with friends.

Who can resist a simple cheese pizza with a view? What a great vibe. Service was top notch. Pizza was amazing.

Stopped here for a quick lunch, and was busy so we sat at the bar. Our server/bartender was Jason. Let me tell you he was amazing and super friendly. We ordered the pepperoni pizza with hot honey. I would highly recommend but make a reservation ahead of time

I had a wonderful time, the food was delicious, and the place was so beautiful and welcoming. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone!

We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary here, and it was truly unforgettable! The restaurant went above and beyond to make the evening special — they even had personalized menus with our anniversary written on top, which was such a thoughtful touch. Our waitress was amazing — warm, attentive, and made us feel celebrated the entire time. To top it off, they surprised us with a special dessert that was as beautiful as it was delicious. Everything from the food to the service was perfect. Highly recommend this place for any special occasion!

What a beautiful restaurant and location! The heated patio area overlooking the river was amazing! The pizzas and cocktails were expertly prepared, and the service, outstanding! Will definitely be back on my next trip to Chicago!

My waiter was the coolest guy. So respectful and polite. This food decent and great vibe. I’ll be back just because the service was awesome. Also love the aesthetic.

Our experience here was truly memorable! We were celebrating my friend’s birthday, and the staff went above and beyond—creating a personalized menu just for her and surprising her with a complimentary dessert. The server was exceptional, showing genuine kindness and patience throughout our meal, making us feel completely at ease. Every dish was outstanding, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented; honestly, some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The attention to detail and thoughtfulness of the team made the celebration feel extra special, turning an ordinary dinner into an unforgettable occasion. Between the warm hospitality, flawless service, and mouthwatering cuisine, this place has left a lasting impression—we can’t wait to return for another amazing dining experience!

Overall this is a solid place with a ton of great staple Italian appetizers, pastas, and pizza and located right on the river. I'd recommend dining when the weather is nice and they have their uncovered patio open. First the good, we loved the meatballs (5/5), goat cheese (5/5), and the octopus was amazing (5/5). The espresso martini with cinnamon was a nice touch as well. If we come back we would only do a ton of appetizers and not pizza again. Also the tiramisu was unreal (5/5) and save room for dessert when you come. Our server was great and not pushy, he allowed us to order in stages so we could enjoy what we were eating. Now for the needs improvement: 1) Why are you charging a $2.50 per seat fee for the covered patio that is non-refundable?? That's ridiculous, it's clearly because this place is touristy but we were sitting right near the entrance (pic attached) and there was 0 benefit to being on the patio 2) $22 for an old fashioned is fine when it's good, but when it's super small and 90% ice cubes, that's not great. Do not get one here 3) Our pizza was just ok, we LOVE thin Neapolitan pizzas, but ours was covered in air bubbles. The pizza here isn't even on the same planet compared to places like Coda Di Volpe We may come back in the spring, but I don't think we are in the target demo as it seems they are solely focused on tourists visiting Chicago.

Went here for an anniversary! The hostess seemed bothered that we wanted to be seated outside and was about to sit us inside (mind you we paid in advance for outdoor seating and we were the only ones out there), but her attitude was cold and aloof. Our server however was great! Very attentive and helpful with menu suggestions :) We ordered the Margarita pizza and the Butternut Squash pizza. Margarita was alright, very light on the sauce and basic as expected. I've never had butternut squash on a pizza but wowww, it was great. We also got 2 spritz drinks and they were strong! The tiramisu was also bigger than expected which was nice. The temperature on the patio is hot yet cold. Drafty near our feet and hot heaters above us on my head, I had to switch seats with my boyfriend😅 Overall I would visit again.

Came here on a date night with my cousin and my best friend. I made the reservation two days prior and when we got there we had to check in at the hostess. The area was crowded and the hostess took a phone call as soon as I got up to the desk to check in. No big deal, I am understanding, but it would be a courtesy to have put them on hold since I was there first. The little things I guess. We were seated five minutes late in the outside area which I had to pay extra for during my reservation however the table was just in the covered outdoor area not by the widow which was the impression they gave when I was making the reservation so that was a let down. The inside was decorated so nicely and beautiful. We were seated and our server introduced herself to us right away. Through out the night i think we only saw her 3 times and one of those times was when we told her the Romaine Casear Salad wasnt good.. We started of with drinks and I got the Piazza Colada. It was pretty good and sweet but taste pretty light, not a lot of rum in it.. Just okay for a drink. We ordered the Crispy Parmesan Fries, the Imported Burrata, the Calamari Fritti and the Romaine Caesar Salad. The Crispy Parmesan Fries were cooked perfectly, had delicious seasoning and were such a good value for the price! The Imported Burrata was such high quality and the apples were amazingly! The Calamari Fritti was also great quality and fried perfectly, I just wish they would have given us more lemons or a bigger lemon for it. The Tomain Casear was not good. I dont think they mixed it in the kitchen. It tasted like watery old lettuce too.. it was under whelming. For dinner we ordered Italian Sausage and Fennel Pizza and the Speghetti Limone with shrimp. The Italian Sausage and Fennel Pizza was amazing! I would come back just for it! So good cooked perfectly and also felt like a light dish but also so luxurious because it felt like such high quality. And the Speghetti Limone had really good flavor but the pasta was kind of tossed onto the sauce and not really mixed in so a few bites were underwhelming. And the pasta had some noodels clump together so we had to pull some nooodles apart. And it was served with a large fork but no spoon so serving it was a bit difficult.The shrimp was cooked perfectly though I wish we had gotten more! Overall great food, some dishes fell short

Great location and atmosphere, especially with outdoor seating in the summer. Good food, reasonably priced. Don't forgot to make a reservation!!!

Not a bad place for a quick bite, if you make reservation earlier and be at the riverfront then the atmosphere is quite nice. The food was pretty good and service up to par. I was there solo and if you get a seat at the bar there’s no wait, not much view from the bar though and the seating wasn’t quite comfortable. Would recommend to get a table. Food is pricy like all restaurants in Chicago now.

Celebrated my birthday here with my husband. It’s a very nice place and right on the river. We got to watch boats dock and pick up food and drinks. Pizza was delicious, our appetizers were Tuna Tartare, they served with bread not chips so that was odd but still tasty, my husband tried the calamari and I heard no complaints from him. For dessert I got a fun surprise!

Don’t come here on a super cold winter night. It was very drafty. There were no views of the river because the windows were all steamed up. It’s a long and narrow room. I was seated next to a large pillar and the back of my chair bumped the person behind me. The food was decent. I loved the holiday spritz and the pepperoni, hot honey pizza. The server was fantastic. He was attentive and kind. I imagine it’s beautiful in the summer…

I had a great experience at this Italian restaurant with an amazing view of the Michigan Lake river. The pizzas and pastas were authentic, the prosciutto was delicious, and the parmesan cheese fries were a perfect touch. The food was fresh and flavorful, and the atmosphere felt warm and inviting. The only downside was the high noise level and loud conversations, which made it a bit hard to fully relax and enjoy the meal.

Food: It was just okay, nothing to rave about. Our pizza was paper thin near the center, could not grab a slice without parts falling off, that’s how thin it was compared to the other pizzas pictured. Our pesto pasta tasted a little watery. Service: amazing, the staff were very accommodating and nice, professional, interior was decorated so nicely Atmosphere: all I heard was noise and screaming, I was seated along the indoor patio space next to the loudest party animals in the entire restaurant. Do not come here if you are looking for a quiet romantic dinner, you will be met with a lot of loud noises, yelling, and hollering from the customers Overall: so-so restaurant dining experience

I would’ve given 5 stars if not for a few service issues. First, the restaurant had no service or prevention for the bugs and bees, and we struggled for about 20 minutes with them landing on our food, which made our food go cold. Second, the truffle pizza was tasty but disappointing in presentation: the menu showed large slices of truffle, but ours had barely any shreds. The waiter refused to double-check with the kitchen which was also disappointing since I kindly asked them to. Lastly, although I reserved a patio table, when I added one more guest by phone, we were told we had to sit inside and would not be refunded the patio reservation fee. Note: the inside reservation is free. The manager offered no solution, so I had to dispute the charge. The food was okay - cocktails and pastas great, pizzas and appetizers super mid. Surprisingly the truffle pizza was the most delicious one despite the small amount of truffle! Overall, I’d return for the good food and atmosphere, but I'll keep my expectations low this time.

Overall a very nice place in a convenient location. I ordered the Rigatoni Vodka and our table got the Meatball & Ricotta Pizza to share. The pasta was good but quickly went cold. I enjoyed maybe 6 minutes of warmth, though I’ll probably blame it on the fact we were seated in their outdoor area during this Chicago winter. The flavor was alright, I’ve definitely had better vodka pasta(it lacked a little oomf ifykyk.) The pizza was definitely good though. The crust had a nice weight to it and a good char. There was a white sauce on our pizza and you could definitely taste all the spices, with the kick of spicy giardiniera, and the sweetness of the ricotta- it was definitely a must have. All in all, it’s a good place to go for a night out but I’d probably steer towards something else besides pasta.

Cute aesthetics, mid drinks & food. Came here on a weekday afternoon for cocktails with the girls. The indoor & outside is super cute and very well decorated, perfect place for photos. We got a spot on the patio by the river. For drinks we ordered the amalfi spritz, in pursuit of passion, and the piazza colada. All the drinks tasted weak, 0 alcohol flavor and very watered down. For food we ordered the Parmesan fries and the Fresca pizza. The parm fries were severely lacking any salt but the pizza was good! Regarding service it was very busy so we were ok with a wait while catching up but there was a large wait in between ordering and receiving our food as well as to receive the check. We had to flag down someone else for a box and again to get our check. Overall the aesthetic is cute I just wished the food & service matched. I’m not sure if we’ll be back.

Been wanting to try this place for a while and I finally got a reservation. But ultimately a letdown! Both the Portuguese octopus and vodka rigatoni were cold/dry, you could easily tell they were microwaved. The star of the show was the charred pepperoni pizza, which was sweet and savory! Aside from the food, we just felt rushed to finish our meal. Workers were constantly coming to our table to take our plates as if they were pressuring us to finish quickly. You could tell they wanted to customers to leave quickly bc they had other reservations waiting. Overall a good pizza spot with beautiful views but not the best!

My boyfriend and I made a reservation at Pizzeria Portofino a full month in advance for February 14th, expecting a special and memorable evening. Despite having a reservation, we were made to wait 30 minutes for our table. While we understand that Valentine’s Day is a busy night and some delays can happen, that was not the main issue. The real disappointment began once we were seated. From the start, we did not feel welcomed. The treatment we received felt cold and dismissive, almost as if we were being judged or treated differently. No one should ever feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in a restaurant, especially on a special occasion. When the waitress came to take our order, we asked to begin with sodas. Her attitude immediately shifted — she seemed bothered and spoke to us in a noticeably condescending tone, seemingly because we did not order alcohol right away. When we ordered pasta and pizza and declined appetizers, she again appeared irritated. My boyfriend specifically asked her to leave the drink menu because he was considering ordering a cocktail later, but she did not seem pleased. The food itself did not fully meet our expectations, but that would have been forgivable. What was not acceptable was how rushed the entire experience felt. We were trying to enjoy a peaceful, romantic dinner, yet the service made it feel transactional and hurried. After we finished eating, my boyfriend intended to order a cocktail, but the waitress removed the drink menu from our table without asking. As a result, he decided not to order anything further. As we were finishing our last slices of pizza, we were told to pay “whenever we felt ready.” However, almost immediately after she walked away, staff cleared my boyfriend’s plate — while we were still eating — leaving us without anything to place our remaining slices on. It was uncomfortable and unnecessary. No one should feel pressured or rushed out of a restaurant, especially on Valentine’s Day. When we left, the disappointment continued. Two servers were standing at the reception area talking to each other. We walked right past them, and they did not acknowledge us, thank us for coming, or even wish us a good evening. Pizzeria Portofino promotes itself as a “premier” establishment, but nothing about the service we received reflected that standard. I’ve seen past reviews mentioning similar concerns about poor treatment, with management promising improvements. Unfortunately, based on our experience, nothing seems to have changed. We left feeling disrespected and disappointed. We will not be returning, and we cannot recommend this restaurant to our friends or colleagues. Dining out — especially on a meaningful date — should feel welcoming and enjoyable, not rushed or uncomfortable.

Came here for dinner, noticed the menu said happy birthday, ignored it. I guess a group of Latinos having dinner is only warrented if it's for a birthday. Okay moving on, our server COREY, was rude and seemed bothered to serve us, the bus boys treated us better than our own server. We ordered the purse drink, for pics then asked if we can get the drinks served into seperate glasses. He said no, I asked politely and didn't want to divulge that I myself am immunocompromised and I rather drink from my own glass, to much to explain if the customer is telling you it's for a reason. So I asked for glasses which he brought over. My daughter poured out the drinks into each glass because Corey wouldn't. Out appetizets came out, except for the Parmesan fries so I asked for him about the fries he said they would be out. Np, our pizzas came out. Still no fries. Our entrees came out, I asked again and he replied my manager took them off. Okay, not what I asked you. He didn't check on our table, we had to ask the bus boy for plates and cutlery. Oh and when we were putting in our entree orders he walked away without getting the rest of the orders? Rude, sassy and totally unprofessional. I've been to portofino on numerous occasions but never I've never experienced any problems with service.

My husband and I were really looking forward to having dinner here on the last day of our trip. They sat us on this narrow strip that was the terrace, it had no charm compared to the main dining room. We told ourselves we weren't going to let that ruin our dinner. Since we don't eat much, we just ordered a pizza and a Caesar salad to share and two drinks. Well, it seems Cody (I believe that was his name), our waiter, didn't like it, so he left us unattended the rest of the time, making us feel invisible, just because we didn't order as much as the big tables near us. We weren't worth the effort. We payed and left, not before telling the hostess what a terrible experience we had. So the manager came to talk to us, apologized, and deducted the pizza and salad from our bill, we would just pay for the drinks. Well, last week, when the credit card statement arrived, we were charged the full amount, they never applied the discount. Food was great, but the overall experience was just bad. Thank you for that, Cody!