Review The Portly Chef - North Vancouver

Pork belly BLT was fantastic. Service was great. Would easily be a 5 star review, except this place smelled a little funky. Came in for lunch shortly after they opened, not sure if they wiped down our table with a dirty rag or something? Smelled a bit rank. The food was worth it though. Would still return.

Food is amazing, service is amazing, you should eat here. Ordered the lamb rack and it was juicy, cooked right and delicious. Gavin our server was attentive, professional and on the ball. Will go back many times to eat here.

Large group of us were there last night. Service was excellent. We felt well taken care, even though there was 13 of us. Food was excellent. Frenched Tomahawk Pork Loin was flavorful and mouthwatering. Lamb feature was really good, no gamey flavor like you would expect from lamb. Chilli Fried Squid appy had a nice balance of heat (not too spicy) laying on a little bit of aioli. It provided a nice balance. Portions are quite big and you will leave feeling satisfied.

Tomahawk- need I say more?!? Small cozy restaurant on mid Lonsdale that has some good eats. Had the tomahawk pork chop which was done super tender. Good size too. Tried the chocolate creme brûlée... was good but it’s not worth messing with something that’s already perfect. Staff were attentive and friendly. And the food came out fairly quick. Worth checking out

Amazing! We shared a few appetizers; portly fried chicken, scallops and pork belly, chilli fried squid. The plating here is exceptional, but the food and flavour just hit it out of the park! The braised pork belly was melt in your mouth. Definitely recommend. We also had the carbonara and it was amazing. We were so surprised to be wowed. But the entire staff and chef have such attention to detail. We came with our two young kids and they were very accommodating.

Had the special main and dessert and they were the best food on this trip and quite a few others for that matter. So good.

Fantastic food, loved the escargot...and lamb...and creme brûlée. Will go back again for sure!

Fantastic food, excellent service, and a lovely space. A must try for anyone looking to get a great meal in North Van.

Another outstanding evening at The Portly Chef. I think this is our third or fourth Valentine's Day dinner here and they have never disappointed us, as many restaurants have on this busy day. We were seated promptly and kept amused right from the start by our charming waiter. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. It felt a little like eating a great meal at your best friend's house (if your best friend is a top chef). Thanks again for making our evening special! Rob and Jill

Food was absolutely amazing! The Pork belly and scallops appetizer was phenomenal, the sable fish main course was by far the best I have ever tasted! Atmosphere was great- sat on the patio which was excellent! Our server Gavin was top shelf! Will definitely be back!!

Amazing food and such great owners and staff! Thanks Emily for making our evening Saturday night! We had a fantastic meal and your compassion for what you do shows in how you treat everyone who walks in like old friends! We will be back next time I come for a visit at the end of August!

Great food and great ambiance! Service was excellent! Highly recommend for casual dining and business lunch.

Always a friendly atmosphere and delicious food. The scallops and pork belly appetizer is lovely - sweet scallop, salty fatty crip pork, fish roe. The duck is tender and flavourful with cranberries and goat cheese with the savoury yam fries. The service is both efficient and friendly without hurrying or hovering. No need to head downtown for amazing food.

You can’t find better food or service anywhere!! We absolutely loved our meal, plus the amazing waitress was like a best friend I hadn’t met. I can’t wait to come back �

Thank you to our server Erin this morning at brunch. You were so patient and made for an excellent experience. It's the details that keep you coming back to a place. Great service and we will be back. Thank you!

Had an amazing experience when my spouse and I dined at the Portly chef. The waitress ( chefs wife) was so kind, and a great waitress too. The food was incredible. Simply the best dining experience we’ve had in a while. So delicious! We will absolutely be returning!!

My wife and I ate at The Portly Chef last night. The service was impeccable. The wait staff friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and wines. I have the Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb. This was without a doubt the best lamb I have ever had. The restaurant is small and welcoming. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I've been to the Portly Chef for both dinner and brunch now, and I have to say... if you've never been, put it on your list immediately. Their dinners are fantastic, but their brunch is divine, and still somehow undiscovered. I've been several times now and I'm certain it gets better every time I go. I got the Brussels Sprouts hash which in summary, is a piece of heaven. Do yourself a favour and try their brunch (Saturday and Sunday). This will quickly become your favourite brunch spot on the north shore. It has already become my go-to place for brunch even on the mainland as a whole.

This place is awesome, my favourite restaurant on the north shore and maybe even Vancouver. The specials are always amazing! The serving staff is great and don't even get me started on the cheesecake! Highly recommended!

During a recent visit to my hometown, I had the absolute pleasure of having dinner with family at The Portly Chef. The food was amazingly good... perfectly cooked and presented. I started with the baked oyster daily special and absolutely loved it. Steak was perfect. And extra kudos for the incredible service; certainly an important aspect to the experience. I have found my new favourite restaurant in NVan! I would highly recommend trying it if you haven't already.

North Shore Gem. I live in the Lower Lonsdale area and have walked by The Portly Chef many times and finally went there for dinner last night. I wish I had gone sooner! I had the New York steak and my boyfriend had the sable fish - their signature dish - (see attached photo) and we both loved our food. We have been to many, many fine dining restaurants all over Vancouver including downtown, and my boyfriend said the sable fish was the best he'd ever had. My steak was no slouch either. The peppercorn demi-cream sauce was quite the treat. We shared the wok fried squid appetizer and it was cooked perfectly with a lovely blend of lime, chili, and a few other things. It was absolutely delicious. The cocktails and wine were very good too - we had a caesar and a cucumber and gin martini, and a glass of malbec and a glass of cabernet sauvignon. The server, Tracy, was very welcoming, polite, and attentive. All in all a great dining experience.

Great value, cozy bistro. My friends and I enjoyed dinner here recently and every dish was delicious and carefully prepared. If you find yourself in North Van, this is the place. We tried: Scallops, lamb and pork - all memorable - washed down with a pinot noir. Tres bon.

OMG. so good. that is all.. I love this place. I found it because of a Groupon but I've been back many times since then. Their Caesar salad is such a fun interpretation of a classic. The pork belly carbonara is to die for. Super decadent, I can usually only eat half and have to take the rest home. I wish I could say I've tried more off the menu, but I love that carbonara so much. Staff is friendly and the chef is awesome, my compliments!

Great food!. My lady friend and I have been here before so we returned last night for dinner. We were not disappointed. We arrived around seven and the place was almost full. Our server was very pleasant and helpful as my friend and I decided to order and share the Duck Duo and the Lamb Two Ways. We are both partial to duck and lamb. The duck came with cranberry Brie and Yam puree. The lamb was actually two dishes in one. There was one grilled marinated lamb chop, accompanied by ground Salt Spring Island lamb pot pie. Which was better, the duck or the lamb? Hard decision. Each one was masterfully cooked to perfection.

Good try.... I'd been to the Portly Chef a couple of times in the past for lunch, which was great, so I suggested we try it for dinner after we moved to the neighbourhood. Honestly, we were sorta underwhelmed. It was just a couple of weeks ago and I'm hard-pressed to list what we had to eat. It was good, the server was nice enough, but it wasn't a stand-out. We also found it fairly pricey in consideration of what it was...especially in comparison to the fabulous Italian restaurant right next door.<br/>Maybe we're just used to a higher calibre - at this price point - having just moved from downtown...<br/>We'll probably try Portly Chef again, since it's an easy walk, and I hope it's more memorable.

Best thing I have ever put in my mouth. I have been to the Portly Chef many times both for lunch and in the evenings. The lamb served two ways is my favourite entree but everything I have tried so far falls into the category of best thing I have ever eaten. Keep up the good work I will be back again and again.

Great food and good times. Been to the Portly Chef many times now, often enough to be considered a regular I think! The food is great, the staff are welcoming and make you feel at home and provide good service. I have been with my husband alone, with a bunch of friends and with the family. Always good! Love the lobster spring rolls and scallops & pork belly appetizers. Looking for something lighter to start, try the Roasted Roma Tomato, delicious! My husband and I usually try one of the specials for our main and usually split it as the portions are large! Plus we like to share a few starters first. We have also tried the mussels, duck (yum), drunken sable (cooked to perfection) and cioppino (perfect for cold rainy day). AND all meals are served with fresh warm bread and butter to start! Soooo good.

Fabulous!!. Was at the Portly Chef with some girlfriends last night and what an experience. Everything we ordered was incredible and the entree sizes were plentiful! Chili oil, parmesan brocolli, deconstructed poutine, pork loin and prawn linguine were all amazing!. So nice to support a local chef doing what he loves! The only negative is that it was packed and very very loud, hard to talk without yelling across the table. It was okay for us but could never go for dinner there with my parents.

Simply the best restaurant in North Vancouver and one of the best in the<br/>Entire city! Chef Jeff is a master!

Noise. I returned to the portly chef a couple of weeks after my first visit. my first visit was very pleasant. great food,great service. my second visit was last saturday night around 7 pm. once again the food was great,as was the service. the problem though was the four of us could not carry on a conversation withyut yelling. the noice was deafing. they need to put something on the ceiling to blunt the noice. if you go try during the week when it might be quieter . hope they change the ceiling as i want to return but will not until i can hear my table companions

Delicious. We had the Lobster spring roll appetizer to start and it was delicious. We split it between two people and there were 5 pieces; it would have been nice if there were 6 but it was very good though and came with greens. There was enough sauce for both of us as well. For mains I ordered the sable fish with dumplings. Both were cooked to perfection. Half the veg was tempura and half were steamed/grilled. There was enough food to feel full and I am a big eater. My boyfriend had the baseball cut sirloin with blue cheese/jalapeno mac and cheese. The steak was cooked to perfection (med -rare) and the veg were the same on both plates. The mac and cheese was very rich and good and the portion size was large. It came with a huge onion ring (best ate at the beginning because by the time he got to it, it was cold). For dessert we had the amaretto mocha creme brule. Every part of the dessert was perfect and it was a good size to share after a rich and filling meal. <br/>The service was excellent. It was a busy place but not to loud to have a conversation without yelling. The bartender was out server. He was very prompt and we did not have to wait for drinks or water at any time. We will go back to this place for sure. It is our new favourite restaurant on the North Shore.

Rather disappointing; I was underwhelmed. After all the raves, the Sun newspapaer seems to have gotten it right with 3 out of 5 stars. The wild mushrooms with chevre and puff pastry had no puff pastry, only 2 tiny crostini and a cheese crisp (which was supposed to be the puff pastry, I was told). Somewhat bland and no salt or a grind of pepper offered. Tons of sauce, and too much cheese and when I asked for bread we were given 2 more tiny slices of toasted bread...and made to feel as tho this was an unecessary request. Kitchen accomodating in splitting a dinner boullabaise for us. At least this came with some bread, so they DO have some in the kitchen. Varied seafood, also somewhat bland and again no offer of pepper etc.; also a lot of potatoes. Decor is nice; modern but not cold. No rush to go back though.

Went for my 30th bday tonigh.... Went for my bday. The food was just &@$!ing amazing. Such a great dining experience and the menu is just calling me back to try everything I didn't order. <br/><br/>From our table of four we had mussels, lobster spring rolls, wok squid. Our entrees were outstanding.<br/><br/>Thanks for an unforgettable bday

You could become Portly at the Portly Chef. What an amazing meal! The Tomato Soup is amazing and so fun as it is served in a canning jar. It has just the right amount of spice and the flavour is out of this world. I will go back just for that. I had the Ahi Tuna...surprise as it had tempura on it as well. The Mussels were huge and came with pommes frites. The portions are large so you really don't need as much food as you thought you did. Service was friendly and the atmosphere pleasant. Overall a great experience!

Meatball Sandwich.

Fantastic - Boing Back for More!. Three of us came here on a whim for a celebratory dinner and all agreed that the food and service far exceeded expectations. Unique and tasty cocktails set the evening off on the right foot as did the more than adequate wine selections. The heirloom tomato salad, chili squid and brandy fired mushrooms & chevre appetizers were flavourful and had us looking forward to the main courses. The most challenging part of the evening was narrowing down the choices, but we went with the drunken sable, village tuna and bouillabaisse. I cannot say enough good things about the meal except that I genuinely could not make enough room for dessert. The meals seemed to have a surprising Asian inspiration that really worked. If we had to say anything negative it would be about the noise level of the restaurant, an issue that affected all earlier incarnations of this space.<br/>Going back? Absolutely, bet on it.

What a surprise!. We live very close by and have tried the previous incarnations of this restaurant, which were not good. After waiting four months, we tried a lunch here today and I have to say it far exceeded our expectations. We tried all the appetizers, except the deconstructed poutine, and found them all to be absolute winners. Flavours were creative, presentation, spot on and prices very reasonable. You just have to try to their lamb spring rolls -- we have never eaten anything that good: and we travel a lot and eat out all the time. No need to go downtown any more. Heartily recommend The Portly Chef and can't wait to go back for dinner.

Amazing meal!. My husband and I, son and daughter-in-law (on their recommendation) celebrated my birthday with a dinner at the Portly Chef last Saturday evening! All in all - nothing short of an amazing experience. My husband having been in the high-end restaurant business for over 30 years, came away saying it was far one one of the, if not "the" best meals he has ever had. The Two Way Lamb was absolute perfection, as was the Drunken Sable dish, and the ahi tuna! Service was attentive and our dishes arrived in a timely manner. We went away with several business cards which we have passed around to our friends on the North Shore, encouraging them to dine at the Portly Chef. We wish you much success in this venture and truly hope you are a staple on the North Shore for many many years to come! Well done!

Excellent food, great service with a unique, reasonably-priced menu. Highly recommended!

Party of 8. Our reservation was for 6pm and our table was ready and waiting when we arrived. The service was prompt, courteous and unobtrusive. The menu had something for everyone, even those allergic to fish. The portions were bigger than expected and very filling. The flavors were delightful with the exception of excessive salt, especially on the lettuce of the salad which made it inedible for some. Our large and vocal party made the place quite noisy, as there are a lot of hard surfaces for sound to bounce off. The space was somewhat warm, perhaps no AC or not turned on. A bit uncomfortable for a group of menopausal women! All in all though a good experience, though next time I will ask for the chef to lay off the salt.

Simply delightful. Cannot say enough about how fabulous our dinner was the Portly Chef. It is not often when you have a group of 7 people at dinner that everyone raves about their meal. We each tried something different on the menu, I had the tuna which was perfectly seared sitting on a bed of tempura vegetables. The Lamb two ways apparently was divine and I quote the best they had ever tasted, The salmon, mussels and pasta;s were all delicious as well. The service was excellent and everything you would expect in a fine restaurant; knowledgeable, attentive, friendly but obtrusive. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great dining experience.

We had the pleasant opportunity to eat at The Portly Chef the last time we were in Vancouver. We must have tried a dozen things on the menu plus 3 desserts. All were unique and delicious. Would most certainly eat there again the next time we go to. Vancouver.

Amazing. I don't think I've ever been so satisfied with every single dish that was placed before me. We shared the mussels (ask for bread to soak up the delicious sauce), oysters, caesar salad, lamb two way, and drunken sable. The lamb was so tender and flavorful and I can't wait to go back for the mussels. The service was wonderful and the music great. We'll be back!

Portly Chef. Food to die for, service wonderful. What no one has mentioned is the sound. Music loud when we walked in early, turned down. Seems wasn't the music, when started to fill so loud you could not hear the person beside you. Needs sound dampening big time. We live close by, neighborhood restaurant and husband says wont go back. So sorry.

Yam Yam. If you like to have a good time, you need to try this place.<br/> When you walk in ,it doesn’t feel like a restaurant. It feels you walked in to your Mom's kitchen. <br/>Cozy ,worm ,romantic place.<br/>Great selection of wine.<br/>Great selection of local, fresh food on a menu.<br/>Delicious food, reasonable price and great service.<br/><br/>I am so jealous North Vancouver. Now I have to drive from Coquitlam to NV more often.

One visit is insufficient for complete judgement but The Portly Chef on Lonsdale offers promise. It's a small but attractive room with an open kitchen. It opened in mid-2012 but, if the full room Friday evening is typical, it has attracted a following.

I did not have a chance to see or meet the chef, so I hope he/she is not a skinny one. But the service, ambiance and quality of food at The Portly Chef i s portly good. Even though I don't eat squid, this was so well cooked and spiced that I not only tried it, but enjoyed it.   The fish duo seems to be a standard daily dish offering. Today's was a piece of salmon and of haddock, served with some sort of tempura pieces, potatoes, nicely cooked carrot, one green bean and one Brussel sprout. Not a large portion, but quality food for sure.  The Portly Chef 1211 Lonsdale Avenue North Vancouver theportlychef.com