Review La Porto A Casa - Ottawa

Always a great experience at La Porto A Casa. We were here for dinner on a Monday night and Clair was great. Staff there are welcoming and friendly. Service was on point, Clair was very tentative and pleasant. Food is always delicious and never disappointing. Try the caramel cheesecake, you won’t regret it!

It was our first time eating here and it definitely lived up to the expectations. The food and service was on point. We were there on a Wednesday night and the place was packed. We had the fried smelts which we're delicious. Lightlybcoated, crispy and spicy. Perfect to share with four people. I had the osso buco veal and fettucino Alfredo. The lamb shank was fall off the bone. The fettuccin was the best I've had in a long time. My wife had chicken layerer eggplant with cheese..equally amazing. For desert we had the tiramisu and caramel cheesecake. Both were very good. Definitely worth the visit and I would highly recommend!

Server (Melissa) was amazing! Super friendly and very helpful with navigating the menu. The place is busy so reservations are recommended. The food took a while to come out and tasted average. We didn't get our appetizer because of a mix up, but we were offered dessert to make up for the incident. The dessert was really good (especially the tiramisu), the portions are generous, but the taste of the pasta (penne Giovanni) and veal (veal fiorentina) were average. 3 stars for the dish flavours, but service and dessert are 5 stars.

Excellent house red wine! The service was very friendly and the food was all delicious. A nice slow pace with an hour and a half to eat. We had a tasty tortellini soup and a ministrone soup. For a main we both a Susanna or something like that style chicken dish. Very tasty with a side pasta. I went with a rose sauce on pasta that was a little too hard for my taste but my partner had an Alfredo sauce with a wider noodle that was perfectly cooked.

Good service, delicious Italian food. Make sure to book ahead of time because they're always busy.

Amazing and polite serves. The seafood pasta blew my mind. Generous portions of seafood and pasta. The mojito is a must!

Honestly the best resturant in Barrhaven. Everything on the menu is delious, fresh, and very customizable. You can change up sauces to better auit your preference. They gluten free pasta and the staff are knowledgeable about all the food. It is a pricey restaurant but you very much get what you pay for : large portion sizes and quality food. You can tell people love this resturant because it is so hard to get a reservation but when you do let me tell you it is worth the wait. Smaller parties are easier to accomendate without a reservation but you have to get lucky.

We love this restaurant and have for years. It is our "family special occasion" restaurant. The food is incredible and the service very hospitable. Plan in advance because they reach capacity for take-out days in advance, and rightly so because it is so good. Glad to see them doing well and adjusting during these difficult times.

An excellent food gem hidden in a small mall! It was our first visit and certainly not the last. The three of us couldn't stop raving over our appetizers..tiger shrimps in sambuca cream sauce just heavenly, escargots w/bonconni cheese sauce and mussels..followed by our entrees veal lemone, veal Marsala and seafood pasta was amazing and very generous portions indeed! We were not rushed and the service was excellent. One little downside it was for a special birthday celebration and the cake was delivered with a lit candle but no singing of happy birthday�.

Best Italian food I've ever had. A little hidden gem in Barrhaven. Waitresses are so friendly and I've never seen staff move so fast. Highly recommend.

Superior Italian fare. Fabulous, attentive service. Chef is one of the best in the city. Better than most on Preston. In fact, chef Ozzie cooked there for years. Veal, chicken, seafood, pastas, sublime sauces. Desserts are excellent, if you have room. Go here, as I promise you will not be disappointed. Do not let the west-end folks have it exclusively. Tell them Jeffrey sent you!

Excellent service, amazing food you can smell as soon as you enter. Lots of heart goes into running this business. I brought my mom and sister from out of town, and it will be our go-to place whenever we meet in Barrhaven! Thanks!

We love this place! Food and service are great. The place is always packed. Portions are huge so we usually end up taking home a doggy bag. Great spot tucked away in a strip mall in Barrhaven. Try it, you'll love it!

I came to The restaurant last night with the teachers from my school to celebrate our Christmas staff gathering. The menu was very good and the price was reasonable. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. I would definitely come back again

We love the authentic Italian food! Waitstaff are friendly and professional. Love the fact that it’s a family run business. Reservations are a must!!

Delectable menu choices! Delicious Food! More than adequate portions! Pleasant staff and venue! Thank You. Our first time there and we will most certainly be back!

Consistently good. Been several times and keep coming back. Working our way through the menu and have never left disappointed, or without a leftover bag...portions are generous. Small down side is it's hard to get into sometimes. Always busy, reservations recommended.

Over hyped.... not great, not terrible....<br/>

The best italian I have ever had in Ottawa! It's a real hole in the wall, hidden gem. The zucchini sticks were amazing and the tortellini bocelli was to die for. I ate my meal so slow just so it would last longer! Will be going back for sure.

Best pasta place in Barrhaven, love the lasagna!! It is always busy though, and the price is a bit high. But you will get full! It is always our cheat meal place for carbs. Service is good as well.

People giving this place bad reviews just want to be negative. I don't understand why. This place is consistent and the service is always good.

Ordered a chicken with linguine dish. Mushroom and brandy sauce and had the Alfredo sauce on the pasta.<br/><br/>First bite of the chicken was not good. Very weird, strong taste. Scraped off the sauce off the chicken and saw that the chicken pieces were grey. Weird edges. Tough as wood.<br/>I showed my wife and the server that the chicken was grey. <br/><br/>I explained to the waitress about the situation and she dot show any sign of concerns.<br/><br/>The sauce tasted like Campbell’s mushroom sauce. Very bizarre meal. <br/><br/><br/>I ate the pasta while i waited to speak to waitress.<br/><br/>Told the nice waitress about the grey chicken and they credited me $12 off the check.<br/><br/>I have no idea how they have such good reviews when it was the owner who was in the kitchen and allowed this old, hard, grey and gross tasting piece of chicken to be served.<br/><br/>- extremely over rated<br/>- over priced for low quality food<br/>- super bland alfredo sauce<br/>- mushroom sauce.... bland and weak and taste like Campbell’s mushroom sauce.<br/>- scary grey chicken. Awful strong taste !!!!!!'<br/><br/>Service was good.<br/><br/>The hype about this restaurant is out of place, based on my experience there.<br/><br/>They are rated a 5/5 , yet they can serve me <br/>A completely bad piece of chicken in a campbell look alike sauce . <br/><br/>No hatter here. Just a food lover. <br/><br/>

Great atmosphere and friendly staff who make everyone feel at home. The bread was served hot out of the oven and was delicious. Pizza tasted homemade and extremely flavourful and the spicy oil on the side was a fantastic addition. The Tiramisu is a must try, one of the best I have tried!

Generally I don't go out for Italian food because I'm pretty good at making it. But this place serves fresh and delicious food. The portions are huge. I had the lasagna last time I went and ate half; it was even better the next day for lunch.

The food was mediocre, with pasta dishes being on the pricier side given that they weren't home made. Reservations included an exit time, so be aware of that fact. Friendly staff, but food didn't live up to the rave reviews and price tag.

I love this place. You have to have a reservation most nights so book it. Fantastic Italian food in a quaint little spot with the best service in town. I have tried at least 10 different entrees and  have loved all of them. The best Minestrone soup on the planet. If you get a chance go to La Porto A Casa and you will be totally satisfied.Lise and Dave.

Surprisingly incredible food for a barhaven strip mall, low decor, no frills place. Goes to show, you don't have to spend a ton of money on dressing up a place if you're food is awesome. Make reservations well in advance. It's worth the trip time and again. <br/>

Best Italian food ever. The food is so fresh and delicious you have to pause to savour every bite. The service is a little slow but worth it for the quality of the food. Definitely recommend making reservations.

The only resteraunt where after the first bite I had to pause because it was so mind blowingly delicious! The food is bursting with flavor and freshness. Definitely make reservations if you want to go though because the place is usually packed. The resteraunt lives up to its name of bring it home because the serving sizes are so enormous! I've never been able to try their delicious looking desserts because I get so stuffed on their main courses! Is a great resteraunt, highly recommend you try it out!

Not a fan. Ordered the carbonara which came with overcooked pasta and a disgusting amount of onions. All I could taste was the onions (white and green) with mushy pasta. Hubby had some red sauce pasta with sausage which was also a disappointment... Tasted like something you could easily toss together at home using canned pasta sauce. I will say, the lasagna was good but nothing special.

extremely popular with locals and visitors alike, this small Italian restaurant has a large menu offering many tempting dishes. The Decour of the restaurant itself leaves something to be desired, however the friendly service and homemade quality food more than make up for their lack of atmosphere. <br/><br/>Popular at lunch, early dinner and for takeout this is one of those restaurants that you have to see in order to believe it. The food is what sets it apart from other Italian eateries.

The pasta in that picture looks like catelli, was cooked the day before and was sitting in a bucket of water then thrown in more hot water to heat it for order.

Great food in Barrhaven !!. Very surprised, didn't expect much from this sad looking strip mall restaurant was I ever wrong. Service was great and the food even better.

NOT a family friendly restaurant. I will never be going back again. We occasionally go here for italian food but we just had a baby and noticed that every time we go with her they tell is they have no room for us. The first time it happened there were two free tables and no reservation sign on either of them. One server said they were fully booked for the night. When I pointed out there were tables available she said it was reserved. We stood there to call our friends and tell them not to come so I went to the car to put my baby in a ND my husband stayed inside as he was calling them. Once I left with the baby another waitress walked by. He asked her if there was any way we could be squeezed in and she said yes and seated him?!?! I thought it was awkward and maybe the other girl had made a mistake. All night long i kept an eye on the table and only one of them were used. Then 3 weeks later we called to make reservations just so we wouldn't run into the issue. We called over 6 times and there was no answer. So we drove 30 min with a baby all the way there again. As soon as we got there and they saw the baby they told us they were fully booked for the night. Which was a blatant lie because there was only 1 table with a reservation sign and the other 2 were clear and empty. I looked around and saw 0 children. I was so annoyed especially coming in with a baby under one all the way there and being turned away. What annoyed me the most was that we tried calling and calling and no one picks up. We even complained that if they are fully reserved why don't they pick up their phone and the waitress said that they forgot to turn on their answering message to say they were full.... I will never go there again and do not recommend it to anyone with a family

Great spot... I like this place.. the food is always good, customer service is great as well. The only complaint I have would be on the decor.. it's a little dated. Other than that it's a must try!!

Food was fantastic! Service was mediocre...

The food was FANTASTIC! Shared the Zuchini starter, they were long, thin & crispy. Shared a usually boring Ceasar salad that was elevated with taste. Had the Penne Giovanni....loved it. Couldn't deny the tarimisu it was also superb. From the buns, to the coffee...a really great find. "I'll be back!"

Catering was sub-par. The pasta dishes that arrived in large trough-like silver pans was wayyyy over cooked. There wasn't much flavor or seasoning on anything. I won't bother to try the dine in option.

Visit time 4pm on Monday. We ordered a calamari starter, gnocchi with meat sauce and tortellini gorgonzola. The calamari arrived hot and was absolutely perfectly done, tender and delicious. After the starter we were give two warm rolls which were good. When our pasta dishes arrived they were piping hot. The tortellini contained green onions which wasn't stated on the menu. When I informed the server she promptly replaced the dish with one without onions. Both dishes were fabulous. Very tasty, large portions, cooked perfectly and nice and hot. The only downfall I can find is the price. Starter was $10 and Pasta dishes are $20 on average and this does not even include a salad. We will go back but only occasionally because of the high prices.

Great night. Went out to la porto a casa. Had a little table by the door, great and shared delicious calamari followed by the best spaghetti and meatballs. Loved it!

Nothing but great things--a hidden gem!. Date and time: Tuesday evening. (5:30-7:00pm)<br/>Party: Five adults and a child. (Yes, a child. I heard they were family friendly. We tested it.)<br/><br/>I can't find enough positive adjectives to describe La Porto A Casa! I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the friendly, welcoming, and relaxed service and I had no idea how wonderfully fresh and authentic every menu item we tried was going to be. You know how you go out with a group and usually in a bunch of "hits" there is at least one "miss?" Not here. I was actually looking for something I didn't love just so I don't sound like an obsessed fan. <br/>We ordered about a third of the menu between us, and it is quite an extensive/impressive menu, but not a single dish was mediocre. Each item was fresh, the tomatoes were light and sweet, the pasta was handmade and just enough al dente where it should be, the alfredo was buttery, the bread was hot and crispy, the pizza was thin crust but packed with flavour, the seafood tasted like it was caught in the back of the kitchen! The wine selection was affordable and paired well, recommendations from the staff were spot on with our needs, and they even offered to make half sizes or small size orders for the little one. (No children's menu but the high chairs and other families screamed "we're kid friendly, don't worry about it!") The portion sizes are generous (and that's putting it lightly) but you want to take these leftovers home to relive every bite of this wonderful dining experience.<br/>By the time we left, there was a line forming to get a seat. I heavily recommend a reservation but don't worry, if you get stuck in traffic, just give them a call and the friendly smiles you can hear through the phone, will reassure you that they won't give away your table just yet.<br/>If I had one negative thing to say, it would be that the place looks deceivingly like a strip mall take out joint...and it's next door to a Chinese one. Don't worry about it--it's a hidden gem and the deceptive storefront is a plus to keep away the foodies and ensure locals always have a place at La Porto. <br/>Definitely going back.

Amazing Italian food! There's a reason you can't get a table on a Friday night.

Klatti@sympatico.ca. For consistency in excellent delicious food, & professional friendly service, we highly recommend La Porto a Casa. The food is the best Italian food we have been able to find & we are fussy! We have celebrated many happy occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's day, etc.at La Porto a Casa, have tried most of the menu selections & have always been more than pleased. <br/>Our reservations have been quickly secured by phone & honoured without exception.<br/>In our opinion La Porto a Casa deserves 5 out of 5 star rating.<br/>Michael & Iris Klatt

Beat Italian food in Ottawa...especially for the price!! Lasagna amazing, seafood linguini great, and my Favorite is the pork tenderloin- makes me want it every time I go!!!

Great food!. First time to La Porto A Casa with a group of 14. Food was excellent, service great. We'll go back there for sure!

Great food & service. One of the best if not the best Italian restaurant dined at. There is limited space so reservations are probably a good idea. Food is great, haven't yet encountered anything that wasn't prepared correctly and the service was very attentive. <br/>Lunch menus were quick and tasty, would recommend this restaurant to anyone, a jewel in Barrhaven for sure.<br/>Hard to believe that there could be negative reviews, must be competitors?

Ignore the hate - this is a must try!. I encourage everyone to ignore the negative reviews on this site - dinner last night was AWESOME! The place was packed (as always) and the staff were on top of everything. The rolls were so hot they could barely be handled and clearly baked in house - they were happy to refill the basket when asked. We had 5 adults (all first timers) in our party while celebrating my husbands birthday. We are all pretty honest in terms of not liking something, and certainly not shy about sending something back. Everyone's food not only came out looking amazing the flavors were outrageous. Everything from the HUGE portions (a 'starter' salad is easily shared between 2), to the flavor in the sauces makes this place a must try. There must have been a minimum of 3 parties of 8+ and our waitress never faltered at filing glasses or making sure we were aware of how much longer our food would take. Dinner certainly lived up to the need for advanced reservations, and all the hype I had heard - will certainly be going back!

Barrhaven diner. We have gone here many times over the past few years, especially before they expanded. Since then our last few visits have not been great. Waiting even though we had a reservation, poor service and a mediocre meal despite the price. I was wondering about going back, but with the reviews I've just read, I don't think I will.

Nothing special. I have been to this restaurant once- and it wasn't anything special. We ordered, spaghetti and meatballs and the carbonara. Our pasta noodles were not el dante- they were over cooked. The carbonara had too much sauce on it, and it was drowning with green onions- it was the only thing I could taste. Spaghetti and meatballs were ok- no complaints except the pasta was a little overcooked but it was not a memorable dish.

Quaint little Italian place in Barrhaven. Make reservations. Great flavour and choice.

Bland, mediocre food, terrible service. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a couple of years since we live in the area, but when we tried to go, it was always full. This was a good sign I thought. As a surprise, my husband reserved a table and when I stepped through the door I was delighted and eager to order. The dishes sounded wonderful. There were red and white checked tablecloths, soft slow jazz playing and we were seated right away. Our water glasses were filled instantaneously and we were promptly asked if we wanted wine or other drinks.<br/><br/>Our waitress was prompt and seemed pleasant. She said, in reply to my query, that the only home made pasta was the stuffed kind. I was slightly disappointed but not terribly so. Our bread arrived shortly after we ordered. We were given exactly two white tasteless soft - not Italian - stale rolls which weren't worth the calories. Our waitress was also serving a table of four beside us. They were served a basket of assorted rolls and it was replenished. Ours was not - the tiny two roll basket was whisked away without even so much as a look at us. We were not offered more, but really didn't want more of the same anyway. Our water glasses were replenished by a young, cheerful bus-girl.<br/><br/>Then the food arrived - fairly quickly I thought - which was good since my husband hadn't eaten in over seven hours and was hungry. He had Fettuccine with Alfredo sauce. I had Penne Caruso with sausage and chopped sweet green and red.bell peppers. His meal looked lovely; mine did not. His was bland; mine was awful. The sauce was sweet and tasted canned, although it was supposed to have been home made - maybe it was, but it didn't taste like any home made sauce I'd ever had in any Italian community or private home. If you've ever had Chef Boyardee, you'll know exactly what it tasted like. The sausage was flavourless and the texture was gritty and spongy at the same time - and there was a lot of it, which wasn't a plus. Pizza pepperoni tastes better.<br/><br/>After our meal arrived our waitress asked us if the food was OK. My husband mumbled something and I looked at the <br/>tablecloth. We didn't want to return it and create a scene. Besides, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, it just didn't taste very good. We should probably have said something - but even if we had, the experience was spoiled. He ate his but did not enjoy it. Although I hadn't eaten in over seven hours either, I just couldn't eat mine.<br/><br/>Maybe there was hope for the desert then, I thought. We waited but no dessert menu arrived. Our waitress was very attentive to the larger table beside us but ignored us after our main dish came. We were not offered coffee or dessert. Finally we caught the eye of the bus girl who said there was no dessert menu per se, but our waitress would tell us what was available. We waited. She never came, but the busgirl came over and recited our choices. We ordered tiramisu and caramel cheesecake; both were good. Even after we finished our dessert we were still not offered coffee or tea, nor did we ever see our our waitress again. She came by at the end of dessert, dropped the bill and two candies on the table saying, and I quote: "here you go" without even looking at us. <br/>We were astonished at such indifferent service at a restaurant with such a good reputation. Front-line staff can make or break a business and should be chosen carefully.<br/><br/>I was brought up in a community of first generation Italians from Calabria, Sicilia and Napoli. I ate in their homes and in their restaurants. The food was simple with just a few ingredients, perfectly fresh and at it's highest peak, and was magnificent. All of it. I have not been able to match it in Ottawa. Not once. I tried a few in Little Italy some years ago, but although fine, it was not not spectacular. I have been searching this site for highly recommended Italian places,and have been unsuccessful , bit will continue looking and trying. But then, this place was highly recommended, so who can tell? Perhaps this is because the first generation post war Italian families have passed away and their children have adapted the recipes to fit the generic demand.<br/><br/>This meal was terrible. The service was poor, and the only saving grace was the bus girl - who should be promoted by the way, and the dessert. We dine out often and are extremely generous tippers - even when the service is somewhat sub par. But there is no excuse for that level of indifference indifference and we tipped accordingly. <br/><br/>For two plates of pasta , (no starters, no soup, no salad) one glass of wine and two desserts: $60

Disappointing Service. I had intended to visit La Porto a Casa recently for a birthday however despite my advanced reservation for my group and my confirmation when we arrived for dinner they had "forgotten". They claimed no memory of the reservation and offered at best half-hearted apologies and dismissed us. Accidents happen but I would have appreciated a sincere apology and an offer for a later return, no such kindness was extended and as such I won't be back.

Ordered take out. Food was tasty but a tad pricey

Absolutely amazing! The waitress was super friendly. The service was fast and the food was delicious. I really recommend this restaurant.

Though the decor is basic yet quaint, the food was delicious. We started off with the fried zucchini; it was very good and not at all greasy. For our main dish I had the penne caruso and I am dying to go back for more. Very well portioned and reasonably priced at around $15. I would highly recommend this restaurant for authentic Italian. Reservations are required though. Enjoy!

Favourite Italian restaurant. My wife and I have been to this restaurant for dinner dozens of times. We have also been for lunch, and have used the carry out option when they have been too busy to accommodate us. We have never, ever been disappointed. I have tried many different items on the menu, with my favourite being the lasagna. That being said, I also greatly enjoyed the veal marsala and the pollo boscaiola. My wife is very partial to the cannelloni. Soups have always been excellent. Fried zucchini wonderful and caesar salad as well. Cheesecake delicious!! Once, out of dozens of visits the service was a tad slow...but on that day they were packed, the take out counter was humming and I think they may have been short-staffed. We highly recommend La Porto for a family meal or small celebration. We have eaten at much higher end Italian restaurants and were not as impressed except for eye-opening prices.

First time ever, played it safe and ordered chicken parm for take away. Food wasn't terrible, just not worth it at all.

Service and food was great. I was surprised at the negative reviews of the restaurant. We were there Saturday night and we had great service and the food was very good. We got the last table near the door but as soon as we sat down another table opened up and our waitress offered to move us. We had the minestrone soup which was full of vegetables and nicely spicy and the eggplant parmigiana was excellent. We have gone to this restaurant numerous times and always had a good experience.

I cannot fathom why people like this place. Horrible veal marsala (mushrooms tasted like they came out of a can), and my daughter's lasagna had a piece of metal in it!

Not worth the headache. Have enjoyed this place in the past, both in the restaurant as well as Take-Out. With two young kids take-out has been our usual way of placing orders.<br/><br/>Placing a Take out order can be a job in itself. I have never known of a restaurant to leave people on hold for over 10 mins, or dropped calls, or my all time favourite getting VOICEMAIL. <br/><br/>Being Valentines week my wife called ahead on the 11th to place a takeout order for the 14th. Only to find out that they will only be taking orders on the 14th from 10am. Brings me to the 14th at 10:12am, calls in finally gets thru to find out that they are no longer taking take out orders and have been taking orders since 8am. <br/><br/>Add this recent issue to the 20 dollar cost for a 3/4 portion plate of pasta, the lack of true respect and appreciation to the clientele, and the missing items in every other take out meal. <br/><br/>I suggest those looking for Italian in the west end hit up Cabotto's or Napoli's Cafe in Stittville. Eating in you won't feel like you are in a poorly lit greasy spoon, and the staff our actually willing to help and sincere about seeing you there.<br/><br/>Any one care to take a $50 gift certificate off my hands for La Porto A Casa?

Yum. This is the place Italians go for Italian! Best place in the city, bar none! Food is great, service is fantastic, you will need a reservation though, as they are always super busy. You can usually get take out even if you can't get a table.

For all you people that dont know Porta A Casa means "bring it home". The food resembles home cooked comfort food that your Nonna would make & the decor & setting represents comfort & relaxation. It is not one of those restaurants that snot nosed rich peeps go to, to b seen eating there. The food is amazing, its a small family run business & the staff do an incredible job. Anyone thats a hater of this restaurant either doesnt know good food or prefers the type of eatery with 10 forks where its $50 for garlic bread. At Porta, the food is affordable & the portion sizes of the entrees are huge. For those who find it pricey, the portion size makes up for the cost. They are the only successful restaurant in Barrhaven that isnt a chaim or franchise. Keep doing what you're doing kitchen staff (i wont name names ;), you're the best!!

Great Food Great Staff. I am a regular at this restaurant and hate to see the negative reviews on here..because the food is always good and the service is always friendly. You definetly need to make reservation though. My wife and I usually have alot of the same items, we love the Zucchinni one of the best we have ever tasted. The spaghetti and meatballs are melt in your mouth delicious. You also can't go wrong with the Lasagna or any of the Veal dishes. Love this resataurant and the food. As usually we will be returning.

The food was okay. Appetizers bruschetta and caesar salad were good I ordered the soprano pasta, good if you like frozen wet fish smelling spinach. And my partner had the fettuccini Alfredo, basic so it was good. What I hated was the service the look of the place and the seating, I called at 3 pm Saturday to reserve a table the hostess told me" I have a 730 by the front door you wouldn't want that people complain and so a cancellation happened she gave us the nicest seat in the house as she called it. Arrive and guess what.. We're seated 3 steps from the bathroom! After watching 30 people come and go we expressed our concern and wanted to leave. Manager says I totally understand . Serves says oh no one told you it was the bathroom table? NO AND WILL NEVER GO BACK! No discounted bill nothing. TOTALLY RUINED MY SPECIAL OCCASION

Not return. Just not worth the price....not sure what the hype is all about. very busy place, maybe put some money back into the place?? guess i was expecting better atmosphere for that price $$$ wont be back

Not Worth it.. My pasta was soggy, it's almost impossible to eat here without waiting forever for a table. Not worth it - freaking hole in a crappy old mall! At least there's a Works there now.

Very good! This is a "word of mouth" kinda place. Super small, and doesn't stand out at all from the outside, but the food amazing. Best Italian in barrhaven

Always great food. I've been going to La Porto A Casa since it has opened; one of my favorite Italian restaurants. I have yet to have a bad meal and the staff is always friendly.<br/>If I were to state anything negative, it would be the portion size. It is way too much food for one person. I've been informed that they are going to have a price increase. I suggest split the portion size in half and keep the existing prices. <br/>If they didn't have paper napkins, and plastic table cloths and didn't close the kitchen at 8 p.m. during the week, that may warrant a price increase.

Cake portions getting smaller. We are regular patrons of La Porto a Casa. It's our go to place for Friday nights when we don't want to cook and when we want to eat something that is relatively healthier than other restaurants.<br/><br/>The food is really good, there's a home-cooked taste and look. The restaurant itself is cozy and unpretentious. However, I have to agree that the prices are getting higher. <br/><br/>Tonight I went to La Porto a Casa and got a piece of cake. $6 piece of cake is not unreasonable but the size is getting ridiculous. It's at least half the portion size as before. I was so baffled by the size that I took a picture!<br/><br/>For a restaurant with that is as unpolished and food that tastes home-cooked and cake slice portions that are so slim, this place is over-priced and I likely will not be going back.

Food and Service were excellent. My husband and I went to La Porto A Casa for the first time as recommended by a <br/>colleague of mine. We were greeted by a very friendly and welcoming waitress upon <br/>our arrival and we had excellent and friendly service throughout our visit. The food <br/>was fantastic as well and the pasta was cooked to perfection. The price and size of <br/>the portions were great. We will be back for sure with reservations of course because <br/>otherwise you won't get a table as the place is always packed.

Was hoping for more. I went there twice. You absolutely need reservations or don't expect a table. I know Barrhaven doesn't have much in terms of restaurant but I'd rather make the drive out somewhere else. I'll give them this - the portions are huge. I had the chicken alla Nonna and the chicken was ok. The pasta is homemade. The sauces are lacking though. Their Alfredo is terrible and the tomato sauce is under seasoned and boring. Pasta was overcooked. <br/>Overall, it's ok but it's way too expensive for what it is.

So good!. I'm sure there are "better" places in Ottawa to go to, but if you're in Barrhaven and don't want to go far, La Porto is fantastic. If you get the meals to go, you get huge portions for a pretty decent price. I usually have some for dinner then save it for lunch, so I think two meals for $16 is not so bad. Their soup and salads are great and I haven't ordered something I didn't like from there. Tiramisu is also awesome! I would definitely recommend it for takeout vs. sitting in. If you're going for the food, then by all means, but if you want a romantic quiet candlelit Italian restaurant, you're probably better off heading downtown. But for me, food > atmosphere! Great place, ignore the snotty reviews.

Cannolis 7 days a week!. In a perfect world..............oh well, we will just have to settle for Friday's and Saturday's. I think my waistline is better off.

Been a While Since I've Been, Will Be a While Till I Go Back. A Thursday night ... no problem getting a reservation ... think I know why. Food's ok but took an hour to get our entree's ... we hadn't ordered an appetizer and considering the restaurant was 1/2 empty ... not acceptable. Service not great ... really hate feeling ignored by the wait staff.

Nice. Your comida is rico

There isn't anything special about this place, but it beats the big chain restaurants out in barrhaven. The food is good but not great. At that price point, I would expect fresh pasta. The pizza is decent. Just not worth the price.

OK Fast Food Place. Pasta and pizza are the Italian version of burgers and fries and this is an OK place to go if you're not in the mood to cook and you live/work in Barrhaven. We've been several times during lunch hour and the place is full of professionals and bouse-wives....Beverly Hills Barrhaven??? If you want something better, then there are pleny of much much better Italian restaurants in Ottawa's Little Italy. if you don't feel like driving, then this place is OK if you're in the mood for Italian and, feel like over-paying for fast food in a fad decor with very good service.

Major Problem with this place.... I would love to review this place but the multiple times we have tried to get in - we were not able to so forget about them!<br/><br/>If they want business, they need to rethink the guard dog they have working the phone. Not pleasant to deal with comments like, "well of course we are booked" or my favourite, "No, there is nothing for a the whole week"<br/><br/>Hope business is good...cause you are not getting my business.

Have to plan ahead!!. Only actually eaten in twice. I'm not that good at planning ahead and you have to if you want to get a reso! I do get take out quite often though and it's always good and lots of food too.

Excellent!. It may not be fancy, and it may be a bit on the pricey side for pasta. However, the food is fabulous and the portions are large. The menu offers a lot of choices and the service has always been good. I have been there a few times now, and will definitely be returning!

Great. Food is great. Been there many times never disappointed. <br/>Service is great also. If you like Italian you should give it a try. <br/>Reservations a must it is always busy.

Fabulous!. After reading several really poor reviews, my friend and I decided to have dinner at this restaurant anyway. We went on a Monday night and the place was moderately full, but not packed. I have eaten at most of the Italian restaurants on Preston St. so I think I have a pretty good handle on what good Italian food tastes like. My friend ordered the stuffed seafood pasta shells and I ordered the canneloni. Both dishes arrived within 20 minutes, piping hot and absolutely delicious; no mushy overcooked pasta in sight. The service was frinedly and fast enought for us. Based on our experience last night, I know I will be back and will recommend to others. The decor is basic, but I think that kind of adds to it's charm. No big wine list, but we both enjoyed a glass of wine. The portions are quite large, so you might expect to take some of it home with you. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so!

La Porto A Casa vs. Preston St. If I'm feeling the need to have some good Italian food, I'd make the drive out to Preston Street. The food at La Porto A Casa is merely OK in comparison. The issue is the consistency of the quality of food varied the few times we visited La Porto A Casa, sometimes being good, and sometimes with issues (usually overcooked pasta or fried things that are soggy). Everytime we went, it was very busy, so maybe that's the issue with inconsistent food quality?

Simply the Best Italian!!. Been coming here for a while now.and I have to say it's the best ilatian food in the city.Had the ossobucco with artichokes and mushroom sause and my wife had the scallops wrapped in proscuito with a spinach and roasted red pepper cream sause both were just amazing,we never had a bad meal here,service and food is always great!!<br/><br/><br/>-----07 Feb, 2012-----<br/><br/>Tried to get in this place a few times made reservations on a tuesday night,and the place was packed,we had the best italian food ever,the wife had eggplant parm and she just loved it i had the lasgna, man it was amazing,can';t wait to go back. this will be our new favorite restaurant

Nothing is Great. I have been to this restaurant 3 times in the past year. The decor is very basic, it is terribly noisy, the wine list is almost non-existent and the food is basic Italian with no special flair. Hard to beleive that it is almost impossible to get a reservation.....why.......because it is in Barrhaven where they have no competition.

Extremely pleased. Went yesterday for the first time (Dec 29th) as it was conveniently close for me and my guest, very simple decor which is great as it does not detract from enjoying the amazing food we were served, my guest had the Special of the Day (Pasta) and I had Canelloni, we both could not stop expressing our amazement at the quality of the food, prices are resonneable, service was excellent... Definately will be going back soon

I have read several reviews. They do seem critical of the decore. I agree. It is not great. That veing said the food has always been very good. I have eaten there many times. Is it the best italian in ottawa? No! It is very good and fresh. I can say I have eaten much worse. Price is a little high for a suburban locsl place that is not fine dining. I still love it and go often. You out there. Relax about the decore! It is clean ans comfortable.

Over-priced, highly over-rated... Tried this restaurant a few nights ago with a group of friends... The restaurant has a cheap American-Italian cafeteria feel - right down to the red checkered table clothes, dried Parmesan and hot peppers in shakers on every table and dried parsley sprinkled on the rim of every entree. You won't find many Italians eating here.. the wine-list is almost non-existent, the pasta is mostly overcooked to mush, the sauces are bland (though the Alfredo beat the tomato sauce), the pizza had soggy crust - and the most popular dish appears to be spaghetti with meat balls.<br/><br/>All of this would be ok if the menu wasn't priced along the lines of a fine dining restaurant on Preston St. This restaurant would not survive on Preston St. though. My conclusion was that this restaurant does well based on Barrhaven residents who don't want to drive into Ottawa for something better.

Disappointed - Oct. 2011. Heard so many good things. And was so looking forward to a local eatery that had high standards..<br/>Alas the meatballs could not be any more mushy, terrible texture. More cereal than meat it seems. Pasta itself was fair. <br/>But ordered calamari and again, so sad .. mush...batter hardy stuck to the squid..<br/>Will not be back,,,,

I likes.... Ive seen a lot of bad reviews and they all seem to be towards the decor and ambiance. Really lol. Lets compare. Go to Preston and spend 25 - 40 an entree and get mediocre food at best. Or spend 15 - 25 and get real Italian food. I got the lasagna for $18 and it was hearty and guess what.....they make their own sauce. Absolutely without a doubt the best in Ottawa for Italian food. I think this restaurant would get better reviews if it was not listed as a "Fine Dining Restaurant" in this website. Oh the Macdonald's reviewer. Stick to $10 or less entrees. Hilarious

Seriously?. Are you kidding me, the best in Ottawa, OMG. Give it a rest. <br/>The best italian food? Seriously, man have you guys been eating McDonalds and anything better than a burger is wonderful. Seems to me there is something not right with the world if this is the best. I would speculate the staff are posting these reviews. Fine dining prices for cafeteria ambiance and quality of food. Keep it real please

I read the reviews which overall were good. But I was warned that it was not that good. The service was great, but the atmosphere was as described like a cafeteria and the food was terrible and over priced. Yes, you get a large serving, but is that the most important part of a meal?? Anyone that thinks this is the best italian in Ottawa has not ventured outside Barrhaven. We will not go back.

Great food, great prices and pretty good service. The amount if choice is spectacular.

Cesar salad is crisp and garlicy

The best Italian restaurant in Ottawa. This is by far my most favorite Italian restaurant in Ottawa! The food is VERY tasty. It's expensive but the portions are worth every penny. If you don't want to pay too much, there are lunch specials and paninis (hot or cold) you can order.<br/><br/>I always order the ravioli Monterosa, the rosé chicken penne or Nona's spaghetti and meatballs (can't go wrong with this one). I always order their tortellini e brodo soup as an appetizer.<br/><br/>The staff is among the friendliest I've ever met. I'm a regular customer, it's not everywhere where the staff knows your name each time you're visiting them. To me, it's like if I was going to have lunch or dinner at one of my friends' house!<br/><br/>If you like a relaxed atmosphere, forget it! This is not the place because it can become noisy, especially during lunch time.<br/><br/>Overall, I LOVE it and I RECOMMEND it to all the Italian dish fans out there!

Go in for take-out. No doubt, the food is great here, like all the reviews say. However, one ever annoying problem is with take-out. I have called several Friday nights to order take-out(tonight happens to be Saturday, same result, after calling for over an hour) but they don't answer - I discussed with the staff and if they decide they are too busy, they simply won't answer the phone. <br/><br/>While I assume and understand that their priority is the sit down customers, then don't offer take-out or limit the days/hours it is available. Certainly after many years they should well know their business!

Probably the best Italian restaurant in the city. I recommend take out over dining in. It's not the nicest looking place.

Great fresh food. This place has the best italian around. it is sometimes a bit loud and you wait a wjile for your meal, but it is well worth the wait. i would recommend going at lunch when they have some great specials on

Best bruschetta EVER!!. A friend recommended this restaurant to my boyfriend and I; it took a couple tries before we finally were able to get a reservation (it's often very busy-small restaurant). We went last night and are incredibly impressed. It does lack a bit of atmosphere as it has very simple decor and checkered table clothes, but it makes up for it with the food! Their bruschetta is the best I have had in Ottawa and brought back memories of the delicious tastes in Italy, so fresh! The fresh home made pasta was fabulous. The pizza and salad were very nice as well! Overall impressed and will certainly be back!

Overcooked pasta. I am not particularly fond of al dente pasta, yet I found that the pasta in both my and my husband's dishes was far too cooked. It was like I was back at the university cafeteria on pasta night. Unacceptable at the prices that they charge.

Great Local Italian Food. Been there at least 20 times and love it. Yes it gets crowded, reservations can be hard to get sometimes, the service, while always friendly, is at times a bit slow and it does occasionally get drafty in the winter when you've been seated near the front door (not so much since the new entrance was put in). But those are not faults in my mind. They are the little quirks of this little neighbourhood eatry that keeps 'em coming back for more. Hey, did I mention I've been there at least 20 times? And love it! Take a look in the back! You have to admire the kitchen crew who, in such a small workspace and with minimal equipment, turn out volumes of consistently fresh tasty food for eat-in and take-out patrons. The only near miss I've ever had was a very unusual osso bucco. It wasn't bad, just not what I'm used to (where was the gremolata?). <br/>Anyway, I'll keep going back because of it's great food, friendly service and little excentricities. <br/>Keep up the good work guys!

La Porto A Casa- Ottawa's best kept secret. Went there with friends on Friday Feb. 18th, and were certainly not disappointed. It was everything we were told it was and more. The service was outstanding and the food was one of the best Italian food we've ever had. Without a doubt, we will be back!<br/><br/>La Porto A Casa--IT'S A MUST DO!

Absolutely Awesome Lasagna. In my previous career I travelled extensively and thus ate at so many restaurants that I couldn't even imagine counting them. <br/><br/>My good friend, John introduced me to this wonderful and quaint little restaurant, La Porto A Casa. I had eaten there about 15 times or so to date and everything was great, no matter what I tried.<br/><br/>I never or rarely order anything at restaurants that I can easily make at home so had never ordered the Lasagna. What a mistake on my part! This is the absolutely best Lasagna I have ever eaten (sorry Mom). My wife and I have now had this several times (even take out).<br/><br/>Should you be around Barrhaven, stop in as you will not be disappointed. If you're not around Barrhaven, drive there, it's worth it!!

Best Italian Food in Ottawa.... I've eaten here a number of times and I've never been disappointed. I think it's the best Italian food in Ottawa. It has some downsides. It can be difficult to get in without a reservation and the kitchen can be a little slow if they have a lot of take-out business but the positives far far outweigh the negatives. If you're pressed for time and you don't have a reservation this is not an ideal spot for you. If you like great food, set aside some time, make a reservation and prepare to enjoy yourself.

Great Food "BUT". We have had great food every time we've eaten there. BUT the wait for the last 2 times were 1hr or more for the main dish. The take out that night ,while we waited 8 to 10 people came in got there order before your dinner was servered to us.The waitress brought your drinks and bread and was gone , I had to flag her down to get more drinks.We will try one more time this Saturday Nov6/10 hopefully not strike three

Comment on fools. Its a great family business fully completed an run by the hardest workers an built for the best an nothing else, idiots that saw empty tables and coulddnt get seated? take a close look next time and recoqnize their reserve signs on every table every nite of the week, an respect why u cant get seated without a reservation, besides go with takeout you'll be just as pleased!

Something good in Barrhaven. This place opened my urban eyes and made me feel shallow. I would have never dreamed that something delicious could come out of Barrhaven, but I was proven wrong and narrow-minded.<br/>Heavenly overflowing pasta dishes that still have me dreaming months later. And the price is super reasonable. I highly recommend La Porto A Casa.

Good food reasonable price. My wife and I have eaten there 3 or 4 times. The food has always been good. the prices are quite reasonable. And the atmosphere is relaxed.<br/><br/>But yes you should have reservations... the quality/value speaks for itself and the place is always busy. (And for the person who was soooo upset that they didn't get seated on a Wed even though there were tables open ... yeah that's the way it works, or at least should work., when the restaurant doesn't have staff to serve you. Having been seated recently in a different restaurant which didn't have staff to serve us let me tel you it isn't great either... and frankly they'er lucky to not have patrons with an attitude like you)

Very Disappointed Customer. My first experience at this restaurant was with a group some of whom were regulars. The food was good, the service not so much as we were a large group (10-15).<br/><br/>As we are italian food lovers I thought this would be a nice place to bring my husband. We live a short distance away and decided we would give it a try on a Wednesday night, we did not have reservations as we generally eat around 7:00 or so. <br/><br/>We showed up at 7:15 mid-week and was told by the hostess that because we did not have a reservation they could not accomodate us. Notwithstanding the fact that there was at least 3 empty tables that were visible from the door, nobody waiting to be seated and some people finishing up.<br/><br/>Nowhere on the front of this restaurant does it say "BY RESERVATION ONLY" I understand reservations are recommended but they should also accept walk-ins.<br/><br/>If they do not want walk-ins they should have the sign on the front door "RESERVATIONS REQUIRED". <br/><br/>Unfortunately, now I just will not make reservations at this restaurant and will go somewhere that actually appreciates people who are willing to walk in and want to try their restaurant.<br/><br/>TOO BAD FOR THEM - WE WILL NOW TAKE OUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.

$$$. This place is completely over-priced, plus, if you are dining in, the atmosphere is not very nice...especially when you take into account the exorbitant price. Save your money and make this stuff at home!!

Extremely disgustingly slow service!. Went for lunch one day and ordered the daily specials. 45 minutes later they arrived. The place was NOT full as it was after 1:00pm on a weekday. A special should take no longer than 15min. to serve.<br/><br/>While the food is good, I will not go back due to slow service. This is my second attempt having tried an evening meal before.

Overpriced, overcooked and over rated. They don't make anything you cant make yourself at home for 1/4 the cost.