Review Al Porto Ristorante - Vancouver

The atmosphere was fantastic. Looked pretty old class and stylish. The desserts and appetizers were great. Main course though, was the only time in my life that I did not eat my steak completely. It was char. But, too char. Some pieces had just charcoal taste. During our main course, no one stopped by to check if everything is fine. When they came for the plates, I asked for talking to the chef about it. Our waitress was so friendly and offered us free drinks or cutting the dessert’s fee, and explained they were short on staff. We might be back in summer as I liked the sunset view of the second floor. But, it definitely will not be a steak

We enjoyed the food. A bit on the expensive side but quality and taste were great so I'd say it's reasonable. However, the service was not quite consistent with every patrons. You can see how they are more attentive to others and to some, barely checks on you. The lady that has the white table napkin going around saying she was the server barely checked on us. We came 10mins before the early dinner promo and mentioned it to us saying we got 10mins, and with our menus closed and ready to order just in time, she is nowhere to be found. Walking past us and not making eye contact. It was the lady that gave us water and took away our plates that gave us more attention. I seriously hoped she got our tip and not the other one.

A very nice Italian place that was close to our hotel with great decor in a comfortable setting. The food was top notch. Our pizza and ghocchi were fresh and delicious. Would recommend. Only downside was service differed between patrons, kind of inconsistent. But they were great with our kid. If you're craving pizza/pasta then it's perfect for you.

Came upon this restaurant by chance when another restaurant was full. We’ve always walked passed here but never stopped to try and are we glad we did! The service was amazing and the appetizers *chefs kiss* 10/10. For mains I got the linguine pescatore and I was in love. We also had the shrimp and prawns risotto which wasn’t as yummy as the server made it out to be. The atmosphere is on the fancier side so the food is on the pricier side.

5 stars for the service, Sixto was a fantastic server - super quick, and super friendly and gave good tips on what to have for their early dinner special; he suggested the lemon tart and it was perfect - would have been even better if they had espresso cappuccino!! But otherwise, the food was awesome and the restaurant itself is super nice. Perfect level of music volume, clean, and classy :) the host was also very nice!

Wow wow wow.. The food was amazing. My kids don't even like fish but they loved my Halibut.. Craig the server had a perfect balance of when to come by and didnt show up too many times to be annoying.. My wife and I were there 8 years ago and it was ok. But this time it was really good.. Normally I'm the first one done eating dinner. But this time I was last cause I loved the taste so much I didn't want it to end.. Sorry Honey, but this was the best meal I have had in a long long time if not ever..

I don't generally write long reviews. Even for bad service. However, overall our experience at this location was even less than ideal. Had we not been so hungry, we would have left. The customer service skills of our waiter were lacking on every level perceived. We could have made better drinks at home. Our waiter even spilled them on the floor while bringing them to our table. When given the feedback that we found him condescending, immediately he advised that he was not. The base tip amount at this location is 18%. Had there been an option, it would have been 0%. As a local, I will avoid this location. Additionally I will not recommend to my friends, family or acquaintances.

Overall the food was fantastic. Risotto was perfectly cooked and the linguine nicely made but found the service im general was fairly slow.

This restaurant had a cosy Italian atmosphere with a good menu suitable for many different people. The food was quite delayed as it took about 45 minutes to get to us. However the taste of the food was quite delicious!

It is a cozy Italian restaurant on the edge of Gastown - tucked away down a quaint little alley.<br/><br/>They served traditional Italian food in a traditionally decorated setting. <br/><br/>We came here for a company function and the food was mediocre - nothing special.<br/>

2017: Lunch service is really slow, expect to be there for 2 hours (not the best place for corporate lunch). The lunch deals is now 15-18 dollars. The carbonara pasta was awful - very chunky and dry.<br/><br/>2015: Good lunch deals for $12 and very very filling. They have interesting pizzas. There's one with a soft egg in the middle.

We were craving Italian so we made a reservation here. I had the gnocchi and my husband had the carbonara and both were very good though I'd say the gnocchi was better. The service was also excellent.

My experience with Italian food is severely limited to Anton’s and HK-style spaghetti. So when the co-op student at my office was having her farewell lunch I was happy to hear that it would be at Al Porto. At lunch time, Al Porto has a really good lunch deal where you can get a soup of the day, a ceasar salad and your choice of pasta or risotto (the ones indicated with an * are $18.95) for $15.95 or with pizza ($16.95).

came here during one of the holidays and the food is definitely okay, nothing bad to write about and some were actually quite good as well, but again in this kind of places prices are definitely will be marked up as well due to the location and decor/ambiance, so then i definitely think it's still a fair price in comparison to other places. although i must say the food are definitely okay, well made by the chef, but definitely something that i'll crave and come back.

Great underground nook, atmosphere was nice and quaint. The staff was respectful. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre, at roughly 20$ a plate, although I should say it didn't feel overly greasy which was nice for the pastas they served. Great house red wine!

Came here today for the first time and the food was absolutely amazing and delicious. They had a deal going on and we decided to try it out. The interior design and service was great! Our Server John was amazing and made sure we gave him a good tip! I am just here for vacation, but I will definitely be coming back again!

I came here because I bought a groupon which allowed for two entrees, I ordered a seafood linguini and my boyfriend ordered the risotto. We were both kinda disappointed, even from the start with the complimentary bread. The food was overly salted and not up to par, I also had a fair bit of sand in my clams which is never fun. We ended up not even finishing our meal, the service however was great. Although the location and interior design, as well as the service is amazing I likely won't be coming back.

The service was excellent. Peter the waiter did everything he could to offset the slow service from the kitchen and the substandard pasta. He brought it back and had them put some tomato on it like the description on the menu described. The pasta was overcooked and the fish and prawns were also over cooked. The pasta sauce didn't have any garlic but seemed to have a sage spice taste... like you'd expect from a turkey dinner dressing. It was very disappointing and I will never return. If you're looking for an authentic Italian dinner, go somewhere else.

Been here a few times. I was invited by my girlfriend here initially when she purchased a $25 for $40 deal for two on Groupon. There are two entries to the restaurant, one is a little hidden in a building where you have to take the old elevator to access to the restaurant and the other is near the intersection on Water street in Gastown. The restaurant is spacious and not too busy during dinner time. The overall ambiance was authentic with Italian arts and decor everywhere. The lighting was dim and romantic with a Italian feel to it. The pasta was decent portion but not that special or authentic as I anticipated. I believe there could be more improvements for the price they set at mid range. The mushroom risotto was a bit too watery, hard and lack of flavour. However, I really like the cream brûlée for dessert, it's better to be shared with two because it's a bit too much and too sweet for one person to finish. I would be back again to the restaurant only with Groupon deal, would not pay full price for this place.

A hidden gem in the historic, charming part of downtown – Gastown. The restaurant was quite large and spacious. Most tables were full with active servers swooshing by. The complimentary sliced bread were not warm. I am not sure if this is the custom of Italian restaurants, but I was hoping to be warm. They served it with olive oil and balsmic vinegar to dip into.

Al Porto Ristorante (歷史建築內的義大利餐廳)<br/>地址：321 Water St., Vancouver, BC<br/>電話：(604) 683-8376<br/>營業時間：Mon- Fri 11:30am-10:30pm, Sat & Sun 4:30pm-10:30pm<br/>泊車：店前路邊收費咪錶<br/>付賬方法：信用卡、現金<br/>整體評分 (滿分為 5 )：食物 3.5│環境 4│服務 4│衛生 4│抵食 2.5│推薦 3.5<br/>個人推介：店家的午、晚市餐牌幾乎相同，但晚市價位要貴三成以上<br/><br/>Al Porto Ristorante義大利餐廳於1987年起在溫哥華最早開發的城區“煤氣鎮Gastown” 開業，由於省政府於1971年將該鎮列為歷史城區，區內商戶連同市政府部門於70年代開始便積極在區内進行美化，將舊建築復修至原貌，在街道上鋪設鵝卵石，令該區發展成溫哥華的主要旅遊觀光景點之一。由於餐廳離溫哥華捷運的Waterfront station不遠，走一小段路就到了，加上四周懷舊的氣氛，所以晚市時段經常爆滿，一位難求<br/>    <br/>Al Porto位於“煤氣鎮Gastown”一座紅磚古舊歷史建築內，整個餐廳藏得挺隱密的，從外面完全看不出來，但大家不須擔心迷路，只要按餐廳的招牌指示轉向巷子裡面的入口後再下一層樓梯就可以抵達。餐廳面積還挺大的，共分為兩層四個區域，樓上的一層是閣樓Loft space區，有極好的景觀，可遠眺北岸群山和Pan Pacific郵輪碼頭，但平日不會開放使用。另外地庫的一層分為三區，包括Wine Room、Dining Area和我今天被安排入座的Terrace平台用餐區。餐廳的佈置極具歐陸宮廷氣氛，木造門窗和拱門，加上牆壁上的巨型油畫和花瓶擺設，怪不得這餐廳被選為本市最浪漫的西餐廳。

Adorables, ThickToast, and I decided to share a couple dishes to try more variety, so we got their Arancini Funghi ($8.95). Basically they were wild mushroom risotto croquettes stuffed with provolone served on a bed of basil tomato sauce. We were confused at first since they came in three balls (thought they were meatballs). Anyways, cut it open to find delicious cheese that was melty and a creamy mushroom risotto shell which was crispy on the outside. The tomato sauce was nicely seasoned and made it quite appetizing. Great for dipping bread too!

Not a place I'd go to again for pasta. It didn't taste right and I felt that home cooked pasta would've been a LOT better. Although their lunch menu is great to have the appetizer in with it, it lacks the quality I was expecting for.

The pasta is not good at all... Could easily make better at home. Not sure about their pizzas, but pasta dishes get a 3.5/10

Disgusting. I went there about a week ago with my boyfriend and the food was disgusting. It was plated like the chef didn't care how it looked because it was just slopped on the plate and it tasted horrible. Luckily my my boyfriend got the pizza, which was delicious, and we both ate that.

Adorables, ThickToast, and I decided to share a couple dishes to try more variety, so we got their Arancini Funghi ($8.95). Basically they were wild mushroom risotto croquettes stuffed with provolone served on a bed of basil tomato sauce. We were confused at first since they came in three balls (thought they were meatballs). Anyways, cut it open to find delicious cheese that was melty and a creamy mushroom risotto shell which was crispy on the outside. The tomato sauce was nicely seasoned and made it quite appetizing. Great for dipping bread too!

Just had dinner with my bestie here. dont understand why the low rating - the entrées were great and so was the dessert. i had a white sangria which was absolutely delish. bestie had a groupon so our bill wasnt too bad. will def come again!

Great Experience. I don't know why this place doesn't rate higher on Urbanspoon. This is a great restaurant, . The dishes are nearly perfect and the wine recommendations/pairings from the server were spot on. Special mention goes to the Oso Bucco.<br/><br/>The atmosphere is here can best be described as comfortable and the kind of place you could spend all afternoon. If that's not enough for you for semi-casual Italian, then you're overthinking it.

A favourite!. I absolutely love this place...they have a great lunch deal which is a steal! I have never had a complaint about the food and the service is top notch. I have family that visits from Ontario every year and they always want to come back to this place. You will not be disappointed! It can be a bit tricky to find as it's down an alley in gastown but don't give up!

Nice and quiet Italian restaurant. Tasty food and good wine selection. Impeccable service by Cheri.

Delicious Meal on May 10 2014. Our party of 4 walked past this ristorante on our way to retrieve our parked car in Gastown to drive to a different Italian restaurant where we had reservations. On a whim, we looked at the menu and were impressed sufficiently to give Al Porto a try. We found a lovely 10 year old Italian Piemonte red wine to order and enjoyed appetizers and entrees which were all delicious. We are pleased to recommend Al Porto although the various internet restaurant guides for Vancouver do not mention it.

Dine Out 2014 - Very good!. For the $28 Dine Out price it was very good. Food was delicious and the ambiance was quaint. Right when you walk down the stairs you are greeted with intoxicating smells and friendly staff. No, I don't work here; I appreciate welcoming service is all. Our server was very gracious and did not seem bothered by my friend being a tad late. In fact, he kept me company with conversation! Nothing says 'welcome' like a down to earth server. I enjoyed myself, did not feel rushed at all. Our plates came and went and were taken away by very attentive and respectful staff. A smile goes a long way so thank you for that as well. There were couples, families and girlfriends about. We dined on a Wednesday and the restaurant had a soft buzz, perfect for a first experience. Would I go back? Yes, for a romantic evening out. I'm curious about the private areas for say a wedding rehearsal dinner. I think the regular prices fit the quality of the food so if you are looking to be wine'd and dine'd than this is the place.

Mediocre food and below average service. This place has nothing fine dinning about it even though it is listed under "fine dinning" on opentable. We had lobster and mushroom risotto. The lobster was okay but the risotto is under seasoned. Will not come back again.

We visited Vancouver for a week, eating out twice a day. Al Porto was the best. Food was prepared perfectly and service was efficient and timely. Five Stars

Never again. Terrible food and service! The $55 meal was not even worth $20 for the quantity and taste! Absolutely disgusting and disappointing!!!

My friends recommended this place to me and told me that it was great. It did indeed have a nice atmosphere and excellent service, but the food failed to please me and my friends. The garlic bread was full of holes, the butter was not melted and extremely hard to spread. I ordered a fettuccine with chicken and it was extremely dry and the sauce was lumpy. Lastly, the cheese that went on top of our dishes was powdered mozzarella, and it had been sitting out in the open for a while as it was very stale.

These Reviews Are Planted. I went there as part of Dine Out Vancouver.<br/>1) Food was "OK"<br/>2) Flat screen TVs everywhere: Might as well be at the Shark Club. BAD!<br/>3) Bus boys grabbing any plate that looked more than 1/2 done right off the table. I mentioned this to the manager. Not a European standard of service.<br/><br/>Next day I saw a new (glowing) review from someone saying how great it was that the bus boy asked before taking away dishes.<br/>Coincidence?<br/>Day after that, my review was gone.<br/>Coincidence?

Early Dinner Special $18/$24. We were there for the early dinner special. Our server already asked and reminded us that we can't use groupons with the early dinner special. That's nice! insalata tomato bocconcini $8.95 - I'm not a big fan of arugula. There was the right amount of balsamic. It is also smaller than insalata mista and insalata goat cheese. scallops and prawns $26.95 - it was huge. It came with 5 scallops, 5 prawns, and pasta too. I thought about just ordering this but this already costs. Our server was nice enough to divide our bills. He only asked us not to play musical chairs. Service was okay but I would only come if I want quantity vs quality.

No one seemed to notice. We weren't having a very good time because all the waiters seemed very interested in the sports on the tv. Our waiter kept on trying to talk about the sports with us and we weren't very interested and it left us with a bad impression. The food was ok, but lacked flavours. Some of our parties was happy but mostly not.

Great staff, great food!. Came in with a groupon to try this little hidden gem in gastown. Pleasantly surprised with how friendly the staff were and just how good my meal was. Their thin crust pizza is carefully prepared out in their main dining room. Will return.

Food was okay. Service is very lacking. Server was too busy talking to other staff. Had to go ask for drink refills from a different server. Will not go back.

Very Surprised. From looking at the reviews of this place I thought it wasn't going to be good, but I was wrong. My boyfriend surprised me last night by taking me there - he is italian american. It was very lovely. I haven't been often so I don't know all the staff, but the ones working on Friday at 7:30 are very very nice. The service was very professional. The hostess was very kind, and our waiter was super friendly, answered all questions we had, made some funny jokes. Food service was quick even though it was busy. We started out with some Bruschetta which was a little small, but not messy like most bruschetta - it was also very tasty. We had mission hill wine (which is always quite good), and I had the classic, spaghetti bolognese. It was perfect! It was not runny, but not dry, perfect amount of sauce, spaghetti was cooked perfectly too. We ended with sorbet for desert - delicious! I would go to this restaurant again :).

Awful food that gave me a very dodgy tummy :(

What A Difference A Year Makes. So hubby and I went here a year ago to celebrate our anniversary and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to make this our go to place for our anniversary celebration. Sadly, a year later, the meal we had was much different. <br/><br/>We arrived 10 minutes early for our reservation but the hostess still seated us promptly. So far, so good. Our server informed us of the dinner special and then left us on our own to peruse the menu. When he returned, I informed him that we have a Groupon coupon and he told us that we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the dinner special (which was fine because we figured as much anyway). We decided to order the calamari as an appetitizer because we had it last time and it was honestly one of the best calamari I've had in town. I ordered the linguini pescatore and hubby ordered the spaghetti polpette. After the server took our order, he brought us some bread and this is where the disappointment starts. The bread was ice cold. It wasn't even room temperature but like it was just taken out of the fridge cold. Within less than 5 minutes of us ordering and getting our bread, our calamari arrived. Surprisingly fast and when I looked at our calarmari, I could see why. First of all, our portion is drastically smaller than the portion we got previously (as you can see in comparison pictures). Next, the coat of flour on the calamari was a pasty colour (as compared to the nice golden colour from the calamari we got last year). When I tried to stick my fork into the first piece of calarmari, another problem. The flour around it is so soft that the coating actually fell right off the squid! So what we ended up with was a small portioned, pasty coloured calamari that had no crunch to it. What a disappointment! <br/><br/>Next up were the entrees. Since our appetizer was reduced drastically in size, I prepared myself for a much smaller portion of the entree as well. However, it was smaller than even what I expected! Looking back at the pictures from last year, I would say the portion size has been reduced by at least one third but the price has remained the same. In addition, the taste is not the same (which is the biggest problem for me). Last year, I remembered it just being exceptionally delicious with lots of tomato flavour and a good kick to it. This year... well, it was bland and tasted like it came out of a jar at the supermarket. As well, my pasta was definitely undercooked as it was tasted a little hard/crunchy towards the centre of the noodle (and not al dente as advertised in their menu). I had a taste of hubby's spaghetti and his pasta's doneness was cooked marginally better than mine but he said in comparison to Boston Pizza's smokey mountain spaghetti and meatballs, the meatballs at Boston Pizza is much better. <br/><br/>At this point of the meal, we decided to cut our losses and skip the dessert. I guess we'll have to look for a new place to go to celebrate our anniversary next year. <br/><br/>I also want to note that service-wise, I feel it has also gone down. Our server last year was great. She was attentive but never intrusive. She always made sure to come check on us when we're not in the middle of our conversation. This year, most of the time, it felt like our server has abandoned us and the one time that he did check on us, he interrupted us in the middle of our conversation.

Amazing Cozy Restaurant. When you first walk in, it's kind of like you're walking to an underground railroad. I was greeted by an amazing waiter, who was really kind. the food was fantastic, i had: the smoked salmon, chicken pizza, and seafood risot. It was all so good. I never had a pizza like that, the crust was delicious. So much seafood such as: clams, shrimp, scallops on the rissotto. For the salmon, if you love sashimi then i'd bet you'd like the smoked salmon. Overall, great service, fast delivery, great food, amazing restaurant!

Insulting Staff for good food- not worth it. I've been to Al Porto once and they wrecked the experience with referring to my colleague and I with agist remarks and being highly competitive. My buddy is a Chef at another Italian Restaurant and I work in food services also- so we expect at least the standard when in a restaurant. The staff was slow, lazy, insulting with agist remarks-not answering the questions we had about the food or the restaurant, and had some bad vibes. The food was good- I admit the kitchen staff knows where it's at- but the dining staff needs some professional work ethic upgrades. Because of this, I won't return. I had the gnocchi which was creative and delicious but not anything I couldn't get somewhere else. Don't waste your money- head out elsewhere-which is really too bad because their location is prime and scenery is lovely- maybe I'll wait for better management!

We came 2 celebrate friend's B-day. Nice room & attentive seevice. Goat cheese N walnut insalta GOOD, Calamari apoetizer GOOD. Osso Buco OK. Pizza w/ spicy sausage GOOD. Linguine Vongole POOR (& tiny portion). Overall rating has 2 B very average. Yet with their pricing - should deliver more One final point - our waiter who started off fine had some sort of "incident" that affected his mood. Thankfully; he shook-it-off and returned 2 normal

Charming Local Restaurant. A totally charming local restaurant in a great part of town. The ambiance is fantastic, high-end without being pretentious. The server was friendly and attentive, and took the time to go over their fairly extensive menu and make some recommendations for us. I had their house pizza as recommended by the server, and it is awesome. It comes with ham, lamb sausage, and an egg, which just makes everything on the pizza better! My friend had the seafood risotto and finished every bite! I also had the chocolate genache for dessert and it was wicked (what can I say, I am a chocolate lover!) Overall an excellent dining experience and we will gladly be back.

Average food, Nice ambiance!. Charcuterie: different meat selections...Good!<br/><br/>Arrabbiata Pizza: Very Tasty! LOVE that thick layer of cheese! its a bit spicy though<br/><br/>Giovanni Pizza: Not that tasty combination!<br/><br/>Lamb: Very tender and elegant. I liked it<br/><br/>Veal Milanese: the taste wasn't that great! it didnt' taste like anything! seemed like it needed some spice!

Waiter changed personalities over tips - before we had a chance to put anything down. I would not go back to this restaurant ever again based on one of the waiters extremely poor attitudes to my group of friends over a 15% tip on a $20 meal.<br/><br/>We were greated and seated, given starter bread, water and asked for our orders. Everything seemed ok (slightly excessive checking of whether things were ok but nothing to worry about), and the food was fine.<br/><br/>When it came to the bill, we asked for it to be split and the waiter seemed fine with it (why not, he would likely have been given more money out of it).<br/>One of the girls had to pay with a credit card but he gave it to her and walked off, leaving her to figure out how to complete the transaction. Upon coming back and realising she hadn't included a tip (as she couldn't work out how to on the machine) his personality changed completely. He collected the money from the rest of the group and asked whether we wanted change. Since the meal was only $20 and I only had a $50 note, of course I said yes (it's absurd to leave a tip bigger than the meal!). He then proceeded to storm off and complain to the rest of the wait staff in a loud voice so we could hear 'we didn't leave a f*cking tip' and that he was going to make us wait to get our change back. It was 10 minutes of listening to his complaints and snide comments as he walked past. <br/><br/>Had he waited, he would have got something from all of us, however his blatant rudeness made us think otherwise. We left tips for the other staff who served us and insisted another staff member take what we had left.<br/>We did get an apology from the manager but this was little consolation for the barrage of not-so-subtle insults we received from the waiter, even before we had the opportunity to do anything

Oasis of Real Food at Reasonable Price. We've been eating lunch here 2-3 times a week for about a year since our office moved to the area. The food is consistently fresh, tasty and nicely presented. The wait staff are courteous and efficient. I have had a variety of menu items from the pizzas - they have a great oven - to gnochhi and pasta. The daily soups are made from scratch and always tasty. The Caesar salad comes with freshly shaved parmegiano. I recommend this as an oasis of civility and good food at a reasonable price.

Tiny portions but gteat service. My sister comes here regularly for their gnocchi with pesto and our server said it is one of the best dishes. My fiancé had a fettuccini rose that was delicious - very flavorful yet delicate in taste. I had the primavera fettuccini and it was nothing special. Portions are very small here.<br/><br/>I must say that the services is excellent and the ambiance is very romantic and pleasant.

Some Romantic Italian for Valentines. We ate here for Valentines the other day and really had a good time. Despite it being busy, our server was friendly and attentive, and even slipped in a few jokes. The wine list is massive, which we both loved -- with a good selection of Italian reds. The food was a very filling four-course meal, their Valentines special. I had the filet mignon with food gras. It was to die for. Will stop by again next time we're in gastown.

First night of dine out. Want to give it a try to start off this year dine out. Service was nothing to really waive about. I dont even know my waiter's name even after i paid my bill. During the course of dinner he only showed up three times and i waited so long for fresh peppers for my food that i had to give up. Food was okay and its nothing that really surprises me or out of my expectation. I saw other waiters were very tentative with the way i noticed with their guests. The service of the waiter really has a Huge influence on the experience when the food was okay.

Great Italian food. I love Al Porto. We stumbled upon this restaurant quite by chance when we spied their early dinner special! It is such a good deal, and the food is absolutely delicious. I went back a second time, where the service was still great. The server was attentive without being too pushy, and even though half my party was late for the early dinner special, they honoured it for us. <br/>Definitely a gem, don't understand why the reviews are so bad....

Groupon Alert!. Just a heads up. I dined alone when I used my Groupon, but was told to read the fine print when I got the bill. They tried to tell me that '1 per table of 2' meant that 2 people had to be dining. I held my ground and showed the manager the 'fine print'. He relented and I got my discount. Of course, '1 per table of 2' doesn't mean 2 people have to be dining; it means that if 2 people are dining only 1 of them can use a Groupon. BTW, the food and the service were great. if I did Italian again I'd certainly consider this as a choice.

Just average. In a nutshell:<br/><br/>Very good service<br/>Nice Ambiance<br/>Decent wine list<br/>Very Average food<br/><br/>As food is the reason I eat out I have to give it just average. 6/10.

We really enjoyed our meal. We ordered a number of salads and appetizers as opposed to entree items but I would not hesitate to visit here again. I'm actually quite surprised this restaurant doesn't have a higher rating as we found both the food and service to be exceptional.

It's alright, nothing special in terms of food. It may be on the pricey side, so if you have good intentions of your date, then it's worth it. If you in it to get laid, take her/him to earls. I have to be gender neutral.

Very ordinary.. Presentation: not appealing . <br/>Taste : OK . not great. <br/>Cost : expensive .<br/>Service : no attention to details . The wine glass was dirty.<br/>The condiment was not served with our meal . We had to ask a second time.<br/>Ambiance: old fashioned. No edge.

Delicious, high-quality food, impeccable service. My husband and i decided to split an insalata mista(salad), quattro stagioni pizza, and a slice of tiramisu. our waiter was very friendly, attentive, welcoming, and informative throughout our meal. lunch began with warm, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside complimentary bread and soft, spreadable butter. we quickly polished off the bread, and after we declined a refill, the waiter offered to bring more bread anytime, should we change our minds! :) the salad that we informed the waiter that we would split arrived on two plates, so beautifully presented that i worried we would be charged for two(only charged for one:)). the pizza was cooked to perfection, with a thin, light, flavorful crust and savory toppings. the tiramisu was beautiful- moist, creamy, and delicious, but seemed a bit light on the espresso, which would have provided more balance to the sweetness of the cake and mascarpone. the food preparation was perfection, and all ingredients seemed to be of very high quality. the salad, pizza, and bread made for a substantial, satisfying lunch- totally got our money's worth. this most charming, delightful meal concluded with a cup of rich, flavorful espresso. we will definitely return. cheers!

Good cocktails!. Great Cosmopolitans!! ( a little pricey but worth it) <br/>Duck was very moist and delicious. <br/>Seafood pasta..i had better <br/>A little too pricey for the quality of the food.

Scenery not worth the service. This restaraunt had beautiful atmosphere and interesting architecture, good table placement. The waiter was pushy, rude, non comittal, and unhelpful. We waited for our drinks, food was timely, and then waited for the dessert (finished our after dinner coffees before the dessert arrived). then had to wait for the cheque for another 10 minutes after they had fully cleared our table. There were empty tables and the waiters seemed to be more interested in getting their cleaning chores done than serving customers. We had a table that was seated where we could see the pizza maker, who repeatedly touched his hair and face while making pizzas. The duck was bland, the salmon tough and overcooked. We were referred to this restaraunt but will not be returning. One good note: I had not noticed that my napkin had slipped off my lap, and out of nowhere, a gentleman gracefully placed a replacement directly on my lap. Obviously someone who cares about service and customers, I suspect he was the manager or even owner. Unfortunately it is evident that his staff does not share that love.

Pedestrian. Al Porto is trying to go for some fancy Italian restaurant vibe, but the food doesn't live up to the atmosphere and prices. Skip!

Meh. My escargot fettucine "special" was forgettable and smallish in portion. You can't be both in this town.

Hit and miss place. This is a cute little hidden Italian place with very warm ambiance. The menu was extensive, very typical Italian food. I had the seafood risotto which was really good, very favourful with plenty of seafood. The boyfriend had the seafood canolli which was a whole different story. I only had a bite of it, but it was super bland with a flavourless tomato sauce. I might go back for the seafood risotto again, but we would never order the seafood canolli again. <br/><br/>A comment on the side, this place is very orange.

Poor value and food. 4 of us had lunch and the pasta supposedly had various thing such as leaks, shrimp, etc in it. If you could find any of these things it was a miracle. Chicken was presented on a greasy base with greasy over-cooked veggies9what there was of them. Over priced and not good food.

I ordered the beef carpaccio, and I’ll give them this; it was fantastic. Soft, chewy, and the right tenderness paved the way for what I thought would be a good night.

Al Porto Ristorante is an Italian restaurant in the heart of Gastown, located in the basement of one of Gastown’s many beautiful historic brick buildings. Al Porto had a fancier feel to the restaurant, but I wouldn’t describe it was fine dining. It is certainly a restaurant that to go to when you’re not in a rush. I thought that this place would be great for romantic dates, but after reading a few reviews and hearing some stories from friends, seems like this place gets quite noisy in the night time and it’s hard to hear the person across the table from you.

Meals in Downtown Vancouver is, like how I would say, “expense” (expensive). More often then not, you can expect to pay a premium for your meal and receive a less than premium portion size. Thankfully, not all places are expensive and not filling. Take Al Porto for example – for $12.95 you can get full on a lunch consisting of a soup, salad and a main.

By : Lester Chung | 0 Comments | On : May 26, 2014 | Category : Restaurants , Vancouver Al Porto Ristorante is a little hidden Italian restaurant located in Gastown district of Vancouver. It is a nice hidden gem with a nice gastown brick decor underneath one of the old historic buildings. It’s a large restaurant with plenty of seating and great for groups. They have a great lunch special as well.

Grayson said that Al Porto already looked promising before we walked into the door because of the cobblestoned alley way that was leading up to it. His hunch was then confirmed upon walking into the restaurant because of the authentic European vibe it was emitting. Grayson’s been to Europe before and commented on how closely the interior resembled the restaurants he went to there. Oh and if you’re wanting a more private dinner, Al Porto offers private dining spaces by reservation as well. Anyways, onto the food right? I’ve been trying to stay away

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The prawns and scallops were super huge, fresh and well-prepared! Totally epic ! However, we felt that the risotto was a little bit uncooked on the inside; not all but probably some of them.

A groupon gifted brought us to "Al Porto", not reading the instructions and failing to make a reservations, brought us here at 8:30pm. With no obvious entrance the restaurant was hard to find. The correct building number on an awning led us a stray. Entering a building with other shops, an empty restaurant with the same name, and an emergency exit stairwell. In the end we read a sandwich board outside, and it directed us to a corner entrance lined with wild flowers in planters, overlooking the shipyard. Here we were able to enter "Al Porto".   The building has been classified as a heritage building. You can feel the age and history within its red brick walls, terra cotta floors, wood beams and low ceilings. The tables were laid with pressed white sheets; the contrast from the dark wood finished tables and chairs, gave them an extra clean feeling and appeal. Decorations were large oil paintings of landscapes: autumn leaves, setting suns, and blue waters. It all felt like a very authenti

The boyfriend and I went to Al Porto for a belated birthday dinner for myself on Friday. It was near where my boyfriend worked in Downtown, so we had a sweet romantic after work stroll in town before our lovely meal. Upon entering there is a host whom greeted you, asked for reservation name and seated you promptly. We had a nice seat near the traditional Italian pizza oven (first time I ever seen one in the flesh! I was so excited and because of the pizza oven I was craving pizza Our server, Nate, was extremely polite and courteous even though we had a Groupon deal. I’vehad terrible experiences at high end restaurants who don’t even bother to give you the time of day when they know you have a deal. Anyways, I am allergic to Oregano just as severely as people are allergic to peanuts, and Nate was very helpful with the choices to make for my meal. So if you are reading this Nate, thank you! First off, we had the traditional Italian bread slices with butter. It was unremarkable, except on

The first thing I noticed was that the penne was a bit too firm for my liking. Their pastas are all cooked al dente but I felt like, in this case, it was a little too al dente. The second thing I noticed was that, holy cow, this dish was spicy. The sauce packed a lot of heat, so much so that I felt like the dish itself didn't have too much flavor because all I could taste was the spicyness.

I ordered the smoked salmon, gnocchi, sablefish and tiramisu. The food was very good! First of all, you can't go wrong with smoked salmon. The gnocchi was small and the tomato sauce worked well with it.

For a long-time friend’s 20th birthday party, we went to Al Porto Ristorante in the lovely, historic Gastown. While sunny weather is always nice, there is a certain magical feel to Gastown in the drizzly rain. The restaurant was large, with great friendly servers and traditional decorations.  We started with a complimentary Bread Basket that I thought could have been better to match the sophistication of the restaurant. The bread was not exactly fresh out of the oven, although it had a nice crust and a soft, airy inside. However, I loved the focaccia. It was so soft and a little chewy. The Linguine Pescatore was a common dish amongst our group. The seafood was fresh and nicely done: mussels, clams, prawns, squid, scallops, salmon, and halibut. Unfortunately, there was only one scallop, which is my favourite seafood… ever. The fish added a nice touch since you eat it with the p

The food was blah. The osso bucco was flavourless, all you could really taste was poor quality meat smothered in tomato sauce. It’d be fine if it cost less, but without a Groupon it was priced at $26, which is ridiculous for the mediocre quality. No surprise there.

Their all famous house made pizza is a must order. This time I ordered their Quattro Stagioni, black olives and artichoke and mushrooms are the all time favourites on pizzas.

Nothing particularly special or interesting here, just tasty food prepared well. OK value at $28.

The main and the dessert border lined mediocre. Maybe it was Dineout, so the kitchen was feeling the rush? But based on what I had that night, I wouldn’t return.

I opted for the grilled wild BC salmon for the entree. I thought the salmon was a bit hard -- not tough per se but the edges were just a bit hard, maybe from being dry. Otherwise, it was alright. The mashed potatoes it was serve with was fluffy and went well with the salmon.

Al Porto Ristorante is located on the edge of Gastown very close to the steam clock. According to the address, I found the entrance at the end of a long corridor in a heritage building. But a notice was taped to the glass doors that customers were to enter through the side door beside the building. The side door in the alley led to a short flight of stairs that brought us into the spacious yet cozy restaurant. The decor conveyed a sense of intimacy and warmth with the wooden beamed ceiling, brick pillars and earthy tones. The meal kicked off with a large bread basket. The bread was my favourite kind — nice and crusty with a soft interior. The veal saltimbocca ($20.95) was a good alternative to pasta. Tender veal meat was wrapped in soft and savoury prosciutto and cooked with sage in a white wine demi-glace sauce. The different flavours and textures of the meats blended together really well. The linguine pescatore ($17.95) was a seafood pasta with prawns, mussels, clams, scallops, sal

We chose the Insalata Bistecca to share as our entree (CAD$16.95).  The grilled tenderloin beef medallions were beautifully tender and flavoursome.  The salad was fresh and tasty and had toms, cukes, toasted pine nuts and balsamic vinegar.  Tasty and appetite inducing.

I think the restaurant did a good job on helping create a memorable evening for the happy couple. There wasn’t any mishaps.

After a long crowded Sunday at Eat Vancouver, and a meeting, and walking all around Gas Town trying to find a place to eat, we finally found Al Porto. It was really a last resort, as Judas Goat was closed, Alibi Room wa

Al Porto is one of those restaurants that has someone standing in the street handing out menus to cruise ship tourists all day. And they do quite well at it too, the place is regularly packed. The dining room is surprisingly bright and spacious given the

We grabbed some dinner in Gastown just before we attended the opening of a lounge of which my friend’s the executive pastry chef of. Looking through our Entertainment Book, I decided on Al Porto. It was a nice little secluded restaurant, its decor dominat

You know that restaurant that you have always wanted to check out, that you think it's going to totally rock your boat and then sort of disappoints you with a series of mishaps that you did not expect, and most likely neither did the staff? Yeah. That was the case with Al Porto in Gastown. A gorgeous restaurant, extremely spacious, brick-walls, amazing decor and a view of the mountains on the North Shore that many businesses would envy. And a lovely staff. BUT Sadly, I was quite disappointed with my lunch there recently. Admittedly, perhaps the expectation was too high. I had heard great things about Al Porto. But our server, lovely as he was, really had mishap, after mishap, after mishap. And at some point I just simply stopped caring about whether my food was ok or not, and whether the service was going to get better. I looked around and other lunch attendees had a wonderful experience. I could see it in their interaction with the server. My drink, I should say, was actually pretty g