One of the best options on the island, had a great dinner this evening. They started with an amuse-bouche, a nice tasty mini-meatball, and I always love meals that start with something tasty. My first course was Queenies Thermador. Queenies are Manx scallops, small but flavorful. It was in a rich, buttery thermador sauce, which went well with the bread. My main course was the real star, though. I had the lamb shank and it was cooked perfectly, incredibly flavorful and meaty for a lamb shank. It was accompanies by mixed vegetables, which were not your typical over-steamed broccoli/cauliflower you often get even in better restaurants on the island. They tasted fresh and had a good mix of vegetables. I also loved the view of the boats on Douglas Bay. If I had one complaint (okay, I do have one complaint), it's the name. This is not an Italian restaurant, it is more continental, and I find the name misleading (not as bad as the island's top Thai restaurant, New Manila). Get past the name and you'll have a great evening. read more

Portofino caters to the off-shore banking crowd -- you'll see plenty of suits and hear plenty of conversations about tax structures and other arcane corporate terminology. If that doesn't bore you to tears, you'll be saved by the decent food and service. I had seafood risotto, and while it wasn't anything near a proper risotto, it was chock full of flavor and a random assortment of seafood tidbits. I started with a carrot/coriander soup, and it was nice too. All-in-all, a very nice business lunch, but don't expect too much more. read more