It's not often in Miami that you become entranced with service at a restaurant, but that is exactly what happened at Portosole last night.
I have been hearing and reading for years that this spot was one of the best Italian spots in the Gables but I had never made my way there. Last night I made a reservation for my dad and I and then proceeded to have one of the most fabulous meals I've had in a while.
Located in the Gables on Ponce right off the Mile, Portosole is an authentic, fine-dining Italian restaurant. I'm talking white tablecloths that they steam after each reservation (saw them do this), bread service, wonderful menu explanations and frequent (yet not annoying) visits from who seems to be the maître d', Ivan.
My dad ordered a dirty martini which looked excellent and I stuck with bubbly water. The offer bread service as well as a plate of charcuterie and olives to start. A+
We opted to split the baby artichoke salad to start which came with parm crisps and was refreshing, lemony and delightful.
Then for dinner I ordered the Linguine alla vongole (clams). I saw you could add bottarga which is one of my favorite flavors and rarely on menus in Miami. If you haven't tried it, it's known as "golden caviar" because it is a way that preserve fish eggs to create salt-cured, air-dried roe from what I believe is mullet fish. Whatever fish it comes from, it adds a decadent salty flavor which I love.
We also split the filet di branzino. The dinner came served tableside and they split both the fish and pasta dish into two separate plates for us.
We finished the night with Tiramisu and Ivan brought us complimentary shots of Cremoncello.
The food was so great that it will definitely have us coming back, but the service is what really impressed me. It had the heart of those old school places where everyone wants to know your name, your order and make you feel at home, but with the decor and service of a fine dining establishment. However nice the service was, it is not a place that is stuffy. The dining room was full of people you can tell come often, and the vibe is great.
It is most definitely a good spot for dinner with the parentals, but a vibe for a nice date night or business dinner too.
I wouldn't say that this is an inexpensive restaurant, but I also wouldn't say it is overpriced either. Entrees run from the $30-50, but are easily shareable. Unfortunately it has been my experience in Miami that sometimes restaurants like this can have an attitude if you don't order that many things or an entree per person so I was admittedly worried about my dad and I splitting three things and how they would react, but they treated us super well and it was a wonderful evening.
Really enjoyed my experience here and cannot wait to return. The full bar is beautiful, so I definitely want to try and have a meal there in the future with a cocktail. Molto bene, Portosole! read more