Located near the upper end of Water St just before it turns into offices, Portage's PoMo space is…read morein contrast to much of St John's historical downtown, but it's a refreshing vibe that still feels inviting and relaxed. The menu is on the larger side for a place of Portage's caliber and reputation, with several snack-sized starters and veggie-based dishes, and a leaner variety of proteins and desserts on offer. You know you're likely in for an excellent meal when it's hard to choose what to get, but after some deliberation, my wife and I landed on a handful - smoked olives, the cleverly-named Tongue and Cheek, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower souvlaki, and fingerling potatoes. Note that you can conveniently get half-sized portions of most dishes, although we, somewhat greedily, did not. Unsurprisingly, the smoked olives arrived right out of the gate. The plump green olives came as advertised and while you wouldn't know it from looking at them, tasted more like smoke than olive - and I was all for it! I'm slowly converting to olives, although it's generally only at nicer restaurants and not the olives that come out of obscenely large buckets/cans that get slopped on mediocre pizzas and salads. The cauliflower souvlaki started off our string of excellent veggie dishes. I wasn't sure what the portioning or presentation would be like for these, but they were all a generous size for two people to share, and while they were plated with consideration, it wasn't so much "haute cuisine" as it was "piles of delicious food with complementary garnishes". I was a bit surprised that the cauliflower was served at room temperature, but the charred cruciferous veg still packed a lot of flavour into each tender-crisp bite. Paired up with pickled dates, yogurt, and fresh dill and mint, the dish hit a lot of notes - savoury, lightly sweet, and tart and bright vegetal freshness. On deck were the fingering potatoes. Loaded up with sauteed onions, scrunchion-esque bits of pork belly, and a blessedly-conservative amount of Dijon, this was a dish that harkens to a lot of continental European dishes. The execution of the relatively simple ingredients is where it stood out though, with firm-but-tender potatoes that had hints of sweetness and umami from their toppings, and the crisp bits of pork belly brought some textural contrast to this comfort food classic. The dishes were coming hard and fast at this point with the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and (cod) Tongue and Cheek showing up in quick succession. Brussels sprouts have become a family sight on contemporary restaurant menus in the past 15-ish years, and the crispy, charred veg got the Boomer parent treatment, although melted Cheez Whiz was replaced by a much more natural Mornay sauce. I'm not jaded enough yet by their ubiquity to bemoan the delicious execution of these sprouts, and the cheesy goodness of the Mornay mellowed out the sharper edges of this infamous vegetable. A surprise hit was the broccoli - with velvety smooth and lightly salty ricotta, fresh micro greens and a not-insubstantial punch of heat from chili crisp, our third cruciferous vegetable of the night took top honours of the three, IMO. The Tongue and Cheek is an amusingly tongue-in-cheek play on words, using two cuts of cod that have become local delicacies. Each was fried in a light and airy batter that was only slightly heavier than a proper tempura, with a perfectly generous amount of salt. The tongues were a bit more toothsome, but still tender, while the cheeks almost melted in your mouth. They're one of the more pricey starters, but absolutely worth it. After this sizeable feast, dessert was not on the table, figuratively or literally. Service was spot-on and friendly, without the almost clinical coldness that can come with the precision that some fine dining places have. Portage is understandably representing St John's on Canada's Top 100 list with its deliberate, but unpretentious menu that will leave you wanting more and loosening your belt at the same time.

Had a wonderful meal at Portage. Shout out to our server…read moreCaroline who really looked after us well. Highly recommend this spot for offering specialities of the area. Please note that I also highly recommend reservations as it's not a huge dining space and because the food is so good, they do get busy. We started with the seafood sampler platter. So wonderful. And then we shared the Halibut, rice and spinach/fiddleheads with shrimp hollandaise (which were a fantastic complement to each other). Only one thing we did not like (it was not the fault of the restaurant, but our table for 2 was flanked by a table for 8. We don't mind that generally but 2 of the party were children who initially were running around and flinging themselves on the banquette seating for the first half of the meal. I started to wonder if I was going to end up with one of them in our laps. Fortunately they settled down at some point). Despite all this I would go back in a heartbeat.

My meal was superb! I had the halibut special and it was flawless in taste, almost too much to eat…read morein quantity, and pleasing to the eye. The onion rings and calamari appetizers were a great beginning. My wife had cod and chips. The size of the cod serving was small and the potatoes were undercooked. Another in our party had the cod taco and found it lacking in taste. Others in our party had onion soup and salads which they found exceptional. The wings likewise. Our server was attentive and engaging. Nothing was lacking from beginning to end. The restaurant decor was new and tastefully done. There was plenty of seating available at 6:30pm on a Wednesday evening. Overall a good dining experience on spite of a few shortcomings. Somewhat expensive in comparison to other like food options.

had heard good things about the place was extremely disappointed in the food for the price ,…read moreordered mussels as an appetizer and they were definitely undercooked and had a strange taste ordered the Waygu and New York strip as our mains and the steaks were extremely over seasoned and tough definitely won't be back and was not worth the money

Really delayed review as my visit was back in July. Our first meal after we landed in St. John's…read more We came straight to Mallard Cottage from the airport to celebrate a special anniversary dinner. I'm glad we had the dinner menu because I had no idea the brunch menu didn't have any seafood (from looking at the prior review). We had the rack of lamb, cod tongue, mussels, and carrots. I never had cod tongue before this, so I had no idea what to expect. It's hard to describe the taste, but it's more like a fish nugget in a way, that resembles a hybrid fish and a somewhat scallop-like texture. I really enjoyed it. They even gave a cheesecake on the house since it was a special occasion for us. I love the charming little restaurant and décor, and we were seated overlooking a window. We didn't make any reservations; we just landed and went straight to the restaurant on a weekday night closer to 8pm. Though it's just as easy to book a reservation on Yelp. The service was also friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend this spot for dinner.

We had a great dinner at Mallard Cottage! The staff was warm and welcoming, and they were happy to…read moreanswer questions and provide recommendations. We were seated in the original cottage room, which was quiet and comfortable. We ordered the cod tongues because we'd never tried them before. We were told they were quintessential Newfoundland, so we figured we'd give it a shot. They were lightly fried and crispy, which was nice. I thought they had a similar texture to a fried oyster. Paired with the delicious lemon thyme aioli, we enjoyed them! We also shared the duck breast and a few sides: the asparagus and the carrots. We enjoyed it all, particularly the duck breast. The foragers puree of the day was a blend of mushrooms, which very nicely complemented the duck and the parsnip puree. This dish was a lovely balance of textures and flavors. We also had some nice chocolate mousse for dessert, which was paired with blueberries. It was enjoyable, but the definite highlight of the meal was the duck!

This spot in downtown St. John's was recommended to us by a cabbie. We were so glad it was. Lovely…read morespot, fantastic food, fantastic service. Very innovative menu with a focus on local specialties. Highly recommend. My hubby had the lobster soup, and I had a lobster tostada to start. Both were excellent. He then had the muscles and treats. And I had the cod tongues (they are not really tongues!). We highly recommend their bread as well, which comes with like a molasses drizzle. Heavenly. The food and the dining experience was excellent from beginning to end. The tables are a bit kind of close together, but the food and everything else just made it wonderful . Just go there.

Delicious food!! Great service!! Comfortable seating and warm atmosphere!!…read moreWill definitely be back!!

The service was fantastic. The cook was careful with my special diet and even came over to talk to…read moreus.

Just walked off the street, Water St that is! I read a lot of reviews and I have to say, impressed…read morefrom the beginning. Had a lovely Newfoundland local vodka, crisp and delicious. Ordered the seared Halibut on a penne bed with chilies flakes . Very , very good! (Not a menu item)

We thoroughly enjoyed this quaint Gastropub on an unassuming corner of Duckworth street. We…read morehappened to arrive right when they opened at 11am, and we were able to select from their brunch or lunch menu. Hubby and I both ordered from their lunch menu. I had my eye on the PB&J burger that I had seen on Yelp, as peanut butter is my favorite thing ever! This burger did not disappoint. While the combo sounds strange, the flavors were well-balanced with the brie cheese, caramelized onions and bacon. The meat was cooked to a perfect medium and the hamburger bun was soft. I chose the kettle chips for my side, and they tasted house made. Very delicious! The only thing I didn't like about this burger was the price tag = $22. Hubby had the seafood chowder for $17 and it was enough for a full meal. He said the chowder was very flavorful and full of seafood. He was in heaven! We both ordered a Quidi Vidi 1892 amber ale on draft. They only had 7 beers on tap and I wished that they had a medium or dark beer, but this area doesn't seem to be big on that. They do have Guinness in a can, if that's your thing. Service was friendly and the food came out relatively fast. The booths were comfy and the pub reminded me of a cozy neighborhood bar. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

Every visit back home, I always make a stop at BSG. Everything I've ever ordered here has been…read moresolid and flavorful. The staff is warm and inviting with an incredibly cozy atmosphere.

I stopped by here for breakfast because it was close to where I was staying. I ordered the griddle…read moresandwich and a tea. The lady behind the counter explained that it's like a McGriddle but better, and she was right. The buns had the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the aavouriness of the bacon and egg. I sat upstairs and it's very cozy, sort of like your eccentric aunt's living room. I would definitely come back again to try other items or maybe tue dinner.

The best specialty coffee in St. John's. Me and my boyfriend…read morevisit here regularly and we love their BLT (it's a must-try!) They also have the best matcha latté!

awesome great food and atmosphere highly recommend…read more great service great location...food snd staff were amazing time and money well spent...you won't be disappointed !!!!

I always have a wonderful time at No. 4. The vibe, friendly rapport from the staff, and the…read moreextensive drink menu makes for a memorable experience. The food was delicious, with a superb scallop spaghetti for me and the favourite Mac & Cheese for my wife. Thanks for another epic evening!

O Although the prices are a bit on the higher side, the overall experience is very good. The food…read morequality and service make it worth a visit. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others. Overall, a solid place to dine.

Sirloin steak was okay, mushroom skillet was hardly sautéed and the Bella mushrooms were served…read morewhole so the insides were essentially still raw. Good service and atmosphere but the food was average.

This seems to be a popular neighborhood cafe, and it's on the way to Signal Hill. I got the salmon…read morecream cheese bagel. The bagel is a bit on the smaller side than what I am used to, but it still hit the spot. The interior is a bit eclectic, and there are some picnic benches you can sit at outside. You can also order inside or outside.

We dropped by here for a quick breakfast since we had time before boarding our Hop-on Hop-off bus…read moretour. The menu is simple, no-frills with relatively quick service. I appreciate that the sandwich isn't overly saucy, making it easier to eat on the go without a mess. Between the two options, I prefer the bagel as the cream cheese adds a satisfying bite and makes it less dry compared to the chicken sandwich. This restaurant is located in a house at the corner of the street, with two patio sections on either side. When you walk in, it appears cozy with limited seating. However, if you walk to the right through the door, there is ample seating next door and a self-serve water station.