Great place to relax after a day in the parks. I make a point to stop in even if I stay at a hotel other than Portofino Bay, specifically to see the server Stephanie. Her insights and friendliness absolutely made my vacation the first time I experienced Universal Orlando and I have come back specifically to see her every time I have returned since then. She is so sweet and attentive as a server. Oh, and the drinks and food are good there too! read more

Amazing staff & when I need a great plate of fresh cut fries here where to find them!! read more

The Thirsty Fish - French fries - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This was our 1st visit and we had a great time. Food was good and the ambiance was even better. The service was good as well. My favorite was the Lobster Arancini. But everything else was good as well. We will be back for sure. There were 3 bottles of DAOU hit the spot as well. read more

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Great place to get a late night drink and small bites! Loved their fruited lager, and the service was great. read more

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Service is great, the feeling and ambiance was amazing so was the food all in all I wish I could give 6 stars, also Chelsea was my waiter and she was amazing. read more

Best pretzel I've ever had. Totally worth stopping by. Haven't had a bad meal or bad service here read more

The Thirsty Fish - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The outdoor tables in the piazza are nice. The place stays open late so it's a good place to enjoy the evening talking with friends. It has a good drink menu. I didn't try the food. The service was quick and the waitress checked in on us throughout the evening. read more

Good service, nice cigar bar and great meatball appetizer. Would return when at Portofino. Thumbs up. read more

The Thirsty Fish - Meatballs and super Tuscan. - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I'll give this place a 3 1/2, we just got into the resort after a long day and needed a snack and a drink before we ventured on. This seemed nice, outside on a great day, next to the Italian bay. Prices are what you expect from a Disney resort. Not much of a menu, more just bar items, which is fine. We had the anti pasta plate, not bad, not amazing, but we ate it all. The service was a little slow, not sure if they were understaffed, it wasn't busy, or they just try to keep it in that lounge mood. Overall, not bad, nice little stop to watch the water and sunset read more

Great food and drinks for a quick bite. Elevated sports bar atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. We got the Shrimp Flatbread, plain wings, Caesar salad with grilled chicken, meatballs, and frittes and all was delicious! The service was good because we were seated 5 minutes after opening but the restaurant filled up very quickly. Go eat there! read more

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Cozy little spot to enjoy the hotel harbor. The service is very pleasant, and everyone greets you in Italian which is a comforting touch. Sitting on the patio Saturday 7pm, and it feels much like 7pm in Italy, breezy and calm, prior to the evening rush. Their menus are quite satisfying with a decent variety of wines, signature cocktails, a substantial number of bourbons, with flight options and even cigars! A light variety of food options with a little something for most. Bites, burger, salads and flatbreads; they even have fish and chips. I opted for a cheeseboard with my wine and it did not disappoint. If you're looking for a meal or just a sip and some people watching, The Thirsty Fish is a solid choice. Also, you don't have to be staying at one of Universals hotels to come visit! Just look for the water taxi at the end of City Walk, hop in the lane for Portofino Bay, and enjoy a refreshing boat ride down to Orlando's own Italian harbor read more

The Thirsty Fish - Patio searing view - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Not a full restaurant. This is a spot to grab a drink and a cheese plate. A must try cheese plate for sure at a good price and with nice selection. It was a great munchie for our group of 5. Lots of open tables and quick service for sure. Can't say we really enjoyed the drink we were served but perhaps that was just a bad choice on our part. The spicy peanut mix made my day. read more

The Thirsty Fish - Cheese plate and spicy peanut mix - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

We had a cheese plate appetizer and antipasto appetizer, my wife had a hamburger and my daughter had a turkey club. I tried and enjoyed the liqueur flight. The service was good. read more

Went. To have a cigar and a drink tonight with my wife and was told by the server tonight that she couldn't see serve me because her manager that I was too intoxicated; I was not, and as a USMC veteran y I think this is a disgrace... For shame! I read more

My coworkers and I had drinks here late after an event. The outdoor seating is very nice with the scenery of the water and boats. We sat outside instead of the packed bar. The first time we came here on a Sunday; I had a mojito which wasn't good. It was weak had a different after taste. I had a grand mariner and pineapple on the second time we visited (Wednesday) and that was very good. I think the drinks are a hit or miss. The service is not great as I feel like they're under staffed. read more

Portofino Bay Hotel's Thirsty Fish is a small cafe-style lounge that sits at the bay's edge. It features wine, beer, cocktails, and a small menu of items for snacking. As with my review of Royal Pacific's Orchid Court Sushi Bar, what makes Thirsty Fish a best kept secret is that fact that so many guests don't realize Universal has on-site hotels, let alone that the hotels have such impressive venues such as the Thirsty Fish. Imagine this: It is early evening, the sun is setting in the background, you and your wife are sitting down in a beautiful outdoor plaza overlooking Portofino bay, sipping on wine, listening to live music, and watching your fellow travelers coming and going from the nearby watertaxi dock. The shops and boutiques around the bay bustle with activity. All of a sudden it's 8:00pm, and a small group of Italian opera signers walk out onto a patio across the plaza from you. For the next twenty minutes their songs fill the air as the romance of the evening fills your senses. My friend, you are at Thirsty Fish. Sure, it takes just a pinch of imagination to complete the feel, but not as much as you might think. Insider tip: Portofino Bay Hotel is located next to Hard Rock Hotel, which sits next to Universal Studios Florida. If you want to stretch your legs, I highly recommend walking from the parks to Thirsty Fish. The pathway, which starts just next to the main gates at USF, takes you along the landscaped waterway connecting the hotels and the parks. It is a very lovely and relaxing walk, and when you take the final turn onto Portofino property, you great an incredible view of the hotel. If you're tired, you can also take the complimentary watertaxis (they only start asking to see room keys in the late evening). read more

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Not impressed. The service was sub par. Seating was not comfortable. It was humid inside the bar. Food choices are very limited. Won't be back. read more

I had the privilege of visiting this hidden jem at the portofino bay resort at universal the staff was super jenn jen vinny and sean are a true testament to what customer service is and should be See you in october read more

Came here for some drinks after being at the park all day. Kevin is the best! Good drinks and good atmosphere. Was a great time!

Well... the location is amazing. I'd give 5 stars to that. Who doesn't like to sit outside with your drink of choice listening to amazing music in a peaceful environment? The waitress came fairly quickly to take my drink order and she returned with it just as qiickly. But, she didn't ask for my food order, nor gave me time to tell her I wanted some. With my wine nearly finished she returned to see how I was, which allowed me to order something. Oh well. The wine was fine. The cheese plate was fine- too much for one person. There are a lot of food options- at all- so come for the drinks and stay for the atmosphere. read more

The Thirsty Fish - Chilled chardonnay on a humid Florida evening in July. - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I'm glad this pub was on the Loews Portofino property and especially because we didn't feel like commuting elsewhere for drinks. They've got a really good cocktail selection as well as beer. They've also got a cigar menu for those that enjoy that. They're open in the evenings and late after all of the other restaurants have closed for the day. They have a cheese plate that will also go great with drinks. The outdoor seating is perfect on cool nights and it's in the open plaza area so you have a great view of the water as well as the Italian style theme that the hotel has got going on. read more

The Thirsty Fish - Florida Native - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This is a cute little place that has live music and is far less busy than the other parts of universal. You may wait a bit for your food, (we waited probably a half hour for our small pizza). However, the service was kind and the pizza was good. I got the primavera pizza and it was loaded with veggies but not heavy. read more

Had a drink here while waiting on our reservation at Mama Della's. Large bar with plenty of choices. Good view of the piazza and plenty of seating. I had a really nice, house malbec as did the hubby and daughter kept it simple with a very strong cran & vodka :) read more

I kept calling this place "The Thirsty Whale"...thirsty fish did not make much sense to me...considering all of the drinking that was going on here...I also think that a Whale could drink more then a fish too. Maybe the hotel will change the name!!! The drinks were good and the waitress was very attentive. The one thing I liked is that the bar was suppose to close at midnight but because our group was so large they kept it open to 2am every night for us. That was great because most corporate places would never do that. The location was nice...right near the water...it would have been nice if there were some actually tables on the waters edge. The bar also does not get a sunset view, which would have been fantastic. One day I saw a couple of groups move their tables into the sunlight, so they could enjoy the warmth while they were drinking. read more

A very pleasant place for a drink at the Portofino Hotel complex, right on the piazza. Grab an outside table in the early evening and watch the people heading back and forth to the water taxi and then the opera serenade at 8:30. Live music just on the outside of the bar as well. Most of the "small bites" are from the Sal's market right across the piazza. If they had something a little different to eat, I would have given them 4 stars. Ironically, the fact that this place is here is one of the reasons I like this hotel so much. Very pleasant. read more

I did not actually eat at this place. We researched on Yelp and it sounded good. But the directions were not accurate so we could not find it! We were visiting so went to another place. I suggest that you call them and get specific directions as the Yelp app will leave you beside a lake. read more

Nice little hotel bar. They have a decent selection of beer and wine. The food looked pretty good, but I didn't have anything while I was there. There was live music and the guy was really good. And it wasn't so loud that you can't hear the person next to you. The bartender was nice and the service was quick. As far as bars at a resort hotel go, this is a good one. read more

Jonathan from the front desk of the Portofino recommended I come here. I followed his advice and Austin helped me. He was such a nice guy and the place had a great laid back atmosphere. I highly recommend stopping in. read more

I can't speak for the food as I didn't eat here, we just got drinks and enjoyed the music. We were staying at the portofino bay. We had a great time and would come back again! Good drinks and good music! read more

Put review at 3 stars, if you want some place gorgeous to sat outside and enjoy a sunset with a beer or glass of wine this place rates 5 stars , (It goes down to 4 stars when the boats from Universal dock and the screaming kids unload). But it drops to 2 or 1 stars when you start talking about food. A chief is only at in the kitchen on Wednesday and weekends(what the staff told us) . Even then the food is subpar; calamari with bearding so thick it's inedible, fried oysters sliders were bland and the cheese on the cheese plate tasted like it was from a big box store. The Thirsty Fish have a drink and enjoy the view, skip the food. read more

Great spot to have an after- dinner drink. Good selection of wine and spirits. Very friendly staff!

We waited and waited and waited for service. We saw people with food and asked for a menu. We were told they don't serve food but could arrange to get room service to deliver. If they had something that wasn't italian (all the food choices here are italian) they'd knock it out of the park. Imagine bar food at a bar.... read more

Slow, slow, slow in terms of food service when there Labor Day weekend and the place was practically empty. Service was great. Food is average. Nice view of the property and the manmade bay. read more

Great service. Friendly bartenders. Gotta get the cheese plate. Perfect with drinks. Fresh. Variety. Plenty.

Not half bad for an amusement park hotel hangout. the drinks are reasonably priced (for the location), the wine list is serviceable and the snacks and appetizers were more than edible. We didn't have a meal here so i cant comment on the larger dishes but it satisfied a medium sized group of friends who wanted to hang out and have some drinks while the kids were tiring themselves out at the amusement park. read more

Kudos to Craig Richardson for outstanding service to me and my customers. Drinks were fast and awesome. Our cigars were delivered expertly cut and ready to go! Bravo read more

Had after dinner drinks here, great outdoor seating and scenery. The kitchen was closed but our waitress was awesome and helped us order a late night snack off the room service menu! Would definitely go back for drinks again. read more

A great appetizer menu and beer selection. The calamari was some of the best that I have ever had. Save yourself some time and order extra of the dipping sauce as it is unbelievable. Well positioned TVs make watching sports easy and the live entertainment was rather good. read more

Fun little place that overlooks the lake in front of the Loews Portofino. Lots of tourist who are trying to relax and get away from their kids for a quick drink. TV, bar stools, average pours. read more