Portabella

Great, quaint restaurant with some delicious dinner options, which gave it a nice date night vibe. Outdoor patio is a great area for brunch/lunch. Having walked by it numerous times on numerous trips, my wife and I finally decided to give it a shot. It didn't disappoint. Waitress was very helpful and kind; she went out of her way to get a large single ice cube for my Lola tequila. My wife had the king salmon and absolutely devoured it. It was a good portion size too. I don’t gravitate toward seafood but the ocean air breeze reeled me in. So, I had the sea scallops, which were perfectly seared, buttery, and flavorful. Risotto was creamy and a great compliment to the scallop; not so adventurous in flavor but certainly a classic combination executed well. Oh, and the bread with pesto dip is a

🌷 A Very Cute Interior with a Major Space Issue Porta Bella is undeniably a cute place inside. It has that classic, cozy Carmel-by-the-Sea aesthetic that makes you want to step in and enjoy the atmosphere. The decor is charming and it fits the "fairytale" vibe of the town perfectly. However, that charm is heavily overshadowed by how really cramped the dining room is. We visited as a party of 3, and while we were seated relatively quickly, the actual experience of sitting at the table was far from relaxing. It felt like we were sardines. The layout is so tight that the tables are practically on top of each other—you are bumping elbows close with total strangers throughout your entire meal. 🍴 Okay Food and Subpar Service When it comes to the actual dining experience, the results were mixed.

Quite bad that a restaurant that is fairly positively reviewed didn't give us an equally positive experience. This was more because of how our party was treated. We made a dinner reservation and when we arrived (we were so much on time), there wasn't a table waiting for us, we had to wait another 20 minutes at least (it was a full Friday night). The servers weren't apologetic at all and they were inconsistent with telling is which table was going to be for us. We had the feeling they didn't really care about our presence. About the food - I could only praise the smoked salmon salad (so good!). The truffle risotto was good but I have tasted good truffle risotto in other places, theirs was nothing too memorable, considering this is a highly rated restaurant. The linguine de mare - it was ok

We had dinner at Portabella with a group of four, and it was a really wonderful experience. The food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The atmosphere and the service were pleasant. Highly recommend!

What a delightful restaurant. We had reservations and were greeted warmly from the get go. The restaurant has a cozy and pleasant vibe. The food is so good, as the wine choices. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable. We definitely will come again when in Carmel.