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We had a great time. Old school Italian charm. Loved it.
Thanks Simon!
Beautiful food, excellent service, fabulous atmosphere.... thank you
Absolutely loved my experience and it certainly lived up to the reviews. I’m from West Yorkshire and we have some pretty amazing restaurants here but wasn’t disappointed with Il Portico, I will return,
Thanks Kay!
Had a table booking for 2pm and arrived on time. Immediately told when sat down that i had to order food immediately as the kitchen closes at 14:30. Was waiting for my friend to arrive. The waiter was so rude and when I challenged him on taking a table booking for 14:00 when the kitchen closes half an hour later he became agitated and poked me on my arm with his finger. Needless to say I left straight away.
Dear Sir, Whilst the kicthen closes between 3 & 6 (with last orders at 2,30) I am normally on site all day & guests often stay longer. Whilst you arrived on time, your guest was running late, and certainly past the kitchen cut off time, so after awhile the waiter tried to get your order in so you didnt miss out. Having known him for over a decade I've only ever seen him be very friendly. Regardless, I apologise for any misunderstanding & please call me if you would like to chat further.
Food was outstanding. I will highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Kensington area.
Had a very pleasant time, great food and atmosphere.
The manager and staff are always so welcoming at this cosy authentic local Italian. The food is simple fresh and delicious. We keep coming back!
Very good food, great service. I would recommend to a friend!
One of my favourite restaurants. Amazing food and great service!!
This was a nice intimate atmosphere, the food was nice. We enjoyed the night and also got to meet the owner James - very personable and approachable!
Staf all lovely, friendly and helpful. Felt the central section was a bit too busy given we’re going through Civid19 pandemic. Although tables were spaced out that. Idle part is too congested. Enjoyed the meal nonetheless.thamks.
Lovely food, great service and ambience. Very well received and looked after.
Thank you Louise! Welcome back anytime!
So wonderful to be back after months of not being able to eat out. Food and service as good as ever.
Thank you David! So glad you had a lovely dinner with us
Everything from the food, service and ambience were fantastic. Cannot wait to visit again
Thanks Jane, that is very kind of you to say!
The menu is varied and caters for everyone's taste. The food was good but the attitude and behaviour of the waiting stuff must be addressed by management. This was my second time going to eat out at Il Politico. We arrived on time and placed our orders. Not once did any of the staff ask if our food was okay. I requested the bill and took stock that there was an extra tax/charge on the bill for 12.5% service charge. This is a global pandemic with several restaurants closing, yet the sheer greed of this company is to tax me for coming to support you. The service charge was imported from America where waiters are paid 2 dollars and 10 pence therefore their reliance on tips tops up their wages. Can you re-evaluate this as it can't be right to have a sense of entitlement expecting tips when those saving lives Drs, Nurses are not tipped whilst providing a first class service nor do the police, bus drivers, shop assistants etc. When I requested the waiter remove this service charge explaining that this is not a reflection on the food but rather it is treat to eat out and I pay enough taxes as it is. The young man's non verbal communication reflected the upset he felt and there was no thank you offered for our custom. I will never support this restaurant again simply because they do not value and appreciate their employers, us the public who came to spend our hard earned money so they can continue in business. What an absolute disappointment this is.
Hello, I'm sorry if no one came to check that everything was ok. The problem with the new regulations ensuring everyone is out by 10, means that there is a rush of customers at 8pm on a Saturday night, so things can be a bit frantic, expecially if understaffed. Apologies once again. With regards to a service charge, I think this is pretty standard across London, but yes, it is of course (always) optional and we are happy to remove where neccessary. Best wishes, James
A super venue for a great supper with my wife
Great food and a good wine list
Thanks Peter! Hope to see you back soon
Second time to this restaurant.
First visit was excellent but this second visit was awful.
Hi Mr Yusuf, Hope you are well This is very confusing. I spoke with Victor and Stefi who looked after your table & they told me that you were very happy with everything and you complimented them highly on the dinner. What makes it more perplexing is that your group are very friendly regulars here, so I’m a bit baffled by your review. As you know I tried calling you a few times to understand more. If you could return my call on 0207 602 6262 that would be much appreciated. Best wishes James
What a great experience! Went for my anniversary dinner and were extremely well taken care of from start to finish. The food was great, and they handled special requests as well. This was our first time there and we will definitely be back!
Thanks Craig, so pleased that you had awonderful experience with us!
Gem of a place. Made to feel welcome by all staff. James the owner came to speak to us whilst victor our waiter was charming friendly and gave great advice. Will definately return with friends.
Thanks Wendy!
Very friendly staff and very good traditional Italian food
Thank you Tashai!
Quality of food was fantastic and the staff were really friendly.
Brilliant, thanks Ben
Incredible! Everything was impeccable.
Family run business with great service. Very good wine list. Squid and mushroom dish is one of the best dishes in town! Can’t recommend il Portico enough.
Great service, super delicious pasta and food, clean and cozy atmosphere. Would come back again and highly recommend!
Great to have this venerable local Italian reopened. Very good food and friendly atmosphere
Excellent in every way.
My new favourite place in London. A little spenny, but it’s so worth it!
Lovely restaurant. Great service. Very tasty food.
Gorgeous wine and cheese; good pasta, friendly service.
Thank you!
Nice ambience and menu sounds great but dishes were poorly executed. Quality of food was a let down.
Such a friendly place, lovely people, excellent food and clever wine list. Super all round.
Thank you Goodgrubber!
Brilliant restaurant , great food , great service and atmosphere.
Thank you so much!
Brilliant James and co are a fantastic team and the food is great
Why thank you!
Very attentive wait staff, but we were chastised for only ordering drinks. In a time of covid-19 were you have to book everywhere, I don’t think it’s appropriate to tell customers they can’t book a table in future if they are not eating.
Dear Sir/Madam, nobody chastised you, but we are a restaurant. I think it is unfair to submit a one star review because you booked the wrong establishment for your needs. Of course we expect you to eat. It is a restaurant. It has been a restaurant for 53 years, and will continue to be so. If you only want drinks, I can recommend booking a pub. Please consider the effect that negative comments do to someones livelihood when they have done no wrong. Yours faithfully James Chiavarini
A wonderful ambient and friendly local restaurant with delicious food. We loved it!
Thanks Joki!
I ate at Il Portico recently with my wife to celebrate my 30th birthday. Food was tasty and traditional in both flavour and presentation. Great wines, and when I asked for Vin Santo they had it- a sign of a good, authentic Italian restaurant in my mind!
Thanks Jacob! Glad you enjoyed your anniversary with us, and here's to another 30 more years!!
A delicious, authentic Italian meal with prompt, friendly service and good advice about sides and wines to match our main courses. It was also clear that this is a great favourite with locals, who knew the staff by name. We had a lovely evening!
Thanks Zosia, hope to see you again soon!
Delicious food, friendly staff, happy to talk about the history and origins of their lovely meals
Great authentic Italian cuisine with excellent ambiance. Family owned and long standing and working hard to thrive. So if you can get in eat there
Great local Italian, authentic and great service..
FAQs
Il Portico does offer delivery in partnership with Deliveroo.
Il Portico is rated 4.7 stars by 1214 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting bookings at the moment.
