Porta Via

My boss had received a travelZoo voucher for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine and 1 shared dessert which she kindly passed on to me, thank you thank you. I have to say that my friend and I very much enjoyed our dinner experience at Porta Via. I had the white house wine which was a pinot grigio (loved it), my friend had the house red and he enjoyed it as well. He started with a salad (sorry, forget which one) and thought it was ok, I however LOVED my crab cake appetizer! The best crab cakes I've ever had. So yummy. Had to fight my friend off with my fork! Sharing is hard for me, I'm an only child ;) Moving on ~ the waitress let me substitute side dishes with my salmon. As per other reviews have stated, the online menu prices are different from the prices on the menu at the restaurant. I had already decided on my choices beforehand and was quite disappointed when I couldn't get the halibut. But the waitress let me get all the sides of the halibut with the salmon, so I was happy. Garlic mashed potatoes, jumbo asparagus (and they were really jumbo!) and a beurre blanc sauce, YUM! I cleaned the plate like a good girl. My friend had the baby back rib special and he said it was delish. And the shared dessert was a pannacotta which I've never had before. Came drizzled with a raspberry sauce and chocolate sauce, and despite the strange consistency, it was really good. I would definitely go back to Porta Via. We had no issues with service at all, the hostess/waitress/bustboys were all quick and friendly. One problem though ~ the hardwood floor is SUPER slippery! Part of the entertainment during the evening was watching all the ladies sliding around on the floor. And yes, I was one of the sliders :) Parking structure across the street. Nice and big outdoor patio for those warmer evenings. more

Good energy. Friendly staff .Best place to bring a date or family when hungry. Perfect atmamsphere for business dinners. Fresh juice bar is an addicting fast way to have a healthy breakfast. Oh awesme coffee too Pros: Menu is amazing. best blueberry pancakes in golden triangle. Cons: not open late night.fresh baked pasteries always sell out more

out of all the restaurants I have eaten at in Los Angeles, never have I found such a friendly an inviting restaurant as Porta Via. Dining there is like eating at a friends house. The food is simple and spectacular. The staff makes you feel like your at home and is eager to provide you with top of the line service without the snobery. If you are looking for a unique dining experience in LA than Porta Via is the place for you. Pros: very attractive wait staff Cons: none more

I discovered this restaurant a few months ago and can't stop going. It is located on Canon and if you can get a seat outside you absolutely should because its great for people watching. So far I've had the a marinara pasta dish (I think it was angel hair?), a Sea Bass special, a few different salads, and a Swordfish special and everything has been excellent. To be honest though, the lasagna they are known for was good but nothing that special. The service is attentive and the bread is good. They brought us complimentary cookies once too, and those were excellent! I highly recommend this place. Pros: I love everything about this place... Cons: Sometimes the hostess can be hard to find... more

When I find something I really like, I stick with it. I discovered Porta Via eight years ago when a friend took me there for the first time. When he first moved to Beverly Hills he began eating all of his meals there; three times a day, seven days a week for one year. He really did. Pros: Great food, friendly staff, terrific service more

Porta Via is a great restaurant!!! Food, service, prices and ambiance were marvelous. My grilled salmon was cooked perfectly and the wait staff went above and beyond to make my dining experience superlative. I will definitely come back again and again. Peter, the manager or owner...not certain which, was warm and friendly and personally came over to our table to say hello and ask how our meal was. I wish there were more restaurants like Porta Via. Highly recommend. Five Stars!!! Pros: Great food, service, prices, ambiance more

I had to wait almost an hour after my reservation. The hostess was nice but I got major attitude from some mildly attractive rude man who worked there - manager? owner? Don't care. When getting a drink at the bar the bartender making our drinks had dirty fingernails and kept touching his face which made me lose my appetite before I even started the meal. The salad was tasteless. The sauces were mediocre. The salmon was over cooked. And even the gelato was awful! How do you screw up gelato? Refreeze it after it melts maybe? I don't know, but it was yuk. My date and I were both incredibly unhappy and I will never go back again. Pros: Ambience and decor were nice. Cons: Everything else. Salad was bad. Salmon overcooked. Vegetable weren't so good. more

Overrated - Eat Anywhere else, but not here!! Pros: Friendly host and waiter. Cons: Manager understaffed restaurant. Fruit flies everywhere! GROSS!!!! Overrated... more

We had a hair in a salad at our table, but did NOT send it back. Then we notice the table next to ours sending back their food; we learned they had a hair in their food. As if thing couldn't get worse, we ran into friends while we were leaving and they had a finger nail in a salad they ordered! Disgusting. The visuals were interesting & fun, but I'm shocked at the extra toppings found in the food that day. Usually not a big deal, but 3 different tables is scary. Pros: Drinks, staff. Cons: Management. more

I really didnt know what to expect. But I took my family (husband and the kids) and everyone LOVED the food! I couldnt believe how fresh, how simple and yet how delicious the foods were. I see that some people posted negative comments about the waiters and service but they must have been somewhere else. I left a new fan of the place and will return many times to enjoy the great ambiance, pleasant and helpful staff, and utterly delicious food! more

My boyfriend and I have been frequenting this spot for a few years now. The space itself is small, but the atmosphere is warm and comfortable and feels like a quaint bistro you would find in San Francisco or New York. The patio area is great for people watching. The staff is friendly and there are many regulars who are addressed by their first name, which adds to the neighborhood feeling -- a rarity in Los Angeles. Porta Via also serves up some delicious comfort food. I enjoy the cappellini checca (although it was recently removed from the dinner menu) and the grilled salmon. My boyfriend is a fan of the ribeye, which was served with a side of french fries. Recommend reservations for Saturday nights, as it is a smaller space that tends to be packed on the weekend. Pros: Relaxed atmosphere; reasonably priced, good food Cons: Parking, although there are some public lots off Canon more

Had a great dinner with my wife after work. We sat at the bar and the wait staff were very ice and friendly. They seemed to know by name most the people who came in so it really felt like a neighborhood place. Pros: friendly people and good food more

This place has great breakfast. The food is always fresh and tasty. Sitting outside on a sunny day is perfect. I have to say the service is never top notch, if they worked on the service a bit more they would be one of my favorite places to go. Pros: Great Breakfasts, and outdoor sitting Cons: Service is slow more

Porta Via has good food, but the slow service and boorish waiter, made for a very uneventful evening. They took no responsibility for making the party at my table uneasy, impatient, and frustrated! One of the waiters, created quite a clamor by saying, ""relax!"" ""I will open another one of your wine bottles with no corkage fee!"" I thought the young man was going to march us all off to the gallows! Luckily, the frontier towns shut down in the 1890s. Pros: Good Food Cons: Poor service, boorish waiter............... more

Had a 7:45 reservation, got seated a half hour later. Waited over 45-min. for our entrees. When we asked what happened and expressed our displeasure, we were told ""the kitchen got slammed by a party of 25 from MTV"". There was no apology nor any attempt to make things right. When we asked if they could waive the $15 corkage fee because of the long wait for our food (we brought our own wine), we were told by the owner ""no, because that's how we make our money"". The food was acceptable but the service was horrible. Pros: Affordable fresh food Cons: Horrible service more

Fabulous breakfast! Wide variety of choices, all fresh and delicious. Go for the egg-white omelette, side of fruit and toast. Great service, lovely ambience and reasonable prices. Pros: Great service, Nice area, Small Cons: Parking more

We went on a Tuesday night. Our waiter was the bus boy! Owner didn't look like soemone that knows about il cibo italiano! If you want real italian food go next door to Il Pastaio. Where they speak Italian!! Pros: Ambience Cons: horrible service more

We came in late on a Friday night for a romantic dinner and this turned out to be the perfect place. The staff treated you like old friends, and indeed it seemed like we were the only table that did not know the staff personally - lots of repeat offenders. The food was excellent. Half way through dinner I realized that this place reminded me of the kind of neighborhood restaurant/bar you would find in Manhattan. Speaking of Manhattan, they make a perfect one at the bar here! Pros: Excellent food, Intimate, Friendly staff more

Great neighborhood restaurant. Food is simple and always very fresh. We especially like dinner where we get a fabulous martini. owesome mussels. and terrific fish. The price is right and the service is always pleasant. A New York or San Francisco kind of restaurant in Beverly Hills - one of the few. A must try. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience more