Monday, September 16, 2013

Restaurant Review: Portofino, Sembach, Germany

Portofino
Hauptstrasse 36, Sembach
http://www.portofino-sembach.de/
Open daily from 6:00, closed Tuesdays

An acquaintance and I met for a nice dinner in Sembach. Considering Sembach only has about two restaurants, we lucked out that Portofino was a pleasant experience.

We were the only two diners present. The dining room, while small, was charming and clean with simple but elegant modern decor. There is an outdoor seating area with patio tables and umbrellas in the parking lot, too.

The menu offered starters, soups, salads, pasta dishes, a handful of meat dishes, pizza, and some desserts. The menu wasn't huge despite the previous list, but there was a good assortment of Italian dishes.

I ordered the Tagliatelle Swizzera, which had thicker, long noodles in a rich and creamy parmesan sauce with a few rogue fresh mushrooms. It was tasty (what dish with heavy cream wouldn't be?) with a flavorful sauce and a large portion. My dining partner had a salad and a pizza and reported that they tasted good as well. I felt that the food was tasty and a good value; my large plate of pasta was less than 6 euros.

Service was okay. Parking is almost non-existent; there are maybe about two spots in front of the building, but I personally wouldn't want to park there as it would be necessary to wedge one's car into the spot. Half a block down from the restaurant is a parking lot with 2 hour parking or street side parking can be found in the vicinity.

When I am in in the area and am in the mood for Italian food, I will visit again. Prices and food are good at Portofino.

1 comment: