Porteno

Great food and ambience

Unfortunately, we cannot recommend Porteno. We were excited to try the Chanchito - pork. Reservation was for 9:30pm. We called ahead at 7:30 to make sure we would be able to try the pork. We were told it couldn't be reserved but "not to worry" there should be some for our dinner reservation. Here comes our first disappointment. When ordering we were told the last plate of pork was just served, and there was no more left ! We ordered wine by the glass and were not shown the bottle. The wine was served behind closed doors. I have not had that experience before. How do we know we were served what we ordered. As for the main, the Bife served with potatoes and sauces, was not a quality dish for the cost, there was nothing fancy, nothing that stood out. Lucky we didn't order the egg on top. For a restaurant soo well known, the dish was lack lustre. The beef was served and not rested, as the juice settled on the plate. We were not asked how we wanted it served, well done etc. More than half the pieces had hard ends of fat/tendon that were not edible. They were too hard. The beef had no BBQ, charcoal, grill flavour whatsoever. As for the tongue served with mash, the mash was almost soup like, too runny for my liking. And the presentation was not appetising with the tongue hidden under vegetables, and it was served in the shape of a tongue - elongated. The dessert - apple pie was not served warm, and could be served with ice-cream or fresh cream. It was very, very sweet, too sweet. The good bits were the provolone entree, dulce de leche flan dessert, the polite and courteous waiters, and the 2 glasses of Pedro Jimenez for the inconvenience of missing out on the pork. Overall, I would not recommend. The quality/value ratio just isn't there.

Went their for the pork and stuffed calamari and they had run out of both dishes. Very disappointing

Great food, great ambience and fantastic service. Can't wait to go back with friends and family

When I booked Porteno I asked for a nice table for 2 as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. This was confirmed on the phone when I spoke to them too. Unfortunately when my wife and I arrived we were seated at the bar for the meal which I haven't seen a restaurant of this standard do before. I requested a table as had been requested and confirmed however the lady seating us would not change our table. Whilst the food, wine and ambience was superb this seating error from the restaurant ruined this special event for us. We won't be back.

We absolutely loved Porteno. From food to service it was all beyond five stars. Thank you to all the staff who made the whole experience so memorable. We will definitely be back soon.

Entres were exceptional, the skirt steak seemed to be something they were trying to get rid of - stick to the Sirloin. Service was great and I couldn't fault the drinks menu.

Outstanding experience!

Brilliant night with great different food and great service, all our staff were more than happy to pause for a quick conversation. That and the transfer from the wine bar next door made for a great night. Thank you.

The food was fantastic. Delivered based on previous reviews. The service that we experienced was great. Very attentive and friendly. Will come with more friends to try out other foods on the menu

great food
atmosphere would be nicer with less noise

Amazing food and amazing service. Always love coming back as you have one of the best service I have ever experienced.

A quieter night at Porteno but always a great experience thank you.

As a party of 2 we sat up at the bar, and enjoyed very attentive service the whole night. We loved all of the food, but the wagyu steak special was a highlight. Even though we were very full we couldn’t help ourselves and ordered two desserts- the flan and the churros. Both were tasty but the flan was something special. I’d love to go back with a bigger group to try more dishes in one sitting, they’re perfect for sharing. I’m so glad we booked for the later sitting- that way we could enjoy a leisurely, almost three hour meal.

It was really good last time when we visited, but this time, steak was tough, and cheese was burnt

Being my favourite restaurant in Sydney, the team at Porteno always has huge expectations satisfy when we make reservations.

Once again they effortlessly exceeded those high hopes and delivered an amazing experience - cocktails, mains, desserts and service were outstanding. The ambiance is second to none and the relaxed professionalism of staff always services to enhance the overall sense of comfort and true hospitality.

thanks again guys!

First visit back after a few years to have dinner with friends. I can’t believe I haven’t been back sooner. We started with the squid and chorizo, so good. We then ordered to share the wagu and the suckling pork, one word, awesome.

The open pit fires and charcoal give it that Smokey authentic taste. Of course washed down with a Merlot.

To finish it off we had the orange cheesecake with cream. It was to die for.

Will be going back soon.

Food was amazing! Service was great. Definitely worth the commute and money.

Porteno is an experience not just a Restarant. Food and Service was second to none, and enjoyment of being “taken to school” on Argentinian food and wine was one of the best evenings out.

Absolutely amazing. The staff were wonderfully helpful, the atmosphere was perfect and the food was just incredible. Highly recommend the crispy Brussels sprouts!

TOOOOOO EXPENSIVE!! Meat is amazing but too much oil. I’m argentinean by the way.

I would recommend the ( mussels ) garlic vongole starter, and the king fish main.
The atmosphere was great, the music didnt start playing until the service was almost over and wasnt loud. The wait staff were attentive and we're prepared to cater to our needs.

Fantastic food and service, absolutely pleasant dining experience!

I arrived earlier than the reservation time, but did not wait outside and let me in. Everyone was friendly and the atmosphere, music and food were great. Thank you for making my memories in Sydney wonderful.

5 of us dining for a birthday celebration, first we received raw bone marrow (which was replace by the restaurant). When the sirloin arrived, it was missing the fried eggs (which we had ordered with the dish). We then received a coffee (twice by different waiters) which we did not order. The staff kept wanting to clear our dishes before we were finished, they did remind us about the 2 seating times, but even when it was 8:15pm (we arrived 6pm), there was no one waiting at the door. Even after we have asked for the bill, we had to ask for the remaining wine. Lastly, most of the dishes were quite oily and salty which had left me extremely thirsty the next day. Overall, it was not as pleasant as my first experience at the original Porteno venue.

The only thing that was slightly lacking was that our potatos arrived quite a while before the rest of the food. But otherwise the quality was fantastic and the service was excellent. Bustling restaurant, equally suitable for groups, first dates and a casual night out.

Porteno always never disappoints, everyone there was very friendly and the service and food was stellar.

We had a banquet which was an abundance of fantastic food and wine! Great service! A little squishy and noisy but probably a good sign of a popular restaurant

It met and exceeded all expectations. Especially the lamb

Amazing food, and most of all amazing service I didn't get her name but it was the blonde haired lady-thank you- Had a great evening and hopefully be back again when I'm in town.

Consistently provides excellent dining experiences. A bit on the expensive side, but you'll get amazing food, great service and ambience.

Gorgeous delicious food, with warm and friendly Porteno’s crew. Recommended for casual or anniversary event.

It is hard to believe the restaurant‘s management has not noticed how loud and noisy is this place. That ruins the whole dinning experience, besides irritating both staff and patrons.
The food is ok, but there is no hype as it was widely claimed 4-5 years ago.
And as others indicated, not the place to go to if you are looking for argentine food.

Food was excellent but very much overpriced.. music was extremely loud, you weren’t able to have a conversation with the person sitting beside you,even after asking (twice) to turn it down.

great place- noise level very loud on a saturday night, great food, staff was very friendly!

We loved the place, it was like I was at home, in Argentina. It’s a place to come back all the time 👌🏻😎

Food, service and atmosphere were spot on.

In particular wagyu skirt steak and home fries were delicious, with dietary and special requests met with no fuss.

Tried out Porteno for my boyfriend's birthday. Food was delicious especially the short ribs and service was decent. However, unfortunately somehow our potato side dish was completely forgotten and we ended up cancelling the order. Although we cancelled as we were feeling full anyways, I don't think anyone would appreciate having part of their order forgotten, especially if it was their birthday.

Fantastic food which could not be faulted. Starters were quite generous and like the mains, great for sharing. We shared couple of starters a main and a side and indulged in two desserts which was plenty. It's not a restaurant I'd particularly recommend for a couple's date, it is more suited to group dining and logistically, the layout of the restaurant seemed to favour that. It has extensive and impressive wine list. However, a choice of only three reds by the glass seemed limited - and ranging from $18-25 a glass (carefully measured by the bartender!) I thought very expensive. Even by Sydney standards, it is priced as a fine dining restaurant, but the ambiance and service isn't - a good thing generally, as the service was attentive without the being over the top and I enjoyed the more relaxed vibe. At this price point, it would be somewhere you'd go for a special occasion rather than a regular dining haunt for most people. That all said, it was pretty busy on a Tuesday night and there weren't many vacant tables so people clearly are willing to pay!

Food is always good at Porteño. Although, where are the sides we loved i.e. Brussels sprouts and potato fritas. Also, condiments are not accompanied with meat dishes. Ambience is quite loud, not appropriate for intimate dining but ok for dinner party’s. Service was attentive- we were celebrating a friends birthday and they accomodated our requests made at the time of booking.