Portage in St. John's

Tried to book this place for Sunday on the Saturday for 4 people for 730. They only had a table for 2. The female who attended the phone advised me that they have the bar and chefs table available for walk in. Showed up the next day 90 minutes early and they seemed bewildered and said they dont have a table for 4 for walk in. They did manage to fit us at a corner last minute. The ribeye was tender but small as we were told it was 24oz bone out. It was dressed in a reduction but was still on the bland side. Carrots were good. Leeks were nothing special. Foccacia was good however a little smaller. They advised us the butter tart was sharable, it was really small. The cookie in a box was really nothing special. Barolo wine was very nice but at a cost of $125. The scotch collection is nice with different varieties. Staff misinformation with below par food for the cost makes it hard to return.

The chef took our order instead of a server and guided us through how to group dishes and then raised or lowered portion sizes of them all to be tailored to our group and how much we looked to be into each dish. When it got to the wine point of the meal they didnt give us some massive wine list, they asked the price range per bottle and then brought us a selection that would compliment our order. Its rare to get that bespoke treatment at a restaurant and we all loved it. This may have been the nicest dining experience Ive ever had. Also, dont sleep on the smoked olives. They have no right being as good as they are. The cold smoke gives them an almost cheese-like texture and flavor. Truly remarkable for something so simple. If I could give this spot six stars I would. Amazing!

Lovely shared plates at a table for six guided by the hilarious Andrew. Nothing disappointed - from mussels, scallop toast (my favorite), oysters, to Brussel sprouts, potato and squash. A trio of desserts where the peanut butter and jam sandwich was unanimously voted best in show. Highly recommend.

Food was mediocre, and way over priced.

Nice little restaurant. More tapa base serving than individual serving. Overall was good. Desert selection needs work though. Sometimes you want to be different but ....

My husband and I went for the first time. The food is exquisite and the selection of Scotch, Whiskey and Bourbon is incredible. The staff are very friendly. Were from New Brunswick and we cant wait to go back. We had a great experience. Thank you to all staff for their excellent service.

Packed restaurant on a Monday evening. Still got a seat at the bar. Service was good, and food was amazing. Must go to restaurant for fine dining options in NFLD

Top 100 Canadian Restaurant for 2024. Foods are great from sizes to tastes. Could be better if there is more menu items. Otherwise, an awesome restaurant in town

Top 100 Canadian Restaurant for 2024. Foods are great from sizes to tastes. Could be better if there is more menu items. Otherwise, an awesome restaurant in town

Great food, the service was quite good with an excellent somalier. The menu, spectacular and the chefs easily make accommodations for food allergies. One staff got snarky with us, but probably had to do with our table. It is loud in the restaurant. Dietary restrictions: Accommodation for raw onion and garlic, gluten intolerance. They put sauces on the side and alerted the guest with allergies on how it was prepared.

I loved Portage and the service our server Brandon (if I remember correctly) gave us. He was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious; we had the char, the parsnip, mussels, burrata, kolhrabi and we enjoyed all of it. I think the burrata did lack a bit of flavour though. The bread it came with was good. The natural wine was excellent. I love that the menu changes every nighy. Nice atmosphere! Will return Vegetarian options: There are many tasty vegetable dishes whipped up in original ways

The food, wine and service are perfect. I have a headache with the optical illusion in the wall. I would like to revisit more often. But at $250 for two people, its going to wait.

This might just be the best restaurant in town. I d highly recommend visiting if you have the chance.

The food and our waitress were tops !..

Had the best meal here tonight, and staff and food are a 5 star. Thanks for a great night!

We had such an amazing dinning experience at the Chef s table on our last day in St. John s this August. Incredible service and the food was just amazing. Love the halved portions so we could try a number of the dishes. If you love good food go here!!

Bustling restaurant downtown with an expansive menu. Most offerings you have the option to half portion which lets you try more things. Most were hits with some misses for us: - best espresso negroni Ive ever had - cocktails were solid - Oysters were fantastic - beef taretare was solid - focaccia w/ burrata and minted pea shoots - felt like it was missing something as the salt was coming only from the bread whereas the rest of the dish is quite bland. - lobster mushroom w/ Swiss Chard - hollandaise was excellent with the mushroom but the sauce at the bottom was overly salty -halibut - solid and perfectly cooked - never had it cooked that way before -upside down blueberry cake - delicious

This place was amazing. Our server was great, she did a great job handling my partners food intolerances and helping us decide on our drinks and food. The food was amazing - we had the Big Mac Beans, Caesar Salad, Fingerling Potatoes, and Ribeye. They were amazing individually and went really well together. They do sharing plates and have half sized options - for two people, the four dishes at half size were perfect. Really looking forward to dining here again when we re next in town.

The food the staff everything about this place was epic. If there is such a word, then I would say this place gave me a mouth-gasm. Yummy! All I wanna do right now is go back to my hotel and rub my tummy and say oh my God this food was so yummy. I can t express how happy I am! Anybody coming to visit Newfoundland you need to go to this restaurant it is mandatory! But I also want to express the staff. Staff was top-notch as well too 11 out of 10.

Incredible food but servers had an attitude, which put a damper on a birthday celebration we were having.

Amazing dinner. Tuna tartare, scallop toast, and pork dumplings were all outstanding. Local wine was great too. Just wish I had asked what was in the scallop toast so I could try to make it at home!

The flavours weren t balanced. Each plate was too intense and especially the dumplings which were soaked in oil. After two, I had enough. The service was excellent though. Dietary restrictions: Gluten

Amazing food and service! Best food I had in St John s

A fun place with delicious food.

Everything we had was excellent, but the smoked olives and the chanterelle dish really stood out. The service was very good, although they didnt clear dishes from our table as quickly as we would have liked. Also, its a bit loud in there, so if you have any hearing loss be warned. Vegetarian options: Many vegetable dishes

Arrived on a cruise ship today and we wanted to try local cuisine. We looked at Eater, walked around Water Street and came across Portage. There was a line out the door so we looked at online reviews etc. The Host found us a table for 2. The menu is very different than most US restaurants and our server, Kendra, gave us fantastic suggestions. Scallop toast, Chanterelle potatoes, zucchini Putanesca and Cod with sticky rice all amazingly delicious! What a find!! Really appreciate the way we were treated by these wonderful and talented people!

Food was excellent, original and fresh. Service was good during the meal. Once we finished dessert it took 20+ min for the bill then 20+ min for the debit machine to make its way to us. Food was lacking explanations from the server when presented.

Very cool spot with delicious food. I love that they offer half portions so you can try more things. You must try their scallop test and ALL their desserts. Amazing service despite it being very hot and busy, will definitely be back.

Great experience, amazing food and service! Friendly and professional! Big thanks to Brandon and all staff!!! Food : 5/5

Had a great dining experience here on our trip to NL. Food and drinks were excellent. The desserts were so interesting and different. Highly recommend.

Service was exceptional, recommendations concerning portion sizes and flow / ordering of dishes were well received and right on point. Food was first class. Made for an amazing night!

Cramped, humid atmosphere with shabby furnishings. Unenthusiastic service delivered by one particular waitress without-a-smile. We had heard high praise for the cuisine, but it didnt merit the pretensions to snoot.

We reserved for a post-flight meal on the recommendation of a local friend, and while I knew this friend would have a good taste, we were blown away by how incredible everything was. The interior is stylish, comfortable and well-appointed, and with great lighting. The kitchen took care to let us know anything we needed to accommodate my partner s food allergies and made delicious substitutions, our server Sam was extra accommodating and charming, and I got to talk American whiskey with the super nice bartender (I also haven t been anywhere in a minute offering a Van Winkle flight). Would love to visit again.

Beyond delicious. Every dish was perfectly made and presented. We loved the banh mi salad and bibimbap tartar. Service was impeccable and we were able to order 1/2 sizes and try more dishes. The Neapolitan dessert was as tasty as it was beautiful.

Visiting Portage was a highlight of our trip to St. John s! Absolutely AMAZING food, impossible to pick a favourite dish, everything was fresh and delicious. The atmosphere and the service was fantastic as well.

We chose this as one of the main restaurants we had to visit due to the many raving reviews, but we left quite disappointed. To start, the seating area was quite stuffy as there was no air conditioning - not quite sure if it s always like that or if it was just for that day. We also sat at the table for a very long while before anyone attended to us. The food also didn t really quite wow us. The snow crab we ordered came with Ritz crackers, which they said was for nostalgia - seemed quite odd to add that but irregardless, we felt that the crackers didn t really pair well with the fresh crab anyway. We also ordered the scallion toast and kholrabi. The former was very greasy/oily (we ended up not finishing it); the latter, on the other hand, was very good with the pesto and made us wish we had ordered more vegetable dishes instead. The cocktails we ordered were also decent. Overall, okay food, not sure if it was worth the hype.

Best restaurant in Canada!

We ate here twice. They accommodated us without a reservation but I can see how they might not always be able to since they are very poplar. The Cod was the best we have had. The chicken, snow crabs, broccoli and parsnips were also great. A lot of food, go for the 1/2 orders. Excellent wine list. Only draw back is the second night it was hot at the chefs table. Staff was all friendly and helful.

Chef Ross Larkin should be very proud of Portage in St. Johns. We tried 6 different dishes and Im not sure I could pick a favourite. Our server Sam has only been there 3 months, but attended to us with ease and confidence including suggesting a delicious coursing menu for our choice dishes. Hands down the best meal we had in Newfoundland on this trip.

By far the best dining experience Ive had in NL (if youre a person that has any appreciation for casual fine dining) If you cant make reservation online, try walking in. They usually have space for walk-ins or will put you on the waitlist; we had a small group of three for dinner and we were able to squeeze in a late reservation. Service was a bit slow on entry as staff were a bit busy, taking a little while to greet us. Once sat, everyone was very friendly, service was efficient, and recommendations were on point. Kudos for taking my Dads silly jokes and goofy questions in stride; he often doesnt get the chance to go to nicer places and had plenty of fun. Everything we ate was excellent and the staff were happy to tell you more about the food if desired, without the pretentiousness of having a long monologue about each item. I should also mention, portions were generous and for about $90/pp, we all were quite full and had about two drinks each. Other than fresh fish and chips, this is now a mandatory stop when visiting St. Johns. I hope they can maintain their momentum.

What a great spot for a very nice dinner. 4 of us took the advice of our server on number of plates we should share. We had 3 starters (2 might have sufficed), the scallop toast was outstanding. We shared 2 mains including the halibut which was a large portion for 4. We had 2 half veg and the potatoes and parsnip dishes were amazing. Dessert was also good. Excellent service and a great experience overall. Dress code is pretty casual.

Our favorite place to dine!!! Portage can take the simplest food and make it divine. The food, the drinks, the service, the atmosphere is 10/10 every single time. Cannot recommend this place enough! Food

Perfect dining experience at the end of our trip to Newfoundland. Everything was delicious and the portions were very generous.

If you are ever in St John s, I highly recommend Portage for dinner. The ambience is so warm, inviting and cozy. Our food and drinks arrived quickly as well even though the service was busy that day. However, the best part is undoubtedly the food. The scallop sesame toast and the halibut were incredible. The chocolate mousse was out of this world! Portage made our trip to Newfoundland that much more memorable.

Tasty, thoughtful, and unfussy food in a modern space navigated by experienced and authentic staff. There was not a single bad dish. Filling of Donair Spring Rolls could have been a little more moist but everything else was deftly and deliciously prepared. Fine dining is showing no signs of decline in Nfld.

Great menu and vibe! Always recommend coming here. Thanks Pepper for the delicious drink recommendation and excellent service :)

The generosity of portions speaks to a type of hospitality that is hard to find. The flavours of the evening were top notch as was the rare bourbon collection!

Best place to have seafood in St. John s Recommends getting reservation because they are very busy. During summer they work till 10pm ! Vegetarian options: Great fish ! Dietary restrictions: Everyone can find something for them Parking: Street parking available, can be a little down the street but nothing more than 4 min walk

Great food, great atmosphere, and great experience. We ended up ordering about 6 dishes for 4 people, and we were left leaving very full (and very happy) at the end of the night. As far as I understand, their menu rotates somewhat frequently, but there was nothing that I ate that I wouldn t eat again, so just about everything on the menu seems like a safe bet. Definitely worth checking out. Vegetarian options: A whole 1/4th of their menu is dedicated to just vegetable dishes. My vegetarian friend was able to eat here with us with no problems.

Beautiful menu, amazing staff, and overall great experience. Will be going back

Amazing experience and great food! Loved it

Great service, everything delicious, cool vibe.

Great food, great service.

Best Wiener schnitzel ever!

Since they opened, me and my partner religiously come here for date nights! The restaurant atmosphere and food is just beyond, and the staff are truly vibrant. Its a culinary experience coming to dine at portage, and they tick every box. We go at least once a month and its consistently nothing short of perfection :)

Birthday dinner! Everything from the drinks, appetizers and dinner were a 5 ! I highly recommend.

Delightful from beginning to end! Its an amazing culinary experience, best shared between 4 people. Order a variety so you can sample - you dont want to miss anything. We started with smoked olives and dinner rolls (do NOT skip the dinner rolls!), donair spring rolls and grilled cheese with black truffle, and Cavendish & caviar. Next up was Guinea fowl, tuna melt and dumplings with Thai rutabaga and potato aligot with black truffle. Sumptuous and savoury desserts to end - selections included pineapple cake, ginger snap cream and cranberry tart. All of this with the most amazing service, perfect wine pairing and a vibe to match the menu - a perfect blend of comfortable and trendy, with a splash of exotic. Go try Portage Restaurant - thanks for a fabulous evening!

Easily our favorite restaurant in the city. The food is amazing - well thought out, flavorful and beautiful. True works of art. We look forward to the most humble service everytime. I ve recently been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and paired with my husbands nut allergy it can always be a challenge but we never have to fear eating here as the servers and kitchen staff always have our backs! The mocktails are also to die for! Would recommend to anyone looking for the perfect date night out! Vegetarian options: Though we are nut vegetation s , the veggies at Portage are truly the stars at any dinner! The proteins are delicious as well but the veggies really shine through! Dietary restrictions: They are the most helpful and accommodating bunch when it comes to any allergy! (My husband and I together have a nut , fish and gluten allergy)

Finally got to try this place last night and WOW, pretty sure it cured my winter sads. Service was impeccable but also relaxed and friendly. The space itself is gorgeous. Cocktails were top notch and beyond their featured cocktails they also offer all the classics. We had mussels, a tuna melt, chili crisp cod, curry rutabagas and the buffalo carrots, it was all to die for! Also, they need to sell those smoked olives by the jar because we couldve eaten a second order. Definitely the spot to go for a delicious, decadent family style meal!

Great food. Friends enjoyed a fish dip and oysters for starters. We went roast chicken, steak with green sauce and a rutabaga mash for mains. Yes, many could cook something like these dishes at home and you might call the menu a bit unimaginative (very meat and potatoes, really). But it feels like its a conscious decision by a competent chef and you know what? It works.

Great vibe, beautiful decor, and fantastic food. Reservations are preferred, but they will accommodate.

Absolutely phenomenal food. Highlights are definitely the Guinea Fowl, Carrots, Rutabaga, and Chocolate Cake. See attached menu for dish-specific details, as the menu changes often, but honestly everything was fantastic and I would have ordered one of everything if we had room to eat it all. Atmosphere is chill and welcoming, with a nice selection of low-key music perfect for ambiance. Wait staff was very knowledgeable and helpful when narrowing down what to order since everything sounded so good. The food came out at the perfect temperature and the wait wasnt bad at all. I highly recommend it and will definitely be back again. Parking: On-street paid parking available M-F until 6pm, free after 6 and on Weekends

Absolutely fantastic. Some of the best fish I ever had. I left and booked another table the next morning. Great work to all who work here :)

Total enjoyable experience. From the moment we walked in through the door to when we walked out, as a matter of fact our waiter even came out into the porch to make sure we found our coats. Andrew, our waiter was very knowledgeable, attentive and entertaining. The food was amazing. My husband and brother in-law shared the steak and my sister and I shared the ribs and we ordered the carrots and potatoes for all to share. There was plenty to go around. 100% will be going back and 100% recommend you give them a try.

Amazing meal. The cod dish was superb and couldnt eat enough olives . Beef carpaccio, rutabaga, and carrots were also delicious.

We come here once every 1-2 months and they consistently knock my socks off. One of the best fine dining establishments in St Johns. They have a rotating menu and I havent had a single dish that wasnt delicious across multiple visits. Their vegetable dishes are an epiphany (especially all 3 versions of the beets that weve tried). The proteins are also standouts - weve gotten to try elevated dishes with meats weve never had before (rabbit nuggets and guinea fowl polenta!), but you also wont be disappointed by the classics (one of the most juicy, tender and flavourful steaks Ive ever had). Basically, try anything and everything here - its all good (I almost forgot to mention the dinner rolls!). Bonus: last time we ate here, someone dropped off tickets to a symphony for the same evening that they werent able to attend, so we got to go to a free live performance after we finished eating!

Food was delicious. Portions are huge, feeding 2-4 people. Atmosphere is nice. Staff are super friendly. Would definitely recommend to go and enjoy with a group.

Horrible awful staff & environment

I had big expectations for this place since its #42 on the Canadas Best 100 list for 2023. The halibut was great but not fantastic. I appreciate how fresh and well-cooked the fish was, but I didnt quite like the coconut broth. The shrimp dip appetizer was decidedly average. It was bland and didnt quite taste like anything, not even shrimp. In hindsight, I would have skipped this. My favourite dish was the rutabaga. I had never tried this root vegetable before and while its similar to turnip, its so much tastier! The sauce was a flavour bomb. Alas, the part that really fell short was the service. I felt like my server only checked in with the obligatory hows everything going? after every dish and didnt care beyond that. It soured the experience a little.

We ate everything including the mussels broth! A foodie paradise!

I have eaten here twice now and am planning our next outing. I have had beef cheeks, cod, moose and even a pheasant and a myriad of lovely vegetable dishes. The food is off the charts. Its a bit of a crowded loud informal dinning place but it makes for a great atmosphere. This place is an absolute gem. Its a must visit when in St. Johns. Do NOT miss out.

It is obvious why this restaurant is one of Canada s best 100 restaurants. The donair spring rolls are like meat dessert. The cod was cooked to perfection with the right amount of spice. The carrots with tamarind and labneh were so filling and mouth watering (although we were told we got the last one of the season - I hope they source more because other people deserve to have these!). Highly recommend!

Highly recommend the food and the ambiance. The only negative was the young lady who served us she was very pleasant when she appeared, but not very attentive. She even missed our dessert order.

Thoroughly enjoyed my time here. This place was recommended to me, and it was better than expected. Great staff, very welcoming and fun to talk to. Food is absolutely incredible, the chefs really know how to create an experience

Seasonal menu with refreshing updates, well-made food, *** VEGETABLES *** (rare find at this quality). Serving staff always knowledgeable about the menu. Repeat customer but came here to say to whoever on the team is listening: the recent Banh Mi salad was an absolute gem. Please keep it/bring it back/do more salads like it. Hearty, flavourful, lots of different ingredients, and so fresh. Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetable side dishes. A few combined would easily be a full meal. And very tasty dishes at that.

Amazingly good food in amazingly good portions. I ordered mussels and they brought a big bowl of them. So delicious! Then we kept coming every night, we tried the crab, the shrimp dip, the scallops crudo, the Bavette, the potatoes, almost everything and it was all excellently done! You MUST try this place if you come to St. Johns. The service was great, very friendly, quick and attentive. The drinks are really good too! Compliments to the chefs and all the kitchen staff.

Amazing experience!!! Everything is good...and the portions are more than generous!!

hands down the best service ive ever received. delicious food (particularly the potato dish and the dark chocolate mousse). such a talented bunch, this place is clearly run with much love and care. looking forward to my next visit!

We hand the best experience at this restaurant. It s very cozy and modern from inside. The food is incredible plus the service. All the servers had a smile on their face and everyone was so focused on their job. We loved Donair spring rolls

Portage is a wonderful ambiance with comfortable music and warm lighting. There was bit of a wait and we got our table a little late, but they let us it on the bar and wait. They were busy, but our servers were attentive and food felt hot! We had the ouef mayonnaise, doner spring rolls, dinner rolls and then a feature ritz cracker ice cream with burnt toffee. Ouef mayonnaise was unique and maybe the only item we didn t fully appreciate. The doner spring rolls with doner sauce are one of the best dishes we have ever had in an appetizer. Super crispy, meaty and flavourful. The Japanese milk buns are yummy and soft served with a nori/chive butter. The ice cream was the perfect way to finish with the salty and sweet dish. Things to keep in mind, they have fantastic cocktails to look out for. Their mains are quite large and they offer half portions for some items. If you re a group of 4 you ll be able to share. But it s good portions. An example is we got a half portion of milk buns and got 2 instead of 1. All in all, a hole in one.

The most incredible meal we ve had in some time. The Pak Choi was remarkable but the cod was otherworldly.

The food , drinks, and the ambience was great. This is the best restaurant we tried during our visit to St. John s and we highly recommend this restaurant. The staff were very nice, especially Caroline who was great with our 18- month old toddler and was very accommodating to all that we needed for him. Thank you for the great food and excellent service!

The food was amazing, the service was excellent! A place you have to go!!

I ate here in March and had some of the best food I ve ever eaten as well as top notch service. Could not look for a better dining experience! Update: I just ate here again in July 2023 for my birthday and once again, had the best meal Ive had since the last time I was here, if not the best mean Ive ever had! Again, the service was fantastic as well. We had the dinner rolls, oysters, broccoli, beets, chicken, and shared the 3 dessert options, and all of them were phenomenal! Cannot recommend more highly, if you are anywhere near St. Johns book yourself a reservation immediately!!

Everything was absolutely top notch and good value. I would especially recommend the wagyu and crab, which were highlights not just of the meal but of the trip to NL. I also appreciated the knowledgeable wine suggestions and friendly service. The only thing that wasn t perfect was the broccoli- some of the stems were woody and I couldn t chew them. That doesn t detract from the fact that it was a 5 star meal.

This was a bit of a let down after all of the fantastic reviews and recommendations we received when visiting St. John s. The atmosphere is good and the concept is cool. They have a new menu every night and serve everything family style. The shrimp dip was blended and very cheesy without much taste. They also served it with ritz crackers which surprised me for a dish that wasn t fairly expensive. Both the veggies dishes we had were pretty good, one had cooked greens and the other was rhubarb. The raw scallops in kimchi were tasteless and the fish was very spicy. For me it seemed like the dishes were either bland or the flavour was too intense. The chocolate dessert we had was AMAZING. Dietary restrictions: The chef or owner is allergic to nuts so they didn t have anything containing nuts.

Small plates are on the huge side for this style of restaurant so beware of that, wish we could have tried more dishes. Otherwise the food was all great, service very friendly and professional, and the beverage list is well curated and concise. I would recommend it to anyone!

Fantastic venue. Love the atmosphere and food.

We arrived with the expectation of trying the chefs tasting, but were informed by the manager that it wasnt available. However, they were incredibly accommodating and offered to create something special for us. We had an amazing time overall. In my opinion, this is one of the best restaurants. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was delightful, and the wine pairing with the food was truly phenomenal. Among the dishes, the Scallop Crudo stood out as my favorite, and the strawberry cheesecake was a show-stopper. I highly recommend this place to anyone who appreciates fine dining and a memorable culinary experience.

Nicest resto in downtown St. John s Favourite dishes in the category of possibly best ever were smoked olives and the scallop crudo Really good but dishes were the cod (but needed more seasoning) and blackberry/chocolate dessert (but needed more punch from the blackberry)

Went there for a friend s birthday in June. One of the best meals I ve had in the city. Food was delicious, staff were great and price was reasonable for food/quality we got. Can t wait to go back.

Unique and very tasty dishes. Very good service. A bit congested with tables too close together. Olives, scallops, Arctic char, potatoes, tapioca were all good. Not inexpensive though.

Very flavorful food and prompt service.

Amazing food and service. You have the option to get ½ portions to try more things and share it with the table. Will definitely be back. Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetables side dishes

Dietary restrictions: Gluten free alternatives Food

One of the best meals we have had in a long time. The crab dish gets you a huge portion!

We enjoyed our meal at Portage. The menu allows you to pick from a lot of sharing plates, seafood and vegetable forward. Flavours were generally delicate and focused on the main ingredient. The crab dish was a standout for me, the Ritz crackers were a surprise, but they totally worked! Service was efficient, kind and helpful. Relaxed pace but paying attention. Id definitely return!

A very unique eating experience. Good prices, delicious food and very attentive service. Uniquely prepared dishes of local foods in a causal environment. Popular spot so recommend making a reservation.

Amazing dining experience. For a fine dining restaurant I was expecting tiny plates for big money. Quite the opposite. Portions were great for sharing. The flavours were exquisite. The scallops melted in my mouth, the carrots were perfectly cooked, and the chicken was tender. The service was also amazing, friendly and attentive without being overbearing. I could not ask for a better experience and I hope to be back soon.

Amazing service. Best meal Ive had in a restaurant. Only remembered to take pictures of 2/5 items ordered because everything was too delicious and we got distracted.

Succulent! Group of 6 facing the kitchen! We loved it! Delicious! Amazing food! Amazing service! Awesome restaurant! Delicious! 5 Stars all the way!

One of the best restaurants my wife and I have been to. Andrew was super accommodating when he welcomed us & our server Catherine was a super star. Here were our top picks in order, which were all amazing: Scallops & Smoked olives tied for first Crabs Oysters Carrots Rutabaga Rolls We d hands down come back for the scallops and smoked olives!

Creative and beautiful dishes that taste as good as they look, maybe even better. Our lovely server Katherine went out of her way to accommodate us when we had ordered too much food; Thank you for your kindness! side note: the portions are very large, even the half sizes. The green beans should not be missed, they were my favourite!

We loved our experience at Portage. We walked in without a reservation and sat at the big square table with 2 other couples and had a great chat. The service was awesome. The food was fantastic. My favorite dish was the scallops in the kimchi sauce but it was all ready good!!

Best restaurant in town.

Amazing flavours with attentive service. Vegetarian options: Plenty of Flavourful vegetarian options! Food : 5/5 |

A truly incredible dinner that is worth a stop. From the ambience to the service to the food, Portage delivers in every single way. The variety in the menu makes every item stand out on its own and the complexity of flavours makes it worth trying as much as you can! Reasonably priced given the service and quality of food with a non-pretentious atmosphere that makes it easy to visit. Highly recommend

This was an amazing dining experience! Our server, Caroline, and sommelier Leo were friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The food was excellent. We had tuna tartare, scallop crudo, pork dumplings, and roasted chicken. Generous portions. Delightful flavour combinations. Quality ingredients and genius preparation. I would definitely go back, and I highly recommend!

A fantastic restaurant with some unusual dishes. Its not cheap but really worth the experience.

A brilliant restaurant with an unusual menu.

We are OBSESSED with this place! Service was absolutely fabulous and the espresso martini was 10/10. Our server Andrew went above and beyond.

Didn t live up to the hype the restaurant had. Beef tartare was ok - wasn t amazing but it wasn t terrible either. The carrots were very flavourful and delicious - the only dish that really lived up to the hype of restaurant. Eggplants were mushy, bland, and flavourless. The puffed rice on top didn t help either. Arctic char was too salty for me - but that s just personal preference. Snow crab was delicious, and felt reasonably priced. Service was pretty average. Would like to try some other dishes in the future though.

Ive never thought of St Johns as a food destination, but I may plan a return trip just so I can eat here again.

The food presented well but was surpassed by taste. At the beginning, I thought the menu might be a little fru-fru-fru. But by the squash puttanesca, I knew the menu and the chefs were authentic rock stars.

Exceptional food with surprising combinations of flavours. The vegetables were perfectly tender, the chicken was well seasoned and the wine was fantastic.

Well Ive got nothing but exceptional things to say about this restaurant! The service was impeccable, food was amazing, drinks were fantastic! I highly highly recommend the smoked olives (I dont even like olives but gobbled down a half order ahaha) and the beet dish if you want to experience how a restaurant should be, try out portage! You wont be disappointed! Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetable dishes!

Have had the pleasure of dining at Portage on numerous occasions and always thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. Vegetable dishes are no longer an afterthought but are as well delivered as all of the other delicious choices. The dumplings continue to stand out as my favourite but the seafood (cod, halibut, crab) and desserts have been a hit every time. Excellent wine selection - hats off to the sommelier who never disappoints!

Delightful family sharing menu. All dishes are available in half portions so you can try more with a smaller group. Hannah was our server and she was wonderful and helpful. Highly recommend.

It was one of the best meals that Ive had for a while. The only negative thing about the experience was that it was a bit chilly there. We were seated next to the delivery door. I cant wait to go back.

The menu was interesting with a lot of vegetable forward options. They were very tasty and filling. I liked the choice of mocktails and how the waiter helped us deciding what kind of drink we would enjoy best. Im glad I tried the apple cake for dessert as it was the most delicious dessert I had in a long time.

Great place, and food. The only down side was that part of our meal was served to the wrong table. By the time we were made aware, the rest of the food was eaten or cold and we had to take it home.

Some of the best food I ve even eaten! Each dish was so flavourful & delicious. Took off 1 star for the dessert, tried all 3 and neither was that good. Great service! Would highly recommend & can t wait to go back!

We had a lovely dinner here when we were in St. Johns in early June. The waitress was very helpful and I liked how the dishes were meant to be shared. The food was very fresh and I really liked the carpaccio.

Delicious food!

From start to finish, the food here will change your life. This restaurant is spectacular. Come here and eat all the things. The staff are friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. I love that you can see the owners plating the food and taking additional care to details. The dinning room is a bit too hot so they have fans placed strategically which help. But it doesn t matter. What matters is the food. God the food! The crab! What are they cooking it in?! And with ritz crackers?! What kind of witchcraft is this?! I ve never eaten more delicious crab. And the mashed potatoes!! But. The grand finale. The chocolate cheesecake with partridge berries will change your life. Take my money Portage! 10/10

Phenomenal. Food, service, atmosphere couldn t get any better. If you are into fine food appreciation Portage is a must.

Amazing! Truly an experience. Will dream of the coconut rice pudding

We were a little hesitant to go here first as the menu is a little intimidating, but our waitress was quick to tell us what it was all about, and was very thorough. The rutabaga is unlike anything Ive ever tasted before, so flavourful, and the crab legs with lemon mayo..unbelievable how crab, mayo, and a cracker can taste so good. We also ordered the steak with potato purée, and wow is all I can say. We finished with the chocolate cheesecake, so delicate, and it was just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. The plates are perfect sharing portions, and we left feeling full but not overstuffed. Truly impeccable service and food. If you appreciate a good fine dining experience, this is the place for you.

An excellent addition to the St. John s restaurant scene - absolutely superb food and experience. My partner and I shared the cheese and apricot cake, tartare, rutabaga and partridgeberry cheesecake and thoroughly enjoyed everything. Service was prompt and friendly. We will be returning!

This was a good experience, start to finish. Nice atmosphere - was acknowledged with eye contact and a smile by what seemed like every employee. Food was really good - I d definitely recommend this restaurant

6/5! This is St. Johns best restaurant, hands down. I went there at its inception (3 weeks); in 3 months it will be impossible to get a reservation. In 3 years itll be one of Canadas top restaurants. I had lengthy conversations with the staff (due to my having worked in the industry) and its my conclusion that their mission is par excellence in serving the community with the best food, and service, without breaking the bank. The dress is casual/modest. No pretension here. No intimidating, snooty hostess. Just an eye for excellent food and service. The Sommelier had a perfect suggestion for my fresh Halibut, and my waiter introduced me to the kitchen staff who made dining recommendations for back home in Montreal. I couldnt be more pleased and excited about this new gem. Charlie Trotters Lessons in Service inspired me when I was a young waiter, and these guys seem to be flying at high altitudes, full of noble aspirations. If you visit St. Johns and love food, you would be a lidiot not to come here. You wont regret it!

Very layback,portions are very small good wine service . Not fine dining. Not Raymond s . Very pricey for what you get.

Delicious meal, crab was amazing, loved both the desserts!

Great experience. Food was exceptional.

Great place to eat, lots of variety and lovely staff. Parking: Not good.

New restaurant from some of the people behind Raymonds. Relaxed vibe. Went with a group of 5 and sampled most items on the menu. All the dishes were good, but the standouts were the beets, okonomiyaki, and the beef tartare. Beer list was basic. The wine list has a great selection, plus a wall of interesting imports to try.

WOW. A top five meal, on par or surpassing the likes of Joe Beef. Halfway through the meal I immediately booked another reservation for two days later. Do not sleep on this place, and if you re even partially considering attending, consider this your sign to book a reservation ASAP.

Level of service, and dining experience was 100%!!! Truly amazing, and highly recommended

Delicious food but found the concept a bit weird. You have to order your proteins and vegetables separately ( no actual complete entree meals ) We had Crab which was well prepared, Caesar salad was really delicious, Steak Tartare and Tomato Salad. All good. Surprisingly, the dessert options was limited and so-so in flavour. I would go again as the food was tasty but I think it s better to go with a larger group so you can try more of the options without committing to just a couple of dishes.

I was so impressed with our meal here tonight. Best meal I ve had in a long, long time. Absolutely five-star dining. Our server, Blake, was lovely and knowledgable and friendly. Every dish was worth every bite. I highly recommend Portage as the new must- dine experience in St. John s Newfoundland.

Had an excellent meal here with a group of friends. Highly recommend going with a few people and sharing a ton of stuff. We ordered the majority of the menu and it was very reasonably priced for the amount we ate and drank. Not a cheap spot - but priced well for the quality of the food and service. Also love the atmosphere, and the drinks were all phenomenal. Service from all of the staff was top notch. Hope to see this place sticking around for the long haul - Ill be back for sure!

An absolute must while visiting St. John s! Service was on point (special shout out to Carolyn for service and Leo Sommelier). Menu items: gougères, dinner rolls, oysters, carrots, cauliflower, côte de b uf + wine pairings divine!!!

First, Portage has a unique menu structure that some people may find a bit of a challenge. Rather then the traditional menu, listing a variety of appetizers, mains and desserts, Portage s menu lists individual dishes broken down by type: Snacks, Vegetables, Fish, and Protein . Each dish listed is meant for at least 2 people. Although this may be adjusted for a single serving. Think of it like ordering dishes in a Chinese or Indian restaurant. It is all about sharing. Trust me, the reward is well worth the effort. Just jump in. When we were there on a Sunday evening the place was hopping. If you are looking for quiet dining, you probably won t find it here. That said, the buzz adds a sense of excitement that you re in the middle of something special. You ll find the service is very good and the staff take all the time necessary to ensure you are enjoying the experience. Then there s the food. To start off we shared a Snack of Fish Tots with tartar sauce. Tasty fish morsels with a tangy dipping sauce. The only issue with these was the limited quantity. Then we moved on to a Fish selection, Crab. I know it s technically not a fish, but there it is. It was fabulous! The next 2 dishes, Broccoli with hazelnuts, cranberries, capers and fish sauce and the hanger steak with new potatoes, chanterelles, bone marrow butter. So tasty! We finished the meal with 2 delectable Celeste Mah creations. Each course was served with a generous glass of wine recommended by Portage s sommelier. I think that the experience created by Top Chef Canada winner Ross Larkin, along with Celeste Mah will be one to remember.

Delicious feast, warm atmosphere and top-notch service. Local vegetables are offered as a highlight - not a bottom of the menu after-thought. Sitting at the chefs table we watched copious chanterelles being added to one of the dishes. Tasty hints of Asian fusion in some plates. The sommelier suggested some excellent, off-menu wine pairings. Highly recommend!

We just had a very special culinary experience at Portage. If you are into fine dining this is a must try in St. Johns. Even if you arent into fine dining , Portage strikes the right kind of notes making it a bit on the more casual side. It isnt just tiny faffy dishes like some fine dining places are. My wife and I went with the intention of ordering and trying a bunch of different dishes and so I will give feedback on them all. We had: smoked olives, rutabega as our vegetable, our proteins were the crab and the steak and for dessert we had the lemon custard loaf/cake. Ill start with the drinks though. We had a quick conversation with who I assume was the sommelier - I assume that because he was very very knowledgeable. I learned a lot about wine - and my wine order was very very good based on the recommendations of staff here. The smoked olives were the best olives weve ever eaten - the smokey flavor was perfect to get our palettes ready for the main dishes. Next the crab came. I believe it was a full crab that had been appropriately broken down so that you dont need a shell cracker - easy to handle. Of course the crab was incredibly fresh. The crab is served with a simple and creative accompaniment - salty Ritz crackers, lemon, and I believe a lemon mayo. The intention is for you to put the crab with a little bit of the lemon mayo onto the cracker and eat it. It was very very good - with crab as fresh as what you get here you dont want to mess with it too much you just let the freshness speak for itself and this is a good use of that. Ritz gives the saltiness, citrus is there. Loved it. The next dish was perhaps my favorite - the rutabega (partly eaten in the pic - sorry, it looked too good to wait!). It isnt necessarily the dish that I would have usually ordered, but we wanted to try something different. It was absolutely incredible. It had this amazing sauce full of citrus and fresh herb flavor - its a massive flavor explosion that is difficult to describe. But dont sleep on the vegetable dishes here. This was my favorite dish. My wifes favorite dish was the steak. This was definitely one of the best steaks weve ever had and it comes with these delicious potatoes. Please note that in my picture the steak was already kind of half eaten - I had already begun before I realized I should take a picture. The cook was medium rare, exactly as ordered. The sear on the outside of the meat was perfect - you just dont get a strong sear like this from steaks at other places like The Keg. This was a serious professional sear. It was served with a green peppercorn sauce that added the perfect amount of heat and moisture to the dish. Amazing steak dish. Finally, we had the lemon cake dessert (I forget the exact name of the dish). It was a loaf or cake with a lemon custard on it topped with partridge berries. A perfect tart end to a beautiful dinner. The location: my wife and I found the interior to have a very nice vibe. Great for a date night. The decor was modern and stylish, the tables a nice attractive wooden color. Price: this is the kind of restaurant where you get what you pay for. Absolutely it isnt cheap - but you come here to have a meal prepared well, fresh ingredients, and with skill. You pay for those characteristics at Portage and feel that your money was well spent. We certainly did. I strongly recommend folks give Portage a go. I had not been to Raymonds before it closed so I am unable to comment on how the quality here compares - these are the same owners and chefs as far as I am aware. But this is a new restaurant and I think it will develop its own independent food legacy in its own right. UPDATE: We went again, but this time with friends and theres new pics. My favorite dish this time was the side of potatoes with the steak (pictured). Potatoes were covered in a bone marrow sauce and there were chanterelles mushrooms sautéed in. It was amazing - perfect blend of umami flavors and rich texture. My dessert was a blueberry cake - fresh & amazing. Another great experience at Portage!

Never been before. Will definitely return.

Food was absolutely delicious, no question about it. We went there without a reservation and so we were seated at the bar and while it was a little uncomfortable, I figured at least they let us in without a reservation and were super nice. It s an extroverted vibe so if that s your atmosphere, you ll love it at the bar. We got the Chicken and Carrots (both separate dishes). The Carrots are the most delicious that I ve ever tasted in my entire life. Buttery, delicious with a special sauce under them. The Chicken was absolutely amazing and buttery as well. The greens and turnip with were crisp and delicious too. Highly recommend, but make a reservation! I don t recommend sitting at the bar unless you must get in last minute.

Too notch restaurant. Tastefully minimalist menu, artfully plated dishes, surprisingly generous portions, and absolutely delicious food. We had the carrots for our app and a roasted chicken main. Be sure to make a reservation! We were extremely fortunate that they had space at the bar area. The chefs are Top Chef winner Ross Larkin and Celeste Mah!

Wonderful service, delicious food! Absolutely loved the crab, tomato salad and the dumplings! Would come back for sure!

Exceptionally great meal, service and atmosphere. Visited from out of province and this was by far our favorite restaurant in Newfoundland. Very innovative menu with creative, fresh dishes and cocktails. The team there was wonderful, very attentive and professional. Highly recommend!

Like others have commented, this place is best enjoyed with more than a couple of people. The way the menu is structured, you order a snack (we ordered mussels and that was more than enough for two) and then pair a veggie or two with a protein. All dishes were stellar, my favourite being the beans and peas below the chicken, surprisingly! Two small complaints would be 1) the Spa Water cocktail - was hoping for more of a gin flavour, but tasted more like wheat grass and 2) the bell in the kitchen. Its very, very noisy and grating. If you have sound issues, your best bet is asked to seated elsewhere.

Food was fabulous! It was quite busy when we were there so our server was a bit slow regards to somethings but overall friendly and accommodating. Will return to try more dishes. Great place to share plates so you can try different dishes. This option is the best way to keep your meal reasonable in price.

Amazing food. Great service. Best chicken and steak ever. I have eaten all over the world . Top 5 meals I have ever had. Brad Newell The King Of Floors Vancouver BC

Such delicious food, all locally sourced.. The taster style menu is fantastic as it gives you a chance to have a bit of everything! Please visit here if you re looking to go on a fancy date night x.

Great atmosphere and amazing food. The Bartender Caroline went above and beyond. Drinks were delicious!!

Very good service. I like it

After great anticipation with reservations made weeks ago, we were disappointed with our meal and service at Portage. We ordered the beef and green/yellow beans dishes. They werent terrible but they werent awesome either. The green beans were not edible (chewy) and when I mentioned this to the server, she did not say anything. But then she might not have heard me because the tables are SO close together that much conversation gets lost. Nevertheless, an attentive server would have noticed all the yellow beans gone and green beans remaining... Steak was generally good but also some tough parts. We really wanted to like it.

My first time in Newfoundland and I was recommended this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious- (especially the potatoes, they were so soft and buttery that I m still thinking about them) and the wine was amazing. shout out to Tracy and Leo for being so knowledgeable about wine and just making the night wonderful. Really recommend this spot :) I even went twice in my one-week visit.

The food and service were absolutely fantastic! Still thinking about the dumplings and steak. Dropping to a 4 only because the decor and atmosphere were underwhelming. It was a raw and unfinished look done poorly. The bar side was definitely better than the kitchen side where we sat but even still, disappointing given how polished the service and food were.

This is a family-style dinner and was done very well. Food quality, portion sizes, taste and presentation were excellent. Dishes came out thoughtfully and were well timed. Servers were attentive, friendly and informative about the experience, food and wine. The setting/atmosphere is basic and not well matched to the food and service quality. Improvement here would make this place a 5-star experience.

(Originally posted on Instagram) What sorcery is this? Top Chef Canada winner Ross Larkin, and Celeste Mah, Canada s Best Pastry Chef, bringing the next-level bites. That beef tartare with garlic crisps, WOW! Will also dream about the dumplings and cabbage and smoked olives, oh my. Can Crème Caramel be beautiful? If Celeste Mah has anything to do with it, . Her pumpkin version was delectable. Amazing team, casual atmosphere, with family style plates. Special thanks to our server Sophie who was beautiful, informative and knowledgeable, quietly and perfectly attentive. Great night.

Staff is courteous, attentive, and efficient. Vegetable dishes are the real highlight here. All done creatively and portions are substantial. Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and butternut squash all done in a very unique way that leaves you wanting more! Only 3 stars? Heres the thing, the chefs cooking station is right in the dining room. The fumes are so prevalent that all your clothes will smell and youre destined for dry cleaning or laundry. Wasnt really impressed with this.

Only gave it a 4 for atmosphere because I found it a bit loud. Hard to have a conversation.

Great service and friendly staff. Food was good in terms of taste, quality, and presentation. Although I feel its a bit pricey for the quantity you get.

Simply stunning. A thoughtful, interesting, menu of sharing plates (or just gobble it all up yourself) with beautifully paired ingredients. A lively atmosphere without being loud. Attentive, intelligent service. Insane flavours. And dare I say it, abnormally reasonable pricing. One to come back to for a special occasion or just because you want some of the best.

This is truly an amazing restaurant. They take classic local ingredients and make them unbelievably well. The carrots, squash and cod were absolutely amazing. We were genuinely speechless about how good this place was. If it doesn t end up on best restaurant lists in Canada this year, somebody made a mistake.

Been here a couple of times now and I can pretty comfortably say this place has taken over as best restaurant in the city for me. Food has always been delicious with generous portions, the service has been flawless, and the wine pairing recommended by the sommelier have been excellent. Ive recommended this place to numerous family and friends at this point and will continue to return. Pricing is also very reasonable, with a fair bit of wine every time weve gone (a little under a bottle/person) weve been able to get away for just over $100/person including tip. I would recommend going with a group of only so you get to try even more options from the menu.

The food here is so creative. Every dish sounds regular but has a really interesting twist that I wouldnt have thought of. Get the Bread Pudding!! It is the best thing Ive ever eaten

This place was my favourite restaurant in st Johns and I tried a few. The steak they serve is sublime with a green peppercorn sauce that tops it all off. The mash on the side equally perfect. But the real deal of the night was the carrot dish, the best carrot dish Ive ever eaten in my life!! Who knew carrots could be that good. Finally the barman was cool, great wine selection and whisky too! A really nice classy place but laid back too! Bear in mind the dishes are for two so you can expect to pay roughly half of the menu price if you ask for a single serving!

Our experience at Portage was amazing. The flavours were unlike anything Ive had before and the open kitchen concept add a level of transparency that you cannot find at any other restaurant. I loved it. The Penicillin cocktail is a must try. I cant wait to go back.