Portofino in Centrum

Nice place. Good food. Cozy seating.

Really bad quality Italian food

It used to be good here, but ristorante frozen pizzas are even better than what is served here nowadays. And the service is disappointing too. We had to ask to order ourselves, and furthermore, no one came to our table even once. The (presumed) manager was pacing back and forth extremely stressed and bickering with the kitchen about everything taking too long, without solving anything, because we also had to wait about 45 minutes for a pizza.

Nice service, and had a very pleasant evening!

What happened to my favorite Portofino, where I’ve been going for almost 30 years? I ate at Portofino again today, just as I have been doing for years. We made a reservation in advance and fortunately, we had a great spot. But unfortunately… this evening was really different from what I’m used to. The starter arrived after about fifteen minutes: bruschetta. However, the bread was soggy, cold, and clearly not freshly toasted. That is absolutely not what I’m used to from Portofino. In the meantime, my daughter got her pizza, which was fine in itself. However, it took an hour after that before our main course arrived. Her pizza was, of course, long gone, and by then we were quite hungry too. The food itself was tasty, but I felt something was missing there too. Less sauce, much more spaghetti, and simply not the quality and taste I’m used to. Five prawns in it, fine, but it all felt just a little bit less. And then the service… The man who served us all evening was actually a really cheerful and nice guy. Nothing to complain about. But in the end, after dinner, we had to wait well over 20 minutes just to be able to pay. Eventually, I just raised my hand and waved, something I normally never do. A lady came over who had been walking around quite grumpy all evening. Blond hair, a bit older, wearing a brown suit. Unfriendly, uninterested, and completely unwelcoming. When we asked if the leftover food could be packed up, it was taken off the table with a sigh and a grumpy face. Moments later, the container was almost slammed onto the table, without a word, and she walked away again. It made me genuinely uncomfortable. This just doesn't fit the Portofino where I have enjoyed coming for almost 30 years. In the end, the nice gentleman settled the bill with us properly, and I simply gave him a tip. Because fair is fair, he did his job fine. But Portofino… what happened here? I really hope this was a one-time experience. Because this way of treating guests is absolutely no advertisement for your business. And madam: if I, as a resident of Alkmaar, may offer one tip… a short course in customer friendliness and hospitality might not be an unnecessary luxury. 😉

The gluten-free pizzas here are really delicious!

EUR 6.50 for a brownie as small as 2 chocolates. See photo. 🤣 That can't be true, can it?

Very disappointing! Poor service and disappointing food from staff who weren't even bothered that we we dissatisfied.

We have nothing bad to say; our waiter was very friendly, the ambiance both outside by the water and inside was great, the restrooms were clean and modern, and the food was also top-notch and very good! We definitely recommend it – perhaps on a busy summer day in a fully booked restaurant, the staff might be a little stressed... that's human nature.

Cozy restaurant with friendly service. Delicious pizzas and pastas. With a glass of wine and a beer.

Food were ok nothing special. Servers need a little bit of atleast a simple smile. Outside a nice view in busy canal.

We had made a reservation for 3 people at 7:00 PM. When we arrived, the boy at the table said: "We currently have no space." Well, really. Why make a reservation then? He asked if we would wait a moment, as a table would become available soon. 20 minutes later, still no table and no drinks, so we asked again. We said that sitting outside wouldn't be a problem either. The boy said he would take a look, and sure enough, there was a spot. The picnic table! Oh, sorry, but surely you can't dine there for a whole evening. Anyway, we had something. We did ask if we could sit inside as soon as there was a spot. They said they would let us know as soon as that was possible. The two girls serving outside were very sweet. Eventually, a table by the window became free, but they just didn't come over to us. You think: "Yeah, maybe that one is reserved for others," but we had made a reservation too. It just doesn't feel right. But eventually, we were able to sit inside at another table and ordered food. At 8:00 PM, we received the starter. We looked out onto the bar, where a girl with a face that was truly something else stood hanging around all evening. So grumpy. She came to pour water and we said thank you. I have never seen anyone serve with such reluctance. Then, during dinner, the (whom we thought was) manager next to our table was slapped on the butt by a male colleague, to which she responded: don't slap my butt, because my butt is hurting. After the plates for the starter were cleared, we had to wait a very long time for the main course. Apparently, they thought we had already had the main course. Anyway, after the main course, we paid and got an ice cream across the street. I understand that things can go wrong, but we don't feel welcome there anymore either.

My experience at this restaurant was very disappointing. The only thing that was well organized was being shown to your table. After that, the staff seemed to completely forget about you. No one came to our table to ask if we wanted anything to drink; we had to raise our own hand to get attention. Eventually, we were finally able to order. When the food was served, it turned out that the chef apparently doesn't know the difference between pappardelle and tagliatelle. Additionally, we had a salmon pasta dish containing multiple pieces of bone. Surely you shouldn't expect that in a restaurant. Throughout the entire evening, not a single staff member came by to ask if everything was to our liking or if we wanted another drink. In fact, the staff seemed to deliberately avoid eye contact. We even pointed out that a dish was incorrect. A staff member said she would check, but then never came back. And this is at a restaurant where there was plenty of staff walking around and the restaurant wasn't even half full. Even when paying the bill, no one asked if everything had tasted good or how our experience was. That really says it all about the service. The management supervising these young employees should be utterly ashamed. With better guidance, this place could actually amount to something. At the moment, this restaurant feels more like a luxury snack bar than a place where hospitality and quality take center stage. Unfortunately for us, this is no reason to return.

A pizza of Aldi quality for almost 20 euros is steep! 🤣 Hunger makes you eat it. Great place, but that's about it! Stay away! At the next table, two more pizzas had burnt edges! The server didn't even ask if we enjoyed our meal at the end—probably because she already knew the answer.

Unfortunately, not so good. The ambiance was great, but the food wasn't. My girlfriend had a pizza that, while expensive (almost €20), was barely better than a frozen pizza from a discount supermarket. I had a spaghetti carbonara, the "good" version with high-quality meat for over €20. The meat looked and tasted like cheap pork belly, fried in a pan swimming in grease. An hour later, we're now sitting at the Greek restaurant, and I'm drinking an ouzo to try and wash away the grease from the meal. The funny thing is, the server didn't even ask if we enjoyed it...

We didn't like the food. Much too greasy and lacking in flavor. We will never come here again, unfortunately, because the terrace is nice.

Just a fine Italian restaurant. Nice terrace by the canal.

We spontaneously decided to go with our children and loved the atmosphere! The staff was friendly and very relaxed. The decor was lovely, with a view towards the cheese market and the canal. The prices were perfectly reasonable, and the portion sizes were good. However, the dishes could have used a little more seasoning or that certain something. Overall, though, we felt very comfortable!

Had a delicious meal. Nice view. All sorts of things are happening on the water. Friendly service. Atmospheric inside too. Just need to replace the toilet seats ;)

Nice place to have a drink in the city. Friendly staff and a cozy atmosphere.

Good food, reasonable price. Cash payment preferred.

They attend good only people who order more but the rest not

Very nice place, pleasant inside and out. The pizzas were fantastic; we ordered the capricciosa (a spicy one) and another without spice, and they were perfect! White wine Pure Italian Limoncello 🇮🇹 in the heart of Holland, but eating well 🤣 ❤️ 100% Recommended Grazie Mille

We are sitting here now with a Lupo bread board and a Focaccia from the oven. Super tasty, highly recommended.

Good Italian restaurant, delicious pizzas, and a great atmosphere. We spontaneously got a table for two on a weekday evening. The Pizza Vulcano Lupo was great, but the Pizza Pesto was unfortunately too dry for the price. The pesto and buffalo mozzarella flavors were barely noticeable, making the pizza quite dry in parts. Nevertheless, we'd gladly come back and definitely recommend it.

The food was delicious. The atmosphere was lovely. Unfortunately, we had very long waiting times and an extremely unfriendly waiter who practically ignored us.

Delicious pizza, right next to the canal, and friendly service. It was the perfect end to a lovely day of vacation. It was really good, but I've definitely had better pizza. Hence the one-star deduction. The prices... well, you're paying for the ambiance, and it really is lovely.

During the Wine & Dine Walking Tour in Alkmaar, we discovered a flavorful gem, Lupo a Portofino, and what a surprise! What a lovely place to stop by for a moment during the culinary walk. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and you can tell they take pride in their menu. We enjoyed a delicious pasta dish, freshly made, beautifully flavored and with fresh ingredients. The accompanying wine was perfectly chosen: elegant, balanced, and a lovely complement to the dish. The atmosphere is cozy, the terrace inviting, and the location on the Mient ideal for an afternoon full of culinary discoveries. 👉 More info about the Wine & Dine Walking Tour in Alkmaar: wijnspijs.nl In short: highly recommended for anyone who loves authentic Italian food in a warm setting. #LupoAlkmaar #Wine & Food #AlkmaarFood #ItalianFood #CulinaryWalk #PastaPerfection #Wine & Food Pairing #GreatDayOut #RestaurantReview #AlkmaarHotspot #EatingTip

I finally found a great pizza place in Noord Holland! The restaurant is very nice and the service is fast and friendly. Will come back again

Very friendly staff and very delicious food.

Beautiful location on the canal. Nice for people-watching due to the boarding point for the tour boat. Food is fine, service is good.

Cozy dining spot by the water, good atmosphere and good service, food was also top-notch.

The food was really delicious! I highly recommend it. The only problem was that we had to wait 50 minutes to pay, even though we were asked how we wanted to pay before those 50 minutes had passed. So the service wasn't great. But otherwise, it's a lovely spot.

Mediocre, had a good reputation but has fallen far short, wouldn't eat here again.

Great service. Nice location. Good (vegan) pizza.

Nice place to eat and have coffee in the Italian style.

Very long wait times. 1 hour and 15 minutes before we received the starter. This was not what we had asked for. The waiter took it back and returned exactly the same thing 2 minutes later. The spaghetti bolognese was also tasteless.

That's perfectly fine, though a bit pricey.

Had a good meal with a group of 5 and reasonable prices. Lots of vegetarian options 😊👍

It's actually not that difficult, good service, but here they just don't get it. Delivering seven drinks took an hour. The excuse was that a new staff member was being trained, while all the other tables had already been served. Even after repeatedly asking, no apology was forthcoming. That's how you ruin your own business.

Didn't get it here. Terrible service, unfriendly staff, and no regard for the customer. Apologies? Forget it. Oh right, 80 euros for some snacks and a drink... ridiculous.

We have been coming here for years with great pleasure and enthusiasm... however, the business has been taken over by someone else, and you can see, notice, and taste that immediately in the dishes. It is clearly *much* worse! Example: starter with bread and some kind of herb butter? That used to be top-notch: fresh baguette, nice butter, etc. But now? Pre-sliced ​​thin slices of bread from the supermarket and a tub of thawed, tasteless herb butter. Main course, including pasta alio olio? Hopeless! Just pasta with some tomato pieces, etc., without the right ingredients or flavor. After mentioning this: “Oh, shall we heat it up?” Well... And then having to ask for the Parmesan cheese as well. Quite a shame. And simply receiving no apology or gesture, and having to pay the full price. Conclusion: we are really never coming here again! I wonder if the owner will respond and make a proposal...

Waited for over an hour for a simple margharita pizza even though there was no rush hour at all. Pizza finally arrived and was literally the most bland pizza i have ever tasted in my whole life

I booked a Social Deal for high tea. But it was a huge disappointment. We were running a bit late, but I had let them know by phone. Despite the beautiful weather and plenty of space, we were not allowed to sit on the terrace. The tea, along with two boards, was slammed onto the table without a friendly word by a young man who was clearly fed up. The board did not contain what was advertised. No sweet treats, but three filled baguettes per person and two slices of melon with ham. The sweet part consisted of two dried-out croissants, two scones, and a small glass of applesauce. It is a real shame when you give this as a gift and have to look for a better place in Alkmaar with vicarious embarrassment.

On Saturday, I ordered a gluten-free pizza for takeaway. I was spoken to very kindly on the phone when ordering, and also when I came to pick up the pizza. I enjoyed the pizza so incredibly much... It was so delicious that I wondered if it was actually gluten-free. But it certainly was!

The food was tasteless. We had to wait a very long time for our courses. The waitress was not friendly. We sensed a strange atmosphere.

I have never had to wait so long for my food as I did here. The place looks cozy and there is more than enough choice on the menu. We were judged by the Italian waitstaff based on what we wanted to order; it was far too greasy and too much for this weather. Then, it took 2.5 hours before we were served after repeatedly asking for the main course. This came in stages, and what arrived wasn't good! So it had to be made again. The pasta with meatballs weren't meatballs at all, but chunks. Just a large meatball cut into pieces. The focaccia was an overbaked pizza base, and the service was intensely unfriendly. When paying the bill, they simply charged for everything and more. The waitstaff who made the mistakes walked past a few times but said nothing. They didn't ask if everything had been to our liking, etc.; they just didn't care. A real shame for our weekend away. I am sure there is something better to be found in Alkmaar!

Ridiculous place! The pizza still had to go in for a good 5 minutes and I got nauseous. I would like to give 0 stars!

It's a shame we didn't see that the tagliatelle with salmon came with tomato sauce. It was a bit disappointing.

It was very enjoyable. We had a delicious high tea. The service was excellent.

Delicious food! Nice restaurant

Outrageously long wait times for food. While other tables that arrived after us had already received their meals, we were still sitting there, ignored and overlooked when we spoke to them. Never again!

Eating your pasta outside by the water at the Italian restaurant. Excellent service and delicious food. We will be back!

Ate here for the first time today and what a fantastic experience! The staff is super friendly and the restaurant has a cozy atmosphere. The homemade lemonade is definitely recommended and the pasta was delicious too. We got a generous portion, but you can take home whatever you don't finish. I can make my colleagues jealous with that tomorrow 😜 For dessert we had tiramisu and it was also very tasty and creamy. I really enjoyed it and will definitely come back here again!

A greeting upon arrival makes a world of difference! We ended up sitting at the tables set for two... The food, music, and the kitchen staff made up for a lot with a friendly chat while passing by on the way to the restroom. But the wait staff just slammed everything down on the table in embarrassment and didn't even bother to check if we wanted anything else?! A shame. We will be back, but this is an area for improvement!

The papardella stufato di manzo is the most delicious pasta I have ever eaten! Tender stewed beef, mushroom cream sauce, and truffle; it doesn't get any better.

Had high tea today. I think it is a beautiful place. The food was tasty. Not too much and not too little, just right. And after the platter, a delicious homemade tiramisu as the icing on the cake. The service was top-notch and the gentleman was friendly.

It used to be a very cozy, authentic Italian place. Now, mostly a woman rushes through the place trying to shove drinks down your throat as quickly and impersonally as possible, barely making eye contact. Decent pizza, but nothing really special.

The food was absolutely delicious. The service was truly impeccable. Prices are reasonable for the Netherlands and the great central location. We highly recommend this restaurant!

Eaten at both the "old" and the new Portofino. The new setup isn't worth it. The restaurant has lost all character. Also, the pizza tastes like nothing anymore.

The pizza was delicious there at Portofino in Alkmaar.

Our last restaurant during the food and wine walk. We found the vegetarian option so-so, and the wine didn't pair very well either.

Since they got a new owner, it's been nothing. Tasteless pizzas with cheap ingredients. This is the last time I've been here. I miss how good the quality used to be... Also, VERY expensive for this quality. 20 to 23 euros for a pizza!!!

Had lunch today and were served by a super nice and enthusiastic man. The food was also quite fast and super tasty!

What a lovely restaurant. We let the chef surprise us. And it worked out well. Every course was generous and surprising. Delicious food, great service, highly recommended!

Delicious food, friendly, efficient service, and reasonable prices. We simply had a pleasant evening.

The food was fine. Nothing that special.We reserved a table for 3 and apprantly it was NOT in their system and the server complained about their colleagues and their lack of communication which we have clearly noticed. We were sat down. And out appetizers took around 30 minutes which is a bit long but alright. Then our mains came in after another 30 minutes. The first 2 filets were placed and after 5 minutes came my spaghetti dish and after another 10 min came the spaghetti that comes with the filets. We ordered dessert and they forgot our espresso. We notified them and still forgot. In the end we left without our espresso.

Portofino used to have character and good food. Now, both are missing. Let's start with the atmosphere. It's gone from a cozy Italian spot to the kind of sterile restaurant that's like 20 in every city. The food is absolutely not worth it. You pay around 20 euros for a tough, overly heavy pizza. After the second slice, both my boyfriend and I got stomach aches. The coffee is also terrible, and the "homemade iced tea" was water with a few mint leaves and a lemon. It tasted like nothing. The "foccacia" is just a pizza crust without any sauce. The service was very mediocre, which is forgivable considering the Valentine's Day crowd. But it also seemed more like an organizational error than bad luck. There were three groups with reservations constantly waiting at the door for over 15 minutes.

Yesterday I ate at the renovated Portofino for the first time. The service was friendly and efficient. I had a delicious pomodori soup and spaghetti bolognese as a starter. Both were very tasty.

We went here yesterday and enjoyed a delicious high tea through Social Deal. This is highly recommended. Very friendly service. And the tiramisu was heavenly, a recipe from my mother, with a reference to the restaurant. We will definitely be back.

Looks nice inside. We sat at a table at the front of the restaurant, which smelled of sewage. When we went to pay, the waiter said he'd take our change, but then walked away and hid behind his cash register. I won't be back anytime soon.

The food was mediocre. I wouldn't go again.

Delicious food, extensive menu (carbonara with guanciale...), generous portions, pleasant acoustics, excellent service. Highly recommended!

Good, authentic cuisine. The service was very friendly, and there's a German menu. It was packed with locals on the weekend and quite noisy – which speaks to the quality of the food, but unfortunately made conversation difficult.

Looking for the best Italian restaurant in Alkmaar? Come eat at Lupo. It says so on the website, so yes, you do expect something. Let me start with the positive: the service is good. There's a lady who keeps an eye on everything and is everywhere at once. You don't see that very often anymore. But then there's the food. It was mediocre. I started with the shared antipasti, a platter with a bit of everything. Everything was on it as you'd expect, but it lacked refinement. Parma ham, carpaccio, vitello tonnato. It tasted like meat. Nothing more. And it's a lot. Way too much. I saw a table next to me get the tomato bruschetta, and it looked like a huge mountain of tomatoes. Spaghetti aglio olio was okay, but here too much, so a third tasted like plain spaghetti. The ambiance was fine, so if you're not too picky and like large portions, then go here. But this is not the best Italian in Alkmaar, that is by far Il Colosseo.

Yesterday, we had made a reservation, but when we arrived, we were told the table was still occupied. We had to wait a bit, while two other couples with reservations gathered behind us. Finally, we were told we could/had to sit in the sister restaurant next door. (Same owner, by the way.) The other couples were too. We regretted it later, because the atmosphere is completely different, and in our opinion, not as good. I find it strange that three couples had reservations and there wasn't room for them. The food was delicious, as usual, but the evening didn't go as planned.

We had a delicious meal and the staff was very friendly.

I had a terrific pizza and the others had great meals also

New Year's Eve: we found ourselves facing a closed door, so we walked into the sister restaurant next door to ask for an explanation. Our reservation was automatically rebooked. Fine, except the staff tried to gaslight us by saying they had left a voicemail (no missed calls in the past 3 weeks). The staff informed us multiple times that they close at 9 pm and also made it clear with their attitude that they really wanted to go home. The pizzas were too greasy and the pastas tasteless and watery.

Very tasty pizza, good food, nice people and the boss was also nice, would come back

Wait time longer than at Efteling. Food was good, portions small though. Nice atmosphere.

We had a fantastic meal here. Karzan is a great chef who knows what he's doing. The place is beautiful and the atmosphere is great. See you soon.

The food was good and the place was okay.

Now called Restaurant Wülf, it's very much like a German restaurant. Delicious German dishes, and also affordable. A nice change from steak or satay.

The food was delicious. The atmosphere in the restaurant was very pleasant and the service was friendly. It was on the pricey side, but nevertheless, definitely recommended for a pleasant evening out.

Even though it was not busy, we had to work hard to attract the waiters to come to us. To get food on the table took also disproportionally long and food itself was OK-ish.

A great Italian restaurant that's perfect for relaxing right after a canal tour. Very tasty pizza.

Attractive interior, unfortunately the pizza with mushrooms was bland, the dough underneath was greyish, the Risotto di Manzo contained mushy eggplant instead of the truffles (as stated on the menu), the waiter initially didn't react, then claimed it was a mistake, not very believable since none of the risotto dishes were offered with eggplant, even the free limoncello couldn't make up for it, a shame, hopefully it was just a bad day in the kitchen.

Beautiful restaurant, good service and delicious food

I ordered Four Cheeses Special pizza but got just Four Cheese pizza instead - both ham and salami were missing although I paid extra for it. Feels like a ripoff

I ordered a Quattro Stagioni pizza for over 20 euros, but received nothing resembling one. A Quattro Stagioni (four seasons) pizza is supposed to look like this: the pizza is divided into four quarters, with each quarter having a different topping symbolizing a season. Typical ingredients are: Spring: artichokes. Summer: tomato and basil. Autumn: mushrooms. Winter: ham and olives. The base is usually tomato sauce with mozzarella. Each quarter therefore contains its own topping combination, so you taste four different flavors at once. Instead, I received a pizza with cheese, tomato sauce, and salami everywhere, and none of the ingredients that make a Quattro Stagioni, even though the wait staff called it a Quattro Stagioni. I briefly hoped that I had accidentally been given one of my table companions' pizzas, but it turned out to be served correctly after all. An absolute disappointment in terms of taste, and consequently, so was the price. Next time I'll go to Thups.

There were hardly any customers at lunchtime, yet we still had to wait an hour for our pizza; the cooks probably hadn't arrived yet. The waiter was incredibly slow. An excessive amount of meat sauce was poured over the pizza, so much so that it was unrecognizable and completely ruined the flavor. The price is high. It's the worst pizzeria in the Netherlands (we've been to several pizzerias there before).

Really very good. And very good service! Very satisfied.

A cozy and excellent pizzeria! We've had several delicious meals here. For excellent pizza, this is definitely the place to go!

Very nice restaurant! We walked in around dinnertime on the weekend without a reservation. Despite the crowds, they still managed to get a table for us! The food was delicious and the service was top-notch!

Had a top-notch experience. The food was super delicious, including one of the best calzones I've ever eaten. Everything was carefully sorted out for my son with an allergy. Friendly staff; despite the busyness and our large group (9 people), we were served quickly and were very service-oriented. Highly recommended!

Very bad experience. The pasta was tasteless and totally not worth the money. The chicken was rock hard and barely present (at most 20–30 grams), and the steak was extremely tough. You absolutely should not go here for food.

We've been coming here for years, it feels like coming home, always a friendly chat. Lovely people!

If you're planning on eating out in Alkmaar, you should avoid Portofino. At least if you're a foreign tourist. I don't think they'd do what they did to us to everyone. It wasn't busy when we were there, but we still had to wait forever for our ordered pizzas. When they finally arrived, they were only lukewarm. They had been ready for a long time, but no one had served them. One of the pizzas was supposed to be a salami pizza. Topped with salami, fresh basil, and cherry tomatoes. The only thing on it was salami... The visit to Portofino was a complete disaster, and that's with pizza prices around 20 euros. I advise you to find another pizzeria. There's another one diagonally across the street. I haven't been there, but I suspect it will give you a better experience.

Good, tasty food, friendly and fast service, and a great atmosphere by the water with a view of the city.