Porteno Restaurant

RUDE WAITRESS.
It’s a cozy little place, but that wasn’t a big deal. My four friends and I were seated at a 4 top, which isn’t a big deal either. It was a bit close, but we all like each other so it’s not a big deal. The food — amazing. I really enjoyed my risotto and the little pieces of everyone else’s meal I was able to try. It’s a great place for food.
However, our waitress was bad. I understand parts of what she was doing, but it was actually her attitude about the WHOLE situation. It should be okay that we don’t want to share appetizers or want drinks. It should be good that we’re asking for a knife or spoon if we need it. We’re enjoying our food, but don’t make our experience worse. She was also rude to some other tables so I know it wasn’t just our table. The avocado flan — interesting, but it’s really just an one time thing for me.
Overall, the food was good, but service was meh.
Protip: the risotto was amazing, but service was meh. I’d probably go back, sit at the bar and get a glass of wine and the risotto.

I met my dad here for a late birthday dinner on his recommendation.
The restaurant is nice and cozy inside and the food was delicious! I had some sort of fish with red quinoa and asparagus — amazing. Our waitress, Sandra, was such a sweetheart as well, and gave us some excellent recommendations for dessert.
Definitely looking forward to going back.

My friend, her family and I went here after a show. They were kind enough to open the kitchen for us. We were grateful. The food was wonderful for the eye and the palate. If it wasn’t eaten, it went home. Loved the flaky empanadas. Should have ordered more. Mother and daughter RAVED about the lentil soup and they are not fond of lentils! Every guest was satisfied… despite not having a favored tequila. My friend and I would definitely go back!

Porteno is a cute, tasty Argentine restaurant that certainly warrants a reservation before arriving. The atmosphere is personal, the place is small and cozy, and overall set the mood for a great New Years meal. However, a mix of good food but questionable service leads me to rate this three stars.
Food wise– it was mostly very good. I ordered the Salmon Patagonico, and actually enjoyed the quinoa more than the fish (very tasty flavors!) My friends’ Malbec-​braised beef was good, and the red snapper was also exceptional. While prices seem a bit high, I felt most of it was very enjoyable and would come back to try some other staples like the calamari salad or grilled octopus. The only dish we didn’t like were the potatoes on potatoes.
The main reason for the average rating comes from the service. While I try my best to give the benefit of the doubt for what seemed to be «poor service,» it’s hard when the rest of your party feels the same way. Our server did her job well and we got what we wanted, but some of her mannerisms rubbed us the wrong way:
1. When I declined to order an alcoholic beverage, our server quickly questioned why I didn’t want one. It felt a bit coarse. Feeling pressured, I told her instead that I hadn’t decided yet, and to come back later
2. I had ordered a steak empanada for myself to try, in which she proceeded to suggest I order the three set for the table of five to share. My friends didn’t really want to try it, so I politely declined, to which she responded with a look that said «so you’re not going to share? okay.» I recognize she may just be offering an alternative to my single order to benefit the group, but it certainly made me uneasy and made me feel like I didn’t consider everyone else when ordering something for myself. However, the empanada was great.
3. My friend had asked for a sharper cutting knife over her butter knife to cut her meat. Our server questioned why she wanted one. Subsequently, another friend asked for a spoon to eat his potatoes with, and we were greeted with the same response. It felt as if we were inconveniencing her by asking for these utensils.
Perhaps it was a cultural misunderstanding that I was missing, and I try hard to be conscious about difference when it comes to service. I also understand Argentine culture is big on spectacular drinks and meats, so maybe we offended her by not ordering drinks or asking for a «better knife.» However, the other servers that interacted with us were nothing short of splendid, so I am having a hard time attributing our initial server’s mannerisms to that.
So overall, a decent experience. Food was great, but service was a bit inconsistent for me. I’m hoping that this was simply a one-​off experience. Again, our server wasn’t bad, but just rubbed us the wrong way a couple of times that overshadowed the dining experience.
Oh, but be sure to order the Avocado Flan with balsamic vinegar reduction. It was definitely a tasty treat to end the meal.
I wanted to really love the restaurant, but maybe that can wait if I return for a second round to try again for a better experience.

I had an excellent meal at Porteño before heading to see Sleep No More. Per the Unilocal reviews I had to try the calamari salad and it did not disappoint. Warm perfectly-​cooked calamari atop a bed of avocado and tomatoes. I also went for the ribeye which is HUGE and could easily be shared. I loved that they really seemed to celebrate the flavor of the food so seasoning was subtle and just flattered the dish. The ribeye was perfectly cooked and just melted in my mouth. It came with a side bowl of a kale salad that had a nice little citrus bite and paired very well with the steak. I also had one of their mixed drinks to start and really loved the complexity of the flavors. I don’t remember the name of it but it was a gin drink with a smokey orange flavor. They also have a great selection of wine and I enjoyed a malbec with the main course. No room for dessert after that massive ribeye so I can’t speak to that. Definitely worth checking this one out!

I love to dine here. It’s an intimate cozy restaurant at the end of the Chelsea galleries area.
They have with a great section of wine, and Argentinian-​South American appetizers, salads, and main courses.
I came here with a friend from London few evenings ago, and she was so pleased and happy. We had a really nice time, with delicious food, and superb service.
When I am around Chelsea, it’s one of my top options. Just remember there aren’t many tables, and they are pretty small, so its best for couples or max 5-​people groups.

Great food, good service, this little Argentinian restaurant is excellent. Good selection of wines also. Very recommendable.

Went today for my spouse’s birthday. They were very accomodating. Nice small cozy tranquil restaurant. Great wine (Malbec El Enemigo), very tasty starters (burrata, empanadas, tuna tartare) and amazing main courses (rib eye snd short ribs). Tasty desserty (bread pudding), complimentary dessert wine (moscato). Great service, we left very pleased.

I had a fantastic dinner here. We had to sit at the bar because the restaurant is very small and there was a 3 hour wait for a table — but it wasn’t an issue. The staff was very attentive to us and it didn’t feel crowded. Overall a really nice experience and will definitely be going back.

I had never had octopus salad before coming here 3 years ago, and have never had a better octopus salad since — it’s amazing! The service, salads, ribeye are fantastic! Be sure to order your steak the way you like, they will cook it properly so you don’t have to worry about it being over cooked. Cozy & intimate ambiance along with food that halts the conversation because you just want to savor each bite. Delicious!

¹⁰⁄₁₀ Overall
It’s a small cozy spot but the owner and the staff make you feel right at home the moment you walk through the door.
Food, Drinks, Atmosphere, Service all exceptional.

Tried this restaurant when Jun-​Men was closed for some emergency. Tried the calamari salad (which was my favorite — simple, the calamari was cooked well and chewy), the spinach empanada (disappointing — did not taste the manchego cheese and the empanada was dry), the polenta with blood sausage (the polenta is cooked well, but it’s a huge dish and definitely gets very monotonous quickly) and the cod (the quinoa that accompanied it was perfect, but the cod was dry).
Wanted to love this restaurant, as it was so intimate and the waitstaff were nice. Looking over at other tables, the drinks looked great. However, when so many dishes were off, I will probably not be making a return trip.

Wow, so good! Everything about this place — from the food, service, and atmosphere — is absolutely wonderful.
I had the Lomito Complito (filet mignon sandwich with egg & cheese) with a couple of cocktails, and my wife had mushroom ravioli, and it was all very good. The fresh bread with some extraordinary olive oil mix and the bread pudding dessert were just the icing on the cake. Can’t recommend enough!

Had dinner here on Friday night and we absolutely loved it. In the interest of full disclosure, my wife and I went to Argentina this past spring and fell in love with their cuisine and particularly their wine! Most Malbecs you find in the US don’t do justice to the quality of wine in Argentina, so we are always on the lookout for a location with «real» Argentinian wine.
With that as the backdrop we headed to Porteno looking for a good steak and an even better Malbec. This place completely delivered! Their wine list is short but fantastic. We actually ordered a bottle we bought in Argentina but have been unable to find anywhere in the States. It was a 2012 El Enemigo very reasonably priced at $ 65 a bottle. It was a perfect accompaniment to my steak, big and bold.
We started with the empanadas which were good and the calamari salad which was amazing. Plenty of calamari on a bed of perfectly ripe avocado. Absolutely delicious. For the main I ordered the ribeye and my wife had the fish special (branzino with brussel sprout couscous). The ribeye was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. The fish was also great.
We can’t wait to come back here and drink more great wine!

Love the intimate atmosphere here. Cosy restaurant with great mood and friendly staff.
Had the squid salad and the rib eye. Both «wow» meals with the rib eye (medium rare) just melting in my mouth. The calamari was also full of taste and not short of actual calamari which often happens in salads.
Loved this place.

I came here on Friday night with a friend. We made a reservation an hour before and our table was ready when we arrived. The restaurant is very small, maybe 10 tables. We ordered 3 cheeses for an appetizer — the cheeses were great, I think they could have had a variety of bread/​crackers. I didn’t enjoy the jam.
For an entrée I had the grilled salmon with quinoa. The quinoa was excellent and baked with roasted vegetables. The salmon was seasoned perfectly but quite dry. My friend ordered the cod which was cooked perfectly and served with quinoa and baked potato slices. The service was great. No one rushed us. Overall a very good restaurant.

I’ve been using Unilocal for years but haven’t been compelled to write a review on a restaurant until I went to Porteno the other night. Absolutely fantastic. The wine and the food exceeded my expectations. To top it off, the ambiance is very cozy and the space overall is so charming! We lingered far too long after paying our check because we didn’t want to leave. Great service, food is authentic as you can get. I got the cod or bacalao with the quinoa (best I’ve ever had) and the scalloped potatoes which were more like crispy fried potato slices — SO delicious! This place will be first on my list for my next trip to New York.

I walked in and sat at the bar. It was a Thursday evening and the place was slammed. The service was a little slow, but I understood because the bartender was non-​stop. Finally he came over and brought me a menu. At first, I wasn’t sure about the place. I dated an Argentine girl for a very long time, in fact, we were engaged at one point, and Argentine’s can be very snobby/​snooty people. I kind of overheard some of the staff talking and it seemed as if that general vibe was consistent here. The bartender was not Argentine.
Anyway, I figured that I would have a glass of wine and some empanadas, so I ordered a pinot noir and 3 salteñas empanadas. The Pinot was tasty, but the empandas stole the show. A crispy/​flaky exterior with deliciously seasoned meat on the inside. These empanadas are grade A all the way.
I had been in meetings all day and then stopped by to see a friend at the recording studio just down the block next to the Americano. I was starving, so when I looked over at the Ribeye that a lady next to me at the bar was eating, I was flabbergasted. It looked amazingly perfect, so I had to go ahead an order one. I could not believe that size of that thing, and for $ 30 it seemed like an awesome value. I ordered the ribeye and a glass of Laphroaig 10.
The ribeye was ordered medium rare and it was DELICIOUS. The Laphroaig, of course, was perfection.
My friend was coming in from Jersey and when he asked what I was up to I told him that I was waiting for a fat ribeye steak that I had just ordered. He was starving too, so he ended up joining me about 15 minutes later. He also raved about the food he ordered.
Porteño will now be my once a week restaurant to wind down at. The bartender was just a super cool guy.
Everything here was fantastic, down to the dessert. The service at the bar was excellent, especially for how busy this place was, but I don’t think that I would come here and sit at a table. I just don’t think it will be the same for some reason…

We happened upon Porteño by accident. The temperature was beyond cold, so we ducked inside the first restaurant we could find, and we lucked into the last two seats at the bar.
Quickly, we ordered some cheese, bread, scallops and pasta. For two people, the servings of cheese were quite large — we ended up asking for extra bread (though, if we had to, we wouldn’t have felt any shame in just eating brie or Manchego straight-​up). Sweet soaked and spiced cherries were served alongside, and I could have eaten them unaccompanied, too.
Scallops, though, were the most delicious part of the meal. And really, it was the lush purée with a subtly coaxed cauliflower flavor that made the dish. It was an appetizer, and although there were only a few scallops on the plate, it was filling — especially following a first course of bread and cheese.
Pasta de Vegetales was light, coated only in garlic-​y olive oil and loaded with an array of colorful vegetables. We skipped the wine this time, but a bold cab would have capped off the meal nicely.

Really amazing food with great service. Arrived early for dinner and was seated very quickly on a Friday night. Our waitress told us about the special of the day and I was definitely glad that she did. We ordered the Tuna Tartar and Filet Mignon specials and thoroughly loved every bite of it. I would highly recommend ordering the empanadas, especially the caprese.
GREAT:
–For Dates
–Appetizers
–Coffee
–Service
TO DO:
–Order the specials
–Try the house made olive tapenade
WOULD I GO AGAIN?
–Yes, to try everything else on the menu

Tout petit restaurant avec un accueil très chaleureux. La déco est sympa, on s’y sent à l’aise, la viande d’argentine est succulente et les portions sont copieuses. Nous l’avons fait avant d’aller à la représentation de Sleep No More qui est juste à côté, bonne intuition car après le show on est trop fatigué pour aller manger.