Portage

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 wasn't 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

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.

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.

This place was my favourite restaurant in st John's 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 I've 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!

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.

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!

We just had a very special culinary experience at Portage. If you are into fine dining this is a must try in St. John's. Even if you aren't into "fine dining" , Portage strikes the right kind of notes making it a bit on the more casual side. It isn't 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. I'll 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 we've 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 don't 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 don't 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 isn't 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 - it's a massive flavor explosion that is difficult to describe. But don't sleep on the vegetable dishes here. This was my favorite dish. My wife's favorite dish was the steak. This was definitely one of the best steaks we've 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 don't 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 isn't 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 Raymond's 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 there's 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!

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.

Absolute treat for the senses! The quality of ingredients brings each platter to life in a sensational way! A new favorite in St. John’s!!

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.

Directions to Portage with public transportation

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