This place was highly recommended by our concierge of Churchill hotel.
For a Sunday evening, it was still early at 19:30, so the place was relatively calm.
Had a wonderful Italian girl with a great smile helping us with the food choices...
The pics below are of some of the dishes we had...
All I remember is the food being real good and British!
Was having a cacophony inside my mind....nothing much registered...
Must try eatery though...
Typical British Pub with typical British breakfast.
Enjoyed some Assam tea with scrambled eggs and salmon. The salmon is excellent!
Also had soft boiled eggs with soldiers and it was good too!
Nice staff and service.
A smart-casual gastropub in Marylebone from the same folks behind the Running Footman in Mayfair.
While the ground flour houses an archetypal local pub, the restaurant upstairs is a cheerful and cosy space with soft leather banquettes and heaps of natural sunlight drifting in through the large country-style window.
Dinner here was a hearty and wholesome affair, centred on a vibrant veggie risotto of peas, broad beans and tender asparagus stems.
I could begin as many other posts I have read seem to do – by talking about the location, the premise and the décor of the restaurant. Instead, I will start with a more intellectual introduction to The Portman. When I initially heard the word “Portman” my mind turned to thoughts of the sea. What was a Portman? My educated guess was that it was maybe a man who tended ports? I thought the restaurant must be heavy on maritime dishes in that case. With my curiosity afire I searched the dictionary for the meaning. To Portman is to make a sudden about face on an issue because of recently release information which contradicts a previous stance. Rather apt in these times with politicians being pilloried by the release of the Panama Papers.
The Accidental Socialite
+3.5
I love free food, so when The Portman invited me to have dinner (partially) on them, I was like, ummm, yes please! The Portman is a gastro pub situated on top of a real pub near Marble Arch. I wasn’t sure I was at the right place at first because downstairs kind of feels like an old man’s pub. However, as I had a drink downstairs and waited for my other half, their hits of 2010 playlist was on fleek! Don’t let the exterior fool you!
When I walked into The Portman, I genuinely thought it was just a typical pub because it looked like a typical pub. . Quite frankly, it is a typical gastropub. But then we were directed to go upstairs. And I was pretty surprised. Whilst the downstairs area is more watering hole and gastro, the dining room upstairs is a bit more of a proper resto, with those French bistro booths and soft lights that make everything and everyone look pretty.
I thought food at The Portman's dining room was decent enough. The menu has a lot of classics and comforting favourites. It was nice and cosy up there and service was lovely. And don't get me started on that cheesecake. Nor that bowl of bouillabaisse. I think with a teeeeeeensy bit more refinement it could just be very outstanding.
The Accidental Socialite
+3.5
I love free food, so when The Portman invited me to have dinner (partially) on them, I was like, ummm, yes please! The Portman is a gastro pub situated on top of a real pub near Marble Arch. I wasn’t sure I was at the right place at first because downstairs kind of feels like an old man’s pub. However, as I had a drink downstairs and waited for my other half, their hits of 2010 playlist was on fleek! Don’t let the exterior fool you!
It was really hard to choose what to eat. I was leaning towards the crispy squid but my love of soups got the better of me and I had the broccoli and Stilton soup of the day. It was so good! Not too blue cheesy and the croutons were covered in garlic butter. It was a tad too hot though, so by the time I was able to eat the croutons, they were a little soggy. Still delicious. My husband had the ravioli that was fresh, al dente and tasty. I liked that they allowed you to chose if you wanted to have the sauce and how much.
Wrap Your Lips Around This
+3.5
The Portman is a handsome pub and restaurant in Marylebone, from the same group behind The Only Running Footman in Mayfair and the soon to be launched Pizzabuzz in the City. The ground floor is home to an unassuming pub whilst the first floor transforms into a smart restaurant. Mustard round-backed chairs and frothy chocolate banquettes fill out the petite proportions of the upstairs restaurant, and the general look is of an upmarket village gastropub, enhanced I’m sure by the gorgeous blue sky peaking in through country windows.
The Food Connoisseur
+3.5
Marylebone Portman Village is a lovely little quarter with a few shops, restaurants around. So it’s a relief to have The Portman, an unexpected pub, don’t be fooled by the exterior. Even though it looks like your standard gastro pub, hidden on the first floor is an elegant dining restaurant.
Service was prompt; as soon as we were seated drink orders were taken. The servers kindly told us about a few dishes were running low or there was none left.
A complimentary basket of assorted bread was offered to us. The beautifully golden brown slices, with a slight crust, soft fluffy middle. Accompanied with an extremely creamy salted butter.
My poached duck egg were super bright white, a little poke and the golden yellow yolk juice flooded around its neighbouring surroundings. The enoki mushrooms were a little on the salty side, but was mopped up quickly by the egg and toast.
For mains I went after the lemon sole since I had so much meat during the week, I thought I go easy on my stomach. Expertly cooked grilled to perfection, the fish flesh flaked off the bones. The saffron combined the flavour of sea, and grass, a little overpowering for me, trust me the fish was good on it’s on. The clams came with full-bodied pack with flavour, absorbing the fennel broth.
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This is an interesting place with some good surprises. Made a reservation for the pub and landed up at the restaurant which was a really good looking place, something I would definitely not expect as the extension of a pub. This came with its pros and cons. Had the homemade ravioli which was just perfect! I could write a detailed review just about the ravioli. I was disappointed with no burgers on the menu (only to later realise the pub downstairs does serve it!).
Maybe this is just me, but when I choose a restaurant which is the extension of a pub, I am also thinking of a certain price point which the restaurant exceeds. I might not be alone in my thoughts re price as the place was very quiet upstairs and buzzing downstairs (also had good outdoor seating, which was a definite plus).
Ordered the Chocolate pudding which was quite dry. Overall though, good experience, ambience and wine. Perhaps a tad overpriced in my opinion for a restaurant which is an extension of a pub, but that's just me!
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After a long food-restricted morning I really needed something to perk my spirits back up. Me and my colleague thought we would drop by The Portman to see if we could get a nice wholesome brunch. Unfortunately when we looked at the menu we realised we had missed the brunch service by about 30 minutes! But not to fear, we asked the waitress whether it might still be possible to have something from that menu (accompanied by our best attempt at puppy dog eyes possible) and she was very accommodating. It's nice to see this kind of flexibility and really set us up nicely for the meal.
After all this we both decided to order the waffles (Mine with bacon, hers with fresh fruit – I know who's winning!). We were told by the waitress that these have been called some of the best waffles in London and this wasn't really too far from the truth. Although not quite the best I've had they are definitely up there. Nice and fluffy with a lovely maple syrup on top. The only gripe was personally I prefer streaky bacon over the traditional thick-cut on these style brunches but as this is a British gastropub this might be slightly unreasonable. A bit more generosity would've been nice as well considering the price (just shy of a tenner)
Overall however this meal was just what I needed, so a big thank you to the great service and willingness to accommodate our annoying requests :)
Absolutely gorgeous food, a great drinks menu and fantastic service. With a relaxed bar downstairs and an elegant dining room upstairs, the Portman works perfectly for anything from causal drinks with friends or for taking mum and dad out to dinner. Will definitely be back for the delicious squid again!
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Cool place, the Portman. Visited on a very cold night with a few friends so it was nice to walk into the familiar pub but then it was even nicer when I got to discover the upstairs (which was by accident). In fact you’d have a hard time “discovering” the upstair unless you are a girl and head to the toilets.
Nonetheless the restaurant on the top is very intimate and inviting - I’d say perfect for a date. It’s quite and you don’t get to hear the buzz from the downstairs which made it so perfectly comfortable.
The girls that were serving there that night could be a bit more subtle and careful, however. Was a bit annoyed that one of them made us wait just to sort out the table and instead headed of to help some other customers. Then it took her even longer to give us the menu. Given that it’s just 2 of them and there were 2 other busy tables that shouldn’t have been an issue at all.
Food was very well presented and delicious, certainly makes you think of the chef. I’d however look at is as an international cuisine rather than just british. Unfortunately I was quite full already so only went for a salad and a desert. Ordered the Bocconcini, Avocado and Heirloom Tomato salad as a main and absolutely loved everything about it. The desert was ok, but wouldn’t order it again. I had the Spring Berry Pavlova - quite simple and you can’t really go wrong with it. The meringue however was so hard, I had to use a knife and even then it was flying out of my plate whenever trying to cut it. At least it made my friends laugh. The passion fruit syrup all over it was a good touch tough. We also shared a bottle of wine and ended up splitting the pill. It turned out to be about 28 pounds each. A bit overpriced in my opinion as for those money you can easily have a brilliant steak at some of the household names around London. The Portman doesn’t really rival with those in my head.
Would go back however, simply because I like to hide, I like a good ambience and get very annoyed at the constant buzz in most other zone 1 restaurants. I’d love to go back and have more wine and maybe try a heavier main course one day.
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The Portman is a surprisingly delightful combination of a pub and restaurant, although the formal dining area upstairs is an unexpected feature that most visitors might have no clue about. The pub downstairs is lively and comfortable and seemed like the local hub for many even though the regular pub fare is quite pricey.
What was disappointing though was the fact that the waitress who showed us to the only available small little table for two; failed to mention that there was seating available upstairs when a third friend joined us for the evening. We were planning on squeezing ourselves in and were slightly depressed about the meal that we would have to experience bundled up together like that. It was only by chance that we realized there was an upstairs area and asked if It would be possible for us to make the shift. Upon arriving upstairs we were shocked to find that it was completely empty and they could have easily given us a table there. I understand that we had made the booking for the pub downstairs for two, but a suggestion for the space upstairs would have helped both parties greatly.
Nonetheless, the meal in itself apart from it being quiet and intimate was also a delicious experience. I ordered for the pie of the day which was a Pork & Cider one on this occasion. Honestly, I wasn’t prepared for how satisfying such a simple dish could be. Succulent and baked to perfection, the pie is definitely something I will go back to The Portman for. The Passionfruit & Mango Sorbet that I ordered for dessert was fresh and modest, a perfect end to the night. I tasted some of the Bocconcini & Basil Salad which similarly was garden-fresh and satisfying.
Unfortunately, one of my friends was left feeling a little disgruntled since she was desperately craving a burger but there was none on the menu. Imagine our surprise therefore when we found the gentleman next to us being served with one a few minutes before our food was to arrive. Our waitress served us with no consolation because her response to our pointing out the lack of a Burger on the menu was “Well if you don’t ask, you don’t get”, as if we were supposed to just ask for random dishes on the off-chance that they serve it. In all fairness though, the Burger did look absolutely gorgeous.
In a nutshell: Must visit for a mouth-watering dinner, if you are willing to bring out the big bucks. Service could be more customer friendly
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The contact address may say Upper Berkeley Street, but The Portman Pub & Restaurant is very much part of the dynamic dining scene of its cross street corner – Seymour Place, home to Lockhart, Vinoteca, Sandy’s and Donostia. After my Friday night dinner, I’m pleased to report this Marylebone gastropub just a short jaunt from Marble Arch does a good job keeping up with the competition.
Like its sister pub, The Only Running Footman down the road in Mayfair, The Portman features a lively pub downstairs with a more subdued tablecloth serviced restaurant upstairs. The two pubs share similar menus and wine lists, but the vibe’s a bit more laid back and casual at The Portman. Prices are a little cheaper too.
Remembering how much I loved my crispy squid, coriander and spring onions with chilli and lime aioli when I visited the Footman last month, I was curious to see how Portman’s version (£8.50 as a starter, £13.50 as a main) compared. It was a great starter that I was happy to woofed down. My main course of grilled lemon sole with samphire and clams (£20.75) pleased as well. A mineral and crsip 2012 Cortese Amonte, Volpi (£21.50 for a bottle) pared nicely with both dishes. A scoop of coconut sorbet (£1.95) – another remembered yummy from my dine at the Footman – ended things on a deliciously smooth and creamy note.
Service was attentive and friendly. The upstairs dining room, comfy and smart.
We stumbled across this place while searching for breakfast. We had lunch instead, and was not disappointed. The food was delicious! Try one of the summer spritzers ~ yummy!
Katherine Soucie-Douglas
+5
Loved coming by yesterday with our dog Toro. We are planning to have our wedding lunch there in September and wanted to come and have the experience beforehand. Great service and food. Thank you and look forward to coming back on September 10t with family from Canada and our dog Toro and guests! Love that you are dog friendly :)
I will never get tired of The Portman! The best pub in the WHOLE of West London. Amazing service, delicious food and a wide range of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The panzanella salad special with goats curd was slightly on the greasy side for me (slimming world changed my eating habits), but i still ate it all, because it tasted good! Pickled walnuts & goats curd in the mix 🤌🏾 The beef dripping croutons were special! If the salad is on their specials board again, i'm buying bread to mop up the oil. You should too! :)
Very friendly staff, a decent selection of beers on tap (Two Tribes Dream was our favourite) and a fantastically tasty Sunday roast for four vegetarians. Both the dukkah and the wellington are recommended. We had quite a loud, excited baby with us but the staff and locals were very patient. The specials looked good, we'll be back to try those and desserts, with hopefully a quieter kid in tow!
We had 16 people and the team at Portman were fantastic. Started cooking the roasts when everyone had arrived, the Roasts were top quality and the team checked in on us for drinks throughout. 10/10
Lovely London back street pub, fab Sunday roast! Extensive drinks range, Welcoming & personable service 😊
Luke & team you’re the best ❤️
The Portman ticks all the boxes, we will be back 🙏 xx
A really nice pub with a welcoming atmosphere. The staff is amazingly warm and welcoming. Giving extra attention to my 80+ father was so sweet! Truly recommend this place.
Friendly, attentive service from the team on a Saturday lunchtime. Loved sitting on an outside table on a very quiet road. Excellent food (the hake in particular) and top quality cask ale. Our first time here but we will be back!
Fantastic experience at this pub - waitress was friendly and suggested an excellent special of the day. Steak was cooked to perfection and we also shared a nacho appetizer that did not disappoint! Would return again when in London, Cheers!
Loved the old school pub vibe, wooden tables, people drinking in the streets and great atmosphere. But not too old. The food was very good for what it was - old school pub food: fish and chips, simple stuff. I knew exactly what I was getting and it lived up to the billing in spades. Great friendly staff as well!
We celebrated my sons bday with lunch at this most wonderful pub courtesy of Dar Lewis. The food was beyond pub Gastro, the battered fish n chips was delicious and only bettered by the finest pint of Guinness I’ve ever quaffed in London. Our party was delighted with the whole experience, highly recommended, we will be back…. Did I mention the Guinness 😎
Nice and cozy restaurant with well-made creative dishes. Though the ingredients and some of the dishes we ordered could be found in other restaurants, the way they seasoned them and made them were quite different.
Overall speaking, the dishes were flavorful but not overwhelming. The cheesecake was very delicious and too overly sweet as well.
Lovely pub to chill at. Service was excellent. We only had bar snacks but it was lovely. Excellent pub experience.
Best pub experience in my London trip! Bartenders are very friendly and professional. I love the drink Ricky made for me, the taste was exactly what I want! This is the place I will absolutely come back to!
We had several meals here and each one was wonderful. Luke, the manager, was incredible. Attentive, courteous, and friendly. Epitomizes what Pub life should be. Family.
Great Sunday roast with the lamb for two superb as was the beef and the cauliflower cheese and greens on top ...lovely service and nice spot outside .....had a great day that turned into a soirees over the bank holiday ...thanks all and see you soon !
Amazing food and friendly staff.
Warning portion sizes are BIG and tasty
One specific thing we wanted on our vacation/holiday was a Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding. This meal did not disappoint. Everything was fabulous! From the Limoncello Spritzer to the roast, even the background music, it was just as we had hoped! Made for a memorable Mother’s Day. Highly recommend The Portman!
Great food, excellent service in really atmospheric place. Good selection of drinks, it has all you could expect from nice gastro pub.
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