Portico Restaurant

What a surprising GEM at the edge of Goochland County on River Road. The atmosphere is amazing and food exceedingly went beyond our expectations! Elias the server was excellent and very knowledgeable of the menu and recommendations!
Can’t wait to bring our friends for a dinner date night!
Highly recommended.
Enjoy

I made a reservation here a few weeks ago for my boyfriend’s 30th birthday dinner (party of 2). I used the OpenTable app and someone from the restaurant called to confirmed the day before. I loved being able to adjust easily the time as I had moved the reservation back the day before to 7:30pm. I’m always hesitant to dine at establishments (bad service, lack of menu items, etc.) close to their closing time and when I moved the reservation back I didn’t realize they closed at 9pm on Mondays. However, Portico exceeded my expectations.

The hostess wished my boyfriend and happy birthday once I confirmed my name, loved that! The restaurant is beautiful and I can see why the patio is so popular. There were people dining on the patio as it was covered and looked heated. The indoor setting is very intimate so I think it’d be great for a date night!

I had to take a picture of our receipt because I forgot our server’s name at the end of the night but she, Cora was great. Cora was very patient, polite, and gave great details. She also didn’t make us feel rushed once! We followed just about all of her recommendations and they didn’t miss. My boyfriend got the brown buttered old fashioned and ranked it as his all time favorite cocktail and I had the Buckshot which she recommended because I like ginger.

Now Italian is the cuisine I eat the least and never really crave (I ate too much spaghetti as a kid) so I wasn’t sure what I wanted and went with Cora’s favorite dish, the gnocchi. I wanted to add a protein and took Cora’s rec for the sausage as opposed to shrimp due to the red sauce and she was right! The flavors were amazing and everything was cooked perfectly. I’ve had gnocchi 2 other times and this is by far the best. I also added a Caesar salad to my dish and it was big enough to split and was brought out before our entrees. I asked to remove the tomato’s and kept the artichoke and both my boyfriend and I agree it’s in the top 2 of best Caesar salads we’ve ever had, and we love those! My boyfriend had the NY strip steak and loved it, it was cooked and seasoned just right. We opted out of apps and desserts because we went to a HH beforehand. The portions were perfect as we both had leftovers for lunch today. I absolutely will be visiting here again when I can enjoy the patio in warmer months, 10/10 recommend!

Our family was driving through this very quaint and lush residential neighborhood when we caught a glimmer of this restaurant out of the corner of our eye. We looked it up because if you know us, we're always looking for new and exciting places to eat. We found that Portico is a gorgeous Italian restaurant with a surprisingly large indoor dining space and exceptional outdoor dining option. The ambiance is exquisite. They have a respectable bar and their menu, which may be seasonal, has quite the innovative menu with no shortage of delicious options. Their attention to details did not go unnoticed. The taste was refined and the presentations were spot on. We highly recommend this place for memorable and intimate family meal.

I always look forward to having dinner here because it is truly an experience. Not only is the food authenticity Italian, fresh and delicious, but the atmosphere is warm, intimate and inviting . I personally enjoy the patio in the summer, but it's available all year round .
I ordered the Manhattan cocktail, caprese and homemade manicotti with marinara sauce. So light and delicious. I also ordered the limoncello cake dessert. (We saved room for dessert and took home leftovers from dinner)
My friend ordered eggplant puntinesca, and chocolate ice cream dessert.
We will be talking about this dinner for days!
Make reservations! Friendly staff and owner💕
Buon Appettito!

Perfectly off the beaten path! Atmosphere was wonderful. Food was excellent. Service was impeccable!

Our experience was Wonderful! Can’t wait to return when the weather warms up so we can enjoy the outside dining they offer😊, which was absolutely beautiful as well onlooking! Our server was awesome as well! 💃🏽

We love eating here! The food is delicious and the cocktails are amazing!! Bethany was an amazing server!

###Update### ok, just gonna put this out there. Absolutly one of the best pizzas Ive ever had! The sausage, pepperoni, the pesto, everything just freaking works! One of my absolute favorites. You wont find a more professional staff and the food is out of this world. You're gonna pay for it but its really really good. The quaint cottage feel, the outdoor pation and fireplace with the perfectly groomed grounds make this a "go-to" for celebratory meals.

Quaint Italian restaurant on River Road with a full bar.
We had 5:00 reservations and were seated promptly. Ordered a beautiful Chianti and some appetizers- small Caesar salad , the garlic baguette (this is a pass for next visit) and the portobello mushroom appetizer which was so flavorful I could have had it for dinner with the salad and be perfectly content.
For entrees we ordered penne vodka, penne bolognese with meatballs (which were a bit spicy), baked spaghetti (!!), rosemary chicken, and lamb risotto. All were incredibly delicious and I finished my entire dish of baked spaghetti.
Completely satisfying and not overly stuffed but we passed on desserts.
An excellent choice if your in the Henrico area.

Excellent atmosphere and attentive service. Drink orders were brought promptly. Kitchen service was also exceptionally fast. I sampled a friend's fried artichoke appetizer which was quite flavorful. I had the burger and fries for my entree. It was definitely a cut above. The bun was fresh baked, most likely onsite. The burger was grilled perfectly to order with a well balanced blend of fat to lean. Produce was fresh and good quality. Fries were fresh cut and just crisp. Expansive bar and wine list.

Very Family friendly as a mom of 2 with a toddler and baby, I love the patio my kids were able to walk around while we waited for our food, staff and server was super friendly and kind, I loveee the mocktails I had the season change it was very tasty I ordered 2. Price was affordable for a family of four our bill came to $80 with appetizers. I would recommend very good food

We save up for 2 months to frequent this restaurant. So yes they never disappoint.
Here was our recent dinner January 10, 2024

Went this past Sunday! Look this restaurant has service perfect— presentation… perfect…. Look right to the point this place deserves your business!! This is the restaurant we have chosen to celebrate our up coming wedding anniversary! Our legacy 22 years ! And 23 years now! You all need to give this restaurant a try. A hidden gem. Service was impeccable and spot on! Cake designed by me and produced by Publix with cannoli filling. You must give this place a try outdoor seating is amazing. Service, Service and Service. !! The beer was really cold and it was Devils Backbone!

Food was wonderful! Calamari was crisp and tasty. Seafood crepe was yummy. Eggplant parm delicious. Penne with chicken flavorful.

It’s hard to think of anything more that one could want from a restaurant experience at Portico. Really great rotating specials as well as solid pasta staples (esp their Hanover tomato burrata when in season, it is so delicious). 5/5 - a nice quiet lunch under shade with a dozing kitty nearby, what more could you ask for?

Went without reservations and the host was kind and found us a nice table with a great view to the patio. Food was great, hot and feels fresh. Beautiful place perfect for a special occasion or just because. Will definitely return.

Best restaurant for calamari. Lightly Battered, perfect tender doneness. Filet on specials menu had a maillard with almost a crunch, delicious.

What a lovely experience! The food was exceptional and the staff were friendly and welcoming. We ordered the caprese for an appetizer and it was absolutely delicious! For entrees, we decided on penne a la vodka and baked spaghetti with meatballs - wow! Both were delicious and with large enough portions to take home. Additionally, we had the wedge salad and a caesar salad - again, very tasty. To finish the meal, I ordered the limoncello layer cake and it was delightful and light - the perfect dessert! We will definitely return soon !

One of the best in Richmond… Food is amazing. Little expensive but it really flavorful food. Totally worth.
Atmosphere is at its best. Outside seating is available with heated tent.. file place. Location.. it has a vibe. Specially during fall color, this is such a nice place.. recommend for date nights as well.

Portico continues to be my favorite place to dine al Fresco. The shrimp tempura and fried artichoke hearts were outstanding. Our entrees were delicious and beautifully presented. You must save room for dessert as they are celestial . The ambiance on the patio surrounded by a meticulously kept garden makes for a relaxing dinner. This is the place to go for special celebrations or when you want to pamper yourself. We’ve traveled a bit and can tell you without reservation Richmond is truly blessed to have such an epicurean delight in our own backyard!! Thanks to Paolo and his team for providing another wonderful meal

The calamari did not disappoint, and we loved the seafood crepes and rockfish. Finished the night off with sformato and cappucinos!