Portofino calls itself the best Italian restaurant in Old Quebec, and for good reason.

The Italian bistro is in a great location on the rue Couillard inside the city walls of Old Quebec. The building is an old home dating back to 1760. The decor was warm and cozy, and everything from the menu to the staff were very kid friendly.

We started with their assorted appetizer platter because it had a little of everything we wanted to try. The homemade Fondue Parmesan with prosciutto as well as the Bocconcini with tomatoes and basil really stood out.

They have a wood burning oven that makes great pizza! We also tried some of their house favorites including the filet mignon with prosciutto and asiago cheese sauce and the Cuttlefish ink black linguine, scallops, shrimp, clams, and crab in a sundried tomato, olive oil and white wine sauce. The filet mignon was very unique with the prosciutto and cheese on top and also very tasty. The linguine had just the right amount of fish and sauce and had a great flavor. I can see why they are the house’s two favorites!

For dessert we had the strawberry tartufo simply because it was different. We expected strawberry ice cream in a chocolate shell but were pleasantly surprised when we saw the strawberry ice cream was covered in what seemed to be a thin cake. It tasted more like a strawberry shortcake and it was delicious!

Portofino is located at 54 rue Couillard in Old Québec.