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Portofino
Restaurants
By Andra Kunstberga.
14.03.2013
Walk into Portofino, located at the far end of the Art Nouveau district a little beyond where tourists conventionally tread, and the fine-dining atmosphere hits you immediately.
the restaurant initially feels a little out of place. It’s a quiet residential neighborhood with few offices or cafés. But you should definitely go the extra mile to seek it out.
Named after the upmarket resort village known for its picturesque harbor of pastel-colored houses nestled on cliffs overlooking the bay, Portofino would probably not disappoint any of the famous fishing village’s celebrity visitors if they came strolling in.
A finely attired and somewhat stiff waiter will help you choose a table – one that hasn’t already been reserved. Each of the tables is faultlessly laid on an immaculate tablecloth, wine glasses and cutlery gleaming in abundant light shining from four massive arched windows by day, or four similarly proportioned lampshades by night.
The Jugendstil design of the windows betrays the date of the building’s construction from the early 20th century. An elegant, magnificently restored staircase rises to a mezzanine where private business gatherings can assemble away from prying eyes.
After you order, a small compliment may arrive at your table – in our case prosciutto wrapped around a piece of pineapple. There will also be a basket of warm, slightly toasted homemade breads made with pistachio, with sundried tomatoes, and with olives.
The menu boasts some excellent soups, such as lobster and celery cream soup with sea scallops (€8) and Bouillabaisse.
There are also some of the best pizzas and pasta dishes to be found in Riga, together with anything else you’d expect to find in Italy’s finest ristorantes or trattorias. The menu also contains mains with chief ingredients varying from grilled rib-eye steak and rabbit to tuna, salmon and tiger shrimps.
But we ordered a risotto, with pikeperch and asparagus (€9.80). It arrived suitably creamy, starchy and sticky, the rice al dente and the fish flesh soft and fresh.
We enjoyed some sublime carrot juice with the meal, but of course the restaurant boasts a superb wine list. Shelves and cabinets of full bottles, mostly reds, make up much of Portofino’s interior décor.
There is no better place than Portofino for a business meeting over dinner or for a secluded dining date. Whoever you’re taking out, they’re sure to be impressed.
