This is a four star choice for dinner, a two star breakfast or brunch place to eat. The dinner first. It's expensive but for the quality of food (high) and the decor and ambiance (elegant, unique, lovely) very worth the price. The ribeye at under $50 is a great choice. My server was quite good, none of that fake insincere pretentious sing-song voice that so grates. She was polite, competent and quickly fixed a bartender problem. So I ordered an easy before meal cocktail, top shelf vodka martini, dry and straight up with an olive. If you know anything about cocktails you know this is just not that hard. It's just a sophisticated way of ordering pure vodka cold. But it has to be in a martini glass, that's the most iconic cocktail of all time. That's the international symbol of a bar, the silhouette of a martini glass. Well mine came warm in a water glass. I almost cried. This is just a cruel thing to do to a man who wants a martini. The waitress probably shouldn't have served it to me but I am guessing she doesn't have the sort of relationship with the bartender that would have permitted a "dude, that's not how you make a martini," and besides the restaurant manager should have been on that before it came to me. She saw my face and then listened to my step by step instructions on how to make a proper vodka martini, took it right back and came back with a better one (still the martini glass was only two thirds filled). So, I've bored you with the martini story unless you're a martini drinker and then I've horrified you. Don't let that prevent you from dining here for dinner, it's a great special occasion choice, a nice treat if you just arrived from a flight, and if your boss is footing the bill or it's tax deductible then you should eat here at least twice. For dinner. Breakfast or brunch is a different story. My waitress talked to me in the MOST annoying fake sing-song cadence abusing the English language and this is all before coffee. The prices are shocking. Continental breakfast was old bitter American coffee and I had to ask for cream and sugar. I usually drink my coffee black but this coffee just wasn't good. Continental breakfast should have some continental (European continent) coffee choices like Americano or cafe au lait. Nope, not here, not for $15! A tiny fruit bowl of cheap fruits (melons, no orange, no mango, no papaya, just the cheap stuff), and a croissant without butter or preserves (had to request a lot of stuff that usually comes with) ... You know I wouldn't have really been bothered by any of this (except the bad coffee) if it didn't cost so much. For $15, a continental breakfast should be presented in a first class manner. The more substantial breakfast choices were priced like dinner entrees at a good restaurant. It's just not a good deal even considering the lovely surroundings. read more

See all

To be clear this review is for the service only. Unclear whether the food is good or not. We made a reservation for Christmas Day and confirmed "heated, outdoor seating". Called a couple hours ahead of time to see if we could pull in our reservation by an hour and was told the reservation we had made was no longer available due to a larger party that also had a reservation around the same time. Me: "So to be clear, you're telling me our party got bumped by the larger party?" Host: "Yes." They did offer to re-seat us indoors but with Delta/Omicron raging that wasn't an option. And when were they going to tell us? When we showed up and it was too late to change our plans? read more

Service was very slow on Mothers day, we were the only ones there so I didn't know why there was such a delay. We arrived for dinner at 4pm and we had about 3 different servers for our only table. Charcutterie board was great, dinner was ok, dessert was better. read more

Our experience at Porta Blu was amazing, Jose our waiter was so sweet and helpful! He went out of his way to get what we wanted. The atmosphere and the design of this place is amazing (has hotel Nia is!) the food is pretty great too! We ordered a bottle of Roderer Rose but they were out, Jose probably saw our disappointment (it's one of my favorite champagne!) he checked with his manager to see if there was any bottle left somewhere else in the hotel (and this place is huge !) and they find a fresh bottle! It was just amazing how they went out of their way to complete our order! We got the ribeye delicious with the mashed potatoes and a salad, they completed our order with two type of different humus it's was delicious! When we asked for the dessert menu they just offered us some caramel custards with macaron and spicy dark chocolate and it was just the right amount of sweetness to end up a great meal! The manager came and introduced herself during our time there, it was so great we didn't want to leave our table! I wish I could have that type of experience in every single restaurant I go too!!! read more

See all

Fine place for lunch A colleague and I stopped in for lunch to try things out at the new Hotel Nia. At first, we thought something was wrong as we were the only ones there. But, a polite, young server sat us and we were on our way. The pate is interesting with pomegranate seeds-- a surprisingly good combination. Bread was fine. The burger and fish entrees were fine. Unremarkable, but not bad at all. Service was intermittent and the price was high for such a simple meal. Location is beautiful and the little courtyard was a fun place to walk and talk, after. May try it, again... read more

I was truly blown away with Porta Blu. Our server was a pro and led us to all the right places. I went with a salad made of dandelions which was a new one for me. I after hearing about the whole chicken I had no other choice but to go for it. Who knew Mariott's high end line could be so exquisite? Not me. Kaleb went for the vegetarian entrees and he seemed very pleased. The drinks are complex and hold their own. Definitely made for a the beginning of fun night. read more

See all

Even if you aren't a guest of Hotel Nia it's worth stopping by for Porta Blu's menu. Fresh and imaginative ingredients are just the beginning here... the menu is small but delicious. I had the hummus to start. It's as you would expect hummus to be, but the drizzle of lemon oil is what elevates it. I chose the salmon with crispy rice and pickled cauliflower as my main course. I was so pleased with the preparation of the salmon and the sides were just as amazing. As if my meal was not not perfect enough, the service was above and beyond. Javier was attentive and thoughtful and chose the best wine to pair with the food. Due to COVID, seating is patio only but the ambiance is relaxing and tranquil. Outdoor seating is plentiful and comfortable. Bring a book and enjoy! read more

Nice place for a good night good was good service a little slow love the ambiance I wish they have more California wines definitely giving a second chance read more

This place is very good. I spent 4 night at Hotel Nia and ate dinner here 2 of those nights. One at the lounge and then one in the dining room. When at the lounge I did the mindful meats burger, one of the best I've ever had, and the Caesar salad which came with a couple whole anchovies which were very good as I love anchovies. The meat used for burger is incredible!! The other meal was in the dining room and I had the grilled octopus and CAB 32oz Porterhouse. Both were outstanding. I would have given a 5 star review here but my steak was over cooked. Super high quality meat though still made for a very good steak. Nice service and full bar round it out. read more

Porta Blu - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

See all

I've been here a few times now with friends and family, everyone is blown away by literally every dish that lands on our table. We usually order the chefs tasting menu. Oysters, broccolini, summer squash, risotto, pastas, rib eye, seafood... perfection. The pacing was appreciated, giving us enough time between courses to enjoy all of the delicious food. Chef Andrew is a gem and the service is great. The space is beautiful, love to walk around and enjoy the lush landscaping and outdoor sitting areas with fire-pits. Oh and desert! Get the massive ice cream sunday. Fun to share and the cookies are bomb read more

3.5 stars. We met friends here for happy hour. They don't actually have a HH menu. The decor is beautiful-- Interesting, eclectic ambiance. Solid craft drinks (friends had Old Fashioned, Paloma, Strawberry Fields). Nicely done. For apps, we liked the cheese plate and artichoke dip. Mindful meat burger was so so. The place is pricey. Then again, it's a hotel restaurant. In the lounge area, seating arrangement is really odd and crammed. The other side has tables where it's less cacophonous but the service is super rushed. Waiters are constantly trying to clear plates while we're still eating... very bizarre. Supposedly there is on site parking, or you can valet and get three hours validation. We made the mistake of parking in the big parking garage next door where it's $5/hr (in the middle of nowhere in MP)! read more

I always wanted to stop by and eat at Porta Blu and so I came in on a Friday. Valet took care of my car, complementary as well for 2 hrs I think which it was nice. Very hip and cool decor, I can imagine this place being busy during the summer months. It looked like a quiet night and Oliver(server) was very attentive to all my needs and recommendations for the food. He also paired a wine with my burger making an amazing experience. Will def. Come back during the warmer months to sit outside! read more

Jose E at the bar took care of us! AmaZing drinks and super friendly at the bar. He definitely took care of us

We stumbled on this place randomly on yelp, to find out when we got here that it was in the Nia Hotel. I must sayC the ambiance is amazing. Beautiful decor, the food is very delicious and the alcohol pours are generous compared to most other places. read more

Porta Blu - Rosemary ham Benedict & chicken hash! - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

My wife and I had made reservations for this event: "Thanksgiving Lunch Buffet with Live Jazz THU NOV 24 2022 AT 11:00 AM TO 04:00 PM UTC-08:00 Hotel Nia, Autograph Collection | Menlo Park" Decide to call the night before to find out what was on the buffet besides turkey. And the person who answered said "I don't know what you're talking about. Let me check." He came back on and said the event had been cancelled! No one had told us. We demanded to speak to the manager, who said he was Alejandro. He did say he wanted to "make it right" somehow, and invited us to come by anyway. Except we had planned for noon, and he wasn't going to be there until 2:30 pm. And we didn't want to show up along with a crowd of other unhappy people expecting the Thanksgiving buffett and music. read more

I was looking for a restaurant in Menlo Park to accommodate a large business dinner. Wayne ( Wayne A. Duprey Director of Food & Beverage) was beyond helpful. Everyone enjoyed and had nothing but positive feedback. Great food, great service! Thank you! read more

This place has very nice decor and a cute little court yard my son had fun playing there for a while. The waiter was polite and friendly but my husband was not impressed by the $18 burger at all. He thought the meat was really dry and has no flavor at all. He ordered medium but taste more like medium well +. He was still complaining that his mouth got dry out by the burger on our way home and thought a $5 Burger King burger actually taste much better than the burger he had today. read more

Porta Blu - Lamp dip - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

It was my first time here. Our server, Jose was welcoming and attentive. He recommended the Bouillabaisse and Aperol Negroni, which were amazing. The bartender Jose greeted us and we spoke about drinks. I mentioned horchata and on a whim, he surprised us with a Rum Horchata. I was astonished by both of their remarkable hospitality in personalizing my experience. I will return because of the wonderful service and expertise. The next time I visit, I hope the Rum Horchata will be on the menu. read more

See all

First time been here, since my friend and me come to Stanford shopping center, after search yelp we choose this spot as our lunch place. Really like the environment inside and out side is really comfortable. Server is really nice, also they have valet parking for free. Food is very tasty we order their fish, crab toast, and other appetizers, if we come here shopping will come back again or we will try to stay their hotel cause the decorous really good. read more

See all

For my parent's 60th wedding anniversary we treated them a stay at Nia Hotel and dinner and lunch at the hotel's restaurant, Porta Blu. My parents had such a wonderful dinner and are still raving about their food. For dinner Mom ordered the salmon dish that was accompanied with cauliflower and dad the steak. They shared a lovely salad and added chicken to it. The following day for lunch mom ordered greens with salmon and dad the shrimp tempura. He said the shrimp were huge. They both said all their dishes were cooked to perfection and what an awesome job the chef and cooks did! My dad is extremely hard to please as anytime he eats out at restaurants he says, "meh, the food was only ok". Not this time! This time he raved about how deelish it all was and said he has not had a meal out like this in a very, very long time! They both also commented on the waiter and how personable and on top of it he was! Hats off to the chef, cooks and waiter, for making my parents 60th wedding anniversary dinner and lunch truly special. It was perfect! read more

Had a most lovely lunch here yesterday to celebrate with friends. The Hotel Nia is lovely and artfully crisp in decor and design...Porta Blu is their restaurant. Loved the ambiance and the friendly greeting. We sat in the outside patio...cozy feel. The lunch menu had a variety of options...sides, mains, salads and starters. We opted for the shrimp starter...nice flavors with an Asian flare which allowed three of us to have a few bites. I ordered the chicken kabob, it was accompanied by your choice of the salad as a side. Loved that option. The others choose a salads. They were happy with the flavors and size. Give this place a try read more

I really wanted to like this place the grounds and interior are impressive. We came in for brunch with a small group of 6. I arrived a little early and decided to get a coffee before the rest of the party arrived. I was excited because Verve is one of my favorites. Well that's when it went down hill, the snobby employee had absolutely zero customer service skills I asked for a simple drink and she replied with an attitude like it was my fault they didn't have anymore chai. Anyway my Latte was not of the quality I get in a real store. Zero points for them. Moving on from the terrible experience at the coffee bar. We had ordered several menu items all of them were less than desirable. The Wagyu steak and eggs was the the top 5 worst steaks I have had. It didnt have any flavor and was cold. The eggs were over cooked and also cold. The crab toast was the only thing that was half way decent. We also had a fruit bowl, ok folks we live in California where ripe delicious fruit is readily available unlike the hard bland fruit that was served. The toast was a joke. At the prices they charge a nice slice of artisan bread would have been nice. What they served was some crappy white wonder bread knock off. I would like to say our waiter Matt and the Raymond did a wonderful job. You could see it in their eyes when they brought out the food it was not going to be good. Not only that the food arrived sporadically. In a land of amazing brunch spots Porta Blu is easily removed from any further visits. read more

See all

Porta Blu does not live up to the Marriott standard with it's breakfast fare. I've been here a few times and I'm reviewing this restaurant based in 4 visits. For this visit I ordered eggs over medium and a fruit plate. The eggs were overcooked and rubbery. The wheat toast was marginal at best and did not have butter on it. The bacon was low-grade and undercooked. The potatoes were actually the worst part. Way too salty, undercooked and I'm not sure what flavor they were trying to go for. The fruit plate came after the hot breakfast which is normally not the way it is. Giving this place at 3 is generous. My breakfast was $42 before tip. OJ $7.00? Ok, I travel a ton. IF the food is awesome, charge me $42. It's bacon and eggs kids! read more

See all

The food is bad. I've eaten my way through most of the menu and nothing is appealing. I've tried several things from appetizers to salads to main courses and seriously I haven't managed to find one above-average thing. Most things are sub-par. For e.g. the cavatelli pasta is ALL garlic (I love garlic but this literally had no balance), the cheese/char plate was not fresh or well put together and the hummus appetizer was meh. Their menu looks exciting but for a nice boutique hotel restaurant, they really need better quality and tasting food. Oh and the kitchen is the most inflexible one - ever! The front staff are really nice though and service has always been attentive. read more

This review is for EJ who is an absolute superstar! My team was in town for our company offsite and several of us stayed at Hotel Nia. We shared many drinks, apps and laughs in Porta Blu, and EJ was truly the host with the most. Super attentive, kind, and helpful with our requests to merge tables and bills. Ask for EJ if you find yourself at Porta Blu, you won't be disappointed! read more

Saw good reviews and have been wanting to try it out so the hubby and I came. Our server was great and that's about where the goodness stopped. My cup of decaf was acidic. Asked for a second cup and it was better. Ordered the french toast... presentation was bad. Taste was decent. My hubby ordered the traditional breakfast. The bacon was microwaved...how and why? The eggs were to be over medium and arrived over hard but the potatoes were yummy. For the cost people expect more. Food should be prepared correctly and presented well for the price point. Won't be returning. read more

We had dinner here and was excited to try the crab cakes. It wasn't what I had expected but that was okay because who doesn't like trying something new?! First bite of the crab was so salty! I had to wash it down with my drink. The rest of the dosh continued to be super salty, like the chef accidentally seasoned the dish with 2-3 times the amount of salt. Also had the ribeye which was okay. Kind of disappointed and wanted to like this place because Hotel Nia is such a beautiful hotel and I love coming here for some R&R. The bill came out to about $200 for dinner and drinks. read more

See all

I was excited to eat at Porta Blu because it's a beautiful restaurant with a promising menu. We came here for my friends birthday dinner. It's nice that the valet is complimentary for the first two hours. However, our server, a lady with dark hair, was disgraceful. First we asked for recommendations to which she replied "I dont have any". I caught her multiple time glaring at us and talking about our table with other servers, saying things like "they screwed up ordering their entrees". What actually happened was she took half the tables' order, went to put it into the system, then forgot to come back for the other's orders. She came back ten minutes later to take theirs. Of course our food came out in segments. It was so awkward. I told the restaurant manager what was going on. When I returned to the table, this server poured water for literally every single person, except for me, then walked away. I had to ask 4 separate times for a martini. Giving two stars because the food was alright. Could've been more flavorful. Never going back because of this offensive service read more

Prices are high for average food. If you are looking for a good latte keep looking. Loved the quinoa breakfast my husband was disappointed with the hash. Service was slow- they may just be working out the kinks of being a new establishment. read more

Warning: don't be fooled by the aesthetics of this establishment. I am unsure which element here is worse- the food or the service. I am not sure if any spices were used to marinate the chicken as it was extremely bland. A bowl of white rice has more flavor. Furthermore, the meat selection for the lamb was quite awful. They must have bought it from the sale section at Lucky's supermarket, a store that I would never shop at. While we were eating appetizers, we noticed that compliments of the chef were being brought to a table across the room. We inquired about said compliments of the chef and only then were they offered to us. Having to request the items being offered to select guests as compliments is quite appalling to me and classless. I had hoped this establishment would hold itself to high standards of service and offer quality food. I do not recommend this establishment to anyone. read more

Porta Blu - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

We had breakfast here after our stay and the service was impeccable. Vivíana was so welcoming and charming, that made the experience much better. The food was great and the place is out of this world glad I decided to have breakfast here thank you again for everything!! read more

Porta Blu - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

See all

They had limited menu due to Covid! But we really appreciated our server, he was very pleasant and attentive to us.

Great food and service! Drinks are quite pricey, but be atmosphere is gorgeous and the service was absolutely spectacular. Average cocktail: $17 Average entree: $30 read more

See all

My coworkers and I love coming to this bar after work. Jose is our absolute favorite bartender and makes amazing cocktails! read more

Porta Blu - New American Near Me - Menlo Park, California

This restaurant has a lot of potential but they need to educate their staff more and the food could use some work. We tried the pescadero lettuces, sourdough boule and both ordered the Skuna Bay salmon. The salad and bread were full of flavor. The salmon however was chewy and overcooked and drenched in butter/oil. I asked for it to be cooked medium rare and the server said that wasn't possible and it had to be "room temperature"...that is literally the first time any server has said no to that simple request! We also asked for a wine suggestion and he had to go ask someone else if white or red was more popular in that region. Then we had to ask for waters a couple of times etc...overall it was a mediocre experience. read more

Excellent atmosphere with attentive service and great food quality! Beverages are top notch! Highly recommend this place.

Mediterranean food is so good they were bought out for 2 weeks by a saudi group when they first opened. Service is also very good. Their seabright latte is not on the menu but a must try if you like lattes. We went there for breakfast and then back for lunch with a bunch of friends. read more

See all

Viviana was great! Fantastic drinks, wonderful plating as well. We're locals and we wanted a time away. Validated parking and welcoming environment. read more

Went here for dinner. A lot of happy hour gatherings going on. The environment and set up looked great. The food and drinks were not however...Drinks menu had nothing special and were not even made great - their 'botanist gin and tonic' tasted like a random house gin and soda water. Food was underwhelming - fries were soggy, the ny steak was gristly and had no taste. Would give it another shot because of the vibe but the food and service was forgetful. read more

This review is strictly for EJ. I had the pleasure of having EJ as my server during a stay at Hotel Nia and his service was outstanding. Though the bar/restaurant was overwhelmingly busy, EJ maintained a high level of professionalism. Every order came out on time and accurately. He was extremely attentive and provided a high level of respect and consideration for each guest. Kudos Hotel Nia for adding an incredible meme we to your team. I would come back to this hotel just to have such a pleasant experience again. read more