I love this place. It doesn't get any better than buying local from here. I live a few blocks away and go here all the time. The couple that owns are phenomenal. Super friendly and always have great suggestions! Now for the wine.... They have such a great selection of wines and the owners have great descriptions and suggestions for a lot of them. I love how the shop is organized and it's a joy every time I go in there and talk wine, buy wine, browse wine etc. read more

I've been going to Portalis for years. I used to work in the local wine industry. Since Portalis specializes in imports and is a haven for small family vinyards -- this place is a marvel for me. The service is excellent - Jens and Julie are very knowledgeable but low key - letting you make your own discoveries unless asked. They are also wonderful people who share their love of culture and wine (as well as craft beers!) readily if you are open to dialogue. I suspect their wine club deals are very good because they have various sales making the more expensive products accessible and these sales are numerous - indicating a vibrant trade is in full swing. Today it is a rare thing to have such fine imports available at affordable prices. If you sign up for their newsletter, you will get a monthly reminder of their tasting schedule featuring beautiful wines. There is a small fee which is waived with a purchase. I'm always glad to see a small fee, it indicates high quality offerings and keeps the focus on quality rather than quantity. These people lack pretense, are generous and dedicated to their business. It is no wonder they have survived multiple decades and a pandemic. Drop by any day but Monday. read more

The selection is fantastic and the owner is amazing. He's knowledgeable and made me feel very welcome.

One of my favorite secret spots in Paris is a wine shop. The particular wine shop I am thinking of is tiny and serves a multi-course meal, and epic food pours out of a pint sized kitchen. Here, one dish is better than the last. It goes without saying the wine they pour is excellent. Portalis on Ballard Avenue is a Seattle wine shop, and while we have only ever come here for drinks, and not for food, it feels to us like another secret spot all the same. A handful of tables at the front of the shop, dimly lit with flickering candles, and behind that a full bar with stools sits alongside a wine shop with stacked bottles in wine cellar formation. Portalis is a good quiet spot to grab a glass of wine before dinner, or a Jameson or port after dinner. Its melllow, unassuming, casual, wine forward. It happens to be far more low-key than some of the hyper, fun, loud activity on Ballard Avenue, making it a nice (sshhh!) spot for couples or friends hoping for a conversation & ambiance. A little secret spot worth sharing. read more

What a gem! We were introduced to Portalis through the wine club, which was a perfect wedding gift! Everything we tried was wonderful, and really turned us into legit wine afficionados! The tasting notes that accompanied each month's selections were so interesting and helpful. Jens is super friendly and we really enjoyed the wine tastings pre-COVID. Portalis carries a lot of unusual and hard to find wines. Definitely one of our favorite wine shops in Seattle! read more

This place was awesome!! We had a Pinot Noir around the world wine tasting and then we spent a few hours at the wine bar enjoying the wonderful wines they have with a cheese plate. It was such a relaxing environment with great wine, great food and really nice people that work here. Wonderful service!!! read more

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I live in California and wanted to send a case of quality craft beer to a buddy who lives in the Salmon Bay Park area. WA is not the easiest state for shipping alcohol and like some other states, they require signature upon delivery. As a result, I initially ordered through a large wine-beer retailer who has a Seattle store and could make a local delivery. They charged a delivery fee which was fine but also "required" a tip for the driver. They made one attempt and since my friend was not at home, they refunded my purchase price and the tip but kept the delivery fee. That was it, no notice to come and pick it up, no further delivery attempts. I found Portalis Wine Shop which was near my friend and has a huge selection of craft and imported beers as well as an impressive wine selection. The folks that own Portalis couldn't have been nicer. They don't have any regular means for gift wrapping but made an effort to make the case-box look like a Xmas gift and didn't charge for it. Also, since my friend is so close, they offered to just drop it off on their way home, again without charging. My friend wasn't at home so they continued to follow up and contacted him to coordinate another attempt. 5-star service from just good folks! I wish I lived nearby so I could be a regular customer. read more

Super staff to help with all my needs. I was planning a wedding and got expert advice and choices. As plans changed, the Portalis team was supportive and flexible. The wines they helped me with were just what we needed for our events. read more

This was my introduction to wine bars. One of my friends recommended we try this place. She had been here before and knew there was no corkage fee on Wed. So, off we went. It's a tiny lil place and we took a quick perusal of the menu before going shopping for a bottle. We settled on a pinot noir and hunkered down with a few plates and the pork tenderloin. I think we were more hungry than interested in the wine. The crostini wasn't very good and was extremely salty. The salami sandwich was good, but not necessarily a nice mix with the wine. The tenderloin was both good and perfect with the pinot. I do wish they had a few more items on the menu to choose from. Cool place, with a long brick wall running the length of the store. Since it opens to the street, it can be a bit noisy but it's a fun place to spend an evening with good friends. read more

Portalis is super comfortable- there is an awesome lady who usually is at the wine bar area and she is great about helping you pick out a wine. I am really good at picking out local wine but when it comes to non local wines I am a bit lost. I am dying to come back for dinner sometime as I had some serious food envy of the gentleman next to me the other night at the bar. I am so sad they are closing down the tasting area and I plan to enjoy the location a few more times before they move into more of the wine distributing business. I have picked up nice bottles of wine here as wedding gift and I know I will miss it greatly! read more

Portalis Wine Shop - A wonderful dinner at portalis with friends :) - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Can I just drink my GD wine without two (count 'em) TWO people trying to figure out which table we should be seated at?! Apparently, both waiters thought it was too much to talk to one another about where we should be seated. For an 1/2 hour upon entry, it went a little something like, 'We'll get you over by that window soon. They're leaving' (Server A) followed up with, 'They're not headed out for a while, so you might want to sit here..' (Server B). There were three or four more of these short conversations with us before finally, A MOVE! One of the waiters seemed nice enough, but the other made me feel like I was a big inconvenience for even setting foot in the place. Neither one made any sort of suggestions about the wines at any point, which I found rather odd. The wine was good. I stuck with those crazy Spaniards (Rioja and Malbec) and then tried a South African wine. Smokey! Not sure I'd get it again, but it was fine and interesting enough. My date kept with big French reds, I think. We shared the Charcuterie plate. Seriously briney olives and great atmosphere kept me happy enough. Get past the weird service and enjoy the interesting space and you will probably dig this place. read more

I'm not a fancy girl - I like jeans, I don't wear tons of make up, I can't identify designer items just by looking at them, and I'm not interested in going to THE place to see and be seen. I'm a coffee-shop girl. I like the cozy atmosphere of the corner coffee-shop, where I feel I can kick back for awhile and chat with my friends while sipping a coffee drink and nibbling on a pastry. Sometimes, though, I want wine in that coffee-ship and this isn't always easy to find. Wine bars, by nature, seem to be a little...upscale. Portalis? Portalis is the coffee-shop girl's answer to the upscale wine bar problem. Portalis, tucked into Ballard amidst several other bars and restaurants that are perfectly good in their own right, has the atmosphere of a bookshop with a cozy, dark cafe that isn't Starbucks, but with wine instead of books. And this is just fine by me. I've never really browsed the wine bottles for sale, but I've been several times for a sip and a nibble - I've had different wines every time but tend to stick to the cheese plate. (I'm rarely after a full meal there, so I can't say anything about the actual dishes.) The cheese plate comes with a fruit compote, almonds, and a really good bread. The bread and butter and olives trio is also enjoyable. I had the pleasure of an amazing port there with a chocolate pot - decadent. It's a good chance to try something new and to unwind after a long day with someone else - it doesn't get crazy loud or anything. I've never had problems with service, after trying them three separate times. Wish they had more in the ways of small plates. If you're looking for a major round of tapas, this place probably isn't for you...if you're more interested in a comfortable spot to sip wine, give it a shot. read more

So the empty stomach quickly followed by two large glasses of wine (plus sips from others' glasses in my group) has left me with a fuzzier memory of my virgin Portalis outing. But of what I do remember, it is worth a second visit for sure. One friend and I first walked the aisles and perused the bottles which were for sale. We laughed at our lack of sophistication after realizing the bottles we constantly gravitated to were those with the "pretty labels" which were, coincidentally, the ones which generally seemed to fall under $20. Hmm. Our favorite, the "K" Syrah. Brilliant. On to the meal. Okay, I couldn't really tell you WHAT we actually ate because the six of us basically just ordered a different dish each and passed it around-- a community meal, if you will. I do remember a pizza of some sort, the cheese plate appetizer, a large order of a crab sandwich-type something-er-rather, a phenomenal mushroom hen dish. Definitely what I would recommend as I'm not sure that any one meal could actually fill a single stomach, and yet the variety followed by passing around two different and delightfully indulgent desserts seemed to hit the right spot for everyone. The restaurant/wine bar in general, to me, gave off a sophisticated but not prissy vibe and had a beautiful ambiance about it. Low lighting and tables lit by a single votive. The high ceilings painted a warm, light hue to draw the eye upwards; the original exposed brick walls sparsely decorated with local artists' paintings drawing the eye forward. The service was fantastic and our server beyond helpful in recommending certain wines, which made our indecisive taste buds rejoice. Hallelujah, I shall return! read more

After an extremely overwhelming week i was dying for some relaxation and a nice drink. My friend and i ventured out to Ballard friday evening hoping to find a nice chill place to get a drink, we were pleasantly surprised. Upon arriving at Portalis i realized we were at a wine bar, and wine i know nothing about. I explained this to him with an overwhelmed facial expression. The waiter patiently waited while i tried to figure out what to order, he offered suggestions and i ended up picking a nice white wine he recommended. After he gave us our drinks he came back with samples of other wines for me to try, explaining that he wanted to help me figure out what kind of wines i desires. This act is what won me over with Portalis. I was extremely impressed with his patience and help. His name is Ross, maybe you will meet him next~ Also, the atmophere is really nice, and cozy, plus there this place is also a wine store so you can drink some wine and buy a bottle to take home! read more

If I opened a wine bar, then I'd model it after Portalis. It is a charming little space with classy decor that isn't too fancy. You can actually converse with your date without speaking loudly or straining to hear. I love the ambiance at Portalis. It is reminiscent of the quaint neighborhood brasseries in Montmartre, or le Marais, or [insert Parisian neighborhood here]. The bartender offered us samples when we weren't too sure about what to order with our dessert. I gladly accepted each and every one, finally settling upon a Zinfandel to drink with our chocolate pot de creme. Everything that we ordered was very good. The service overall was very good as well. Our bartender was attentive without being overbearing, which allowed my friend and I to enjoy the evening, the wine, and our dessert. Someday I want to own a neighborhood bar like Portalis. read more

Great laid back place to drink wine, eat cheese and people watch on Ballard Avenue. Portalis is mostly a wine shop, with a couple tables and a bar. I came here with my Living Social coupon in hand, ready to get my happy hour on. Lucky for my friend and I, there is no corkage on wine on Wednesdays. So, $15 off bottles of wine. We had a yummy bottle of red for $22! Plus, all menu items are $2 off during happy hour. Pretentious wine snobs are annoying to me, and I thought this might be the place where this breed of people work. Nope! Surfer dude recommended an awesome bottle of red, while cute/funky Seattle girl waited on the other table. Nice. We had the tart with caramelized onion, asparagus & brie, a cheese plate (of course), and lamb chops. Ummm... we also had a baguette with some delicious olives. The tart was my favorite, it was pretty much a buttery pizza. Mmmmm.... Surfer dude was impressed that two girls were able to put down so much food. Hmmm... I get that a lot. Is that why my pants don't fit? read more

Happy Hour on Tuesday's - which was $2 dollars off any glass of wine and any of the food items. It was a very chilly walk from my parking spot to the Bar so when I got there the soup was calling my name. My friend and I both ordered the White Bean/Sausage/Spinach Soup which comes out a lot better than I even imagined. We also shared a 4 cheese plate; which consisted of well... shocker 4 different cheeses and bread. I prefer a light cracker instead of the bread - but that is just the picky side of me talking. Got a glass of Columbia Valley Cab Sav (which is typically not my fav)... but was good with the dinner. One thing I enjoyed the most is that there was no music, and if there was I could not hear it. Which is NOT something I would usually say. It was nice just hearing the hum of other patrons banter and getting to talk to my dinner mate without having to strain to hear. Bar is tastefully decorated with simple colorful bottles which are great against the natural wood and brick of the building. Its a bit pricey for what it is.... but I would go back on Happy Hour. Cheers to being a wino! read more

I popped in here after dinner on a first date. The atmosphere is cozy, and I felt that even though we were pretty close to the next table, our conversation was private. I was impressed by their selections of various wines and other types of alcohol. I ended up sipping on a white wine the server recommended (though I can't remember its name for the life of me!). It was good, though not my favorite. A little too citrusy for me. My date's wine was a smooth red that wasn't too heavy. I feel like it may have been better if we'd swapped. ;o) read more

Truly a hidden gem in Ballard. I stopped by after leaving Shilshole Bay Marina to burn some time until the traffic on I-5 died down. The service was outstanding and the wine selection is excellent. The staff was very attentive and a super friendly. Rhiannon and JJ obviously enjoy their job and it makes the whole experience that much more pleasant. read more

Portalis Wine Shop - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My first experience here was "meh." I'd like to go back one day and re-review it, but til then I have to rate it as I see it. Atmosphere: Laid-back and chill. Perfect wine bar vibe. Service: This is truly what killed it (in a bad way). I'm really tolerant and patient; however, I was so put off by the complacency that it soured the evening. I've noticed the few bad reviews on here all point to bad service so I feel somewhat justified. 8pm, we arrived to a half-filled restaurant with no hostess to greet us. After a good minute of standing there, one of the servers, who was chatting up a storm at a nearby table and had failed to notice us, walked right past us to the bar. After doing her business, she looked up and yelled, "Sit anywhere." I'm all for the casual, seat yourself thing if you have a sign saying to do so. Otherwise, acknowledge your patrons and don't make us stand there like idiots! We get our first glass of wine, which was really good, and wait more to place our food order. 8:25pm, food order goes in. 9:00pm, our server says it'll be out soon. We have yet to get a refill of water during this time and I've noticed tables aren't being bussed, dirty dishes everywhere. 9:20pm, almost an hour later, we get our entrees. Wow... I'm just hoping it's damn good. After all, the price commanded promise: $25 for trout and $16 for a spinach tart. Food: The fried fish dish was good but nothing memorable; it should've been $15. The tart with spinach, cheese, and bacon on a piece of pastry was tasty, but shouldn't cost more than $11. Desserts were hit or miss (pineapple upside down cake was fine but really sweet and my husband's cornmeal poundcake was like eating a doorstop). I'd like to think I'll make it back one day; however, life is too short and I'd prefer to take my hard-earned money elsewhere. read more

I stopped by tonight after dining a few doors down on Ballard Ave. Portalis is a simple and low-key wine cafe that serves up a nice selection of affordable wine and spirits by the glass. I also like their equally extensive retail collection of wine. My partner-in-wine even walked away with a nice Malbec (the last bottle on the shelf)...can't wait to try it! There is nothing fancy or froufrou about Portalis; just easy pours served in an easy-going atmosphere. Highlights: The retail selection is very straight-up and not overwhelming. They also offer a weekly rotating menu and specials/HH several nights a week. Lowlights: The overall vibe is a bit dull and lacking. Oh well, sometimes it's just all about the wine. :) read more

I love Portalis so much I probably shouldn't be allowed to write a review. This is the kind of place that when I hear others mention having recently discovered it, a certain smugness seeps into my demeanor, as I nod knowingly... for this has been one of my top favorites in town for over 7 years - and a lot of great freakin' restaurants have opened in this town during that time. In fact..... wait.... doh.... ANOTHER ONE just opened while you were reading this! Portalis is that kind of place - the kind of place that inspires proprietary emotions; the kind of place you want to keep a little bit secret (he says as he writes a Yelp review...) for fear of having it overrun by yahoos. Then again, yahoos would hate the place.... But I've never had a bad meal here. Meal? Yes, meal. Yes, it's a wine shop - one of the best - but they have a dinner menu that is laser-focused on "just enough" items done, how you say, "perfectly." Jens and his staff know what they are doing and, as others have written here, it's a perfect respite in a hectic neighborhood. I'll see you there. Cheers. PS - the categories below don't lend themselves to the nuances and base notes of which Portalis is composed. They don't have a "full bar," but they do offer an excellent selection of scotch, whiskey, bourbon. read more

Fabulous food and even better wine. You can choose any bottle from the wine shop with a $15 corkage fee. 450+ wines. read more

Portalis Wine Shop - Fabulous food and even better wine. You can choose any bottle from the wine shop with a $15 corkage fee. 450+ wines. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Comfortable and casual and the perfect answer to an impromptu "here shall we go?" when you're not craving anything else in particular. I set the bar high for cheese and meat plates after being spoiled by spots like Sherwood and Artisanal in NYC. Portalis' versions are nothing special. My second time out, J. and I ordered bruschetta and some sort of tart. Both surprisingly delicious, though a bit awkward to crunch through neatly, so daters be warned. read more

I'z confused...Why do I keep going back to Portalis? I fully admit that I do...but I can't explain why. I signed up for the email list and go to the tasting, but stay away from Portalis when I'm in Ballard. I only go for the tastings, and don't buy wine (or food) from there. It's a'ight. Good selection of wine, but pricey. read more

Great meet-up place for after work, just a low key place to chill with some friends while people watching in a beautiful evening. Nothing uber trendy, just straight up very well-edited wines-by-the glass selection and some snacks to help wash down your wine. Service was really mediocre in terms of friendliness and speed. He could have had a much bigger check if he hustled more - our glasses sat empty on 2 occasions - but he did know his stuff and introduced us to varietals we hadn't ever tried. That's no small feat, considering my wine-loving friends and me. read more

This is my go-to spot when I am craving pate and a glass of wine. The ambience goes well with a glass of whatever red wine one prefers (I'm usually a New World wine girl, but the staff is knowledgeable enough to offer directions when navigating the menu). I dream of the pate. I know there are other places to get pate, but I'm really a fan of the atmosphere (twinkle lights, candles, exposed brick, dim lighting), and the fact that half the space is taken up by the wine shelves makes it quiet enough to carry on a conversation. It seems to me the perfect place to begin or end a night of Ballard-hopping...start early and have an app, or finish here with a glass of deep red and find yourself again, after all the hullabaloo elsewhere. read more

Like CW, Portalis was my introduction to wine bars, and I'm glad it was...mostly because it was underwhelming but made me feel impressive and swanky. Now that I've had some of "the good stuff" I can say that Portalis is just all right. I haven't tried their food (though I've heard mixed reviews) but their wine ranges from so-so to pretty damned good, and if you don't know what you like you're taking a big chance, with both your taste buds and your wallet. read more

I'd never been to a wine bar before yesterday, but it didn't impress me. We got there and asked for "something chewy... spicy, comfortable and warm with not many tannons... like a bordeaux." I'd expect a wine bar to be able to come up with that, but the guy didn't really seem to know his own wines. Also, I didn't really like the atmosphere. It was to barren to me... too trendy. Bricks and a black bar with mood lighting. The one cool thing was the skylights had wine bottles, so the waning sunlight filtered through the green bottles in interesting ways. I wanted an Oregon Pinot Noir, but they didn't have one, so I got a New Zealand wine and tried the chewy wine too. Meh. For a $12 glass, it was pretty subpar... no distinctive qualities. Really you'd be better with a mid-priced Trader Joe's bottle. read more

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou..." This lovely little wine bar on a semi-quiet street in Ballard is one of the nicest I've been to. With knowledgable and friendly staff, it has become one of my favorite places to wine & dine with friends. Top quality wines, fabulous tapas and an ambience that takes me back to Italy, I highly recommend this place and hope that it doesn't become so popular that I won't be able to get in. read more

I have gone here a couple times to drink a glass of wine at the bar. They have an excellent wine by the glass list and endless bottle selection. They also have free corkage nights which I highly suggest :P Recently we had a girls night here and indulged in endless amounts of rich food. My chicken reloude was yum but my butternut squash was to die for. The in house pate is very livery but good. The salami on the charc. plate was perfect and the cheese plate was a perfect dessert course. My favorite dish was my friends dessert. If you go to portalis you HAVE TO get the tres leche cake! Omgsofuckinggood!!! read more

I went there on a Saturday evening and was pleasantly surprised by Old "Ballard Ave" - and since I no longer live in Seattle, I'm not hip to the Old Ballard scene. I was able to sit down straight away, and had a knowledgeable barkeep/wineguy to give me some good recommendations. Kept asking me what I felt like tho - I just wanted something good in the red category. Anyway, he finally wised up to my inability to choose something, and in all cases, recommended good ones. Regardless, I would recommend Portalis to people who asked - it's not loud, seems homey and is an enjoyable place to have a few (plus or minus) glasses of wine. I didn't have to shout to hear my friend, which is a bonus, and the place was just chill. I will be back when I'm back in Seattle. read more

Fantastic selection of wines, including exceptional choices from WA and OR (which I appreciated as a visitor). Staff was very helpful in guiding our wine choices, and I think there was some special deal on Wed cause we got a lot at a really good price. The clams and chorizo was some of the best I have ever had. Can't figure out quite what was in the sauce, but we made them bring us more bread and we fought over every last drop. Learned later that the bread was made in-house. If that's true, very impressive. We also had the duck ravioli and chicken roullade. I found the ravioli too sweet, but others liked it. The chicken was fantastic and I would order again if I come back. Place also has a really nice vibe as well. Cozy with these awesome brick walls. Definitely not stuffy or uptight: we got kind of toasted and nobody gave us dirty looks. That's my kind of wine bar! ;) read more

I had read about Portalis oyster nights and wine nights, and decided when an old friend came to town and wanted to go to a good wine bar. We got great seating next the the street window late on a Friday night - definitely an older crowd - and opted for wine and dessert. We went with our servers dessert and wine recommendation and were not disappointed. Medium bodied red paired with ricotta was SO delicious. I really like that they have a store, events, happy hour - it has it all! Definitely going back for one or all of the above! read more

Out of the two wine bars in Ballard, I like this one the best. I thought it had the best selection of wines by the glass, so it was easy to try a bunch of different wines without having to invest in the price of a bottle. The service was good, but it was a bit crowded. It's also much noisier than I usually like for a wine bar. Conversation is possible, but it didn't have the romantic feel because everyones conversations kind of munge together. We didn't do much in the way of food, but the cheese plate was pretty good. Also, they have a bar, but it's part of the reservation system, so you can actually reserve a spot at the bar. read more

Did you really just microwave my ribs?!?!?! My girlfriend and I went to Portalis after the Farmer's Market. We had never been there, but have heard some good things and we had met the chef and her boyfriend (Chef of Quinn's), We walked in to a comfortable interior. Half of the space is taken up by wine retail section. Instantly we bee-line it for the bar. It took me all of two-and-half seconds to decide on what I am having... The Chipotle Ribs special!!!! My favorite spice!!! I press Roz to hurry up and order. We both decide to get the recommended wine pairing. The ribs were paired with a rose. I have not had too many roses lately, so I was glad to give this a whirl. We scanned the wine menus as we waited for our lunches. They have a great selection! Our plates arrive and I instantly examine my ribs. What the hell are those 6,000 tiny bubbles on my ribs from?!?!?!? Who cares! ITS CHIPOTLE!!!!! I grab a bone to begin the sectioning of the ribs. "OUCH!!!", I wimper. The bone was white-hot. I instantly began to put two and two together. 'SHE NUKED THEM?!?!?" 6,000 tiny bubbles + white-hot bones = Microwave!!!! To be sure, I waited till the bones cooled down... 7 minutes and pulled the ribs apart. They broke apart like particle-board not the fall-off-the-bone style that I am used to. The flavor was good, but the texture was way-off. To me, there are certain 'do's" and "don'ts" in cooking. Microwaving ribs is blasphemous at best. Not only to BBQ, but to yourself. You had some great tasting ribs, but you dishonored them and your recipe by nuking/destroying the very essence of what makes a rib great, the TEXTURE! read more

Spotty service. Sometimes it's mediocre and sometimes fantastic. Once I asked for a dry red and was given a sweet merlot that I had to send back. Most of their wines are good, however. Haven't tried their food. Atmosphere is cool and comfortable. read more

I can not recommend this place enough. We've been going here for about 3 years and are in no way experts. The staff here is amazing. They are patient, knowledgeable, more than happy to help (or let you do your thing!). I've gone in and asked for recommendations based on food we're going to be eating for dinner, flavors that sound good, or just said "I don't know help plz" and they have never disappointed! My parents are pretty knowledgeable about wine and I recommended this place to them - it's their new favorite spot. I know grocery stores are convenient but I will make an extra stop just to go here and support this business. To the staff - because of your assistance, my friends think I know about wine - so thank you. read more

My wife and I stopped in for the first time for a couple glasses of wine. Upon entry, we were pleasantly invited by the aromas and cozy dark atmosphere. The wine shop, small seating area and bar with its intimate decorations were pleasing. You may be wondering why the 2 stars, well, it did take a few minutes to be greeted, "No worries, it's Friday night," we think to ourselves. Great first glass of wine with an appropriate pour size. Once finished with the first glass it takes 15 minutes for the someone to first acknowledge our being finished. They hand us another wine menu. We immediately decide and set the menus aside. Another 5-10 minutes go by, we finally order our second glass and simultaneously request our check. Of course, we didn't expect the check too quickly since we had just gotten another glass. We were nearly done and asked again for our check, takes about 10 minutes and another server asks if we are done yet the other server had already taken our card 5 minutes ago and didn't remember he had. She takes care of it and hands us our check. We quickly sign and leave. All in all, 2 glasses of wine, 2 hours later we leave. Hmm. We went in thinking we would/ hoping we would/ wanting to like this wine bar. Both of us were very disappointed and even more so sad to never return. We might give Portalis a second chance yet have very low expectations. They missed out on us spending the rest of the evening there and tipping 25% (first time in maybe 4-5 years I tipped less than 15% at a restaurant). It's worth trying once and we hope your experience is better than ours was. read more

Good food,great service. We started with a cheese plate. Yummy bread and a delightful brie & pepper sheep cheese. Then our entrees were: quail with a sweet potato bacon hash and mustard greens, which was a little on the small side even for quail,but was cooked perfectly and very tasty. The lamb Shepards pie was yummy! Perfect portion. Splendid Savory comfort food. The wine pairing was spot on. Finished the evening with 2 desserts that we shared: strawberry cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crust that was light and yummy and a dark chocolate pot de creme that paired perfectly with the fresh French press coffee. A little pricey at $120 with gratuity but, All in all a delightful evening. read more