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    The Thirsty Fish

    4.0 (37 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Pubs
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    The Thirsty Fish Photos

    Business Info

    THE THIRSTY FISH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Live music
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Thirsty Fish

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    Mike C.

    Best pretzel I've ever had. Totally worth stopping by. Haven't had a bad meal or bad service here

    Meatballs and super Tuscan.
    David D.

    Good service, nice cigar bar and great meatball appetizer. Would return when at Portofino. Thumbs up.

    Shrimp Flatbread
    Meghan S.

    Great food and drinks for a quick bite. Elevated sports bar atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. We got the Shrimp Flatbread, plain wings, Caesar salad with grilled chicken, meatballs, and frittes and all was delicious! The service was good because we were seated 5 minutes after opening but the restaurant filled up very quickly. Go eat there!

    Patio searing view
    Jenny B.

    Cozy little spot to enjoy the hotel harbor. The service is very pleasant, and everyone greets you in Italian which is a comforting touch. Sitting on the patio Saturday 7pm, and it feels much like 7pm in Italy, breezy and calm, prior to the evening rush. Their menus are quite satisfying with a decent variety of wines, signature cocktails, a substantial number of bourbons, with flight options and even cigars! A light variety of food options with a little something for most. Bites, burger, salads and flatbreads; they even have fish and chips. I opted for a cheeseboard with my wine and it did not disappoint. If you're looking for a meal or just a sip and some people watching, The Thirsty Fish is a solid choice. Also, you don't have to be staying at one of Universals hotels to come visit! Just look for the water taxi at the end of City Walk, hop in the lane for Portofino Bay, and enjoy a refreshing boat ride down to Orlando's own Italian harbor

    Cheese plate and spicy peanut mix
    Donna B.

    Not a full restaurant. This is a spot to grab a drink and a cheese plate. A must try cheese plate for sure at a good price and with nice selection. It was a great munchie for our group of 5. Lots of open tables and quick service for sure. Can't say we really enjoyed the drink we were served but perhaps that was just a bad choice on our part. The spicy peanut mix made my day.

    The bay area.  Thirsty Fish is on the right, at the edge of the water.
    Dan H.

    Portofino Bay Hotel's Thirsty Fish is a small cafe-style lounge that sits at the bay's edge. It features wine, beer, cocktails, and a small menu of items for snacking. As with my review of Royal Pacific's Orchid Court Sushi Bar, what makes Thirsty Fish a best kept secret is that fact that so many guests don't realize Universal has on-site hotels, let alone that the hotels have such impressive venues such as the Thirsty Fish. Imagine this: It is early evening, the sun is setting in the background, you and your wife are sitting down in a beautiful outdoor plaza overlooking Portofino bay, sipping on wine, listening to live music, and watching your fellow travelers coming and going from the nearby watertaxi dock. The shops and boutiques around the bay bustle with activity. All of a sudden it's 8:00pm, and a small group of Italian opera signers walk out onto a patio across the plaza from you. For the next twenty minutes their songs fill the air as the romance of the evening fills your senses. My friend, you are at Thirsty Fish. Sure, it takes just a pinch of imagination to complete the feel, but not as much as you might think. Insider tip: Portofino Bay Hotel is located next to Hard Rock Hotel, which sits next to Universal Studios Florida. If you want to stretch your legs, I highly recommend walking from the parks to Thirsty Fish. The pathway, which starts just next to the main gates at USF, takes you along the landscaped waterway connecting the hotels and the parks. It is a very lovely and relaxing walk, and when you take the final turn onto Portofino property, you great an incredible view of the hotel. If you're tired, you can also take the complimentary watertaxis (they only start asking to see room keys in the late evening).

    Chilled chardonnay on a humid Florida evening in July.
    Vanessa L.

    Well... the location is amazing. I'd give 5 stars to that. Who doesn't like to sit outside with your drink of choice listening to amazing music in a peaceful environment? The waitress came fairly quickly to take my drink order and she returned with it just as qiickly. But, she didn't ask for my food order, nor gave me time to tell her I wanted some. With my wine nearly finished she returned to see how I was, which allowed me to order something. Oh well. The wine was fine. The cheese plate was fine- too much for one person. There are a lot of food options- at all- so come for the drinks and stay for the atmosphere.

    Florida Native

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    5 years ago

    Came here for some drinks after being at the park all day. Kevin is the best! Good drinks and good atmosphere. Was a great time!

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    9 years ago

    Great spot to have an after- dinner drink. Good selection of wine and spirits. Very friendly staff!

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    9 years ago

    Great service. Friendly bartenders. Gotta get the cheese plate. Perfect with drinks. Fresh. Variety. Plenty.

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    Ask the Community - The Thirsty Fish

    Review Highlights - The Thirsty Fish

    A must try cheese plate for sure at a good price and with nice selection.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Harp & Celt Irish Pub & Restaurant - Reuben fries

    Harp & Celt Irish Pub & Restaurant

    4.3(412 reviews)
    6.6 miDowntown / Central Business District / CBD
    $$

    What an absolute gem!…read more We do Fun Food Friday as a family every week and tonight we decided to check out some Irish Cuisine. Harp & Celt may lack in the parking lot aspect, but it MORE than makes up for it in flavor, service, and atmosphere! There are two sides to H&C, one a bit more of a lively bar scene, and the other a more laid back pub vibe. Both have great seating and a fully stocked bar with access to some of the most delicious food around. We started with the pretzel sticks and fries with gravy and they both came out super fast and the gravy is beyond words good! One warning, it is piping hot so be careful! Haha The shepherd's pie has a fantastic mince with creamy and crispy topped mashed potatoes that feels like a warm hug in your stomach. The fish and chips are light, excellently crispy, and ridiculously fresh tasting. Add a little malt vinegar for a little zing and you've got a brilliant meal! Tack on a cold Manger's cider from the bar and you could be in any pub in Ireland. When there is a soccer game happening they've got the televisions dialed right in so you don't miss a minute of action, and you can even challenge your friends to a game of darts if you've got the skill!

    I enjoy these pubs connected by the bartenders in the center, sharing the same kitchen. The one on…read morethe north side is much more quiet & intimate, bit more peaceful. It's fun to check them out any time of day because they take soccer games VERY SERIOUSLY!! There'll be a rowdy screaming bunch on the other side of the bar. The Harp is more subdued but still has lots of fans watching the soccer games. (Tip: Don't share what team you're rooting for, even in jest, because you might trigger a rabid fan.) The beer is good, a selection is on tap, & I found a $4 cold Yuengling glass bottle recently during happy hour. They have traditional Irish beers also & food. I have enjoyed their Irish fry, although sometimes they might run out of an item & will offer a substitution. The food is good so get there early. They have a lot of fans. There are also events like poker, & featured Irish dishes specials on occasion. Nice staff that are REALLY into soccer/football.

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    Harp & Celt Irish Pub & Restaurant - Nice wood floor & tables.

    Nice wood floor & tables.

    Harp & Celt Irish Pub & Restaurant - Reuben fries

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    The Whiskey

    The Whiskey

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    2.6 miDr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando
    $$

    Went to The Whiskey while in Orlando and listennnnn... they did NOT disappoint…read more First off... the burgers? Freaking AMAZING. I had the Salty Pear Burger and babyyyyy... that melted brie had me questioning my entire life . I was over there dipping the fries that came with the burger INTO the melted brie because why not?! Dang gone good. Juicy burger, flavorful, cooked right... just chef's kiss. Now let's talk about those fried sweet potatoes drizzled with cinnamon and homemade caramel... OMG. I was in complete awe. Sweet, salty, crispy, warm... yeahhhh they snapped with those. I love Brussels sprouts too, but I ain't even make it over there because them sweet potatoes had my full undivided attention . Hubby said the Brussels were DELISH though. And the Gin Smash?! Whew . The bartender absolutely DID THAT. Smooth, refreshing, dangerous in the "I might order another one" type of way . They have inside and outside seating plus a nice bar area that gives laid back but still vibey. The energy was easygoing and welcoming... not stiff or pretentious. Our server Monica was AMAZING. Personable, down to earth, attentive... just good people energy. She even brought me a small container of their pimento cheese and LISTENNNN... I cannot make this up. DELISH ‍. Fresh, flavorful, not overly creamy like some places do it. I was dipping EVERYTHING in it. Fries... burger... probably would've dipped my drink if nobody was looking . One thing I also appreciated was seeing the kitchen staff actively cleaning equipment and the grill area. Apparently this is something they regularly do because a friend shared she's witnessed the same thing before too... and honestly? That matters. Cleanliness and consistency will keep people coming back. All I know is I'm thankful I live in Tampa because if I lived closer, my wallet and waistline would both be stressed and I've come too far for that... But... I'll definitely be back

    When we are on this side of town, we always stop in here and have lunch…read more We arrived on Tuesday around 2:30 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Happy hour was just starting or had started, but there wasn't anything on the happy hour menu that stood out to us. They had the Suncreek Brewery Strawberry ale on tap so I had a couple glasses of that. It's perfect for the summer. It's a very light and very refreshing beer. My husband drank Yuengling. We both end up getting a taster of Bourbon later on. My husband went with the six year Willet And really enjoyed it. He said it definitely got better the more that you drank. I opted for something that I've seen in the stores but haven't purchased yet. I was able to try both the dancing panda eight year as well as the dancing panda 10 year. A cheaper bottle of bourbon but definitely good flavor. The 10 was my favorite. For food, I got an order of the S & S sweet potato fries, which comes with a light caramel drizzle. These fries are cooked perfectly and so delicious. My husband got the garlic Parm wings, and while the crunch was perfect on them.(he ordered them crunchy) -he was not a fan of their garlic Parmesan sauce. It just felt like the garlic, overpowered any of the Parmesan. Overall, we enjoyed our time here and the two bartenders that were working the bar, were excellent and very attentive.

    Photos
    The Whiskey - Bar Ambience

    Bar Ambience

    The Whiskey - *The Salty

    *The Salty

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    Yard House - Tap in to great food, classic rock and 100+ craft & local beers.

    Yard House

    4.1(2.1k reviews)
    2.6 miInternational Drive / I-Drive
    $$

    Our serve was very attentive and nice. The atmosphere was really fun around 7 pm on a Friday. It…read morewas getting more busy as we were leaving but we had a blast. The food was seriously incredible. The salmon and potatoes was some of the best I've had. The cheesecake brûle was delicious. The tacos I had didn't blow me away but were still really good. We also had some great drinks. Namely Hibiscus Muleish, Strawberry Mule and House Tripel. All were fantastic. I rarely have so much go right in a meal which is why I'm going out of my way to review. The only thing that was kinda bleh was the location. But what can you do. Highly recommend! We will be back.

    Christine, Robert, and leadership who offered to pack up our dinner tonight - Thank you! Little did…read moreyou know, I celebrated my new dream job today and out of all the restaurants - we wanted to celebrate here. Happy hour is affordable and the selections for apps are to-die for. We shared the calamari and queso dip, and my fiance got the pork chop and I got the steak bowl. Pork chop and steak was cooked to tender and the veggies were seasoned perfectly. It was a reminder why we chose this place as a celebration. Thank you for a wonderful night! I wish we got the manager's name, but he was with Robert and we thank-you for hosting us and creating a special space of hospitality. We enjoyed the night and can't wait to come back and bring our friends and family. Spent my first dream job paycheck here. That says something!

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    Lobster Garlic Noodles - Maine lobster, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.

    Yard House - Enjoy a variety of appetizers, like our Chicken Nachos, while watching your favorite sports games.

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    The Thirsty Fish - italian - Updated June 2026

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