Il Porto - Berlin

Amazing pocket friendly food even though the ambience was really fancy. The waiting staff is nice too. read more Amazing pocket friendly food even though the ambience was really fancy. The waiting staff is nice too.

I didn't take a picture but veal medallions with mushrooms are really good read more I didn't take a picture but veal medallions with mushrooms are really good

A friendly restaurant with a good selection of great tasting food. We all enjoyed our evening there. With even the picky vegetarian saying we must go back again... read more A friendly restaurant with a good selection of great tasting food. We all enjoyed our evening there. With even the picky vegetarian saying we must go back again :

Toll! Wirklich toll! Es stimmte alles und der Limoncello als Bouquet! read more Toll! Wirklich toll! Es stimmte alles und der Limoncello als Bouquet!

Italian food... in Germany? I know what you 're thinking... why? Well, nothing against German food, but it can be heavy, and redundant (lots of pork, lots of po... read more Italian food... in Germany? I know what you 're thinking... why? Well, nothing against German food, but it can be heavy, and redundant (lots of pork, lots of potatoes). So when I was here for a week-long work conference, around day 3 I was I was craving something just a little different and something that wasn 't pork. Enter Porta Nova. This place happened to be very close to where we were staying and promised to hold foods of the non-pork variety, so we decided to give it a shot. We were happily rewarded. Sometimes it is amazing how good a simple plate of pasta can be (and mine was a simple as it can get--spaghetti, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil), but on that night it was definitely one of the best meals in the world. We also ordered a couple appetizers to share at the table, the focaccia with cheese and the bruchetta. Another bonus of the night was out waiter. He was definitely a charmer, very patient with us as we tried to decipher the Italian dishes written in German on the menu, and joking with throughout the night. At the end of our meal (all three of us had consumed massive amounts of garlic between our entrees and the appetizers), he said jokingly in English (with a heavy Italian with slight tinge of German accent) that there 'd be 'no discoteca for you tonight! ' ...And he was right. We were happy and content, very full and moderately garlicky... and we loved every minute of it. So, if you 're looking for a diversion from your standard German fare while in Berlin, Porta Nova is a good bet!