Portola Bistro in Portola Valley offers a blend of French, Italian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi.
Portola Bistro is bringing a fine dining experience blending French, Italian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine to the Ladera Country Shopper in Portola Valley. Owners Allen Isik and Dino Tekdemir, who also own Barbayani Taverna in Los Altos, opened the restaurant in the former space of Portola Kitchen, which closed in March after 20 years in business.
Portola Bistro aims to create a homey and ambient atmosphere with relaxing music. The restaurant started with a soft opening in September and catered to passersby and those with reservations. A grand opening event was held on Oct. 10.
Grilled octopus with house tomato and pesto sauce and squid ink aioli ($22) at Portola Bistro in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
Isik, who loves visiting Europe, felt that Ladera Country Shopper resembled the bazaars of London and Vienna, “the type of places [with] a soul.” With Bianchini’s Market right across from Portola Bistro, he felt the location created a similar atmosphere, perfect for their vision. It was also a plus that the prior restaurant in the space, Portola Kitchen, was a mainstay in the community.
The mix of different cuisines offers customers an array of options on the menu so groups can enjoy both French and Italian dishes at one restaurant.
The dining room at Portola Bistro, a new French Italian restaurant in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
The bar at Portola Bistro, a new French Italian restaurant in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
Outdoor dining at Portola Bistro, a new French Italian restaurant in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
According to Isik, the most popular appetizers are the ahi tuna tartare, filet mignon carpaccio and deviled eggs with truffles. The most ordered main courses are the pizzas, beef bourguignon and braised lamb with mushroom pappardelle.
Isik said what makes them special is that they uphold high service standards and only use freshly delivered ingredients everyday. “Whatever you see here, from beginning to last, from sauce to meat, everything is here. Nothing is pre-made,” he adds.
Filet mignon carpaccio with olive oil, berry capers, arugula, anchovy sauce and shredded Parmesan ($25) at Portola Bistro in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
During their soft opening, Isik was happy to see the restaurant at full capacity every night. He said there are customers who have been dining with them every day since opening doors.
“What we want to do instead of making money, we want to charge less and bring more people here. [We want] to make them happy and that way we can make ourselves happy as well,” said Isik.
Marrow bones with smoked dijon, parsley and shallot salad ($22) at Portola Bistro in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
Over 20 years, Isik and Tekdemir have built a strong reputation in the restaurant industry. They say hiring qualified chefs and employees is not a challenge for the duo as they’ve also created a system that encourages the growth and promotion of each employee. “Even until now, we haven’t searched for anybody [to hire] for our restaurant. They find us,” Isik said.
The restaurateurs call their chefs, servers and dishwashers a family.
A molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce ($13) at Portola Bistro in Portola Valley. Courtesy Portola Bistro.
“Wherever we open, we open it with our team. The line cook comes into the next place as a chef, and another guy replaces his position. That way we’re always growing,” Isik explained.
The restaurant is now hosting lunch services from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Collaborations with local jazz artists and bands for live music are in the works, according to Isik.
Portola Bistro, 3130 Alpine Road, Unit 350, Portola Valley; (650) 800-7248, Instagram: @portolabistro. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5-9:30 p.m.
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