Heart of Portugal Restaurant
“on a Saturday night because I love Piano music with dinner :
Maybe Don Diego aka: "Zorro" will be a guest Pianist !!”
“Aside from bar specials their pork and clams app is godly and their rabbit stew is prepared very well.”
“Manny and Nuno are so delightful to work with and they were on top of the situation at all times.”
Heart of Portugal Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Had a big family dinner planned here for my sisters visit to NY. We had a table of 14 adults and two toddlers. We all felt stuffed into the table, there was more room around us and they could have added another two top but didn't. The best thing here was the grilled octopus straight up! My cousin asked for the mozzarella caprese salad and was given mozzarella sticks. We told the waiter and they nodded and seemed like they understood, but we never received the salad. Entrees were good- I feel as if the descriptions could have been a bit better from the menu. I ordered the Coquille St. Jaques which I didn't think would be like a soupy seafood shepards pie but it was. It was delicious and flavorful just not exactly what I expected. The children's food took a long time to come out which was annoying. I would definitely stop in with a smaller group to try some more stuff before writing them off.
My mom wanted to come here for her birthday so she made reservations.
We were able to get a seat outside which was very nice. The bar, and outdoor space is done European style, with little bar tables on one side and the patio and dining tables on the other. Many people would sit at the bar tables and smoke which is like a foot away from the other diners. You would think some people would have decency not to smoke being that you are sitting right next to them eating, but I guess people don't care. Regardless we loved being outside.
The waiter/manager was super nice and must have remembered my moms conversation with him over the phone. He seated us right away and was super accommodating. We were going to get a carafe of sangria. I like red, my sister likes white… Naturally we couldn't decide, so I caved in and said just get the white…. Well the waiter came back with the white sangria PLUS some red wine for me to add in. He said this way we both get what we wanted.
All of our dishes were delicious as usual. I got the swordfish special, my husband got pork and clams, my sister got a chicken dish, mom got a seafood dish, and her boyfriend got the steak and eggs. Moms only complaint was the chicken in her dish was very dry. They raved about the steak that it was so buttery it did not need a knife. Everything was yummy & such large portions, we took home leftovers.
After dinner we had planned to go back to moms for cake. Before we could do that…the waiters all came out with a huge slice of cake, they must have remembered when my mom made the reservation she mentioned it was her bday dinner. They came and sang happy birthday, it was a nice, unexpected surprise. We had a great time and look forward to coming back again.
Six people, we ordered 2 different dishes of paella, an order of clams and pork and an order of shrimp with green sauce. We ate and ate and ate and there was still food to take home. Portions are huge and each dish was outstanding. This is a place where you can sit and savor your meal. Service was very good and we were not rushed in any way. Live piano in the dining was soft enough to have conversation without straining. Outdoor dining available and I will def be back to sit out there once the weather warms up,
Closer to a 3.5.
This was my go to Portuguese restaurant years back, but now there are lots of other options, so it had been forever since I dined here. It looks exactly the same as I had remembered. It's an old school place and the decor reflects that. On a Saturday night they had some lovely live piano music.
They start you off with a bread basket, olives and some homemade potato chips. The chips could have been cooked better. The sangria is quite good.
The flamed pork sausage and the grilled octopus were a great start to the meal. The pork and clams is a solid dish. The pork was a little on the tough side, but the crispy potatoes and the tender clams helped to make the dish wonderful. The Braised Goat in a red wine sauce was good and a large portion.
At the suggestion of the waitress we got the Natas do Ceu for dessert which was
crushed Maria cookies served with custard, Caramel and Chantilly cream, It was delicious!
You can absolutely get a good meal here and enjoy yourself.
About as close as you're going to get to an actual night out in Lisbon. Having been to Portugal, this one of many Portuguese restaurants in Mineola hits it on the nose. Best is the rabbit stew which reminded me of eating out in Bairro Alto. Service isn't exactly as friendly as in Lisbon and dinner prices may as well be in Euros but the food is authentic. Come for lunch, it's a great bargain, the food is just as good and portions are the same size as dinner. Huge!
We have been coming to this restaurant for years. It has been always very good and the staff is exceptionally pleasant and friendly. If you do not mind the noise in the dining room, you will usually hear some pleasant live music on a Saturday night. They do have a selection of authentically cooked Portuguese dishes which are also interesting and very good. The Captain is Portuguese and he is very knowledgeable about all of their dinner selections. They are also not pricey.
I feel like this is very much a passerby restaurant because of where it is in the neighborhood. I went to high school just around the block and passed it often, but only came once before my recent visit.
Back in the day, I ordered the paella. Do yourself the favor and don't order anything doesn't say "portuguese" or "traditional" in the title. The other night I tried their rabbit stew, and thought it was delicious. Their pork and clams is another great dish.
The dining room is as nice as ever, though the television displaying the dinner specials drags the space down a bit. I wouldn't say the place is on the prohibitively pricey side. They at least give marinated olives with bread and a salad with entrées.
Maybe it's cause we came here late or maybe it's just how the restaurant is, but I didn't really enjoy my meal here. Service seemed questionable and again, could be because we came her late.
We got here at around 8:30PM and on one of the hotter days and had to ask for a table inside. They reluctantly gave us one and that kind of set the tone for the night. We essentially had to ask for everything – water, the usual appetizers they provide with the meal, guidance on the menu, etc.
We eventually ordered and I had the grouper with shrimp and scallops, someone had the paella and another the skirt steak. The food was mediocre at best. The portions were big, but it wasn't amazing. My fish was alright and towards the end it just felt greasy. The paella was good for two, but wasn't amazing either. The skirt steak was passable as you can't really go wrong with skirt steak.
Overall, service was eh. I just kept getting this vibe that they didn't want us there and could care less about us and were just serving us just cause. On top of the food only being okay and not feeling like this place was as clean as it could be, I think I'd pass on this place. There's too many other places around to keep coming back for more…