Porcini

I have been meaning to visit this place for a couple of years now, but I never have the occasion it seems. Well, my brithday seems like a great excuse, and my friend graciously made a reservation for us. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, which is expected on the weekend. The bad: the service. It took longer than normal for our main waiter to come say hi, and he didn’t seem quite with it. All night, he left our cocktails dry and frequently had to return to ask questions about what we ordered. It was mildly annoying, especially at a finer dining establishment. But kudos on selling us dessert to go… smart selling! The great: the food. Oh my gosh, the food. I had an Asiago stuffed gnocchi in pomodoro sauce, with fritto di formaggio (lightly fried goat cheese) as an app. I thought I was going to cry foodie tears when we cut into the goat cheese… warm, buttery goodness intermingled with tomato and fresh bread. The bourbon glazed crème brûlée was a highlight, which I definitely recommend warm or from the fridge (breakfast of champions). The pricing is more expensive, but it’s not small food, so I was ok with it. I’ll be back when I have an occasion to celebrate, but maybe on a less-​busy night.

Service began as one would expect from a restaurant on the level of Procini… outstanding. Then, there was a huge, huge lag after the wine was brought, but before our order was taken. We’d closed our menus, which I know is the signal that says to the server, «we are ready to order,» and waited a good 10 min or more before he returned to us. I was beginning to get really annoyed at the wait, but the really crowded restaurant prompted us to give the server a pass. Especially since the service for the rest of our meal was impeccable.
The hot bread served with parmesan cheese surrounded by olive oil is always a wonderful start. Then, I began my celebratory dinner with a Risotto with bacon and chives appetizer. It was so flavorful that I just wanted to stop right there with the meal. However, I knew more good food was coming.
My entire was the Salmon alla griglia. It is Fresh grilled salmon, honey and blood orange glaze, over a bed of Tuscan beans with Pancetta, sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes, and roasted garlic. This dish was so flavorful that I ate it slowly do that I could savor every delicious bite. We didn’t order a dessert. .(only because I’m trying to keep my girlish figure, lol).
I really enjoy eating at Porcini’s and would do it more often if it were not so expensive. Service is normally. better than excellent (only once have I been disappointed because of lackluster service). The food is flavorful and the ambiance is romantic, if not a little too dark sometimes. I will continue to come here when I want a real treat.

I certainly enjoyed my osso bucco (plated with mashed potato and green beans) here, though at $ 38 I’m not sure I would opt for it over a $ 25 version that can be had elsewhere in a more casual environment. You’re definitely paying for ambiance here; as to whether or not you’re getting commensurate quality with the meal itself, it’s hard to say as I haven’t tried enough of the menu.
The only thing that disappointed on my visit was the bread, which was unexceptional and a little dry.

Lovely, dimly lit place. Corbett M., our server was very attentive and made suggestions. Tables are close together. You can hear the conversations at tables next to you. We conversed with the 3 ladies at the next table about our drinks & food. That was pleasant. Now, the food. Mike had the Pallo Al Marsala-​chicken, mashed potatoes, wine gravy & green bean. He said it was excellent. I had the Linguini Gamberi Palemo-​linguini with shrimp & roasted pepper. It was enjoyable. BUT the best was yet to come. Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Gelato!!! OMG! I could have just ordered that and would have been pleased. Big enough to share. Mike doesn’t like bread pudding, but he liked this one. Reservations suggested or arrive early. Two thumbs up for this restaurant.

Great atmosphere. The flavors were good. I did have specific requests and neither were done. My fault for not sending it back, but it was enjoyable regardless. Some of the dishes were over priced for what they are. Great wine selection. The host was extremely friendly and accommodating. Our server was friendly and attentive. I would recommend that the serving staff be trained on the menu and pronunciations of the food they are serving.

Ah, Poricini’s. I honestly hadn’t been to Porcini’s since I was 16, when my then-​boyfriend thought it would be an «adult» thing to take me out to a fancy dinner before I even hit puberty. I did recently go to Porcini’s last weekend and left thoroughly pleased. I came for a late dinner (8:30) on a Friday night. Porcini’s boasted a nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Let me also disclose that I’m a sucker for pasta, so I don’t think it was possible for me to leave disappointed. I started with the ‘spinace’ salad, which was divine, and had trouble deciding on an entrée. I was torn between the gnocchi or the lemon shrimp risotto, so I told me the server to pick for me. I was pleasantly surprised when the lemon shrimp risotto came out. It was mouthwateringly delicious. I actually ate every single bite (minus the shrimp tails. Contrary to my parent’s belief, it does NOT have protein… just carbs… all that chitin!). The server even brought out a nice white wine that would compliment my entrée, although I didn’t actually end up ordering a glass (I had just finished my first glass shortly before my food came!).
I would recommend Porcini’s for a nice dinner out, but definitely not a once a week thing (the prices and the carbs equals trouble for my wallet and stomach).

Amazing italian food! Some of the best in Louisville. Great food, great service, great ambience, but it is pricey for sure!
I went and started off with a straight Four Roses single barrel and shared a bottle of a cabarnet franc during my meal. The wine was very good and not overly expensive.
We went got the bruschetta con funghi as our appetizer and that was absolutely delicious. The bruschetta was fantastic and the mushrooms were very tender and nice. The complementary bread and olive oil was somewhat disappointing to me for a place like this, but you don’t go somewhere because of the bread. I got a caesar salad, which was average and nothing worth writing about. For my main meal I got the gnocchi con salsicca, which was superb. The sausage is very spicy, like I like it, and the gnocchi stuffed with asiago was incredible as well. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Our server was Corbett. It was his first night, but you wouldn’t have known it. We got talking with him and he also serves elsewhere and his service is top notch. He also seemed to be remarkably familiar with Porcini’s menu. He knew the menu and drink lists very well and you could tell that before he joined the staff he has frequented the restaurant as a customer.
The décor is very cool. I’m a sucker for Frankfort Avenue, but it is very cool. I like all of the brick in the place and right when you walk in you know that you’re in a top notch restaurant. The lights are very dim and in some corners it can even be hard to see the menu. It would be a great place for a special occasion or for a nice date.
The only reason that I give Porcini’s 4 stars instead of 5 is because it’s still quite pricey. I could get Italian near its level for half the price. If I could give 4.5 stars, I would. All in all, I hope to be back, but I won’t frequent it because of the prices.

Have been here twice. The first time to celebrate my birthday and it was amazing. Had the grilled lamb chops and for dessert the tiramisu. Not a fan of tiramisu but this was amazing.
The second time there, we sat in the patio, nice evening. The server was good. Again, I ordered the lamb chops, but was brought the pork chops, the server apologized, however, my boyfriends meal had already been brought out and mine came much later. After the wait, the lamb chops were overcooked. Not too pleased.

Porcini is top notch in every way! It is also a favorite of the locals so you know it’s great! The most fabulous secret about Porcini’s is… wait for it… the excellent taste comes from a few generations of restaurateurs who have distilled cooking to the art that it is AND they are of Lebanese origin! That’s right, leave it to a Lebanese family to have a first class Italian restaurant! All of the dishes I have tried have been fresh and perfectly cooked. The service is stellar, never too rushed or too slow. The atmosphere is cozy and friendly. All in all, I love this place and recommend it !

Always delicious, authentic Italian food. Love the atmosphere of both the bar and the dining room. The owner Tim is very suave and friendly, always checking on guests. This place has the feel of fine dining with the vibe of a local hangout such as Cheers, it is so welcoming.
I like to sit at the bar and have a glass of wine, they present a very good selection and the pasta is always fresh and delicious. At times, the place gets very busy but that just adds to its charm. Great for a fun night to meet friends out or a romantic date.

I think that this is the best Italian restaurant in Louisville! I went with my friend, Rick, and he knows everybody there! We laughed together all night long because «porcini» is Italian for mushroom– and we kept saying things like, «I don’t know about you, but I’m a fungi!»

I LOVE Italian food so decided to try this place out for my birthday dinner. Was not impressed. Service was great, waiter was very attentive.
I had a glass of their moscato wine which was good but I ordered the gnocchi con salsicca for dinner and it was gross. I’m not sure if it was the asiago cheese or what but it smelled like dirty socks only reason I choked it down was it was so expensive. Stay away from that.
Others in my party seemed to enjoy their meals though some tried the tortelloni alla matriciana and carne pizza.

This was a girl’s night out. We had reservations and were seated quickly. But, it was 6 PM during the week and there wasn’t a crowd anyway. I read past reviews and I knew what I wanted to order. I ordered the shrimp risotto. EXCELLENT CHOICE! The waiter was on top of his game. When we were finished eating but still enjoying our drinks, a worker came over and took our dishes and even used his towel to scrape off the bread crumbs off our table. If I had to say anything negative, we parked in different locations since I believe there wasn’t a designated parking lot for this restaurant. Also, our bill for three people was over $ 200 so to me its VERY pricey. But, we are glad that we went!

I will be back and hopefully they will impress me more my next visit…
I made a reservation at 8pm and we did not get seated until 8:30pm. The hostess made the first mistake by informing us what table we were supposed to sit at, she stated that the group should be finished soon, but they were clearly engaged in conversation and drinking wine. We grabbed drinks at the bar and at 8:20pm my boyfriend asked to speak to the manager. The manager was EXTREMELY rude. She made excuses and rolled her eyes. All he wanted was an apology and inform us on what was going on. The guest was clearly not her priority.
Once we got seated out service was top notch, especially from our buss boy! He was amazing and was on top of our table clearing dishes and filling waters on point. Our waiter was great, but our bus boy went above and beyond, he truly cared and is an asset to this restaurant.
Our food was good, I think our crab cakes were the best things we had (appetizer). My boyfriend got the steak which was a littler over cooked and could have used more flavor. I had the shrimp risotto and was a little disappointed (too sweet).
Overall, the manager really screwed up, you should never treat a guest the way she treated us. Like I said before, I will be coming back, but she really dropped the ball.

Great place to go for special occasion dining! Appetizers and entrees were really good. The ambiance was perfect. We dined with a group of five and no one had a complaint.

This was a good pick! My boyfriend and I went here the other day, and I’m glad we did. I’m always looking for a good Italian place and this was our choice. The atmosphere is good — it was very busy when we were here and still felt cozy and not too loud. I like their décor also. We were late (oops) and still got seated immediately and no snootiness from the staff (it happens). The service was great, quick and attentive, but not rushed. I had enough time to enjoy my drink, an appetizer, bread, main course, and dessert.
For the food we had fried calamari — honesty, not the best I’ve had but still good. The bread was good. I had penne carbonara — also not the best I’ve had, the sauce could be a little better… sorta plain. I was slightly disappointed in the pasta choices considering it’s Italian, but the choices they did had looked good. My boyfriend had salmon which I tried and the sauce on that was great! Sort of a honey taste. There other meat dishes sounded good, I wish I had tried the veal special they had that night. For dessert we had white chocolate peppermint cheesecake and WOW; so good!
I will definitely be back to try some other dishes and actually, I’d come back again just for the service and atmosphere, not to mention I didn’t find it ridiculously expensive, considering we had one cocktail, appetizer, two main courses, and a dessert, I expected our bill to be more but it was cheaper than expected. So that’s a plus!

I ABSOLUTELY love everything about Porcini.
Atmosphere: Porcini’s has a great atmosphere with good lighting, a kinda old school feel about it and the bar area is a great place to sit and have a drink while you are waiting for your table.
Service: Excellent service and they are very good about not rushing your food out to fast and spacing out your meal. They are accommodating to your needs/​wants, friendly and professional.
Food: Hands down THE.BEST.SALMON. dish I have ever had. I seriously dream of the taste and could eat it every night of the week if I could. I have had several of their pasta dishes and you can’t go wrong with those either. The bread and olive oil for dipping is wonderful and they don’t skimp on the fresh parmesan cheese in the olive oil either. Their desserts are pretty delish too!
I love Porcini’s and whenever people come into town looking for a real Louisville Italian experience or just a good, nice dinner for a mid week pick me up, I direct them to Porcini’s!

Steak was good quality but medium rare vs medium as ordered. Gnocci and sauce stole the show. Pork chop was good but nothing like Jack’s. Bread pudding side was excellent. Brussell sprouts ok but could select better side than this. Calamari was ok but I would skit it next time. Dipping sauce was too watery but had some potential as far as flavor. Soup of the day was potato and corn chowder. Very thin not like chowder or potato soup I prefer, but again flavor was good. Tiramisu was very good would definitely get it again. I would prefer it a little sweeter or atleast I think that is what was missing but it was still good. Overall a decent meal, but not in the top ten for meals I have had in Louisville. Good for a date night as the lighting and room are perfect for a romantic night. Service was excellent, food had the makings of being great but for me it just wasn’t there yet.

Porcini is a Louisville staple — family owned and operated, excellent service, delicious food and libations, and romantic atmosphere.
Go with the veal chop or the Linguini Gamberi Palermo. Both are incredible.

I’m only writing this review because it’s laughable that Porcini is ranked on this site as the 8^th best Italian restaurant in Louisville. What a joke. This is definitely top 2 or 3 and happens to be my personal favorite. I think most of the reviews that ding this restaurant have been about service. My experiences in the 4 times I have gone were exemplary.
The food is pretty darn amazing. They may have the best calamari in the city. My favorite entrée is the pork chop. They have great wine by the glass selections too. Anybody upset about the bourbon drinks should try some fermented smashed grapes with their Italian food.
Overall this is a great place to go on a date for the food, ambiance, and (in my experiences) the service.