Cafe Mediterraneo
Located at 119 Congress Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Cafe Mediterraneo offers a delightful experience for those craving authentic Italian cuisine in a cozy, welcoming environment. With a reputation for excellent service and outstanding food quality, this restaurant is a popular choice among locals and visitors alike.
The menu at Cafe Mediterraneo is diverse, with plenty of options to satisfy every palate. Whether you’re in the mood for a rich Pappardelle Bolognese, tender Veal alla Romana, or crispy duck, each dish is prepared with fresh ingredients and attention to detail. The Caesar salad and warm bread with olive oil and Parmigiana cheese are also notable favorites that complement the main courses beautifully. For seafood lovers, the salmon paired with a house salad is highly recommended, showcasing the restaurant's ability to combine freshness and flavor.
While the food is undeniably impressive, the service could have been more attentive. For instance, despite noting a special occasion-such as a birthday celebration-when making the reservation, the waiter did not acknowledge the celebration during the meal. This oversight, along with a credit card surcharge that seemed more fitting for a casual diner than a fine dining establishment, left a slight mark on an otherwise enjoyable experience.
Despite these minor issues, Cafe Mediterraneo remains one of the top choices in Portsmouth for those seeking a memorable Italian dining experience. Its proximity to nearby attractions, such as Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, makes it an excellent spot to enjoy a meal before heading out for entertainment. With its impressive menu, welcoming atmosphere, and an overall solid dining experience, Cafe Mediterraneo is worth considering for your next outing.
Cafe Mediterraneo Reviews
Excellent authentic Italian food. Really great servers. The menu has a lot of options and thank goodness the meatballs and lasagna doesn't have pork. One of the best restaurants in Portsmouth.
Food quality was outstanding. I had the Pappardelle Bolognese special that was superb! Huge Caesar's salad and tasty olive oil, parmigiana cheese with warm bread. My wife ate the house salad with salmon. She loved it. My sister had a vegetable pasta in white sauce. Exceptional food quality reasonably priced. Was disappointed with 2 issues- the first was that I was underwhelmed by the service. I made the reservation online noting it was a birthday celebration for my sister. Our waiter never acknowledged the birthday until we were leaving, yet the 2 tables beside us also had birthday celebrations and cakes with candles. All 3 tables were conversing about the birthday celebrants. The waiter asked if we wanted desserts but when my sister declined he just brought the check. AWKWARD! I would have expected a good restaurant like this to automatically bring a small dessert with candles lit. The second item was a credit card surcharge on the check. One price for cash another price for credit card users. VERY TACKY! Are you a gas station or a fine dining restaurant? Otherwise an enjoyable experience. It was pouring rain on a Monday night and the restaurant was busy, likely due to its proximity to Jimmy's Jazz & Blues club next door, who had a great show following our dinner reservation. Would have rated this a 5 star had it not been for the average waiter and the CC surcharge.
Amazing atmosphere and food! So glad we stopped in. A definite return to restaurant next time we're in NH.
Overall great experience! Service was a tad slow to begin with, but our server made up for it tenfold with a great attitude, attention to detail, and humor! My friends and I were celebrating two birthdays, and Cafe Mediterraneo staff made sure to place two birthday cards at our table which my friends loved. The food was great, I ordered the chicken piccata which definitely hit the spot, and everybody greatly enjoyed their meal! Their fall themed cocktails were a hit with our party, definitely try the pumpkin spice espresso martini if you visit!
Delicious. Really good duck. And veal alla romana. Service was very nice. Would recommend. 10/10