Porto Leggero

This review is long overdue and well deserved. My husband and I celebrated our wedding here with around 25 guests and it was perfect. They were so easy to work with and the space was beautiful. We were very lucky that the day of our wedding the place wasn’t so busy. Parking was manageable. What really blew us away was the food! It was delicious! One year later and our guest still ask us about the dishes. I really appreciated their service and our reservation was only supposed to be three hours and was kindly extended without rushing anyone out. Highly recommend this place especially if you are celebrating a special event.

Decided on Porto Leggero for my 31st birthday w/ my boyfriend! We went out on a rainy and cold Saturday but the delicious dinner made up for it. Reservations are made via phone so call ahead of time. Parking is free and is located right in front of the restaurant. We were looking for an actual lot but when we asked the host, he said we could parallel park in front. Just make sure to double check with them bc it's Jersey City, ha! If you're taking the train, it's steps away from the Path and light rail. Porto Leggero is such a warm and cozy atmosphere. They have an extensive wine list and a couple of cocktails. I had to start the night with the Rosa Margarita which caught my eye bc one, it has tequila and two, any drink with agave, fresh lime and pink rose it my JAM. After the first sip, I pat myself on the back since I made such a good choice! My bf ordered the Nero Old Fashioned which he loved the hints of aromatic bitters and orange. The waiter came around with three servings of complimentary bread; one paired with balsamic vinaigrette + olive oil, one topped with caramelized onions (I think) and one with a delicious eggplant spread. Definitely started to fill me up before my app and entrée! One of their specials was the burrata salad which was absolutely DELICIOUS! I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I usually shy away from burrata bc it never stood out to me but this one really put it back on the map! And I dislike figs but paired with this I'll eat it every day. My bf ordered the Portobello Milanese which he devoured in 5 minutes, haha. Now, the Pappardelle con Vodka was the meal people kept writing about in their reviews so I had to order it. Never had pappardelle before either! The menu stated it's cooked with prosciutto but I was able to order my meal without it which is always a win. My bf ordered the Agnello Arosto (lamb shank over saffron risotto) and enjoyed it. All in all, service was great, food was delicious and it was the laid back/fancy dinner I was looking forward to! Would definitely visit again; I NEED to try the watermelon salad and butternut squash ravioli.

As an ex manhattanite who moved quite willingly to JC four years ago, I’ve been looking for a dependable Italian resto here in JC. They’re all over each neighborhood in Manhattan, so you never have to travel too far. Porto Leggero is a 10 min drive from where we live, and we just ate there tonight. First of all, I was exceptionally disappointed by the bread service. There so much sensational artisanal bread available these days; why would you offer the soft, tasteless, sesame seed topped bread we were offered? I was puzzled but we soldiered on. We began with the tomato and watermelon salad, which was lovely. Chunks of different types of tomatoes, sweet watermelon cubes, a nicely balanced vinaigrette. My husband had the pappardelle alla vodka, and the sauce was excellent. the pasta- fresh, not dried- was perfectly cooked. This is NOT easy to achieve in restaurant service. I had the pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe; it was very garlicky, which I personally like but others might find it overwhelming. My dessert was sliced strawberries and blueberries in zabaglione, and it was really excellent. My husband’s crème brûleè, however, was a disaster. The custard was too eggy and it’s being over cooked resulted in a dense, grainy mess that I personally would have sent back ( see close up pix). Service was a bit slow but very accommodating. I would definitely return to try other dishes.

I had my Holiday dinner here a few weeks ago and I couldn't have been happier! The food...amazing The atmosphere...perfect The service...impeccable. I would give 10 stars for the service if I could. Everything was perfectly executed. Elliott and Sergio took great care of us. My guests are still talking about it! I frequent the restaurant/bar, but this was my first time having a private event. I highly recommend.