Reviews of Port City Royal (Restaurant)

Alex Palmer

Best cocktails in Saint John. Going on a date, out with friends, birthday, out to meet the locals...this is your place for all things night life Saint John

Christa Fox

So good. Amazing experience from start to finish. Beautiful presentation and excellent service. Definitely a new favourite.

Paige Stevenson

Amazing food and atmosphere. Decor is really great.

Esteban Fuentes

Good variety of drinks. Great people.

Quinn Gaalswyk

Food was unique and tasty, and our extremely knowledgeable bar tender custom designed amazing cocktails for us based on general preferences. (He also provided us great info on what to do in the area). Highly recommend.

Patrick Oancia

Called ahead for a reservation randomly, and was told that they were fully booked but I could try to come in and see if we can get a table anyway. When I showed up, there were counter spots available everywhere at the front of the restaurant, at the bar, and against the open kitchen. I’ve worked in the restaurant business for years, and it’s better to try and accommodate customers in general and even if you show up at Freemans, or Cafe Mogodar in New York City, they’ll always try to accommodate seating you. With this being said, the atmosphere was super cute, located in the historical building in St. John city center. The promise of the menu sounded very interesting. But bottom line was that the food was very mediocre, and although our servers were very friendly, there was a bit of attitude coming from the kitchen. We sat facing the kitchen and never once did either of the chefs smile at us or engage at all. They basically seem to be quite young, and trying to do interesting and innovative things. But from my experience as a dedicated foodie in every country I visit, this was nowhere near the value of what our bill came out to at the end. With all being said, the kitchen needs some pretty critical feedback if they’re going to be charging that price point for what they offer and hold up against what would likely roll out in the future on the same price point. I’ve traveled to India 20 times, and there a theme for that night was Indian. It was a kind of a slap in the face to anybody that knows the quality of good Indian food. And even if it was an attempt at doing some sort of fusion, it was far from the promise of what was showcased. With all being said, it seems that they have some pretty interesting cocktails, and may be great for a drink, and some light bar food. As I expressed, the ambience was very nice, and if they could improve the output of the food and drop a bit of the attitude, It could be an awesome restaurant.

Darren

Authentic, local and a very unique and innovative twist on Maritime cuisine. The drinks are stellar too!

D B

Old timey bar, has a bit of a hipster vibe to it. Cheap high balls on the weekends though, and service is fast and friendly. Definitely a good place to bring friends who want a bit of a taste it old style Saint John. Food options are also pretty killer, where else can you get duck meat on your nachos?

Eat Drink World

This is one of my favorite places to eat at in Saint John the food is delicious menu changes all the time so food never gets stale always something new to try. This latest visit here was during ramen night on Wednesdays so had to try it was a duck broth with buckwheat noodles, fiddleheads and spiced ground pork.

Joe Smith

excellent!

Marco Valle

5 star reviews don't do this establishment justice. My girlfriend appreciates cocktails and had an outstanding one made in minutes (including recommendations from the server). I'm a Scotch person and not only did the server have insight but he also had experience - including the recommendation of a delicious 18-year-old Scotch I hadn't tried before. Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious drinks and everything is well priced. If you aren't on your way you are doing it wrong. Highly recommended.

Lisa Landrey

Nice place cocktails. Just went for drinks and appetizers. Not a large choice on appetizers. However, they have a nice charcuterie board and delicious fries.

Matt Sawler

OMG So GOOD

Gidget Hall

I ordered ramen from here on door dash and it was amazing! They wrapped everything individually and put the broth in a separate container so it didn't get mushy or spill. It's the first time I've ever had the dish proper, and it was absolutely wonderful! Picture was halfway through me inhaling it XD.

ian sechler

Not from the area originally, but the best cocktails that I have ever had!

Tyler Parker

Some of the best service I've experienced along with some of the most unique food and drink experiences available in Saint John. The bartender Eric makes some of the best drinks around

Mike Capson

Another hip spot in uptown sj. Good food, music, and cocktails

Brad Becker

Wow!

Scott Walton

Delicious cocktails and food. Mostly locally sources ingredients, with a menu that changes frequently. Very unique dishes, and a super passionate mixologist

Jacek Mis

Food is amazing...get Eric to make you a Manhattan...

Todd Huntley

Love the food and staff. The owner, Jakob is great to deal with!

Guy Porlier

Love the uniqueness of the menu here

Jolly Frink

Very nice food, love it!

Mannix Maz

Great food

Shawn Googins

Great bartender, exceptional and hard to find ales in the cellar, fantastic food. A must visit

Frank Forestell

Good food. A little long in the wait but overall a great experience.

Cass McPhee

Amazing lunch sandwiches and soup, great service, rustic and cozy atmosphere. Been raving about it.

Chris Hylton

Great fare

Gray Skedgel

Amazing everything. Be warned, foodies will only like this style of food. Cocktails best in town

Victors Casas

Had the Scallops and fried clams. Simply amazing food. Staff was very attentive and friendly.

Minoo Bulsara

Everything is spectacular!! Service, food, ambience.... EVERYTHING! :)

Douglas Cherry

The perfect atmosphere to unwind over drinks and a meal. Bartenders and staff were very professional. The food was outstanding!

Alisha B

Not a huge fan of the food, love their drink menu even the moctails are good. Pretty cool atmosphere.

Jean du Plessis

One of the best meals I've had. Cocktails are amazing and waiter was great!

Robert Quirion

Best place in Canada . All menu items are delicious. Great bar and awesome lounge area.

Christopher Rupert (ladada2001)

Fantastic food, excellent service.

Leah Fitzgerald

Brunch at Marjorie's is amazing. Cocktail menu is top notch.

Nicolas Massicard

Knowledgeable people will give you the best cocktail in town. Comfy couch too !

Adam T. Donnelly

Love the Saturday night drink special!

K H

Didn't get the food, but the cocktails were outstanding.

B Callum

Great atmosphere

Chrïs

Loved it. Went late afternoon on a Sunday, nice and quiet

Leandro S

Try the burger

Derek Chaisson

Unbelievable cocktails and dishes, always exciting new items on the menu. Highly recommended to any open minded connoisseur of food and drink!

Sean McKinley

I went here for a few drinks with friends a few weeks ago. The atmosphere is amazing, drinks are perfect and the food is unique and flavorful.

Gino Dion

One of the best spots in town! Great staff, very diverse drink selection, and menu items with a Maritime twist. Do yourself a favor and take the blind test menu, you won't regret it!

Ariel Birdoff

Amazing food and friendly wait staff. A great place for any meal in St. John.

Tyler Aikens

My second visit, first time eating inside. We didn't realize it was "Chop Chop" week and bought both the plate and the dinner, neither of us really sure what we were even ordering. We started with a carrot soup that was so good that we both fought back tears of joy. By some miracle of God, the dinner got progressively better with each course, prompting lots of swear words and moaning (which I apologized for). The music was also perfectly curated and the atmosphere was very laid back and comfortable. This was by far the best meal I've had since moving to Saint John in 2019. Thanks a lot!

Jeremie Deschenes

Fantastic meal and service. The atmosphere was cozy and had little hidden surprises. We ate several small dishes and all were great, from he fried clams to the tomato tart. Cocktails were finely made and tasty to boot.

Angela Russell

Wonderful food and amazing service. A menu well diverse for all tastes. A must have in Saint John

Adrian Thiessen

Awesome hidden spot. Food and ambiance were spot on.

Joe Long

This place is always amazing. Go here and you won't be disappointed.

Jody Kliffer

Great food, great armosphere, great people!

Trevor Penney

Easily our favorite restaurant in town

Bodes

Had the $50 tasting menu to see what this place was about. House bread with a magnificent molasses lard - tasted like duck fat, incredible. Followed by a house made copa and fennel salad, tomato soup with herbed dollop of cream/butter, sautéed shrimp with pea purée & corn fritter and creme brûlée for desert; overall excellent value. The food was creative, the cocktails were incredible & unique such as the Copper Penny (ginger, scotch, black sesame) or the Pumpkin Spice Maithai, the space is beautiful and set in the historic centre. Shout out to Tom for the last minute table, and to the rest of the friendly, caring and passionate service. A great place to discover in this beautiful city.

Christa Mabee

I don't often have an emotional reaction to my dinner, but everything here is just so good. Several of the best cocktails I've ever had were right here in li'l olde Saint John, thanks to Port City Royal. If you get the chance to try the eggnog before the end of the Christmas season: take it.

Christien Lomax

Overly trendy. Terrible experience. The staff were almost nonexistant. Took forever to get our drinks. Will not go back. And most certainly would not recommend. Drinks were good though. Waaay over priced.

Michael LeBlanc

Best food and cocktails in the city by far! Great staff, all locally sourced, fine dining at affordable prices. Very flexible when it comes to allergies, vegan, gluten free, etc. They also sell amazing loafs of bread. I can't say enough good things about this place. Go and try it for yourself, you won't be disappointed!

Shane Goodine

Best pub in Saint John!

Jeffrey Scammell

Menu is always fresh and changing!

Keven Girard

Just wow , barman was awesome and creative!! Food was excellent!! Truly recommend that place

Curtis Godin (Google Maps Editor)

This place does have some funky drinks and really cool food. I love the atmosphere. It's a little different from some of the similar places I have been in the past but it is very unique in its own way. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have great quaily service and have a little fun with it aĺl. The prices are more than fair and they have such great staff. The washrooms are very clean and as I said it's great if you are looking for a change or spice things up a little. Highly recommended for its uniqueness and originally. Enjoy!!!!

Michael Jiaming Xu

We love it! Every dish is a surprise. Rustic ambiance is great.

Arjun Damodar

Excellent quality, but very limited quantity. Had dinner here and then went to Jungle Jims just to fill the belly.

Dean Mylalsingh

Great food and service. Always enjoy my time there

Sarin B. Picard

Had the 4 course meal, everything was delicious. Service was excellent. Only negative was the wine list that was a bit short. I will definitely go back next time I’m in town!

jan Hohmann

The appetizers alone were fantastic.. as said above, the ambiance was great and service was fantastic.

Gregory Boyd

There is no better restaurant in the city or the region. Originality of flavours and execution supported by the best cocktail bar in town. (And ignore other comments on here regarding aize of portions, they are just fine.)

Candice Jeremie

Oh Patricia. Sonnets should be sung about you based on your incredible personality and equally wonderful customer service. The food was incredible. And to top it off, we received a special anniversary surprise drink and dessert. That was such an amazing surprise. Thank you for making us feel welcome and going above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable.

Doug Curtis

Loved the atmosphere of the place. Id like to give the place another chance because when we went it was super busy. The wait staff took almost an hour to sere a drink but we still enjoyed it.

Lauren Mitchell

Knowledgeable staff, great atmosphere. Seriously, their lounge is the stuff of dreams.

Steve P. Mackin

I popped in here around 10 pm on a Saturday night. Enjoyed a couple of cocktails (bartender was super friendly and very accommodating) and had some poutine which was very tasty. Overall, a pleasurable experience and I will be back.

Sam

The best drinks in the Maritimes by far. Some of the best food, and the kind of food you want find anywhere else. Any local owes it to themselves to at least come in for some drinks. This goes double for people visiting. Beautiful location and building

william Liu

first time here and tried their chop chop menu, great experience, and the food(Vietnam Pho) actually exceeded my expectation!

W. P.

With the prices they charge, I was expecting more. Food was good, but not wow, the appetizers were very disappointing.

Drea Newman

Phenomenal. The food, drink and service were on par with the best I've ever experienced across Canada. Eric behind the bar is an absolute pleasure to engage with in conversation and his knowledge of food and drink is vast and plentiful.

James Steel

Funky setting, interesting drinks and food. Be prepared to wait for food....nothing pre-made here!

Matthew Carpenter-Arevalo

If you only have a short time in saint john, eat here.

Daniel Smith

A great menu that takes chances. Excellent service. Some of the best cocktails I've ever had. Love this place.

lawn draw

awesome food, and prepared with care!

Matthew Brown

Favourite restaurant in town

Cassidy Molloy

Favorite bar uptown. Great menu and the charcuterie can't be beat! Perfect place for a relaxed vibe and craft cocktails. Tom is the best!

Marco Zanette

Exceptional atmosphere, first rate service and $1.25 local oysters during happy hour...you’d be missing out if you visited Saint John and didn’t come in here.

Drake Daigle

The location was ideal and the restaurant was well decorated but the that's the only redeeming quality it had. Ambiance was dead and the food was sub par. It seemed like it was gonna be a happening spot but it couldn't have been further from the truth. Ending up only having a charcuterie board and cocktails which was more then enough. Skip it....

Sonia Myre

So impressed with this place. The food is outstanding (the tomato tart blew my mind), the service is super and the cocktails are one of a kind.

Mark Mcintyre

this is a great late night drink destination.

Peter Hazen

Great French Canadian Meat Pie with beef and venison. Also one of the fee places with yummy bread pudding.

Liam Freill

The smelt are fantastic with a wee dram!

Fiona Wilson

Pleasant staff. Reasonable lemon drop martini

Della Jimenez

I met Jacob last year at a wedding show where I was completely impressed with his catering samples. From then I knew I needed to go to the Port City Royal to get a taste of his dining menu. The restaurant is rustic and quaint, lighting to suit the ambiance and perfect back ground music. Basically all the atmosphere to have the perfect date night. We were greeted by Tom, and I can say for certain that his personality and mannerisms make him the perfect host. His timings were perfect his suggestions on meals and wine were spot on. We liked him so much at one point my wife asked him to join us, he didn’t of course.

Kay

Great service and atmosphere, they make you feel at home almost.

Kyle Dixon

Food is unique and always changing. Prices are really good considering quality and atmosphere is great.

Tom Splane

Bring a lunch while you wait for dinner!!

Jimmy D.

Very cozy, great service, inventive menu. Would definitely be visiting again.

KIP OTT

Made a point of visiting after Port Royal was featured in EnRoute magazine. Fresh food, delightful flavours, creative cocktails and attentive service. I had a 3 course meal and was astonished at the end of the meal to discover that their oven was broken and everything was coming off the stove top or a barbeque. Their quick adaptation is another sign of their professionalism and skill. Equally excellent as a drop in for drinks as the seating caters to conversation and the atmosphere is relaxed. Very welcoming at bar if you're dining solo.

Mable Lean

Interesting space. Hipster Vibe :) Food was different than we expected but for the most part delicious!

Co Co

Good cocktails, awesome service. Just wish there were more seats. Limits the group size. Other than that, this is an awesome place :)

Shannon Cutsey

Always excellent

Kurt MacDonald

Good food, menu changes regularly. Uses local ingredients.

Paulette Gaudet

Local ingredients prepared with a flair.

M

What a lovely place! The atmosphere was amazing! Highly recommend any of the Old Fashion selections!

R B

WOW, had one of the best meals last night. The food, drinks, service and overall vibe is fantastic!

Norma Clark

Great atmosphere, great drinks & yummy nibbles!

J G

The best Romen you will get in SJ!!! Great cocktails and deserts. Don't know what to drink... try the Royal Palm, you won't be disappointed!

Stephan Osmond

If you are looking for a great spot to sip a classy drink and have a tasty meal then PCR is a must. Do it. Go. Now.

Dylan Thomas

Incredible food! Everything was fresh and well balanced.

Niro Tham

The place is in the middle of an alleyway which is pretty cool. very hipsteresque, and the service was good. started off with 20 oysters which were fresh. then moved onto the cheese starter as well as the pickles which were good. what stole the show however was the chicken liver. I was ready to order a second round but i knew i had more food coming. ordered the burger which was cooked nicely and washed it down with another 8 oysters. i would highly reccommend this place.

Daniel Kerpel

Great spot for a drink, a snack, a chat, a meal and an awsome happy hour. I recommend for all who love oysters and cocktails as much as me. They have an aweome setting very intimate and cozy. Ho check them out!

craig hopson

Great drinks! Great staff! Definitely a must Check out!

Janice Crilley -Mason

I have been to Port City Royal more times then I can count.It is definitely a destination not just a local.You gotta love Eric and Jacob,masters at what they do,food and drink fantastic,a must try for everyone.

ALEXANDRE NADEAU

(Translated) Nice atmosphere and great food! A good choice. (Original) Ambiance agréable et bonne nourriture! Un bon choix.

Rachel Kelly

We picked this place on a whim while visiting based on reviews and were not disappointed. We both had the smoked haddock on sourdough with kettel chips and a citrus aioli and it was outstanding. My husband finished first and watched longingly while I finished mine. It was unanimous that we had just eaten the best fish we'd ever been served in a restaurant. Our cocktails were expertly mixed, the service was very warm and professional and there was an all Beatles playlist while we ate. 10/10 experience.

Duane Benson

First and last visit. We tried them out during the chop chop promotion... the place was probably empty for a good reason. The food was just ok, and they were terribly slow with everything.. how long does it take to serve soup? We left and immediately went to another restaurant for a decent meal.

henry lee

Tasty food

jean blanchard

Good drinks

Michelle Chen

Lovely space, great food, and attentive service. Menu was small and focused, with fresh ingredients. Some of the best mussels I've ever had, and the chocolate cheesecake was to die for.

Steven Craig

Great Food, Great Ambiance and Great Service

Antonio Aguilar

Something different