By The Sea Imagine enjoying the intimacy and romance of a small hotel on the Italian Riviera, a place whose ristorante offers a wonderful menu. Such is Renato, the lovely restaurant sharing an ocean vantage with the Portofino Beach Hotel, Newport Beach. The service at Renato is impeccable with an internationally-trained staff creating a special ambiance. The cuisine is equally exquisite, beginning with a varied selection of warm and cold appetizers. It's best to share as they are almost an entree in themselves.
Soups come next with the specialty being pasta fagioli.
All pasta dishes are homemade. The house specialty, Rotelle Alla Napoletana, is excellent, and the risotto is prepared in the old-fashioned Italian style. With recipes translated from Northern and Coastal Italy, the fish dishes are a favorite. The selection of fresh fish changes daily and includes escolar, halibut, sea bass and tuna. The most popular veal dish is a 14-ounce chop prepared with porcini mushroom sauce.