The Thirsty Fish

I did not actually eat at this place. We researched on Unilocal and it sounded good. But the directions were not accurate so we could not find it! We were visiting so went to another place.
I suggest that you call them and get specific directions as the Unilocal app will leave you beside a lake.

We waited and waited and waited for service. We saw people with food and asked for a menu. We were told they don’t serve food but could arrange to get room service to deliver. If they had something that wasn’t italian (all the food choices here are italian) they’d knock it out of the park. Imagine bar food at a bar…

Nice little hotel bar. They have a decent selection of beer and wine. The food looked pretty good, but I didn’t have anything while I was there.
There was live music and the guy was really good. And it wasn’t so loud that you can’t hear the person next to you.
The bartender was nice and the service was quick. As far as bars at a resort hotel go, this is a good one.

Fun little place that overlooks the lake in front of the Loews Portofino. Lots of tourist who are trying to relax and get away from their kids for a quick drink. TV, bar stools, average pours.

Not half bad for an amusement park hotel hangout. the drinks are reasonably priced (for the location), the wine list is serviceable and the snacks and appetizers were more than edible. We didn’t have a meal here so i cant comment on the larger dishes but it satisfied a medium sized group of friends who wanted to hang out and have some drinks while the kids were tiring themselves out at the amusement park.

A great appetizer menu and beer selection. The calamari was some of the best that I have ever had. Save yourself some time and order extra of the dipping sauce as it is unbelievable. Well positioned TVs make watching sports easy and the live entertainment was rather good.

Had after dinner drinks here, great outdoor seating and scenery. The kitchen was closed but our waitress was awesome and helped us order a late night snack off the room service menu! Would definitely go back for drinks again.

I kept calling this place «The Thirsty Whale»…thirsty fish did not make much sense to me… considering all of the drinking that was going on here… I also think that a Whale could drink more then a fish too. Maybe the hotel will change the name!!!
The drinks were good and the waitress was very attentive. The one thing I liked is that the bar was suppose to close at midnight but because our group was so large they kept it open to 2am every night for us. That was great because most corporate places would never do that.
The location was nice… right near the water… it would have been nice if there were some actually tables on the waters edge. The bar also does not get a sunset view, which would have been fantastic. One day I saw a couple of groups move their tables into the sunlight, so they could enjoy the warmth while they were drinking.

Slow, slow, slow in terms of food service when there Labor Day weekend and the place was practically empty. Service was great. Food is average. Nice view of the property and the manmade bay.

Portofino Bay Hotel’s Thirsty Fish is a small café-​style lounge that sits at the bay’s edge. It features wine, beer, cocktails, and a small menu of items for snacking.
As with my review of Royal Pacific’s Orchid Court Sushi Bar, what makes Thirsty Fish a best kept secret is that fact that so many guests don’t realize Universal has on-​site hotels, let alone that the hotels have such impressive venues such as the Thirsty Fish.
Imagine this: It is early evening, the sun is setting in the background, you and your wife are sitting down in a beautiful outdoor plaza overlooking Portofino bay, sipping on wine, listening to live music, and watching your fellow travelers coming and going from the nearby watertaxi dock. The shops and boutiques around the bay bustle with activity. All of a sudden it’s 8:00pm, and a small group of Italian opera signers walk out onto a patio across the plaza from you. For the next twenty minutes their songs fill the air as the romance of the evening fills your senses.
My friend, you are at Thirsty Fish. Sure, it takes just a pinch of imagination to complete the feel, but not as much as you might think.
Insider tip: Portofino Bay Hotel is located next to Hard Rock Hotel, which sits next to Universal Studios Florida. If you want to stretch your legs, I highly recommend walking from the parks to Thirsty Fish. The pathway, which starts just next to the main gates at USF, takes you along the landscaped waterway connecting the hotels and the parks. It is a very lovely and relaxing walk, and when you take the final turn onto Portofino property, you great an incredible view of the hotel. If you’re tired, you can also take the complimentary watertaxis (they only start asking to see room keys in the late evening).