Restaurant suggestion?

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:23 pm

I am always looking for new fine dining experiences and would be interested in your suggestions on great places to eat in Oporto, Vila Nova de Gaia or in the Douro.

Frederick Blais · Post by **Frederick Blais** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:33 pm

I did not try many restaurants in Porto/Douro as they are so few in the Douro.

In the Douro, by a recommadation of Rute, we went to a little village 15-20 min north of Pinhao. There was a nice artificial water fountain with the water flowing in the middle of the main street with palm trees on each side. I don't remember the name of the village but there was 2-3 decent restaurant. I ate very good salmon there.

In Porto/Gaia the best I found were the traditionnaly food restaurant you can find on each side of the river. The cod is found everywhere and in every fashion in Portugal. The best restaurant out there was "Chez Lapin" translate from French means in English "Rabit's House". We ate a big rabbit casserole with cooked potatoes, it was very good! You can actually see a picture in the article I posted on the forum.
http://portugal.evilloop.com/PICT0017.JPG

You also have to try the Portuguese sausages, it is so good! Porc, lamb, fish and sea food are what you find the most. Give a try to the grilled octopuss, I had never tried it and now everytime I see some on the menu, even in Montreal, I'm ordering it.

Bob Hughes · Post by **Bob Hughes** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 10:06 am

Roy,

If there is any interest, I've got a number of restaurant recommendations I could post for Madeira , but I didn't want to bog down a folder that is primarily designed for the Mainland. Let me know if you'd like me to post, or if you want to set up a separate folder to handle this.

Bob

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:32 pm

Bob,

I know you get to Madeira often. I think it would be great if you'd start your own thread in this section of the Portugal Travel forum, that offers great Madeira restaurant recommendations. I will be there in November and would love to check some out.

Thanks!

asbo · Post by **asbo** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:52 am

Dear Roy,

Portuguese food is distinctive and varied, featuring many regional specialties that have evolved from local traditions and ingredients. Much of Portuguese cooking is spice based, thanks largely to Vasco da Gama and the other navigators of his time. A typical meal in Portugal starts with a selection of appetizers such as cheeses, olives, cornbread (broa) and delicious smoked ham called presunto. Soup (sopa) is a regular feature on the restaurant menus made with fresh ingredients. Most seaside restaurants serve a delicious fish soup (sopa de peixe). Fish is a mainstay of Portuguese cuisine, particularly sardines. Various recipes of dried cod and other fish dishes are found around Oporto, along with tripas à moda do Porto, a strong-flavoured concoction of tripes, ham, beans and rice. The north of Portugal is renowned for great variety of sweets and desserts, using generous quantities of eggs. Interesting (and tasty) challenge for the port lovers (next time you visit Portugal) would be to try to pair some of these desserts with Port... Eg.: Leite crème (a sort of crème brûle) with a 10 year old Tawny…

As to restaurants there is a wide selection. Here follows some suggestions. Some of them are a must do… Bom Apetite!

Oporto
Largo da Igreja da Foz, 105/107 (Porto)
Tel:+ 351 226 100 727

Foz Velha
Esplanada do Castelo, 141 (Porto)
Tel.(+351) 22 615 41 78
E-mail: mail@fozvelha.com * http://www.fozvelha.com

Bull & Bear
Avenida da Boavista, 3431 (Porto)
Tel.+ 351 22 6107669

Garden’s
Parque da Cidade - Beco das carreiras, 65 (Porto)
Tel.+ 351 22 6151609

Cafeína
Rua do Padrão, 100 (Porto)
Tel.+351 226108059
Email: cafeína@mail.pt * http://www.cafeina.pt/enter.php

“Barão de Fladgate” (Taylor’s lodges)
Rua do Choupelo nº250 (Vila Nova de Gaia)
Tel: +351 22374 2800
http://www.tresseculos.pt/

Largo do Paço – Casa da Calçada (1 star michelin)
Largo do Paço, 6 (Amarante)
http://www.casadacalcada.com

Rabelo (Vintage House Hotel)
Lugar da Ponte (Pinhão)
http://www.vintagehousehotel.com/

Cepa Torta
Rua Dr. José Bulas Cruz (Alijó)
Tel. +351 259950177

Ana Sofia

Andrew Stevenson · Post by **Andrew Stevenson** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:41 am

Bull & Bear is supposed to the best restaurant in Oporto, but I've still not been.

The restaurants on the quayside in Oporto aren't the greatest, although the location makes up. Some are better than others. The best is Don Tonho, which also has a good wine cellar. Lapin is ok and Merceario (I think that's what it's called) is also ok.

In VN de Gaia I've had a couple of excellent meals at the Adega e Presuntaria Transmontana.

Dirk Niepoort recommends Mariazinha, 103 Rua Primeiro de Dezembro for seafood.

Café Majestic is a lovely place to take a coffee and a pastry. There's also a good cafe and cake shop opposite where I usually get a selection of small cakes to bring home.

When I've been as part of an organised group, I've eaten well at Graham's in Gaia and similarly at several of the quintas up the Douro. After a visit to Quinta do Vale D. Maria, we (a group of about 20) met with Sandra Tavares again, and her husband, for dinner at some old vaguely palatial house that seemed to be high in the hills on the south side of the Douro opposite Pinhao. No idea where it really was though! IIRC the dining room didn't have electric lights, and there was a small, rather decayed, chapel off the dining room.

Quinta do Passadouro has rooms available for the general public visiting. I had a good lunch there too.

I also ate at the Vintage House and was really rather disappointed. Service was begrudging, food was no better than fair. But that is completely contrary to every other report I've read of the restaurant at the vintage house.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:19 pm

Thanks for all of the great suggestions Ana. I have a few new places I will need to try. I have been to a number of the restaurants you've suggested but on my next visit will try to get to some on this list.

I am very pleased that Andrew Stevenson has joined us here. Not only do I spend time on his website (which is fantastic!) but he is one of the most well rounded wine lovers out there. Very diverse tasting experiences and a gourmand as well. Welcome to our midst and I hope you'll drop in on occasion and provide your wisdom and feedback! Some people are afraid of the competition and think they'll lose their guests if they send them to see another related website. I believe in just the opposite. Help promote others who share the passion of wine (Port too, of course) as we have commonality and are not competitors. So please have a look at Andrew's site (http://www.andrewstevenson.com/).

By the way Andrew, my wife and I have been to Mariazinha and it is the 2nd favorite restaurant she has ever been to (after one in Rome that we love). Great place and very romantic. I have not been there in 2 years and can't wait to go back.

I had a memorable dinner at the Bull & Bear with Dirk and a half dozen other producers, to celebrate a very special occasion. The food was excellent and the ambience very cool. On any given night you are sure to see Port personalities in there, if you are into that. A trip to Oporto without a stop at Bull & Bear is simply, incomplete. :)

Andrew Stevenson · Post by **Andrew Stevenson** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 10:37 am

You are too kind Roy!

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sat May 27, 2006 12:30 am

I am considering heading back in June and since lots more people have joined this website, while others have now visited since this thread was popular ... please add any other restaurants that have not been mentioned so far (especially in the Douro).

Thanks!

Ronald Wortel · Post by **Ronald Wortel** » Mon May 29, 2006 5:48 am

When will you be there? Perhaps we can meet, Steven and I will be there from June 5 until June 13.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:46 pm

Ronnie and Steven,

I will miss you by that much.

I depart here on the 19th and arrive on the 20th with a departure from Portugal on the 29th. Not only will I miss you two gents, I could not even route my trip through Heathrow this time. Damn! :twisted:

Stop in to VinoLogia and tell Gustavo you are from the FTLOP. He'll take good care of you!

Ronald Wortel · Post by **Ronald Wortel** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:16 am

Don't worry, we did!

Our trip is postponed as well, we will now be in Portugal the first week of July...

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:17 am

We´ve visited some fine restaurants and at some point I will include them in a report. Revisits have included Bull & Bear which I really enjoy, but find DeGusto an even better dining experience. We´ve been there twice on this trip and both times, the food and service were excellent and the wine list is world class.

Andrew N. · Post by **Andrew N.** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:20 am

evrey time im in porto I go to rotunda da boa vista praca mouzinho de albuqerque 153 4100 360 porto.tel 226063742.Fantastic char grilled meats and fish ,the steak espicial at 10 euros is fantastic washed down with a bottle of estufa .well recommended sit downstairs to watch the poor chefs trying to keep up.they have two other places at solar de grijo av s. salvador (estrada nacional no1) vendas de grijo 4415 carvalhos. tel 227640053or basileiro de pereiro rua conde da covilha 1324 4100 187 porto,tel 226172714.

Steven Kooij · Post by **Steven Kooij** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:40 am

Some place we visited last week:

DeGusto - good food, great service. Wonderful wine list with good pricing as well, even though we did not have to order anything as our host provided the wines.
O Tonho - beautiful location, but we had very bad service. Food was good, though. Good selection of wines (once you get the wine list), but rather expensive.
Vinologia - great fun, as usual! A must to visit.
Calem Bar - in front of the logde in VNdG. We did not have lunch or dinner here, but they served us some great snack food to go with our Port whist watching the football. Not cheap, but worth it (and a beautiful location).

Douro In (Regua) - Trendy, modern restaurant with well executed versions of traditional Portuguese food. I had the best bacelhau ever here. Nice selection of wine as well. Service could be a bit better, and the music should be a lot less loud, but still a place worth to visit.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:57 pm

Glad to hear you enjoyed DeGusto. Is it safe to assume you were there with Dirk? Did you and Ronnie ever get to visit my friend Maria Teresa's shop after you returned from the Douro?

Steven Kooij · Post by **Steven Kooij** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:18 pm

Your assumption is indeed correct, Roy.

Unfortunately, we did not get to meet with Maria Teresa this time (we've both visited before), as our offline at Vinologia with Gustavo, Markus and Sini just did not end...

8)
Both Ronnie and I owe Maria Teresa a lot of thanks, as she has been extremely helpful for us - and I'd give here store a glowing recommendation to anyone visiting Porto!

Andrew N. · Post by **Andrew N.** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:03 am

where can I find mana teresa and her shop ,looks like I should pay a visit. :idea:

Steven Kooij · Post by **Steven Kooij** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:20 am

Copy / paste from a previous post by Roy:

VINHOS DE QUINTA ... AVEPOD.
The address is 39 Rua da Alegria. It is not easy to find if you are not looking for it specifically. It is at the end of the alleyway, just behind the Pestana hotel in the Ribiera district.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:08 am

Andrew,

Tell her that you saw notice of her shop here and she will really treat you royally.

Steven,

What did you and Ronnie think of it? I hope you did make it there recently?