One of the main cities of Portugal - Porto - is very renowned not only for the historic buildings, beautiful scenarios, the famed fortified Port wine, the warming people but also for its delicious and outstanding food.
So, if you are looking for an incredible trip filled with shared memories with your family or friends, then why not taste this incredible destination through a private tour? It is a perfect way of learning about this beloved and awarded city and its cuisine.
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Normally the Portuguese cuisine is flavored with a base of garlic, wine, and chili pepper sauce - the Portuguese call Piri Piri -. Portuguese recipes are all about character and aroma, so while exploring marvelous Portugal, you will learn that you can expect to savor a hybrid of meats, seafood, and vegetables, and each region and city has its own specialties and personalities that must be tasted.
Being this said, the cuisine of the city of Porto reflects the surrounding terrain, which is situated between the sea and mountains, so you can expect a mix of surf and turf. Also, there are plenty of thick soups and stews to sink into. But what are in fact the traditional dishes that you should try? Or even better, the traditional dishes of this city but with a modern reinterpretation? Let's discover and make your palate embark on a trip of unique and delicious flavors.
Taste the Traditional
The Traça restaurant is located midway between the riverfront and the city's main avenue, is housed in a 17th-century building - in which in the past was a pharmacy - with beautiful azulejos covering the interior. While inside you will feel the charisma of the atmosphere of other times, with a retro decoration based on materials such as iron, wood, and tile and using old pieces and furniture. It is in this scenario with pieces chosen by the owners themselves, where a blackboard with the menu written in chalk and a table at the entrance on a floor of old mosaics stand out, that we feel like we are traveling back in time while we enjoy a delicious meal. The restaurant serves the traditional Portuguese cuisine, filled with Iberian influences, with emphasis on meat, and homemade desserts. All of these wonderful dishes will bright up your mood in an instant.
Among the many wine cellars in the beautiful Gaia, you'll find an irreverent gastronomic proposal DeCastro Gaia. Located on the third floor of Espaço Porto Cruz - where you can discover all things related to the production and culture of port wine -. In this informal but refined environment, you will taste petiscos and dishes rooted in traditional Portuguese flavors, that are paired in perfect harmonization with the Portuguese wines. In the end, go for a Port Wine Cocktail on the rooftop with a concept of 360º views across the Douro to the old city.
Taste the Traditional but with a Modern Reinterpretation
The Cafeína restaurant, located in the Foz, was conceived from the restoration of an early twentieth-century house. With a sober and refined decoration, its interior is bold and contemporary, which translates into a sophisticated environment. Its gastronomic offer consists of traditional Portuguese and international cuisine, but is modern, elegant, and cosmopolitan, turning this outstanding place with unique characteristics in the city.
The Palco Restaurant is a romantic and cozy space with a charming covered patio. The dishes consist of the typical Mediterranean and Portuguese cuisine but mixed with modern techinques of elaborate dishes, careful products, and pleasant flavors. The atmosphere reflects the warmth of Portuguese hospitality, creating an intimate atmosphere and dark tones, with suggestive references to cinema and theater. Taste fascinating appetizers, marvelous cheesecakes, fascinating parfaits all paired with a list of outstanding wines.
The DOP Restaurant is located in Ribeira, in the Palácio das Artes building. It's a modern and cozy space, and the decor of the space is modern with a familiar atmosphere. The cuisine promises to exalt gastronomic experiences with traditional but simultaneously innovative dishes. The place also has show cooking and equipment that will allow you to observe the preparation of some dishes live. In 2015 a renovation of the menu introduced the concept of food with memory, with more accessible, cozy dishes and, as always, making use of the best ingredients and of course paired with marvelous wines.
The Pedro Lemos restaurant - which is name after the Chef itself - is located in the Foz do the Douro, where the waters of the river and the Atlantic meet. The restaurant is an attractive building, and consider a city's architectural heritage, with two floors, a charming living room on the first floor, where the wine cellar is on view, and the main dining room on the second floor, with a more cosmopolitan aesthetic. Its proposals change according to the number of dishes, always with showy elaborations that value the freshness both of the local products and, in general, of the ones from the rest of the country's regions.
Why book now your 2021 tour? Because by booking all your tours with us you will have flexibility in the future, plus all the COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidlines. Through these unique times, we are available to plan, reschedule, and move your trip around your needs, as always. If your new dates may no longer work with your initial travel plan, a dedicated consultant will be available to tailor and reschedule your time in Portugal according to your needs and preferences, and to assure you that you will have the best and most memorable experiences.