Porto, Northern Portugal's capital, is experiencing a renaissance in recent years, blooming with Michelin-starred restaurants and boutique hotels. The city boasts breathtaking views of the Douro River, adorned with historic buildings, covered in stunning local porcelain tiles.
The variety of bars, restaurants, and nearby wineries makes it a top destination for fine dining lovers and weekenders. 5 unique restaurant recommendations focused on high-end local ingredients and execution.
Euskalduna Studio: Vasco Coelho Santos
Chef Vasco Coelho Santos is the undisputed leader of Porto’s fine dining scene, in which his restaurant group is a dynamic player in the local and the Portuguese gastronomy.
In less than a decade, he built a creative portfolio that honors tradition and helped position Porto as a top culinary destination, second only to Lisbon in Portugal.
At 38, Vasco manages a Michelin-starred restaurant, a Japanese Omakase, a sourdough bakery, and a traditional haute-cuisine traditional restaurant in eponymous Douro Valley's Sandeman winery and is now branching out to Lisbon, he where recently opened a restaurant.
Vasco originally studied economics but switched to cooking to follow his passion. In the late 2000s, he worked at legendary Spanish restaurants Mugaritz and Arzak, experiences that shaped his technical discipline and unique flavor palette.
Upon returning from a long research trip to Japan, he opened Euskalduna Studio, an ode to Basque and Japanese cuisines with a stong local touch.
This intimate 16-seat spot offers an omakase style tasting menu, in which the young kitchen team prepare each dish in front of the guests. The 10-course meal focuses on fresh bounty from the Portuguese Atlantic coast and earned the restaurant its first Michelin star in 2022.
Located in the hipster Bonfim neighborhood, the young staff guides the guest through the meal and present each dish to them.
Iconic dishes include squid-filled Takoyaki and aged Amberjack sashimi. For dessert, Euskalduna Studio serve a modern, elevated version of Rabanada, traditional Portuguese French toast.
The wonderful wine pairing features exclusively Portuguese labels.
In short: a must-visit for seafood and Japanese cuisine lovers. Be sure to book weeks in advance.
Cozinha das Flores & The Largo Hotel
The Largo is one of Portugal’s finest luxury hotels, a world class resort, hidden behind a large door in the city center.
The hotel spans 5 strictly preserved historic buildings, all designed by a Danish-Portuguese architects team.
Hidden stone doors and secret corridors connect the different wings, containing a total of 18 suites, each with a unique design, featuring DIY cocktail bars, personalized wine fridges, and private balconies.
The rooftop is a highlight, featuring a beautiful pool overlooking the city. Breakfast is served here, including an incredible local blue lobster portofugese omelet. There is also a fully equipped gym spread across three floors (!).
The hotel also houses Cozinha das Flores by Chef Nuno Mendes, a Portuguese culinary icon who has acclaimed restaurants in London. In his menu, he reimagines classic dishes from northern Portugal, emphasizing local stews and grilled dishes.
Personal items include squid stirps on top of chickpea stew (wow!) and a Pastel de Nata topped with caviar.
Mendes, a pioneer in dry-aging fish to enhance flavor, offers exceptional local seafood and aged fish.
The lunch tasting menu is a great value way to try their best hits.
Seixo at Sandeman
Sandeman is nothig less but a legendary Global – and of course Portuguese – brand. It has represented the Port wine industry for centuries and being its beacon for more than a decade.
Founded in 1790, it gained global fame for its aged wines and "The Don" logo and aged wines.
The winery sits in the heart of the Douro Valley, about 90 minutes from Porto. The visitor center offers comprehensive tours and tastings of Port wines aged up to 50 years.
Seixo is the traditional Portuguese restaurant located at the winery. Chef Vasco oversees the project, while Chef Teresa Cruz handles the daily cooking, using a formidable wood-fired oven to create rustic grilled dishes.
The food is exceptional and worth the trip. Highlights include roasted pumpkin stuffed with local cheese, Roasted cuts from the fire – and Alheira, a traditional sausage with Jewish roots. Don't miss the chocolate orange roll for dessert.
Ogi
After years of baking bread for his restaurants, Chef Vasco launched Ogi bakery, open to the general public and operates from a small window near Euskalduna Studio.
His bakery focuses on sourdough and traditional Portuguese pastries. It serves his restaurants but is also open for takeaway as the constant line outside its window implies.
All flours are stone-ground and naturally fermented, and Ogi produces artisanal breads and pastries rooted in tradition. Their Folhado de Salsicha, a buttery puff pastry filled with mini sausages was my personal favorite.
Kaigi
Located on the edge of the city center, Kaigi draws inspiration from Japanese "secret" restaurants. It features a small bar with only 16 seats.
The concept is a Japanese Izakaya. It serves as a meeting point between Japanese and Portuguese cuisines. The meal includes Nigiri and sashimi made entirely from Portuguese ingredients.
For dessert, try the unique Mochi. It features a sticky rice pancake with São Jorge cheese cream and poached pear. They also offer an extensive sake menu with detailed explanations.
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