Degusto (restaurant / wine bar) December 18
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Degusto (deh-GOOSH-too) is one of our favorite restaurants in Porto. It features a contemporary decor, excellent service, great food, and the longest wine list in town, including around forty wines by the glass. (The wine list reflects what’s on offer at Vinho e Coisas, the co-owned wine store next door.)
The menu is best described as a blend of Portuguese traditional cuisine with some Italian-inspired dishes. If you can arrive early, have a glass of wine at the bar and try the many amuse gueule available. Appetizers include an excellent red wine risotto with goat cheese, a local salad of codfish tongues with roquefort, as well as excellent selections of Portuguese cheeses and smoked meats from the Tras-os-montes inland region. Among the entrees, try the risotto with berberechos ramon pena (a type of short-neck clam from Galicia, the region of Spain to the north of Portugal), seasoned with fresh cilantro; the octopus gnocchi with prosciutto and small padron peppers; or the pheasant stuffed with fava beans and farinheira (a smoked sausage made with pork and flour). For those who want to try a truly Portuguese specialty, go for the arroz de pica no chao em cabidela, a traditional way of preparing chicken with rice, cooked in the bird’s blood and vinegar. Believe us, it’s much better than it sounds. End with a slice of Serra da Estrela, the king of Portuguese cheeses, accompanied by some jam.
Service is knowledgeable and helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask for advice on obscure Portuguese wines. If you like any in particular (or all…) head next door and buy them at Vinho e Coisas.
Price point: expect to spend 30 euros plus drinks. Nine-course degustation menu for 45 euros.
Address: Rua Sousa Aroso 540-544, Matosinhos.
Website: http://www.vinhoecoisas.pt/
Opening hours: lunch (12:30 to 3:00pm) Tuesday to Saturday; dinner (7:30pm to midnight) Monday to Saturday. The wine bar section is open Tuesday to Saturday between 6:00pm and midnight.
Reservations: recommended; call (+351) 22.936.4363.
Getting there: easy access by car; otherwise take a taxi. If you’re driving from downtown Porto, take Avenida da Boavista all the way to the sea. Turn right and cross the city park, with the sea on your left. Go around a roundabout and stay straight to enter Rua Brito Capelo. On the first traffic light, turn right to Rua Sousa Aroso. Degusto is on your right a few blocks up the street. If you’re not driving, take a taxi (30-40 minutes from downtown).