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Foz Velha (Fosh VEH-lla) is named after the neighborhood in which it is located. Foz is Portuguese for the place where the river meets the sea. Velha means old. The restaurant is in the heart of the old Foz neighborhood, where the wealthier classes in Porto would summer till the mid-XX century. Before then, Porto (or what is now downtown Porto) was disconnected from Foz, with a few miles of countryside landscape in between. The upper classes would have a second house here and the working classes would take a tram or walk there for a daytrip. It’a a lovely neighborhood.

The restaurant occupies a turn of the (XIX-XX) century house meticulously refurbished and updated. Foz Velha’s atmosphere is elegant, with a decor in tones of blue, lilac, and red. Great light, and an excellent view of the ocean nearby — in the summer, with the windows open, the sound of the waves adds to the overall experience. (Unfortunately, a building is growing between the restaurant and the sea, so the view is likely to be soon gone…) There’s a cozy bar for a cocktail or dry Port before dinner.

Chef Marco Gomes runs a tight ship, providing you one of the best fine-dining experiences in town. His style is contemporary Portuguese cuisine. The menu includes two degustation options: Invicta (six courses) and Foz Velha (nine courses). A la carte you can find six appetizers, five fish courses, five meat courses, one vegetarian course, and seven desserts. As an example (the menu is seasonal, so don’t count on getting this), here’s the Foz Velha menu Spring 2007: scallops with potato and chestnut foam and tomato sauce; goat cheese au gratin on olive-oil toast, leek “straw,” and blueberry sauce with dry basil leaves; fresh cod fillet with sauteed potatoes, peppers, shallots, and balsamic vinegar and black olive reduction; tangerine sorbet; Iberian pork loin stuffed with fresh duck foie gras, wild-vegetables sauce and mango puree; sauteed strawberries with coconut foam; hot chocolate muffin with mixed berries ice cream; and peppermint sorbet with aguardente (Portuguese grape brandy).

Their bread rolls are terrific, so you’ll have to refrain yourself from eating too many of these before the food arrives. Our favorite amuse gueule at Foz Velha is the partridge-egg mousse with pineapple jelly, and there’s plenty more to enjoy in the a la carte menu, like the wild boar in Port-wine reduction or a lamb in puff pastry with thyme, wild mushrooms, and foie gras sauce. Among the desserts, we rarely pass on the cheese ice cream with raspberry puree. For those who want to try Portuguese docaria conventual (literally “conventual sweets,” exceptionally good, egg-yolk intensive pastries created by nuns, often members of silent orders like the Carmelitas Descalcas, these delicacies have names like papos de anjo — angels’ chests — or barrigas de freira — nuns’ bellies), there’s an assortment accompanied by a useful lemon sorbet.

The wine list is focused on top choices among Portuguese wines, with around 60 wines, plus twelve brands of Portuguese aguardente (Portuguese for firewater, a distilled drink made from grapes, somewhat similar to grappa).

Service is professional and attentive.

Price point: around 35 euros plus drinks.

Address: Esplanada do Castelo 141, Porto.

Website: http://www.fozvelha.com/

Opening hours: open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday (12:30-3:00pm), and dinner Monday to Saturday (7:30-11:00pm; till 12:00am on Saturday).

Reservations: highly recommended; call (+351) 22.615.4178 or (+351) 91.881.8147.

Getting there: difficult access by car; taxi recommended. If you are driving from downtown Oporto, the easiest way of getting there is to take Rua Mouzinho da Silveira down to Praca do Infante, turn right and follow the river to the sea — Foz. Right where the river meets the sea, you’ll find a long wide cobblestone street with a palm-tree garden on your leftand the sea beyond it further to your left. Keep going and follow the tram tracks. They will take you through a small XV century fortress (on your left) and then you’ll enter a narrow street — Rua N. Sra. da Luz. The restaurant is right there, on the corner of that street and the first steep uphill street on your right. It is easier to park before you enter the narrow street, so just leave your car next to the fortress and walk a couple of minutes to the restaurant. If you’re not driving, take a taxi (30 minutes).

Praia da Luz (PRAH-ya da LUSH) is a place to imbibe the ocean. It is a restaurant, coffeeshop, and bar with both indoor and outdoor seating built on the beach — literally, the structure is built on stilts dug deep in the sand. The outdoor section is heated in the winter (and so is the indoors, by a lovely fireplace) and there are plenty of blankets to go with a hot chocolate and a book. Since it’s facing West, it is perfect for viewing the sunset. But it is an excellent place around the clock. Go there for breakfast croissants, have a light (or not so light) lunch, a full dinner, or drinks in the afternoon or in the evening. It stays open till 3:00am, with a DJ and, sometimes, a dance floor. The clientele changes with the time, but is always hip and mostly quiet during the day. Music is quiet during the day and groovy in the evenings.

The building is a light metal and glass slab that fits well with the scenery. Contemporary decor in light pastel colors, enabling you to focus on what matters — the view. The open ocean during the day and the well-lit rocks and sand with the dark ocean as a background in the evening. Here’s what Porto nightlife Guide has to say about it:

“It’s more than Shakespeare. It’s a midsummer night’s dream and a winter one too. The surprises start on the avenue with white flags fluttering in the sea beeze. The benches on the sidewalk announce the happy event: a magnificent open air restaurant was born in Foz in 1989, but it seems like yesterday. By night the rocks in the beach shine under the spotlights. The white sands are striped by beams of light. My god, how beautiful this is, the most beautiful open air restaurant in the country!”

Though you’ll most likely return for the view, not the food, the menu does not disappoint. There are excellent small grilled padron peppers (a hot delicacy from Galicia, in Northern Spain), a good carpaccio, and carefully prepared shrimp crepes. The fish section includes a great cherne (similar to sea bass, only better) with almonds; salmon with roquefort sauce; bacalhau (salted cod) baked with bread; baked octopus (polvo); a terrific white sea bream (sargo) baked in a salt crust; and a anglerfish (tamboril — one of our editors’ favorite fishes) with a green pepper sauce. You won’t regret trying the beef with dates or the duck magret with honey and spices. Finish your meal with a slice of tatin pie or some ricotta with honey and walnuts.

Service is laid-back, sometimes a bit slow.

Price point: coffee drinks are around 2 euros; lunch around 15 euros; and dinner around 25 euros.

Address: Av. do Brasil, Porto.

Website: http://www.praiadaluz.pt/

Opening hours: open 365 days a year from 9:00am to 3:00am (well, it actually closes a little earlier on Christmas Eve and opens a little later on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day…).

Reservations: suggested for dinner; call (+351) 22.617.3234.

Getting there: easy access by car; otherwise, take a taxi. If your driving from downtown Oporto, the easiest way of getting there is to take Rua Mouzinho da Silveira down to Praca do Infante, turn right and follow the river to the sea — Foz. Continue along the seafront. Praia da Luz is on your left in the beginning of Av. do Brasil, which is the first long straight avenue you’ll find. Parking is usually hard, especially during the weekend and in the summer. All you see from the street level is a small arch that is lit at night and a few white flags fluttering in the breeze. If you park and cross the street to the seaside, you’ll easily spot the coffeeshop. If you’re not driving, take a taxi (30 minutes).