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Taylor’s Fladgate (or just Taylor’s) is one of the greatest names in port, with over 300 years of history. The company was founded by Job Bearsley, a bacalhau (salted cod) trader in 1692. In 1744, his son Bartholomew became the first Englishman to buy a vineyard in the Douro valley, where port is produced. Except for a brief interregnum during the Napoleonic invasions (in which the farmhouse served as a field hospital for Wellington’s troops), Taylor’s has been producing port there every year. In 1836, the company gained a new partner, John Fladgate, a London wine merchant. In the 1920s, Taylor’s produced the first varietal ports. In the 1930s, it introduced the first white port, Taylor’s Chip Dry, an excellent aperitif, solo or with tonic (called a “Splash”). In 1958, Taylor’s became the first company to sell single estate ports, under their Quinta de Vargellas brand, named after the estate in Douro. That same year (which, by the way, yielded one of the very best vintages ever), the company merged with Fonseca, another established name in port. In 1970s, Taylor’s pioneered the LBVs (or late bottled vintages) a vintage port that requires no decanting, enabling the market for ruby ports (aged in the bottle) to expand considerably. In 2002, Taylor’s and Fonseca purchased Croft and Delaforce, two other well-respected port companies. You get the point — Taylor’s is a company with a lot of achievements under its belt.

Taylor’s wine lodge in Gaia is one of the best to visit and the only to possess an excellent restaurant with a great view of Porto. As soon as you step through the gates, you’ll find a secluded surrounding of immaculate gardens, stunning terraces with wonderful views across the river, and damp cellars where barrels age for decades, if not more. During your (free) tour, the guide will summarize the history of port and of the company itself in a lively and concise way. The tour is not limited to the wine cellars, covering also the craftsmanship involved in building the barrels, the vine growing process (which takes place up the Douro river), environmental concerns, and, of course, some off-the barrel tasting!

Afterwards, you can taste two wines for free — the white Chip Dry and a late bottled vintage (LBV). You can hang out in the library or, if the weather is pleasant, on the terrace, which oversees Porto and the river. There is, of course, a large wine store (to which no one will push you) where you will find all wines produced by the Taylor’s group at unbeatable prices. The staff is attentive but not pushy. They also have an ear for how knowledgeable you are in port and are willing to adjust their spiel to your level of interest, not the other way around. All in all, Taylor’s produces some of the finest vintage ports, and that same quality is reflected in the level of service you will find.

If you have time — and you should — have lunch at the Baron of Fladgate Restaurant in the premises. The dining room has a stunning view of Porto, and you can indulge in good Portuguese food accompanied by good table wines and followed by excellent ports. Your lunch will start with a chilled white dry port and an assortment of appetizers, including a few Portuguese cheeses. We love the traditional clam soup, as well as the several bacalhau dishes and other fish courses — black grouper broiled with onion and tomato and a grilled sea bass with lemon sauce. Desserts include all the major Portuguese staples, with lots of traditional conventual egg sweets. The table wines are up to the job but, of course, the stars are the ports that await you at the end. Make sure you book your table the moment you arrive for the tour. Service is attentive and the ambiance is great.

Price point: tastings of basic wines are free; more sophisticated wines by the glass from 3 euros; bottles from 10 euros. Lunch at the restaurant will cost you around 20 euros plus drinks.

Address: Rua do Choupelo 250, Gaia.

Website: http://www.taylor.pt/

Opening hours: open Monday through Friday from 10:00am till 6:00pm; same schedule on weekends during July and August.

Reservations: not required; call (+351) 22.374.2800.

Getting there: taxi highly recommended, should take 10-15 minutes from downtown Porto and cost you less than 5 euros. The section of Gaia where port lodges are located is made of narrow, steep, and winding streets — a nightmare for the typical American driver on any occasion — and for everyone else after the wine tasting.

Serralves (Se-RAL-vesh) hosts the Portuguese national museum of contemporary art. But its delights go well beyond your regular museum. Serralves started in 1925 as a villa for a wealthy industrialist, surrounded by a beautiful park. After having ben bought by the state, the villa and park opened to the public with art exhibitions in 1987. Ten years later, a brand-new museum designed by Pritzker-prize winning Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza started being built at the opposite end of the park. Work was concluded in 1999, and since then Serralves offers visitors art, architecture, and landscaped gardens without match in Porto.

The villa was for a long time the main attraction at Serralves. Originally conceived as a private residence in the 1920s, it is a prime example of art deco architecture. It was build over a period of almost twenty years, between 1925 and 1944. Its exquisite wrought-iron gates, modernist marble stairways, and magnificent views of the garden make it one of the finest villas built in Portugal during the first half of the twentieth century. Serralves is considered the most notable example of an art deco building in Portugal, even though it was completed well after the end of this style’s golden years. Ironically, the owner was plagued by financial problems and had to move out only three years after completion of his lifetime project. The house was kept private until the 1980s, when the heirs of its last owner sold it to the state in 1986. Currently, the villa serves as an extension of the Museum, featuring temporary exhibitions. Among the many delightful rooms, one of the highlights is the 100%-pink-marble bathroom of the main suite, which is often closed to the public. Try to talk one of the staff-members to open it for you.

The Serralves park has always been a must in Porto. It is rather unique in Portuguese landscape gardening history. There are wooded areas, artificial lakes, rose gardens, perfectly-manicured lawns, and a main garden with a sequence of water tanks surrounded by flower beds. Serralves is perfect for a stroll or to read a book on one of the benches. You feel completely isolated from the city around you.

With the opening of the Museum in 1999, Serralves now has a third major attraction to offer. The National Museum of Contemporary Art is the permanent home of one of the best collections of Portuguese twentieth-century art (the others are, you guessed, in Lisbon). The works on show span from the end of the 1960s to the present, covering all genres from pop art to conceptual projects, and including great pieces representing the experimentalism that dominated Portuguese art of the (literally) revolutionary 1970s.

The museum’s building, by architect Alvaro Siza, is worth a visit even if you don’t like contemporary art. It is an exponent of the Porto school of architecture, with its clear lines, exterior walls in white stucco and stone, and a playful interaction with natural light. It also makes the most of the lovely park views. So it should be no surprise that it is a magnet for architecture buffs from all around the world, who roam there to learn from the great Portuguese master. As in most of Siza’s buildings, the furniture and fittings were also designed by him, without neglecting the smallest detail — including lighting fixtures, handrails, and doorknobs.

Besides the villa, park, and museum, Serralves has an excellent cafeteria, a fine-dining restaurant, and an auditorium offering dance, music, and performances on a regular schedule. The lunch buffet at the cafeteria is particularly good, so arrive early before the place gets packed. Our favorite spot, however, is the tennis-court teahouse, which offers an assortment of teas, scones, and tarts in a hard-to-beat environment. It is located halfway between the museum building and the villa, making for a mandatory stop during your visit to the park.

Price point: entrance to the museum and park costs 5 euros; 2.5 for the park only. On Friday and Saturday, entrance for the museum costs 3 euros after the park closes. For details on discounts for seniors, students, etc., check the Serralves website.

Address: Rua D. Joao de Castro 210, Porto.

Phone: (+351) 22.615.6500.

Website: http://www.serralves.pt/

Opening hours: from October to March, Serralves is open from Tuesday through Sunday 10:00am till 7:00pm. The cafeteria opens seven days a week — from 12:00pm to 7:00pm on weekdays, and 10:00am till 7:00pm on weekends. The restaurant opens from 8:00pm till midnight from Tuesday through Saturday. The teahouse opens from 10:00am till 7:00pm on weekends only. During the Summer months, the park closes at 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 8:00pm on Sundays; and the teahouse is open every day.

Getting there: Serralves is easy to reach by car. If you’re driving from downtown, follow the directions to Boavista. Once you get to the Boavista roundabout (known informally as Rotunda da Boavista and formally as Praca Mouzinho de Albuquerque — you can’t miss it; there is a tall column on the center, with a lion crushing an eagle at the top), take Av. da Boavista heading down to the sea (Casa da Musica, an unmistakable building shaped like a quartz crystal, is on the corner). After about one-and-a-half mile, take a 45-degree left towards Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa. There is a large glass-and-metal fountain (actually, a sculpture) at the intersection. Once on Av. Marechal, Serralves is on the inside of the long wall you will find on your left after the Shell gas-station. As soon as the wall ends, turn left and park. The entry is at the intersection of Av. Marechal Gomes da Costa and Rua D. Joao de Castro. If you’re not driving, a taxi should take 20-30 minutes from downtown.

Legend has it that this was the place where J.K. Rowling, who lived in Porto between 1990 and 1993, drafted the first Harry Potter book. (Don’t believe it? Read Sean Smith’s J.K. Rowling: A Biography.)

Majestic (ma-JES-tic) — like Florian in Venice or Le Train Bleu in Paris — is one of the world’s greatest coffeeshops. Its magnificent art deco design remains intact, transporting you back in time. Though it tends to attract lots of tourists, enough locals go there to make it feel real.

Originally named Elite, Majestic opened its doors on December 1921. After initial success but a lack of name recognition, it quickly changed its name to Majestic the following year. Majestic is located in Rua de Sta. Catarina, the main commercial street in downtown Porto. Like Guarany (which now belongs to the same owners) in the 1930s, Majestic was the center of Porto’s life in the roaring twenties. From the first day, Majestic’s ornate design — by architect Joao Queiroz — attracted intellectuals, politicians, artists, and businessmen. With time, Majestic developed a clientele of writers, and several important figures of Portuguese twentieth-century literature were regulars there. After a period of decay, Majestic closed in 1964.

It only opened again in 1994, after an 11-year gut rehab that restored it to its original condition. The main room walls are covered in green Indian marble, also used in the decorative pillars with gilded Corinthian capitals. The ornate pink and cream plastered ceilings were totally reconditioned. The original crystal mirrors from Antwerp were kept, as were the crystal chandeliers, the marble-top tables, and the leather-cushioned chairs and couches with marble incrustations. The old European design wall-lamps illuminate sculptured cherubs smiling down on the patrons. The basement, which once lodged pool tables, now features art exhibitions. A lovely winter garden in the back provides additional opportunities for relaxation if you tire of the people-watching in the main room. The piano is often playing early twentieth century compositions adding to the belle epoque feel of the place.

Most people go to Majestic for a coffee or tea. Breakfast is a good option, with Portuguese-style (chewy rather than puff-like) croissants, natural juices, etc. Another option is a midday stop for a drink and a Portuguese dessert, like rabanadas (a more elaborate French-toast style sweet typical for Christmas) or ovos moles (literally soft eggs, a paste made of sugar and egg yolks, with a little port to provide extra aroma). But we recommend going to Majestic for lunch. They have several good option, such as the bacalhau a moda do Porto (codfish Porto’s way, breaded and fried in olive oil and garlic, served over creamed spinach with a sauce made with eggs with a bit of the olive oil where the fish fried), or a perfumed duck magret. Their francesinha (a hot sandwich you can only find in Porto, filled with encased meats, a bit of steak, covered with melted cheese, and with a tomato-and-beer based hot sauce poured on top), though not the best in town is pretty darn good. The wine list includes great Portuguese wines, especially from the Douro region. The port selection is also very good.

Service is professional and courteous.

Price point: coffee and other drinks 1.5 euros and up; lunch and other light meals between 12 and 20 euros.

Address: Rua Sta. Catarina 112, Porto.

Website: http://www.cafemajestic.com/

Opening hours: open daily from 9:30am till 12:00am.

Reservations: not needed; call (+351) 22.200.3887.

Getting there: you can easily walk to Majestic from downtown Porto. If you are at the bottom of Praca da Liberdade / Avenida dos Aliados (the two together form the large square in front of City Hall) facing City Hall, with Clerigos tower to your left, turn right and go up Rua 31 de Janeiro, until Praca da Batalha (it’s a steep street, and you can see a blue-tiled church at the top). When you get there, turn left to Rua de Sta. Catarina. Majestic is on the second block on your right side, just past Rua Passos Manuel. There’s no point in driving there, as the street is pedestrians-only. There are plenty of paid parking lots in the vicinity.

For a wonderful Quicktime VR panoramic image of Majestic, click on the image at the top of this review. The link will take you to 360 Portugal, a comprehensive archive of panoramic images of Portugal. As always, many thanks to Santiago Ribas, the man behind the camera.

Founded in 1933, Guarany (gua-RA-nee) was part of the boom in downtown coffeeshops Porto experienced in the 1930s. These featured a modernist decor, contrasting with the art-deco style of the previous decade’s coffeeshops, of which Majestic is the flagship. To put it simply, Guarany is the prettiest coffeeshop on the prettiest square in town — the Avenida dos Aliados, Porto’sliving room , where the City Hall is.

Guarany is the name of the largest Indian tribe in seventeenth-century Brazil and the coffeeshop has since its opening featured a marble high-relief of an Indian by sculptor Rogerio de Azevedo. Brazil was the producer of most of the coffee that reaches Portugal, so the name was aptly chosen.

Guarany attracted artists, business people, and active oppositionist politicians during the dictatorship years (1928-1974), and was for a long time known as “the musicians’ coffeeshop.” Just like the Russians developed kitchen politics during the Soviet era, discussing all things political around the kitchen table, the Portuguese developed coffeeshop politics during the Salazar era, spending lots of time discussing the state of the nation at coffeeshops such as Guarany. After the 1974 revolution, Guarany went through a period of decay until it was bought by the owner of the preciously-maintained Majestic and completely restored. The finest craftsmen available were hired to restore the ceiling and wall-lamps, tables with marble tops and and wooden chairs, as well as iron and copper ornaments. Since its reopening in 2003, Guarany has again become one of the hubs of Porto’s coffeeshop life.

Its corner location helps make Guarany one of the most pleasant coffeeshops in downtown Porto in terms of enjoying the view and doing some people-watching. The decor was restored to the original 1930s look, plus two large colorful canvases titles “The Lords of Amazonia” by Portuguese painter Graca Morais were added to the walls. Porto residents have enthusiastically backed the re-opened Guarany, and the place is usually packed. The ambiance is lively with a noisy crowd, especially in the evenings. Live piano music is often playing.

Besides all sorts of coffee- and tea-based drinks (nothing fancy, this is no Starbucks; they serve good old-fashioned cafe au lait instead), the drink menu includes several good wines. The food menu includes several international cuisine dishes, such as grilled bass Baron Brise, shrimp Stroganoff, duck magret with port wine, and a good Guarany steak. But the highlights are the Portuguese cuisine specimens — such as veal steak a Mirandesa (a village in inner Northern Portugal) and above all platters with codfish fritters or presunto (Portuguese for prosciutto), served with olives and broa de Avintes (a very thick rye bread typical from the near-by village of Avintes). We know of no better place to sample these jewels of Portuguese food while taking the pulse of Porto.

Service is professional and courteous.

Price point: coffee and other drinks 1.5 euros and up; lunch and other light meals between 12 and 20 euros.

Address: Avenida dos Aliados 85-89, Porto.

Website: http://www.cafeguarany.com/

Opening hours: open daily from 9:00am till 12:00am.

Reservations: not needed; call (+351) 22.332.1272.

Getting there: Guarany is in the heart of downtown Porto. If you are at the bottom of Praca da Liberdade / Avenida dos Aliados (the two together form the large square in front of City Hall) facing City Hall, Guarany is on your left, mid-way through to the top of the square, on the corner with Rua the Ceuta.

Triplex (TREE-plex) is a bar / restaurant combo. The bar is one of the best in town. The restaurant, if not one of the best, is pretty good too, and has a hip ambiance for dinner. Owner Jose Carlos Tinoco (also of Labirintho, a close-by bar catering to an older crowd) did an excellent job of converting this townhouse into one of the best bars in town, with rooms for different moods and a great garden.

Triplex is located in the heart of the Boavista neighborhood, just one block from Casa da Musica. It occupies an early twentieth century townhouse, with the restaurant on the second floor, and the bar (with a stand-up section and a lounge with sofas) on the first floor. There is also a porch on each level and a relatively large garden that fills up in the summer. The bar is popular after 10:00pm and stays open at least until 2:00am. On the weekends, you can count on a crowded house till at least 4:00am. The stand-up section sometimes bursts spontaneously into a dance floor. They have guest DJs almost every day, playing consistenly good lounge and club music. The crowd consists in sophisticated college students, young professionals, and a lively mix of out-of-towners and insiders. Plenty of opportunities to meet new people.

The restaurant is decorated in simple, clear tones and serves good food in a lively ambiance — many patrons go downstairs to the bar once they finish dinner around midnight or so. Dinner entrees are between 12 and 20 euros. There are also less pricey options for lunch. We wouldn’t say Triplex is one of the ten best restaurants in Porto. But it is certainly good enough to deserve a visit if you’re going to an early concert at Casa da Musica or if you feel like sliding to the bar afterwards. The food is enjoyable and so is the environment.

Appetizers include skewered prawns with mushrooms and herb butter, clams with garlic and herbs, several quiches, and salads. There also a good curry fish soup and a traditional Southern Portuguese soup (sopa alentejana), which features bread slices, olive oil, garlic, coriander, and a poached egg. Fish plates include a good bread soup (acorda) with shrimp, several grilled fishes, monkfish and smoked salmon in puffed pastry with mango, and two staples of Portuguese cuisine — baked codfish with bread and olive oil; and cod fritters with a runny rice with tomato. The meat section features several steaks (au poivre, with cheese, etc.); grilled wild boar loin with mustard ice cream, asparagus, spinach, and gratin potato; and partridge in puff pastry. The chef prepares all of these competently. There are also a few good vegetarian options, such as omelets and pastas. Dessert selection changes daily and is consistently good. The wine list includes many solid values among Portuguese wines. Service is OK.

Price point: drinks at the bar 3 euros and up; lunch around 10 euros; dinner around 25 euros plus drinks.

Address: Avenida da Boavista 911, Porto.

Website: http://www.triplex.com.pt/

Opening hours: restaurant open Monday through Saturday for lunch (12:00-3:00pm) and dinner (8:00-11:30pm); bar open Monday through Thursday 9:00pm-2:00am; Friday and Saturday 9:00pm-4:00am.

Reservations: recommended for dinner; call (+351) 91.494.3039.

Getting there: if you’re driving from downtown, follow the directions to Boavista. Once you get to the Boavista roundabout (known informally as Rotunda da Boavista and formally as Praca Mouzinho de Albuquerque — you can’t miss it; there is a tall column on the center, with a lion crushing an eagle at the top), take Av. da Boavista heading down to the sea (Casa da Musica, an unmistakable building shaped like a quartz crystal, is on the corner). Triplex is right after the first traffic lights, on your left. It is a townhouse next to the Goethe Institute. Street-side parking relatively easy at night, impossible during the day. Several paid parking lots in the vicinity. If you’re not driving, a taxi should take 20-30 minutes from downtown.

Portucale (Por-too-KAH-le) is not a restaurant. It is an institution. For decades, this has been the most consistently acclaimed haute cuisine place in town. It is not fashionable. It is not hip. It is only consistently good, which is fine by us. Jose Quiterio, the most respected Portuguese food critic, calls it the “gastronomic cathedral of Northern Portugal.”

Portucale opened in 1969 under the guidance of owner Ernesto de Azevedo. Since then, it has only changed its chef twice. The decor oozes 1960s charm — maroon leather, lots of wood, wallpaper, plush wall-to-wall carpeting, orange-hued tiles, etc. There are also beautiful tapestries by Portuguese artist Guilherme Camarinha. You’ll either love it or hate it. The restaurant occupies the thirteenth floor on a hill next to the heart of Porto. It has a commanding view of the city, particularly at night. The tables are set with the finest Portuguese porcelain and silverware. There is a cozy corner bar for an aperitif.

Food at Portucale is, to use Frommer’s summary, “superb.” Among the amuse gueule we recommend the bolinhos de bacalhau (ball-shaped salted dry cod fritters) and the cabeca de xara (a pork-based jelly typical from Southern Portugal). Appetizers include a canonical French onion soup, prawns au gratin, an endive salad with roquefort dressing, salmon crepes, foie gras with truffles in puff pastry, and wild mushrooms with garlic. Fish courses feature a terrific Walewska sole from traditional French cuisine, prepared with champagne, lobster, shellfish, grated cheese, and truffles; sea bass with tartar sauce; a bacalhau a marinheiro (salted dry cod sailors’ way); and the outstanding bacalhau a Ze do Pipo (salted dry cod with clams and rapini). The cabrito estufado a serrana (kid ragout as is prepared in the Portuguese highlands, after a long red-wine based marinade) is also excellent, as is the wild boar in red wine sauce. During hunting season, the partridge stuffed with chestnuts is an excellent example of traditional Portuguese fine cuisine. Portucale is also known for its tripas a moda do Porto, the flagship of Porto’s culinary tradition (a bean stew similar to a cassoulet, featuring different kinds of smoked sausage besides the tripe after which the dish is named).

Portucale also has an excellent cheese menu, with most of the best Portuguese cheeses. It usually includes the king of Portuguese cheeses — Serra da Estrela (SEH-rah dah Esh-TREH-lah) — in both its soft and hard versions.

The dessert menu focuses on traditional Portuguese docaria conventual (literally “conventual sweets,” exceptionally good, egg-yolk intensive pastries created by nuns, often members of silent orders like the Carmelitas Descalcas) featuring papos de anjo (angels’ chests), barrigas de freira (nuns’ bellies), sopa dourada (golden soup), chilada conventual (a preserved pumpkin that is a terrific counterpart to the egg yolks), and our favorite, toucinho do ceu (heaven’s bacon, a concoction of yolks, sugar, almonds, and chila).

The wine menu includes most of the top selections from the Douro region, and many from beyond. Around eighty reds, sixty whites (of which around twenty vinho verde — the slightly sparkling white wine that includes the alvarinho / albarino grapes).

Service is graciously polite.

Price point: around 40 euros plus drinks.

Address: Rua da Alegria 598, Porto.

Website: unavailable.

Opening hours: open daily for lunch (12:00-3:00pm) and dinner (7:00pm-11:00pm).

Reservations: required; call (+351) 22.537.0717.

Getting there: relatively simple by car. If you are driving from downtown Oporto, take a right on Rua Formosa next to the City Hall. After a few blocks, turn left on rua D. Joao IV. Drive uphill for a few more blocks. When you see a small garden on your left, Rua D. Joao IV merges with Rua da alegria. You will see a tall building on your right a few meters ahead. Portucale is on the top floor of that building, which also lodges the Albergaria Miradouro, a comfortable hotel, so look for the sign. There is a parking lot around the building. If you’re not driving, take a taxi (15 minutes).

A Mesa com Bacchus (AH ME-zah komm BAK-hoos) means “at the table with Bacchus,” and that is what you get in chef-owner Mario da Fonte’s restaurant and tavern. This is a tiny place, with seating for 14 people. There is no menu — you just eat whatever Mario has prepared that day. (If you have any special dietary requirements, let him know when you call to make the reservation.) The A Mesa com Bacchus experience consists in a 9-10 course meal with a taste of a few olive oil samples and half a dozen carefully chosen wines (mostly from the Douro region) to go with it. Expect to spend between three and five (!) hours there.

A Mesa com Bacchus is located on the Miragaia neighborhood (made mostly of medieval houses inhabited by local fishermen), in a crooked street very close to the river. The dining room is soberly decorated, keeping the stone walls in sight. The table setting is also excellent.

Mario is a friendly host, and makes you feel like you’re having dinner at a good friend’s place. Don’t be intimidated if he asks your name when you arrive and starts calling you “my good friend” after 10 minutes. This is the restaurant where top Port wine makers bring the most renowned international wine critics for dinner whenever they visit to sample new wines.

A recent visit started with chilled white wine and grapes. Mario invited us to taste the wine before and after having a grape, comparing the nuances between sweet and sour. Then he offered us several olive-oil tastes with fleur de sel, and later quizzed us on which olive oil was used in one particular dish. The menu also included fried corn bread (broa), herb-seasoned requeijao (a Portuguese version of ricotta, not to be mixed up with Brazilian requeijao, which is much more liquid), grilled squid with garlic and toasted almonds, a salad with bacalhau (dried salted cod) marinated with bell peppers, and a bacalhau risotto with fresh oregano. As a popular party had started outside during our meal, Mario offered us white port glasses and encouraged us to join the partying locals while we waited for the next course — an ice cream with balsamic vinegar.

Mario is also the resident DJ in his one-man operation, and he has an ear for good lounge music.

If you like interaction with the chef, A Mesa com Bacchus is destined to be a memorable experience. If you rather be left on your own, Mario will probably pick it up soon enough and become self-effacing — but that would be missing the point of his tavern…

Overall, A Mesa com Bacchus is a unique experience, with wonderful food, olive oil, and Portuguese wine, delivered by Mario da Fonte in a ritual filled with detail and humor.

Price point: around 45 euros plus drinks.

Address: Rua de Miragaia 127, Porto.

Website: unavailable.

Opening hours: open for dinner only, Monday to Saturday (8:00pm-1:00am).

Reservations: required; call (+351) 22.200.0896 or (+351) 91.455.3823.

Getting there: difficult parking nearby; 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 start following the river on your left. After about 1/2 mile, you will see a large stone building on your left, just on the riverfront. It’s the “New” customs building, from the XIX century. The restaurant is in the little plaza across the street from that building. You can park there if there are spots (rare). The other option is to park on the riverfront parking you’ll find on your way from Praca do Infante there. The 1/3 mile walk is very pleasant in good weather. If you’re not driving, take a taxi (15 minutes).

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).

D. Tonho (DON TO-gno) is the best place to eat traditional Portuguese food in a contemporary setting. Owned by singer-songwriter Rui Veloso, it consistently attracts a lively crowd across ages and walks of life. It is located right next to the river in the heart of the Ribeira (riverfront) medieval neighborhood. There is also a smaller outpost right across the river in Gaia, which is equally good, especially for lunch. The chef prepare most of the top dishes in Portuguese traditional cuisine consistently well.

The main D. Tonho restaurant is in a lovely XVI-XVIII centuries stone building. The dining room features a sober contemporary decor and has a view of the river and the exquisite nearby D. Luiz I bridge. The Gaia outpost is a glass and metal stand-alone structure right next to the river, making the most of the magnificent views.

You can’t miss the ameijoas a Bulhao Pato (clams in a garlic, white wine, and parsley light sauce) as an appetizer. Try also the roupa velha (old clothes), which consists in a mix of bacalhau (salted cod) with vegetables slowly sauteed in olive oil — what most families have as a first course on Christmas Day, prepared with the left-overs from the traditional cod dish that features prominently on the Christmas Eve supper menu. If you still have room, go for the pataniscas de bacalhau (salted cod fritters), a staple of Portuguese XVIII century fast food.

As for main courses, try the lamprey (a seasonal large eel that is much appreciated in Northern Portugal) either cooked in wine (a bordalesa) or with rice (similar to a risotto). The menu also includes several great bacalhau (salted cod) dishes, including bacalhau assado nas brasas com batata a murro (char-grilled cod with greens and baked potatoes, which are punched half-way through baking so as to acquire a softer texture). Among the fresh fish, we highly recommend the robalo ao sal, a whole sea bass baked in a salt crust. The seafood section also includes polvo (octopus), masterfully grilled or baked. But our favorite is undoubtedly the cataplana de bacalhau com ameijoas (salted cod and clams steamed with herbs and white wine in a cataplana, which is a large clam-shaped copper pot that looks like two woks on top of each other and that can be hermetically closed, allowing the food to slowly cook in its own juices; used in many fishermen villages to prepare fresh fish). Among the land-based dished, the arroz de pato is a terrific rice with duck, smoked sausages, and cheese, drier than a risotto but equally delicious. Highlights must also include the tripas a moda do Porto, which is the flagship of Porto’s culinary tradition. It is a bean stew similar to a cassoulet, featuring different kinds of smoked sausage besides the tripe (tripa) after which the dish is named.

The Gaia outpost (check out the view on the bottom picture) also includes several francesinhas on the menu. These are hot sandwiches unique to Porto, stuffed with coarse fresh sausage, wet-cured ham, linguiça (known in New England and Hawaii as “Portuguese sausage”), steak or roast meat and then covered with thin slices of a Portuguese Gouda-style cheese called flamengo and baked until the cheese melts. Before coming to the table, a hot thick sauce with beer, brandy, tomato, and hot peppers is poured over them. You will not forget these. In fact, you may well feel the need to come back to Porto for more!

Short dessert menu, featuring a few local specialties. Rabanadas is something all Portuguese have for Christmas, and could be described as a more sophisticated version of French toast, with a sauce that includes Port wine, tea, honey, spices, etc. The pera borrachona (drunken pear, cooked in red wine) is also well worth a try. Member of a family that was popularized world-wide, the leite creme caseiro is the Portuguese version of the crema catalana.

The wine list is very good, having won the prize for best Port wine offerings in 2005. It features around 250 table wines and 150 Ports. Ask the sommelier for suggestions among the many great Portuguese wines and don’t pass the opportunity to have a good Port for dessert.

Service is professional but friendly.

Price point: around 30 euros plus drinks.

Address: Cais da Ribeira 13-15, Porto; Esplanada do Calem, Gaia.

Website: http://www.dtonho.com/

Opening hours: open daily for lunch (12:00pm-3:00pm) and dinner (8:00pm-12:00am).

Reservations: recommended, especially for dinner and during the weekends; call (+351) 22.200.4307 (Porto; main dining room); or (+351) 22.374.4875 (Gaia outpost).

Getting there: difficult access by car; taxi recommended. If your driving from downtown Oporto, take Rua Mouzinho da Silveira down to Praca do Infante, turn left, go through the tunnel and turn sharp right as you exit the tunnel before crossing the bridge. The restaurant is 100ft down the street on your right side — on your left side is the river. Parking is difficult, so it is better to leave the car in the underground parking at Praca do Infante and walk down Rua do Infante until you get to the river. Turn left and follow the river; the restaurant will be on your left just before you reach the D. Luiz I bridge. If you’re not driving, you can walk from downtown (around 30 minutes downhill) or take a taxi (5 minutes). In order to get to the Gaia outpost, you must cross the lower level bridge and turn sharp right as soon as you are on the other side, in order to stay on the riverfront. Park and look for a long glass pavilion about 1/4 mile from the bridge.