Portugal Please: Porto

My Portugal Please tour commenced in the compact and cosy city of Porto, which proved to be an excellent gateway to the Douro Valley and a fine place to visit in and of itself. If you’re looking for somewhere to visit for a city break, Porto is only a two hour flight away from London with plenty to see and do and eat and drink and browse and buy. Here are some highlight from my all too brief time there.

As I was in Porto to “discover the origin” of Douro wine and Porto, my first stop was the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto. With a mission to “promote the control of the quality and quantity of Port wines, regulating the production process, and the defence and protection of the Douro and Port denominations of origin and the geographical indication of the Douro Region,” the IVDP is one part state-of-the-art laboratory, and one part epic wine shop. Housed in an impeccably restored grand manor (that’s worth a peek whether or not you like wine), the institute is open to the public with a tasting room next to its retail space and offers tour showing the stringent process of Port and Douro Wine certification.

There’s way more to Porto than its grape juice though, including some amazing churches, the world’s most beautiful bookstore, one of Europe’s coolest train stations and so on. It’s really a dynamic town, and I’d love to get back there.

STAY

I spent the night at Hotel Teatro, a design boutique hotel situated in an old theatre in the heart of the city centre. Everybody I encountered who worked there was friendly and attentive. Indeed, I had some ‘remote office’ issues to attend to and members of the desk staff were most helpful. One quibble: much of the hotel was extremely dark. It was an attractive design feature and suggested a distinctively theatrical mood but made things a bit difficult when trying to find a pair of matching socks while sifting through my suitcase. Still, my bed was super comfy and my walk-in rainfall shower was a dream. For sightseeing, I reckon the location couldn’t be better. Visit the hotel online at hotelteatro.pt.

EAT AND DRINK

Not only is Porto dynamic, it’s also delicious. The thing about the region’s wines (and pretty much all Portuguese quaffs) is that they go so well with food – and the food in Porto is ace!

Mercearia das Flores: This quaint grocery and wine bar featuring regional and artisan food and drink was a lovely setting for a mid afternoon snack. I had some awesome cheeses and sausages, tasted some really nice tea from the Azores (which makes Portugal the only European country to produce its own tea) and a refreshing pint of locally produced beer, Sovina (I went with the stout). More details visit merceariadasflores.com.

Vinum at Graham’s: Across the river from Porto in Vila Novo de Gaia are the cellars for Port producer Graham’s (along with all the cellars of the other big Port producers). It’s a phenomenal facility open for the public to visit and home to the wonderful award winning restaurant, Vinum. With lofty and romantic views, quality service and a modern menu adhering to traditional gastronomic values – the meal I had at Vinum was exquisite and set a high bar for the rest of my dining during the trip. Catch of the day, John Dory, was a delicate delight and a “vaca velha” rib steak was one of the most gorgeous cuts o’ cow I’ve tasted in a very long time. Obviously, the wines were excellent. Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny and 1969 Single Harvest Tawny were my two faves.

I kinda loved this restaurant and reckon my dinner there will end up being remembered as one of this year’s best … but if you continue reading this series of posts you’ll see that I felt that way about a number of eateries I visited during my week in Portugal. Find out more at vinumatgrahams.com.

Be sure to check back soon for future instalments of my Portugal Please miniseries.