What/where is the best meal you've ever had in Portugal?

[Roy Hersh]

Whether at a hotel, Quinta, Port Lodge, restaurant, train station or on the street at a local neighborhood cafe in Pinhao ... what is the most memorable meal?

Here is the twist:
One small trick to this one ... your choice can be for any reason EXCEPT ... chosen because of the presence of someone from the Port trade. Anything else is fair game.

[Glenn E.]

That's an easy one for me - it was at Tromba Rija in Villa Nova de Gaia this past summer.

Last spring I attended a wine tasting at a local store here in Seattle hosted by Fernando, the master blender for Kopke/Rocha/Barros. After the tasting I told him that my wife and I would be visiting Porto that summer and asked him to recommend a couple of good restaurants. Among others, he suggested Tromba Rija.

While roaming around in VNdG, we just happened to stumble upon Tromba Rija while walking along the waterfront so we stopped in and asked if we needed reservations for the evening. The manager said it wouldn't hurt, so we made them for 8:00 pm.

Being typical American tourists, we showed up right at 8:00 pm. The restaurant was closed, with no one in sight. We stood there confused for a couple of minutes, then started to head back to the hotel. The manager must have seen us, because she came running out to unlock. Silly Americans, 8:00 pm is an early dinner in Portugal! They were just preparing to open. She told us to sit wherever we liked and said she'd be right back to take our drink order and explain the process.

She didn't even ask whether or not it was our first time - were we that obvious? - and launched right into an explanation of the restaurant. Tromba Rija is a buffet... sort of. They have a table of cheeses, a very large table of various appetizers, side dishes, and prepared entrees, another table of meats and sausages, and a table of desserts. She explained that the chefs prepare whatever they feel like, so no two nights are exactly alike. In fact, no two HOURS are exactly alike as the chefs replace dishes that have been consumed. She then asked what we'd like to drink, which went something like this:

Manager: "So what would you like to drink?"
Kari: "Do you make a Port Tonic?"
Manager: "No, what is that?"
Kari: "Hmm... okay, could I get a glass of Rose?"
Manager: "No, we don't have any Rose."
Kari: "Oh, okay. What kinds of red do you have?"
Manager: "Just our house wine, it's very good."
Kari: "I'll have a glass of the red, then."
Manager: "I'm so sorry, we don't serve by the glass."

Kari looked at me and laughed that at least she only had to stumble back to the hotel after dinner, but that I had to promise to make sure she didn't fall off the bridge into the Douro! I assured her that I wouldn't let that happen, so she ordered a bottle of the red. (I don't drink wine, just Port.)

The main table of food was fabulous - there must have been 30-40 plates of different dishes. Admittedly, my wife and I can be picky eaters, so a lot of the dishes weren't appealing to us visually. (They all smelled fabulous!) But we managed to have 2 big plates each along with some cheeses and meats, and then shared a big plate of desserts. We were stuffed, and the food had been spectacular!

Coincidentally, about the time we were finishing up our desserts the people at the tables next to ours started smoking. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke, so needed to leave. When one of the waiters appeared to take our latest round of plates, I made use of my limited Portugese and asked him for the check. He got this stricken look on his face and started talking in Portugese far more rapidly than I could ever hope to follow, so I told him I only spoke very little Portugese. I think he told us not to run off, and he rushed off to find the Manager.

She came running out in a panic, too, and frantically asked what was wrong. I was flustered and told her that nothing wrong, the evening had been very pleasurable and the food was fantastic. We were very happy, but it was getting late (it was probably 9:45 by then) and we needed to get back to the hotel and get to sleep. She responded something to the effect of "but you haven't eaten very much!" I explained that we'd had 2 full plates of food each, had sampled the excellent array of cheeses and meats, and had also very much enjoyed the chocolate mousse and other desserts. "But you're not done yet!" was her response.

So then I played what I figured would be the trump card - I explained that I was allergic to cigarette smoke, and since the parties at the adjoining tables were smoking I needed to leave. She seemed relieved, but insisted that we move to a different table in the corner by the door where it was better ventilated (and far from the people smoking). We figured that we were having some sort of language barrier problem (though her English was nearly perfect) so went ahead and changed tables.

"Better?" she asked, to which I replied that yes it was much better. "Ok, good, I'll get your next course." And off she went.

... huh? Next course? MORE food??? ...

She returned with a huge plate of fruit... grapes, banannas, kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, a couple kinds of apples, and a couple of things I didn't recognize. HUGE. This was a Costco veggie platter-sized dish. No possible way that two people were going to eat all of it. We surreptitiously observed others in the restaurant and figured out that we were free to sample what we wanted, so we did.

After a bit we were able to catch her eye and indicate that we were finished, so she brightly removed the fruit.

And returned with a giant bowl of nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts... and probably more. Before we could say anything she zipped off saying she'd be right back. She returned immediately with 3 bottles, some glasses, and a lemon. One of the bottles was obviously Port, and one other was clearly frozen and frosting over.

She explained that the frozen bottle was some sort of almond liquor, that the decanter was their house Tawny Port, and that the 3rd bottle was (waving her hand dismissively) "fire water." She then proceeded to pour us each a shot of the frozen almond liquor, cut the lemon in half and squeeze fresh lemon juice into each shot glass, then stand there expectantly. So we toasted the evening and drank up! It was really very good, and she was very happy to pour us another one each. To this day I don't know what the almond liquor was... she didn't know the right words in English and I didn't recognize the Portugese. She poured me a glass of their house Tawny and left us alone again. So I had some nuts and Port, and then finally got up enough courage to try the "fire water" which she'd left there at the table.

All I can say is... it is aptly named. I asked her later and found out that it was aguardente, the stuff they add to Port to arrest the fermentation. That was fun. I'd intended to try some while in Portugal, so that worked out perfectly.

The waiter eventually came around and took the nuts and alcohol. After another couple of minutes the manager returned again... with more food! Well okay, it was just an after dinner sherbet, but by that point we were feeling like the guy in Monty Python... "it's just one thin mint!" It was also nearly 11:00 pm and we were really getting tired.

But the best part of all... the entire bill for the evening, everything included, was 59 Euros. It is apparently a fixed price all-you-can-eat menu for 29.50 Euros per person, and that includes the bottle of wine! And it really was fabulous, we just wish we'd known ahead of time so that we could have better arranged our days (so as not to be so tired).

I think that Portugal has now banned smoking indoors like most of the rest of Europe, so we'll be taking my parents to Tromba Rija this fall.

[Derek T.]

I am interpreting the rules to mean that a member of the port trade was not present, not just that their presence was the thing that made it memorable.

Working to that rule it would be the meal we had on the 2006 Harvest Tour in the restaurant opposite Qd Vesuvio where we shared a Mag of Do 1970 whilst enjoying the spectical of the Dow harvest team enjoying their end of harvest party. An unplanned moment that will never be forgotten.

Derek

PS: Ignoring the rules, dinner at Quinta do Noval on the same trip

[Andy Velebil]

Glenn,

Awsome story, thanks

I'm still teatering between a couple so will report back with mine later.

[Roy Hersh]

Glenn and Derek, thanks for this. I love these kinds of threads and believe it or not, have used some recommendations to visit during our trips. The upcoming Fortification Tour is going to have a slew of great and mostly new restaurants. I love the food in Portugal and as we have had on every single trip since the first one ... there is a "repeat customer" from the UK who is joining us. So, to prevent anyone from being bored, there will be new restaurants in Madeira as well as Oporto and in the Douro.

Glenn, you would be amazed to know that restaurants in Argentina really do not get opened until 11 pm and really start to get busy close to midnight! So although some Americans on the west coast think that 8 p.m. is late, on the east coast of the USA 7:30-9:30 reservations are pretty typical. In Portugal we never do dinner before 8 p.m. and for better or worse, sometimes considerably later!

[Alan C.]

I engaged with a few barmaids and taxi drivers on the quintisential Portuguese restaurant in Oporto, where all the locals flock. We were told a venue, and off we went into the night. Turned up about 5 miles away from the tourist part, and sure enough, it was chocker-block with families, we were clearly the only tourists in there. Loads of atmosphere and noise. Suddenly, my broken Portuguese, which served ne well in the tourist spots, was a problem, but over the next few hours, we sort of made ourselves understood, and Deb and I had a real experience.I was amazed that half the restaurant was eating some form of huge dumpling, upside down with cheese on the outside. Yet the restaurant had all the fish and meat in the world on display behind the counter. Prawns you would choke on, and those lovely thick steaks we all love, as well as things I simply didn't recognise.
It was comparitively cheap, and Portugal were playing football on a large TV screen very late into the night (after 10pm). This added to the enjoyment, but of course, as you may have gathered, can I remember the name of it??????
It had a posh restaurant on the otherside of the entrance, if anyone per chance recognises this description, buy it was much more fun dining with the locals.

Alan

[Roy Hersh]

Alan,

It sound great, but I am shocked that nobody knows the name of this place. Forunately narrowing it down should be easy. There are only 2,861 restaurants in Oporto. :help:

[Alan C.]

Roy,

In one sense your humour is spot on. But in another, if we had half a dozen Oporto folk on here, I bet they'd get it, it was so full of locals, and of course 3 different, unconnected people all recommended it as were the locals eat. Even if they didn't, I bet they would know that dish they were all eating. By the way, it looked awful, like a portuguese version of pizza, fast and stodgy.

Alan.

(For those who might know, it was half way between VDG and the airport)

[Heather Hathwell]

Sadly, it's been years so specifics are vague (and there have been so many great meals) but it's between:

Grilled grouper at the Pousada de Sao Felipe in Setubal,

or maybe it was the roasted fish I had in a tiny little old school restaurant in Lisbon in the Bairro Alto (all I remember is a kind of "old woman who lived in a shoe" type shoe as a logo on the door.... this was back in January 2000 so the name escapes me.

But perhaps even above all that, and perhaps maybe for the company I had but for rustic fare it was incredible: a little restaurant up in the hills above Seixal on Madeira, Chao de Ribeira I believe is the name of the area... this place makes its own red wine and serves the best, juiciest, espetada I have ever had. We had a group of people, one of whom was a Blandy and her husband (who arranged this whole gathering based on a chance meeting in Lisbon the week before), a couple of lawyers from Lisbon, a couple from Australia, some little kids, and on top of the food it was seriously one of the best times in a group essentially of strangers in relatively recent memory. I can still taste the espetada.

[Derek T.]

I had an excellent meal in Regua (in the Douro) on Sunday. I can't remember the name of the restaurant but if anyone needs to know I can find out.

It is where I purchased Andy's S. Leonardo 30 yr old Tawny

Derek

[Mario Ferreira]

That's an easy one for me - it was at Tromba Rija in Villa Nova de Gaia this past summer.

That's good to know. :)
I haven't tried Tromba Rija myself yet but we are scheduled to dine there during this coming Fortification May Tour. I shall take some pictures then for the PORTraits section

MF

[Roy Hersh]

An excellent suggestion. Thank you!

[Carlos Rodriguez]

Retaurante Bacalhoeiro, in Vila Nova de Gaia riverside. Is a nice place. With correct service, it is confortable, good red wine list and good food too. Good choice price-quality.

[Brian C.]

We did a Globus Tour in 2007, and we had this big meal one night in Vila Nova de Gaia. It was a buffet/multicourse meal of sorts, with all kinds of cheeses, hot dishes, cold dishes, regional specialties, desserts, and some interesting Portugese liqueurs (we were introduced to amarguinha there, most notably). Aside from this meal, what was most memorable was the pastries (pasteis de nata was the one that stands out for my wife). At every single stop along the tour, we would get a new one. We both lost weight despite that, we are proud to say. Also of note was a lunchtime foray into the open market in Porto, where we got a loaf, some Serra de Estrela cheese (I sure wish we could find that here in Chicago), and some sliced presunto for seemingly nothing. And the ginja in the chocolate cup in Obidos was memorable, also.

[David Spriggs]

Best meal?.....maybe Casa Mariazinha in Oporto. And amzingly intimate meal, very personal. Like being in a private home for the evening. And what inventiveness! I came away with so many new ideas about presentation and combinations. I'll never forget the fresh figs there. A wonderful experience. Does anyone know if they still exist?

Most memorable?... probably the meal at Quinta do Tedo. The home grown salad (we saw the tomatoes being picked from the garden) and roasted kid was the best I've had. Again, just a home cooked meal, but by someone who had moved from Portugal and spent many years in Belgium as a chef. So it was a mixture of French technique with Portuguese sensibility. You've got to love Tedo. If I had the money I would buy it from the Bouchard's and retire there.

-Dave-

[Ole Hansen]

I've only been to Porto once. We were 4 guys and we started to feel out of luck since we had gone to a lot of mediocre places. But then on the last day of the visit we found:

Alberto Nascimento Lopes
Avenida Diogo Leite 80, Oporto

It's not hard to spot if you know it's there, but we had gone by several times without noticing it.
Luckily we found it by accident as we were trying to dodge a rainstorm.

It's style is more spanish that portugese with lots of dried and smoked hams hanging from the ceiling. Lots of local folks, even some who used the place for some kind of engagement-party or some such.

The food is quite varied and we ordered different dishes and specialities which we shared, kinda like the spanish tapas. Overall it was very delicious and suprisingly affordable. A place to recommend.

[Roy Hersh]

A wonderful experience. Does anyone know if they still exist?

I've only been to Mariazinha twice ever. Sadly David, Antonio close the place, although it's rumored he is looking for another venue to do another restaurant. We'll see. That place was certainly an extraordinary find and I remember how tired our quartet was by the time we got there. What a meal. I was not going to mention this place as the best as I was considering quite a few others. But I'd have to agree with you - this combined extraordinary showmanship with unique ways to put food before a guest, surreal insight in the wine pairings that come with every course and the food, well you just tast the love of the chef. Very sad it closed.

Others:

DOC and Douro in, in Peso de Regua have provided the best food experiences in the Douro for free standing restaurants, although I've not eaten at Quinta da Romaneira which is supposed to be excellent too ... although in the hotel there.

The main restaurant at Aquapura was about as good as it gets anywhere.

Other memorable meals:

For a rustic, authentic dinner outdoors - 2006 Crasto.

The olive oil served at Quinta do Silval is the best I've had in Portugal.

Best lunch I've had outdoors has to be at Vargellas 2006 Harvest Tour. Perfection.

[Andy Velebil]

Opps I forgot to come back and post mine, better late than never I guess

Funny how some of Roy's were also mine. I loved that dinner at Quinta do Crasto in 2006. It was a slightly overcast day and after a nice walk around the property, the amazing garden, then a tasting, we headed up to dinner on the patio of the estate house. It was an amazing meal with some incredible wines and Ports (that 1970 Colheita is still one of my all time favorites). I first got to meet David Guimaraens that night, as he was watching football at the house with the other Roquette's and came out to say hi. Then Miguel broke out the humidor and we all enjoyed a nice cigar with our Ports after dinner. All this while looking over looking the Douro at night. PRICELESS!!!

The other was in Oporto at the restuarant on the river front (forgot the name, but he is/was affiliated with Dalva). The first time was the best and sadly it hasn't been up to snuff since that time, but that first meal there was great.

Lunch at Quinta de Vargellas was truly amazing. It was the perfect day, warm sun, cool breeze, awsome view of the Quinta's pool overlooking the Douro, and Mr. and Mrs. Robertson giving us one of the best lunches I've had in the Douro.

The most touristy was there at the river front in Oporto on Sunday before the 2007 Harvest Trip. Roy missed his flight, Derek flew down to see us, and the rest of the trip participants decided before we go drinking at the lodges we best should eat something, the smartest thing we did. I have no idea the restaurant, and don't care as it was typical cheap "touristy" food, but it hit the spot. And then Sean ordered that 20 year old Cruz tawny that was just horrible :help: . But it was the first time the group had a chance to get to know each other and it was quite fun. Then again, so were all those great Ports we got at the Noval lodge and Vinalogia afterwards

[Anders]

Resturant D.O.C. - about 15 km from Pinhao - top nice.... Tasted Barca Velha first time

[Glenn E.]

Since my original post in this topic I have had the opportunity to try a couple of other restaurants that people recommended, and they're all great!

Restaurante Bacalhoeiro in Vila Nova de Gaia
Restaurante D.O.C. in Folgosa (between Pinhão and Peso da Regua)
Douro Inn in Peso da Regua