270 Port anD the Douro
down with a fino, a refreshingly cold draught beer. The trusty bacalhau (salt cod) can be
seen – and smelt – hanging outside old-fashioned grocers’ stores. There are 365 ways to
cook bacalhau but one of the most famous dishes which originated from Oporto is bacalhau
à gomes de sá: salt cod layered with sliced potato, onion, garlic, olive oil and chopped boiled
eggs, and baked in the oven. Some of the best fresh fish in the world is landed at Matosinhos
just north of the city. It is worth taking the metro to try one of the restaurants there which
range from expensive shellfish restaurants to simple tascas grilling fish on the street.
There is no shortage of good restaurants in Oporto, many of which are in obscure
locations. Among my favourites are these: Bull and Bear, below the stock exchange on
the Avenida da Boa Vista; Foz Velha, in Foz Velha; Shis, on the beach at Foz; Barão de
Fladgate in Taylor’s Port lodge; Portucale, on the thirteenth floor of a 1960s tower block
with the original retro décor; D’Oliva, a converted warehouse in Motosinhos serving
Portuguese and Italian petiscos (small dishes).
Organised by the Port and Douro Wine Institute, the Solar do Vinho do Porto is a
good place to sample a wide range of Ports. It occupies an eighteenth-century mansion
with a fine view across the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia. Located west of Oporto city
centre, it is to be found below the Palácio de Cristal on the Rua Entre Quintas. It also
houses a museum and art gallery.
With the development of tourism in the Douro, a number of modern Portuguese
restaurants have opened in the region, the best of which is DOC built on stilts over the
river at Folgosa, between Régua and Pinhão. For more traditional but well-cooked Douro
fare try Cepa Torta in Alijó. I always enjoy the Calça Curta by the railway station at
Tua which has a terrace with good views over the river. There is another excellent little
restaurant in the main square at Provesende called Papa Zaide (look out for A Loja
Amarela, a handicraft shop nearby). The best Douro food is homespun and limited in
availability. Soups are hearty and eggs are plentiful, but after a few days in the region it is
easy to see why there are those 365 ways of cooking bacalhau (salt cod)! Don’t be afraid
to ask restaurants for their recommendations; in a simple roadside restaurant, the prato do
dia (dish of the day) is often the best option.