The Yeatman

The height of Portuguese cuisine 

Pigeon, foie gras, onion, artichoke

When you think of a restaurant with the perfect package, besides the food, the decor, the location, and the services also play a major factor. Located in Vila Nova de Gaia, where is famous for its port wine cellars, The Yeatman is a luxury 5 stars hotel, on top of a hill overlooking the beautiful River Duro and the city centre of Porto. Inside the hotel, it has one of the only five 2 Michelin starred restaurants in Portugal, with the same name. It is also part of Relais and Chateaux's rosters of hotel and restaurants, meaning it is considered a very special and prestige venue. Many travel websites rate The Yeatman as one of the very best restaurants in the country, offering creative, highly technical modern Portuguese cuisine. It offers a fixed tasting menu only, so if you are not a fan of such format, perhaps this is not the right place for you.

Casa de Chá da Boa Nova

Seafood marathon

Squid “Chanel”

Located from the outskirts of Porto, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova is a 1 Michelin starred restaurant that champions seafood cooking. Besides talking about the food, the first thing you would notice when you see the restaurant is that it is located by the ocean, with a stunning view, along with a beach and lighthouse not far away. Besides, the design of the restaurant is a work of art, very modern and stylish. The menu itself is pretty mad itself, no a la carte, just a long tasting menu that contains no meat, just seafood dishes one after another till you reach the desserts. This is perfect for me as I am a massive lover of all things fishy and Porto is considered a great place for seafood.

Taberna Dos Mercadores

A little Portuguese seafood heaven

Salt crusted seabass

When you think of Portuguese food, besides the legendary roasted pork and custard tart, seafood is another strong offering from the nation. Located in the heart of Porto, Taberna Dos Mercadores is a tiny independent seafood restaurant that has gained a reputation of cooking up some of the finest seafood dishes in the city. with less than 10 tables, and not a chance to get in unless you book well in advance, it was easily in my to-visit list when I took a trip to Porto. The menu is best for sharing, with a small selection fo tapa sized dishes, as well as some bigger dishes, such as the restaurant's signature salted codfish. 

Ostras & Coisas

Seafood and oyster bar in Porto

Fresh crab with brown meat and garlic bread

Checking out a seafood restaurant was high on my agenda when I was planning my Porto trip. However, from my research, it appears all the major and iconic seafood restaurants are located in Matosinhos, the westside of Porto which is by the ocean. As I was staying in central Porto, travelling is not really ideal for me so when I discovered there is a modern seafood bar in downtown Porto, especially specializing in fresh oysters, it was a no brainer for me to give it a go. Ostras & Coisas has a strong selection of seafood items on the menu, in fact, there are no vegetables or meat dishes on the menu. You can see the daily catches on the display counter at the front of the restaurant, it also has a few water tanks, filled up with fresh lobsters and crabs.

Core by Clare Smyth

Modern British fine dining as it should be

Scottish langoustine, wasabi pea, rose geranium and almond

This is my second time at Core, the fine dining restaurant by chef Clare Smyth in Notting Hill. One year later, a lot has changed since then, Core is now a double Michelin starred restaurant and has two tasting menus, one classic (which is what I had from my first visit) and a seasonal menu, which use more luxury and premium ingredients. I really enjoyed Clare's style of cooking from my first visit, very clean and extremely refined at the same time. The only reason put me off heading back is mostly down to how popular it is, you got to plan well ahead to book a table. I opted for the seasonal tasting menu for my second visit, a 7-course menu with canapes and petit four, at £145 per person.