If you were considering a ‘foodie’ break, and fancied exploring two exceptional and very different restaurants, then Oporto should be on the short-list as an option for probably two or three nights.
Antiqvvm
Opened in 2015, acquiring its first Michelin star within 8 months, and its second early in 2024. As settings for lunch go, this is an exquisite terrace. In the distance is the Atlantic, alongside you, but a few hundred feet below, is the river Douro. Surrounding you is a very well manicured garden. On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, it really does not get much better. Time seems to stand still and the leisurely pace of service can see hours pass with ease.
Then the food, and the very charming and professional service, plus the extensive flight of wines to accompany the meal. There are two tastings menu, one vegetarian and the other capturing the local fish and meat of Northern Portugal. The selection of butters, including a seaweed variant, to accompany the collection of visually striking breads set the tone for a memorable encounter with a kitchen on top of its game.
The ‘Sensory Moments’ tasting menu created by chef Vitor Matos consisted of 8 small dishes that were all superb, but perhaps with three that really captured one’s attention: Duck Foie Gras & Rhubarb, Red Mullet & Oscietra Caviar, and Wagyu & Smoked Eel. Allow time to relax here. Antiqvvm.
Elemento - Fire Dining
On a Monday evening, this establishment was bustling and full of excitement. Make sure you sit at the bar in very close proximity to the action and watch these delicious dishes being prepared by Ricardo Dias Ferreira and his brigade. The various components are cooked over a selection of open fires, only a few feet away, delivering flavours that were simply divine and very exciting.
Again, I had opted for the tasting menu, accompanied by an excellent flight of wines prepared by the sommelier. The delicate portions covered prawns, monk fish, venison, lamb, finishing with a caramelised cauliflower ice cream: very unusual and very memorable.
The team are young and immensely enthusiastic. The clientele broad and interested in watching this theatre play: on my left were a couple from USA, and on my right from Argentina. This is a fun environment to be wowed by the cooking and enjoy the spectacle unfolding in front of you. Elemento.
Oporto has changed in the dozen or so years since I last visited this city. It is busy with tourists, particularly well-heeled Americans who are here to explore and learn the delights of the Port industry, often extending their visits to the stunningly beautiful Douro Valley with several excellent hotels, including a Six Senses at Lamego. It is a city that seems to be going through a transition. Old buildings sit alongside modern, with an abundance of boutique stores and coffee shops peppered in amongst more traditional edifices. There are a host of cobbled streets that have not changed for centuries, as well as museums, churches, the Port Houses and the ‘World of Wine’ to explore. More than enough to build up an appetite for lunch or dinner.
