Portugal

342
PORTO & ENVIRONS
13
PORTO
cream cheese and follow with such mains as black swordfish filet in a spicy sauce on slices
of sweet potato with a side of banana croquettes. Another specialty is loin of pork in a
berry sauce with mashed chestnuts and wild mushrooms. For dessert, opt for the apple
strudel with vanilla ice cream.
Praça Parada Leitão 17. & 22/201-17-87. www.irenejardim.izispot.com. Reservations recommended.
Main courses 8€–15€. MC, V. Tues–Sun 12:30–3pm and 7:30–10:30pm. Bus: 87 or 601.
Cufra PORTUGUESE/SHELLFISH This is one of the oldest shellfish eateries in
the city, long known for its quality food and produce from the Douro region. Dishes are
rich, making imaginative use of local ingredients as reflected by their shellfish stew à la
Cufra, one of the best concoctions in the city. The chefs also prepare a shellfish rice dish
or a savory shellfish with kidney beans. The house specialty is steak à la Cufra, tender and
full of flavor. A special pork steak is another savory delight. The pudim flan (egg custard)
is a fine way to end any meal.
2504 Avenida da Boavista. & 22/617-27-15. Reservations recommended. www.cufra.pt. Main courses
11€–23€. AE, MC, V. Tues–Sun noon–2am. Bus: 202, 204, 402, 501, 503, or 504.
Farol de Boa Nova PORTUGUESE Set on the upper level of the two stone
tiers overlooking the waterfront, this is an authentic staple on the Portuguese restaurant
scene. There’s a brightly lit service bar near the entrance, additional seating in the cellar,
and a terrace. Menu items are simple but good, with many meals relying on the same
recipes that the patrons’ grandparents used. The finest examples include fried filets of
sole, veal cutlets, and Portuguese sausages.
Muro dos Bacalhoeiros 115. & 22/200-60-86. Main courses 10€–18€. No credit cards. Daily noon–3pm
and 7–11pm. Closed 3 weeks at Christmas. Bus: 1.
Guarany BRAZILIAN The Guarani Indians constituted the largest population of the
then-Portuguese colony of Brazil. Their exotic costumes and the then-popular notion of
“the noble savage,” influenced Brazilian novelist José de Alencar, who in 1857, published
his story “The Guarani,” about the forbidden romance of a Portuguese noblewoman with
Pery, the chief of a Guarani tribe. Trading on all these references to heroic Indians in
faraway Brazil, this cafe opened in 1933, and still retains friezes and murals depicting
Amazonia in all its romantic glory. It’s also a popular cafe and brasserie, packing in diners
at lunch and dinner, thanks to fair prices and uncomplicated food that, while not the top
of its category, is nonetheless filling and flavorful. Examples include grilled codfish with
eggs and potatoes; magret of duckling with port-wine sauce; sandwiches, soups, and
salads.
Av. dos Aliados 85. & 22/332-12-72. Reservations recommended. Main courses 12€–16€. AE, DC, MC, V.
Cafe daily 9am–midnight; restaurant daily noon–11pm. Metro: Bolhão or Trindade.
La Merceria PORTUGUESE This is an appealingly affordable middle-bracket restaurant
set directly on the port. It’s authentic enough to attract locals and has a long
history of coping with the annual midwinter floods from the nearby Douro. Look for
signs of water damage, including warped wine racks and paint peeling from the groundfloor
doors. There’s a cozy upstairs dining room that’s accessible via a very steep wooden
staircase, and the decor includes hanging hams and turn-of-the-20th-century accessories.
The food is fresh and well prepared, although hardly imaginative: the restaurant’s patrons
come for the tried-and-true recipes familiar to them from their mothers’ kitchen, including
grilled octopus, several different preparations of codfish, and steaks.