Now why would I bother to review a McDonald's in a foreign country that offers far more satisfying…read moreculinary pleasures? It was because this one was identified as "the world's most beautiful McDonald's". Just by whom, I was not clear, but it certainly piqued Jamie W's and my interest. Luckily, it was on the route between the tourist-centric Ribeira riverfront and our hotel. In other words, it was unavoidable.
Opened in 1995, the so-called Imperial McDonald's is located in a renovated space previously occupied by Cafe Imperial, a famous Art Deco-style coffee shop since the 1930s. For no practical reason, McDonald's retained most of the main architectural features when it took over the location. This included crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows, and a giant bronze eagle above the entrance.
Despite the historical decor, the ordering process reflects the current touch-activated menu process (Photo 7). While there are some Portuguese-specific items and even Sagres beer, the rest is typical McDonald's with American-styled fast food like the Miami Burger. Since we were between meals, we ended up getting the 2,3€ McFlurry Oreo and the 1,9€ Caramel Sundae (Photo 10). Nothing special.
FOOD - 3 stars...familiar American-style fast food despite the Portuguese touches
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...not really that spectacular and quite crowded
SERVICE - 2.5 stars...typical McDonald's
TOTAL - 3 stars...go if you're curious
RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/HO0S-1BP1x