Jamie W and I had just arrived in Porto by train from Lisbon. It was late in the afternoon, and we didn't make any plans for dinner. Swiftly bypassing the crowded tourist traps in Ribeira, we accidentally found this Italian spot on one of the quieter alleys around the corner from the Harry Potter bookstore. It was well packed in here, but the manager let us in without a reservation. Per his request, we promised to finish our meal by 8PM, which gave us well over an hour.
That was fine by us since we just wanted to head back to our hotel afterward. Nothing was rushed. Service was efficient and cordial. We received warm, soft focaccia accompanied by marinated olives, fresh tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar (Photo). Our appetizer was the 13€ Burrata with Olive Pesto, Tomato Jam and Prosciutto (Photo 9). Each component was impeccably fresh with wedges of grilled pita to scoop up all the goodness (Photo 13).
For his entree, Jamie ordered the 16€ Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and gratinated with Mozzarella and Grana Padano (Photo 7). That was a lovely rendition of a classic with the quartet of tender meatballs quite generous in size. I went for the 17€ Tagliatelle with Ragu alla Bolognese (Photo 6). This was a savory delight with the slow-cooked shredded beef perfectly cooked in the tomato sauce topped with Grana Padano.
Of course, we had dessert, the scene-stealing 7€ Tiramisu di Quattro made in a huge mixing bowl (Photo 8) and scooped generously onto plates (Photo 5). It was a decadently delicious mix of creamy marscarpone mousse, savoiardi and amaretto biscuits, 100% cocoa, and double coffee with amaretto and chocolate. We ended up finishing dinner with ten minutes to spare and left not only satisfied but with a happy first impression of Porto's culinary scene.
FOOD - 5 stars...nearly impeccable Italian dishes
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...busy but not overbearing
SERVICE - 5 stars...welcomed us without a reservation and served us well...including complimentary limoncello (Photo 16)
TOTAL - 5 stars...definitely an Italian option to consider in Porto
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