Taberna Dos Mercadores Photos
Taberna Dos Mercadores Popular Desserts
TABERNA DOS MERCADORES ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Taberna Dos Mercadores
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
We waited in line for 1.5 hours and it was totally worth it. Definitely in the top three restaurants that we ate at in Portugal. The octopus in the octopus rice was probably the best octopus we've ever had in our life. So tender, we could cut it with a fork. The rice was a bit on the greasy side though. I loved the lamb chops, broccoli and potatoes which somehow soaked up all that balsamic marinade goodness. Super small restaurant that seats 16. Good service. I was a bit surprised when we got the bill and they had a suggested tip starting at 10%, as it's customary not to tip in Europe, but our server quickly added "you don't have to leave anything." Anyhow, of course I did because they deserve it. The wait is worth it.
My cousin recommended this restaurant from her recent trip to Portugal and it was a perfectly timed tip as we happened to be finishing up our day in Ribeira after exploring Gaia across the river. The restaurant is super tiny and only seats 16 -- couple that with leisurely European dining culture and you can imagine that wait times are long! We arrived a little before 7 and ended up waiting well over an hour and a half. We got the Shrimp in Frying Pan, Octopus Rice and Veal and everything was 5/5, absolutely scrumptious!! SHRIMP IN FRYING PAN: Like their codfish and a few of their other dishes, the shrimp came out still in flames on a carbon steel pan. I liked how they were served with the heads on but without tails. Cooked in a savory garlic wine sauce, this was an excellent appetizer to begin our meal. OCTOPUS AND ITS RICE: Omg I'm still thinking about this dish!! I loved the crispy bits of rice and how simple yet delicious the seasoning is to allow the perfectly grilled octopus to stand on its own. One of my favorite octopus dishes ever! VEAL: tenderloin in a mouthwatering red wine sauce. if you're American then I highly recommend ordering this medium rather than the usual medium rare -- our waiter told us that most people order medium rare, but in Europe this is more like rare. Hands down the best non fine-dining meal that I had during my two weeks exploring Portugal and the Azores and well worth the wait. Service is quick and the servers are open to sharing which ingredients they use in case youre enamored by your meal and simply must take a stab at recreating it at home, like the couple dining next to us :^) A must for your Porto itinerary and the perfect way to wrap up a day exploring Gaia across the river and Ribeira!
Made a last minute decision to try Taberna Dos Mercadores. The restaurant is very small and I had already read reviews about needing to arrive early. Unfortunately, one thing let to another, and we ended up arriving a few mins before opening and ended up needing to wait ~45 mins before being seated (since we had to wait for the first round to be done). If you arrive 20-30mins before opening, I think you should be able to get in as part of the first round. We shared the pastel de bacalhau, salt crusted sea bass and octopus rice. The cod fritters were solid. The salt crusted sea bass was good but nothing to write home about - although the show was a fun part of the dish. It also came with broccoli and potatoes on the side. The octopus rice was my favorite! The rice was so flavorful, with crispy bits on the side; the octopus was very tender. I also thought that prices were fair relative to the quality of the food. Overall, I'm glad I made the last minute decision to visit despite the wait!
Great meal! If you don't show up at time it opens you will definitely be waiting and probably quite a while. But you don't need to show up 1 hour early like we did! I'd recommend showing up just 5 or 10 min before. It's a small place holding only 16 people. We ordered the clams appetizer, octopus with rise and lamb ribs. The clams were small but very tasty and fresh and came with fresh bread. That and the octopus were our favorites where the perfect bite of the octopus dish was a piece of octopus with some of the crunchy rice that was on top. The lamb ribs were good but not amazing. Little too overcooked for me and too garlicky. Also we saw other tables get the sea bass which has an amazing presentation where it is on fire and they peel the meat off right in front of you. Got the pear soaked in red wine for dessert out of curiosity and tasted like a cobbler and I was a fan
Some of the best food I have had while abroad. It was recommended to us by a mix of locals and tourist foodies. Another small venue of only ~20ppl. No reservations, ,walk in only. The staff were wonderful, they gave us an extra dish with our dinner. The octopus rice is a big hit as it should be. We ordered enough food to share and drink family style for 3 people and it was ~90 euro.
Well... Taberna Dos Mercadores was quite the experience! It is a small (16-seats) family owned restaurant with consistently long lines. When my party of 3 arrived around 6:30 PM on a weekday, there were already many people ahead of us. Most of us did not know if they were opened as their door was locked. We realized that's how they operated and there was a doorbell you could ring to hopefully get one of the staff to come outside and answer your question. I found out that they do take reservations and recommend calling around 11 AM before they get busy with their lunch service. But the wait was worth it for the food. The service was so attentive and cracking jokes with us - it is clear that they loved what they do. This reflected in the food with the flavors and quality. I really loved the octopus rice and seabass - if you love seafood, Taberna Dos Mercadores is definitely a restaurant that you must try out when you are in Porto!
Honestly think this is the best meal I've ever had. Service, quality, ambiance all a 10/10. Started with the fish soup and the codfish croquettes, both came out hot and fresh. For our entrées, we got the seafood rice and the salted codfish. We also had with our meals, two bottles of green wine and a red. Be prepared to wait as it is small in the restaurant but 10000% worth the wait!
Get a reso if you can! Otherwise line up 30 mins before opening times. We ended up waiting in line for 1.5 hours and it was worth it bc the food was divine. Service was great and it's a small and intimate space. Would highly recommend: - octopus rice, somewhat comparable to a paella and I adored it and we finished every bite. - salted sea bass - nice cut of fish and v buttery. Hubby devoured it - grilled shrimp - table side presentation was so fun and great garlicky broth - dry white wine reco was solid and a great accompaniment to our meal
The wait here was really long. I'm not sure if it was worth the wait for me (it was about an hour wait), but the dishes I had here were tasty. I had the shrimp appetizer and octopus rice. The shrimp were very boozy, I was kind of surprised by that because typically it would be cooked down more. The octopus rice I had was a huge portion of rice, but not all that much octopus. The octopus though was delicious, it was cooked perfectly and the rice has nice crispy bits. After eating the dish for awhile, it was a bit one note and the price for this dish was pretty high compared to other places. I ended up taking half of it back to hotel and had it reheated the next day and it might have been even better than when I ate it in the restaurant.
TIPS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: - Reservations are booked 2 months out. Reservations are daily for 2 time slots (7pm/9pm). They won't hold your table for too long, so come as soon as you can to your reserved time or you will forfeit the table to walk-in guests. - Always a line outside for walk-ins due to the small capacity inside. If you don't have a reservation, try to get there as early as possible for the least wait time and best chance to get in. - The smaller the group in your party, the faster you can go in. They reserved only select tables for 3-4 people groups. - Large groups (over 4 people) is not likely, so skip this place altogether - They stop taking walk-ins after 9:45-10pm. We came around 7:30pm on a weekday. My friends and I consisted of a 3 people party, so we ended up waiting 2hrs in total! They only had a table by the window available for 3 guests, so we literally had to wait for the party before us to sit down, order and finish their meal. That took a good while! Finally, our turn arrived. We sat down at the table near the window where everyone outside waiting in line can see use eating, but we had no choice. We already knew what we were going to order, so we ordered immediately. We got a Petras Sparkling Water to share. We also got 3 dishes to share: SHRIMP IN FRYING PAN When the dish comes out, it's a fire show. It's blazing with fire which eventually dies down. You are treated with several pieces of prawn soaked in a delicious sauce. It was a nice small appetizer to start. OCTOPUS AND ITS RICE IN THE OVEN This is probably the most biggest and best valued dish on the menu. It's toasted on the top due to being baked in the oven. The octopus pieces are mixed in with the rice. In general, the rice was a tad bit salty for my taste, but nonetheless, it was very flavorful/seasoned. SHELLFISH PORRIDGE This is also quite big. It's a pot full of various seafoods: clams, mussels, prawns. The porridge had like a grits-like textured content inside as well making it filling. The sauce was very flavorful. This was a dish that we were debating on, but super glad that we got to try it. It was delicious. Despite the extra long wait for our table, I think it was worth it. The food is amazing! I love all our choices and you can't go wrong with whatever you get. Now, I get the hype around this restaurant. Probably one of the most memorable restaurants we ate at in Porto. Definitely recommend.
So this place showed up on a bunch of lists of places to go in Porto, and for good reason - but I was having trouble finding the hours, so I figured I'd just get there around noon once I was in Porto, and ask. Around noon, someone did show up briefly to post a sign out front saying they were going to be opening at 12:45 that day (I asked out of curiosity; sounds like it's *often* 12:30, but it's really mostly a "they'll open when they want to" kind of place.) I knew it'd be the sort of place that would fill up immediately, so I got back at 12:30. At least that day, it turns out they still had 1 table left after they sat everyone there before they opened - that last table got claimed at 1, 15 minutes later. It's not a large space, and word is out for good reason. Given it's not a large space, it was also easy for them to have excellent service, which they did. You could tell they were all passionate about the place, and again, for good reason - it was great. Definitely one of the best meals we ate on that trip. Between the two of us, we tried: Complimentary bread and olive oil. One OMG fantastic, wonderful fish soup. The sort of soup you'd want to eat every day if you could. Croquettes that were pretty good. Enjoyable enough, perfectly crispy, a little too salty. Not nearly as memorable as everything else. The seafood rice stew for 2 - a description I always question ("for 2"), but true in this case. It was quite large - and great. Excellent shrimp, which I'm picky about. I'm even pickier about shellfish (clams, mussels, etc). I was expecting to give my wife most of them, but I did *not* do that. They really know how to get and cook the best seafood here. The rice at the top of the stew wasn't anything particular to mention - filling, though, and warming for the drizzly day it'd been that morning. The rice at the *bottom* of the stew, that'd been slowly cooking in hot stew the whole time, was *very good*. :D Wine-wise, they have like a hundred bottles of wine by the whole bottom, some very expensive, some *surprisingly* reasonably priced, but we also didn't need a whole bottle of wine with lunch - by the glass, they just had one red and one white house wine (also solidly priced, though, for a place like this, 6 euros (Be way more than that in the US. I had the red with the stew - solid.) Also a handful of solid-looking ports by the glass, one of which I had with dessert, a reserva tawny for 6.50 euros. After eating the stew, my wife tapped out. I was also pretty full, but I'd spent a lot of effort getting here and I was *gonna* have dessert, darn it. Had what was basically just a whole roasted stewed apple, cooked down until it turned to pudding. Super good. Went really well with a reserva tawny port. This place was great. read more
This was a low key restaurant located on a small street. The door was closed and locked so I had to knock before one of the staff came outside. Luckily for us the restaurant was only half full so there was no need to wait (weekday at 3pm). Odd hours for popular restaurants worked out the best for us on this trip. Inside there were just 8 tables so I can see why this place usually sees long lines outside. It was quite cozy. Menu was straightforward with appetizers, seafood and from the country (aka meat). The octopus rice was so good. The strips of sliced octopus were very tender and the flavors of this dish were delicious. It was comforting on that cold and rainy afternoon. The salt crusted seabass selection was delivered the with flare all covered in flames. Our server ignored the flames and proceeded to crack open the salt crust, fillet and debone the fish. Full service! The fish was meaty and perfectly cooked. The side of potatoes and broccoli was addicting and I normally don't eat a lot of potatoes. We skipped dessert but the menu was tempting. Besides the fish service it would've been nice to have a bit more proactive attention from our server. When we requested our check, she pointed out that out that tipping was not included and waited until we completed the transaction. Would return for the food next time in Porto. read more
5 months ago
This little restaurant was tucked away but deserves to be showcased. Loved this tiny restaurant. The food was authentic and delicious. Portions were perfect. The octopus rice will love in my brain rent free forever. Servers were kind and offered recommendations were needed. read more
We waited in line for 1.5 hours and it was totally worth it. Definitely in the top three restaurants that we ate at in Portugal. The octopus in the octopus rice was probably the best octopus we've ever had in our life. So tender, we could cut it with a fork. The rice was a bit on the greasy side though. I loved the lamb chops, broccoli and potatoes which somehow soaked up all that balsamic marinade goodness. Super small restaurant that seats 16. Good service. I was a bit surprised when we got the bill and they had a suggested tip starting at 10%, as it's customary not to tip in Europe, but our server quickly added "you don't have to leave anything." Anyhow, of course I did because they deserve it. The wait is worth it. read more
My cousin recommended this restaurant from her recent trip to Portugal and it was a perfectly timed tip as we happened to be finishing up our day in Ribeira after exploring Gaia across the river. The restaurant is super tiny and only seats 16 -- couple that with leisurely European dining culture and you can imagine that wait times are long! We arrived a little before 7 and ended up waiting well over an hour and a half. We got the Shrimp in Frying Pan, Octopus Rice and Veal and everything was 5/5, absolutely scrumptious!! SHRIMP IN FRYING PAN: Like their codfish and a few of their other dishes, the shrimp came out still in flames on a carbon steel pan. I liked how they were served with the heads on but without tails. Cooked in a savory garlic wine sauce, this was an excellent appetizer to begin our meal. OCTOPUS AND ITS RICE: Omg I'm still thinking about this dish!! I loved the crispy bits of rice and how simple yet delicious the seasoning is to allow the perfectly grilled octopus to stand on its own. One of my favorite octopus dishes ever! VEAL: tenderloin in a mouthwatering red wine sauce. if you're American then I highly recommend ordering this medium rather than the usual medium rare -- our waiter told us that most people order medium rare, but in Europe this is more like rare. Hands down the best non fine-dining meal that I had during my two weeks exploring Portugal and the Azores and well worth the wait. Service is quick and the servers are open to sharing which ingredients they use in case youre enamored by your meal and simply must take a stab at recreating it at home, like the couple dining next to us :^) A must for your Porto itinerary and the perfect way to wrap up a day exploring Gaia across the river and Ribeira! read more
5 days ago
10 months ago
Made a last minute decision to try Taberna Dos Mercadores. The restaurant is very small and I had already read reviews about needing to arrive early. Unfortunately, one thing let to another, and we ended up arriving a few mins before opening and ended up needing to wait ~45 mins before being seated (since we had to wait for the first round to be done). If you arrive 20-30mins before opening, I think you should be able to get in as part of the first round. We shared the pastel de bacalhau, salt crusted sea bass and octopus rice. The cod fritters were solid. The salt crusted sea bass was good but nothing to write home about - although the show was a fun part of the dish. It also came with broccoli and potatoes on the side. The octopus rice was my favorite! The rice was so flavorful, with crispy bits on the side; the octopus was very tender. I also thought that prices were fair relative to the quality of the food. Overall, I'm glad I made the last minute decision to visit despite the wait! read more
5 months ago
Caldo verde was amazing! It only had one piece of chorizo, but very satisfying. I also had the bacalao and it will feed two people. It had potatoes, olives and onions on the bottom. Try the vino verde. Service is impeccable and the ambiance is super quaint! read more
27 days ago
3 months ago
Can't get the tables. The place is too small. They turned us away not even offer waiting for the tables. read more
Great meal! If you don't show up at time it opens you will definitely be waiting and probably quite a while. But you don't need to show up 1 hour early like we did! I'd recommend showing up just 5 or 10 min before. It's a small place holding only 16 people. We ordered the clams appetizer, octopus with rise and lamb ribs. The clams were small but very tasty and fresh and came with fresh bread. That and the octopus were our favorites where the perfect bite of the octopus dish was a piece of octopus with some of the crunchy rice that was on top. The lamb ribs were good but not amazing. Little too overcooked for me and too garlicky. Also we saw other tables get the sea bass which has an amazing presentation where it is on fire and they peel the meat off right in front of you. Got the pear soaked in red wine for dessert out of curiosity and tasted like a cobbler and I was a fan read more
Some of the best food I have had while abroad. It was recommended to us by a mix of locals and tourist foodies. Another small venue of only ~20ppl. No reservations, ,walk in only. The staff were wonderful, they gave us an extra dish with our dinner. The octopus rice is a big hit as it should be. We ordered enough food to share and drink family style for 3 people and it was ~90 euro. read more
1 year ago
Well... Taberna Dos Mercadores was quite the experience! It is a small (16-seats) family owned restaurant with consistently long lines. When my party of 3 arrived around 6:30 PM on a weekday, there were already many people ahead of us. Most of us did not know if they were opened as their door was locked. We realized that's how they operated and there was a doorbell you could ring to hopefully get one of the staff to come outside and answer your question. I found out that they do take reservations and recommend calling around 11 AM before they get busy with their lunch service. But the wait was worth it for the food. The service was so attentive and cracking jokes with us - it is clear that they loved what they do. This reflected in the food with the flavors and quality. I really loved the octopus rice and seabass - if you love seafood, Taberna Dos Mercadores is definitely a restaurant that you must try out when you are in Porto! read more
9 months ago
Honestly think this is the best meal I've ever had. Service, quality, ambiance all a 10/10. Started with the fish soup and the codfish croquettes, both came out hot and fresh. For our entrées, we got the seafood rice and the salted codfish. We also had with our meals, two bottles of green wine and a red. Be prepared to wait as it is small in the restaurant but 10000% worth the wait! read more
Get a reso if you can! Otherwise line up 30 mins before opening times. We ended up waiting in line for 1.5 hours and it was worth it bc the food was divine. Service was great and it's a small and intimate space. Would highly recommend: - octopus rice, somewhat comparable to a paella and I adored it and we finished every bite. - salted sea bass - nice cut of fish and v buttery. Hubby devoured it - grilled shrimp - table side presentation was so fun and great garlicky broth - dry white wine reco was solid and a great accompaniment to our meal read more
The wait here was really long. I'm not sure if it was worth the wait for me (it was about an hour wait), but the dishes I had here were tasty. I had the shrimp appetizer and octopus rice. The shrimp were very boozy, I was kind of surprised by that because typically it would be cooked down more. The octopus rice I had was a huge portion of rice, but not all that much octopus. The octopus though was delicious, it was cooked perfectly and the rice has nice crispy bits. After eating the dish for awhile, it was a bit one note and the price for this dish was pretty high compared to other places. I ended up taking half of it back to hotel and had it reheated the next day and it might have been even better than when I ate it in the restaurant. read more
9 months ago
Got there 30 mins before open & got a table for 2. I would reccomend getting Octopus baked rice, salted seabass, shrimp apps, and octopus appetizer. The pear with port wine dessert is so worth it! Sooo worth it! read more
TIPS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: - Reservations are booked 2 months out. Reservations are daily for 2 time slots (7pm/9pm). They won't hold your table for too long, so come as soon as you can to your reserved time or you will forfeit the table to walk-in guests. - Always a line outside for walk-ins due to the small capacity inside. If you don't have a reservation, try to get there as early as possible for the least wait time and best chance to get in. - The smaller the group in your party, the faster you can go in. They reserved only select tables for 3-4 people groups. - Large groups (over 4 people) is not likely, so skip this place altogether - They stop taking walk-ins after 9:45-10pm. We came around 7:30pm on a weekday. My friends and I consisted of a 3 people party, so we ended up waiting 2hrs in total! They only had a table by the window available for 3 guests, so we literally had to wait for the party before us to sit down, order and finish their meal. That took a good while! Finally, our turn arrived. We sat down at the table near the window where everyone outside waiting in line can see use eating, but we had no choice. We already knew what we were going to order, so we ordered immediately. We got a Petras Sparkling Water to share. We also got 3 dishes to share: SHRIMP IN FRYING PAN When the dish comes out, it's a fire show. It's blazing with fire which eventually dies down. You are treated with several pieces of prawn soaked in a delicious sauce. It was a nice small appetizer to start. OCTOPUS AND ITS RICE IN THE OVEN This is probably the most biggest and best valued dish on the menu. It's toasted on the top due to being baked in the oven. The octopus pieces are mixed in with the rice. In general, the rice was a tad bit salty for my taste, but nonetheless, it was very flavorful/seasoned. SHELLFISH PORRIDGE This is also quite big. It's a pot full of various seafoods: clams, mussels, prawns. The porridge had like a grits-like textured content inside as well making it filling. The sauce was very flavorful. This was a dish that we were debating on, but super glad that we got to try it. It was delicious. Despite the extra long wait for our table, I think it was worth it. The food is amazing! I love all our choices and you can't go wrong with whatever you get. Now, I get the hype around this restaurant. Probably one of the most memorable restaurants we ate at in Porto. Definitely recommend. read more
Our daughter recommended this place to us when she visited Porto last year. She said it has the best seafood in town. Therefore, we were determined to try it. Taberna Dos Mercadores does not take reservations (through website or phone) and we definitely found out why when we went there. They only have 6 tables. One is a 4-seater and the rest are 2-seaters. The host and server told us that it was going to be about an hour wait but turned out to be two hours and fifteen minutes before we got seated. This was the longest that we ever waited for a table. Was it worth it? I have to say that it worth every minute. The food by far was the best that we had in Portugal read more
2 years ago
We came 10-15 minutes prior to opening time and it wasn't early enough to make it for the first seating. We ended up waiting almost 2 hours for a table so my tip is to come early (maybe 30 minutes before opening). We ordered the pastel de bacalhau (3,00), shrimp (9,00), octopus salad (11,00), Seafood rice (38,00) and a meringue pie (4,00). The portion size here is very generous. Our favourite dishes were definitely the shrimp and the octopus salad. The seafood rice had a lot of seafood in it and that itself could definitely feed 4 people. I would recommend you come here with 4 people as their portion sizes are quite large. The dessert was okay - not our cup of tea. I would want to try the flan next time. If you want to visit, I would recommend coming early or you will be stuck waiting. They do around 1 and a half seatings during lunch before they close. They had to turn people away after the second seating. read more
6 months ago
Haven't waited this long to get in any restaurant but you made friends with all the people waiting in line so hours go by fast. It's a 16 seats restaurant and once seated you are not rushed and treated just as well. Must be very popular because they have to tell 2/3 of the people waiting they won't have table for them and recommend other restaurants. Food was as advertised, we had the clams, salt encrusted sea bass and seafood porridge. Like I said it was a very small place, intimate and by the time you get seated, you'll know everyone in there. read more
The best meal we've had in Porto so far, and we've been really pleasantly surprised by Portuguese food! Taberna makes me want to stay longer here... just for the food! We arrived half an hour before opening time, since we knew that a line was highly likely (having read the reviews). And indeed, many people started queueing up right after us! Fortunately we were first in line, and were the first to get seated in this tiny, cavern-like restaurant. There are only 4 tables that can each seat 2 people or so... making the full restaurant capacity only 8!! Wow! Were we blown away by the food. For starters, we ordered a codfish croquette, clams in oil, and fish soup. For mains, we shared the seafood rice (for 2 people). The codfish croquette was served first, and it came piping hot and freshly fried. The texture was crispy on the outside, soft and mashed on the inside, but also with some sinewy bits not dissimilar from pork floss. It was very good. The clams and fish soup followed. The clams were good, imbued in a garlic and shallot filled oil, as was the fish soup, which was a deep orange hue (likely from shellfish broth) and full of fish bits. Then came the showstopper. The arroz de mariscos, or the seafood rice. My god, this was so delicious!! The rice had some bite to it and was immersed in a deeply flavourful stew, filled with shrimp, mussels, clams, and cockles. We just couldn't stop eating bite after bite!! The staff were also very kind and respectful, and we had an absolutely great time. Would highly recommend to everyone who comes by Porto! read more
We went there 45 minutes before open on Sunday night and was second in line. I normally don't like to wait in line like that but turned out the food is as good as many stated. I was pretty impressed with the reasonable price as well. Vegetable soup - It's one of the best I've had. The ham they use floats the smokey flavor into the soup. Good balance of veggies and potatoes mashes. Not too salty. Perfect! Fish soup - A bit fishy for my taste but my wife loved it. Octopus rice - Amazing. The rice was excellent, not too soft, not too dry and chef stir fry the rice like Chinese fried rice but only with seafood broth but some how, it's got the flavor but not the sogginess. The flavor was perfect as well, though many people thought it's too salty is because the octopus is salty because it's fresh from sea and we noticed every where we had octopus, it seems a bit heavy. That's why we think it's not the chef or the way they grilled it but just salty nature. Lamb chop was really good. The herb rub or marinate was very tasty. It was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. read more
2 years ago
Probably my favorite place for dinner in Porto. Very hard to get in if you don't have reservations and don't show up on time, else you probably have to get in line around 5pm or be the first couple of folks in line in order to get in elsewhere you will wait and possibly not get in if your past 20 people deep. But the food/experience is totally worth it. We will never forget the food here. Muito bom! read more
PORTO PORTUGAL - 04/25/23 -We were searching for someplace to grab dinner on Yelp and found Taberna Dos Mercadores. On 43 reviews they had 5 stars & best of all it was within 1 block of our hotel. We decided to check it out. Taberna Dos Mercadores is a small restaurant locate on a narrow street similar to the gothic section in Barcelona. The restaurant is a cool little space w/about 10 tables inside & 1 make shit table outside. There is an overhead wine rack above the tables below w/a nice selection of wines. When we arrived around 8:30 they restaurant was packed to capacity w/people waiting. Some like us were put on a waiting list based on our arrival order. Every once in awhile a few people w/reservations were able to jump the list of people waiting for a table. The server kept telling everyone the last seating was @ 10pm as they closed @ 11 adding to the pressure hoping that we would be able to be seated as we were leaving the next day. As good fortune me had it we were able to be seated. I had been reading the reviews & we decided to order the octopus rice. The octopus was baked over rice w/a delicious crunch. We also ordered fish soup as an appetizer. The soup was tasty but nothing exceptional. The octopus rice was excellent w/the octopus cooked super tender w/a nice char on it. There are so many other things I would like to try on this menu but I'm not sure when I will make it back to Porto again. This was truly an amazing opportunity to try this restaurant & I hope to make it back someday. read more
1 year ago
Simply amazing. 16 seats. Line up out the door. Food is amazing. Service top notch. Had the octopus salad. Best I've ever had. Followed that with the clams. Very, very tasty. My spouse had the veal, medium rare, with smoked sausage and rice. Top notch. Very tender. Service is quick, staff friendly. I would repeat a visit if there wasn't so many other options to try. You won't be disappointed. Suck it up, wait in line. Best decision of your life. read more
Excellent place to eat! If you are visiting Porto (Portugal), try to make it to Taberna Dos Mercadores for at least one meal! The place is a small restaurant in one of the alleys near the riverfront and is often filled with customers. They offer a menu with primarily traditional Portuguese food that is super delicious! We liked the food so much that we visited twice during the six days we were in Porto! There are, at most, a dozen tables in this restaurant, so often, they must turn away clients during hectic hours. So do not take it personally if you are turned away! Make a reservation ahead of time, and you'll be fine. Their fresh octopus salad is delicious, as is their seafood rice (the Portuguese version of seafood paella). But those shrimps! Oh my goodness! If you enjoy shrimps and/or prawns, you must try theirs! The other dishes you may enjoy at Taberna Dos Mercadores are their seabass and lamb chops. For dessert, we tried their pear. I do not recall what they called it, but it was in a delicious sweet sauce. The restaurant is in a small and charming space. The servers are on top of their game and are very helpful. read more
1 year ago
6 months ago
3 years ago
I'm surprised this place got such good reviews. The wait is long if you don't have a reservation and I'm not sure the food is worth it. We got the octopus rice, fish salad, and anchovies. The fish tasted fresh and the octopus filet was so tender and delicious! It was all bland, although not any blander than other meals in Portugal. I wish there were more vegetable options on the menu, because I need veggies to use the bathroom (if you know what I mean). I'd recommend eating elsewhere, as this place is on the pricier end by Portugal standards. The views and vibes aren't great and neither is the food. read more
This tiny restaurant is tucked in a small alley minutes away from the Riberia. Given how small it is and that they do take reservations, it is super hard to get a table. On this last day of our Portugal trip, my friend and I had perfected securing tables at popular restaurants. They key is getting there right around opening time at around 12:30pm. It seems like most people place lunch reservations for after 1pm. All lunch customers who tried coming at around 1pm without a reservation was turned away. Our server chose a nice glass of white wine to pair with our order. We ended up having 2 glasses each. We shared the clams, which tasted super fresh and opted to share the seafood rice dish which was phenomenal and hearty. We were so full after so couldn't try all the other delicious looking options on the menu. A lot of people ordered the salt baked fish. I will definitely be coming back in the future with a reservation that will have to be made a few weeks in advance. If not, I'll come just before opening time! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Unbelievable food and flavors, deserving of a Michelin Star. Everything was delicious. If you can go - GO! read more
Thanks to Yelp we tried this restaurant on our first night in Porto. Lucky for us it is on the same street as our apartment. I can't say enough good things about it. Service was outstanding, food the best I've had in Portugal so far and very appealing atmosphere! My daughter had salted codfish which comes with quite a show when served! I ordered Shellfish Feijoada and it is the best meal I've had in Portugal! Our waiter spoke perfect English and was delightful! I could go on and on but I'll just say if you are in Porto don't miss dining here. Reservations are highly suggested! read more
Certainly a five stars. Marvelous services which the waiter patiently explained the dishes and being very considerate all the time. This is one experience which I nearly cried for eating such tasty food. The seafood porridge was full of fresh seafood flavors that goes so well with the thick and smooth texture of the porridge with the well cooked rice. And what moved my hungry soul the most was the octopus rice. The way it was cooked with the skillet made the rice a bit crispy with ham stir fried in it that mixed the meat flavor in it. The octopus was tender, but not just that. It somehow has a natural sweetness from it. That was the moment I nearly dropped my spoon in amazement. The clam was a good appetizer, a good size being meaty, the olive oil and the spice well balanced. It was an eye opening experience and I fell in love of the city since this meal. I want to come back and visit this city again, even just for the octopus rice. read more
2 years ago
Wonderful first day in Porto! After our long travels, getting settled in hotel and a quick rest we were starving. We didn't want to waste our first meal however on just any tourist trap. Taberna is the "real deal" from service to food/flavors and ambience this is where you must start your Porto adventure! There might be a wait after you knock on the door but be patient- it's worth it. This meal set the bar for all other dining experiences in Porto. read more
Page 1 of 3
More info about Taberna Dos Mercadores
R. dos Mercadores, 36-38
4050-373 Porto
Portugal
Directions
222 010 510
Call Now
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
