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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.
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
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
This is a Taberna Dos Mercadores appreciation post My friend and I ate our way through Portugal and found the most incredible restaurant the night we arrived in Porto. We waited in line for nearly 2 hours because the reviews for this place were that good. And let me tell you something--it was worth the wait. Highlights: I am a sucker for clams in any sort of broth, especially if it's accompanied by bread, butter, and garlic. I was taken aback by the perfectly cooked octopus in our Arroz de Polvo. It had the consistency of fresh mozzarella. Our neighbors ordered the flaming salt-baked cod--a show stopper. I made sure to burn my mouth on a traditional Portuguese sausage called Alheira, due to the lightning speed at which I felt the need to inhale the dish. And to top it all off, we filled our second stomachs with the necessary Port wine and dessert combo. That night, we ordered more dishes than I can list, but I think you get the picture. This was a meal to remember for a lifetime. The ambiance is intimate and quaint. You can see and hear the chefs making your food and, from what I remember, the restaurant fits about 16 people at a time. Very much recommend you do what you can to get in. Be patient. Be kind to the servers. And have fun talking to people in line because you will be there a while. read more
4 years ago
Phenomenal food and people. Feels like eating at someone's home. Make a reservation. Don't miss this read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
We only waited about 25 min after getting in line before opening and missed being in the first group of tables. The wait was worth it and everything was so good--high contender for being my favorite meal in Portugal. Service was great and quick, and the inside was really cute. Very very small, but homey, which we liked over the hype of the bigger flashy restaurants. read more
2 years ago
TL;DR -- Don't leave Porto without trying Taberna Dos Mercadores! The line and wait is daunting, but you can get in (hints in the longer summary). When you get in, the food is exquisite and you'll leave feeling that it was so worth the wait! The Longer Version: First off, thank you to the community of Yelpers who have rated this great LITTLE restaurant and shared their reviews, experiences, and insights. When I first looked for places to eat in Porto, I ran across Tabernas Dos Mercadores. Of course, I flipped through all the pictures first (after seeing the high ratings and relatively high number of ratings). I loved what I saw. I then went on to read the reviews and realized from others' experiences that this place would be tough to get into. So, I was on a mission! I was not going to leave Porto without having a meal here! I had read that I should go about 30 minutes ahead of opening to start getting in line. One Yelper also said that going at 2:00pm when the lunch crowd dwindles worked for her. So, while in the general area, I went to the restaurant at ~1:50pm on a Thursday (spring season)...there was a substantial line of at least 12 people in front of us (we have a family of 4)--even on a rainy day. We waited and waited...I think one group in this line ended up going in before the staff came out at 2:50pm and said that most of us in line won't get in before they closed lunch service at 3:30pm. But, before we turned away, I asked the waiter what time they opened for dinner. He told me 5:30pm (most think dinner service starts at 7:00pm -- this was KEY for me). We stayed in the area and toured the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange), and then I went back to restaurant at 5:00pm and found that I was already 2nd in line. I knocked on the door to tell a staff member that I would wait in line for a table for 4. He told me that without a reservation, I wouldn't be guaranteed a table, but I could wait. On 3/28, the reservation list was already full until the end of April (according to him). At 5:30, they opened! We were in luck and got in!!! There was a party of 3 in front of me, there were two other parties of 2 each behind me that were all in line...we all got in! That was the end of the line (at that point). There were 2 tables already set aside for reservations. Once inside, you could see why there was such a line. This place can only seat 18 people inside its cozy and quaint interior (tiny!). On average, each table turned in about 1.5 hours. So, that's why the line can be so long and not everyone can get in. While the staff was a little rude when people in line kept asking 'can I get in, when can I get in, is there a table, etc...', once inside, the service was impeccable! Onto the food...we ordered the Shrimp in Fry Pan, Sea Bass Salt Crusted, Octopus and Its Rice in Oven, and the Seafood Rice. Everything was as delicious as everyone else said, and it was SO WORTH the adventure to get in! I think the best summary of the great food was from my oldest daughter who rarely touches seafood and rarely tries anything new..."daddy, this was a really great meal!" As we left around 7:00pm and walked out the door, sure enough...there was the LONG line up the hill...at least 20 deep. Don't go around 7:00pm and think you are among the first. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Had a friend who lived in Lisbon call to book a table for me 3 weeks in advance. This was the first restaurant on our trip. This small restaurant restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Porto!!!! All the food was delicious and cooked to perfection!! Lines outside with no reservations will have to wait till a table leaves. We had the delicious shrimp (must get) and octopus salad as appetizers. The seafood rice was to die for!!! One of the best seafood rice that I've ever eaten!! Punch in your face seafood flavor. The salt crust fish was Ok. The octopus rice was also good. Will definitely come back here when we are visiting and will tell all our friends who come to Porto! read more
First meal in Porto and I struck gold. Very friendly service and excellent food. It was packed inside so I was grateful that the tiny table outside was just paying their bill so I only waited 5 min to get seated. I wanted to sit outside anyway, so it was meant to be. I had a glass of vino verdhe, the clams, which are my fav, and the octopus rice. I thought the octopus rice was about a third of the size it actually was so my eyes bugged out when they brought it to the table. Needless to say I had plenty of leftovers. The dish was phenomenal. So flavorful. read more
3 years ago
Taberna Dos Mercados is a fantastic and cozy local restaurant in Porto near the Douro River. There are only about 10 tables inside, and it fills up fast, so come and queue up 15 minutes before opening (7 pm) if you want to eat here. The cuisine is delightful, the portions are massive, and the proxies are cheap. You could probably split an appetizer and an entree among two people. The staff are also very friendly and welcoming -- they make you feel at home, and they make the meal a memorable experience. Worth a stop! read more
3 years ago
Our hotel is only about a block and a half from the restaurant. We were exhausted from a full day of travel, and looking for some delicious, authentic Portuguese food. We read the reviews for this restaurant and decided to give it a try. When we arrived, there were 11 people standing in line in front of us at the restaurant. It was 7:30 PM. Over the course of the next 90 minutes, several more people join the line. One server came out two different times to let everyone know that they would continue to seat until 10 o'clock. If folks were not in by 10 o'clock, then they would not be seated. We were fortunate and were seated around 9 PM. We were so excited! The aromas from the restaurant were amazing. The restaurant is very small and extremely authentic. Two women cooked in the back in an area visible from the seating area. Two men wash dishes waited on tables and interacted with guests. We ordered the clams as an appetizer. They were absolutely delicious. The clams were in a butter, olive oil, garlic, and parsley sauce. For dinner, we ordered the seafood and rice for two. We had some white wine as well. We could not have been more pleased with the delicious, Fresh, and authentic experience. We would highly recommend anyone who loves seafood, and who loves to immerse themselves in local culture to check this restaurant out. We did learn that you can make reservations by calling the restaurant. That would've been helpful. read more
2 years ago
The food and service were excellent, definitely worth the wait. The restaurant seats 16 people it feels very personable and the prices were reasonable especially for the service and food. read more
1 year ago
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3 years ago
Best meal I've had in Portugal, (after only 5 days here). I had the salt crusted sea bass. The presentation and flavor were amazing. We were able to get a table at 12:45 on a Thursday in February. read more
This was a great stop. It's reminiscent of Cleveland Westside market, but not as ornate, nor as large however, that being said, this place was a wonderful chance to get immersed in many varieties of local and international cuisine. There were dozens of options. It's a busy place and I could go back there every day for weeks and get a different meal. It's definitely worth a stop. it's a fun and busy place to go. I would advise going there earlier in the day however, it gets pretty crowded as the day progresses. read more
4 years ago
Three things I love: conciseness, quality, and a damn good deal. This place has it all, so we went there twice in 24 hours. Firstly, they have THE most literal menu you will ever find. The appetizer "sausages in a frying pan" leaves no questions. Its sausages, served in a frying pan. No more BS 3-line dish descriptions. I am so relieved not to have to wade through a phone book sized menu. A simple one item per line, one page menu - perfect for the indecisive like me. Secondly, whatever they are using, it's good stuff. Again I don't need to know that it was locally sourced from farmer John and the cow's name was Bessie from X town. They just feed you delicious, high quality food: - Codfish Croquettes - light and fluffy, not greasy. - Sausages In A Frying Pan - two types of small juicy sausages - large enough to share between 2-4 people (as are all the appetizers). - Shrimp In A Frying Pan - SO good - Clams - Very simple but perfectly cooked - Salt Crusted Seabass - Nice tableside presentation and definitely a superior version of this preparation that I've had, super tender. - Lamb Ribs With Grilled Potatoes - I don't do lamb but Hubby thought it was very good. - Shellfish Porridge - I you come from a porridge comfort food culture, you will love this. Somewhere between a super savory jook and grits, but made with bread. Easily sharable between 2-4. - Octopus In It's Rice In the Oven - Definitely the best thing we had - we have never had octopus that melts in your mouth like this. They swear that it has not been massaged to get it that way, but I don't believe them - there just HAS to be some burly dude back there just punching and throwing octopus left and right all day to achieve this. It also does not say how insanely HUGE it is. If you were eating nothing else, it might be too much food for one. If you share and eat anything else, it will stuff 2 of you. If you share between 3-4 and order several other things, that would be ideal. - Almond Flour Cake - Like a light moist marzipan, very tasty. - Chocolate Cake - A drier cake but super tasty with an impressive ganache and caramel layer. I don't like walnuts but I liked it in this. With a couple of beers and water, this came out to be about 55-60 Euros per meal before tip. Which in Portugal may not be cheap, but to someone from San Francisco, it's like winning the lottery. If your aren't total pigs like us. You can eat well for about 20 Euros/pp before tip. And pleeeaaase do tip well, the staff here are awesome. The two waiters Carlos and Miguel are true professionals and have clearly been at it a long time. We didn't know anything about this place except that a friend recommended it. Turns out it has quite a bit of hoopla around it and it's not that easy to walk into. The place is TINY and only has about 12 seats inside, and you have to walk through the open kitchen to get to the wash rooms. You are unlikely to get in without a reservation, but we did, by stalking the restaurant well before dinner opening and eating outside at one of its 3 (remarkably stable despite being on a huge hill) outdoor seats, which are for walk ins only. We watched as dozens of diners were turned away or had to reserve for another day. I say just put on a scarf and eat outside! 2nd time, we went for lunch and it was raining cats and dogs, but we still ate outside while staying dry under the huge umbrella and had a blast as passer-bys stared at us like we were crazy. Apparently, it's so good that people eat out in ungodly weather all the time here! I have to stop writing this review now because the octopus rice has expanded and I'm turning into a pigeon after a wedding. I have to deflate before our next meal, which might be here again. read more
3 years ago
Make a reservation to this amazing place! * * * EXPERIENCE * * * We didn't make a reservation and thought the wait wouldn't be long on a Wednesday 2:30pm but we were wrong - waited till almost 3:45pm before we could get in. Granted the staff has already told us they don't know how long the wait could be. The restaurant is very tiny, all the waiters were super friendly. * * * FOOD * * * Sea Bass with Vegetables: A They lit up the whole sea bass on fire in front of you and slowly started peeling off the skin and separating the meat for us. The fish was very fresh, not too salty although there was large amount of salt used on the tray, the waiter explained that the skin was used as barrier for salt getting in. It came with broccoli and potato too, they were fresh and with olive oil it was very tasty. Seafood Rice: A It's tomato based and it was super tasty especially on a cold raining day. It's not salty, it's not like a porridge nor paella neither - something in between. The shrimps were super fresh, and all with shells taken off. Meringue Apple Condense Milk Cake: B+ It looked amazing so we decided to try one - it tasted alright, it's in between a pie and a cake, the layers were separated and not intact in the middle. Milk Chocolate Deep Fried with Cinnamon: A It tasted soooo good! The waiters gave us free of charge too, it was very soft on the inside, not too sweet at all and a bit salty which was surprising, I really want to find out how this was made so I can make my own. Overall, a happy and delicious dining experience. Don't miss out this place when you are in Porto! read more
3 years ago
If I could give this place more stars I would. It's a very small place that can probable seat 14 people max. The food is DELICIOUS! We ordered the salted sea bass that came flaming to the table as it finished cooking. They fillet it right in front of you, and they remove the skin as it is where a lot of the salt sits while cooking.The octopus rice is cooked in a mini crockpot so it has a bit of crunch to it, it's filled with chunks of octopus. No skimping at this restaurant. The clams were tasty and the shrimp was everything. This place is a must but, beware it's hard to get a seat if you don't have a reservation, or aren't the first in line. We literally had a line of people watch us eat as they waited for their turn to get in. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
Oh my god this place was so good. You MUST go on a trip to Porto! Definitely make a reservation as it is very small inside and was packed when we were there! We had a big lunch here - many things looked incredible on the menu so super sad we couldn't cram more into our stomachs! We started with some cod croquettes and then had the seafood porridge and the veal steaks with sausage rice... both were incredible. We also had a nice bottle of wine with lunch. My boyfriend deemed the seafood porridge his favorite dish of our entire several week trip around Portugal/Spain. Despite being absolutely stuffed, we crammed a slice of cake with meringue on top in as well which was also super delicious! There were many amazing looking desserts on display as well. I truly wish there was a way for us to eat even more here! Could not recommend more! read more
4 years ago
5 years ago
The restaurant is part of three restaurants, but this one is far more friendly and peaceful. Had lunch and dinner on the same day, as they are closed from Monday to Wednesday. Came during partial Covid lockdown, so there was only a short wait. Lunch was an excellent fish soup, garlic shrimp, and the alheira sausage, which is chicken, pork, with a seasoned breading. Dinner was a seafood rice in a cast iron pot, which they made as a single serving since they had just sold out of the seafood casserole, and a green salad -to keep things "moving" during the trip. Both meals were just above €20. A bit hard to find, but turn right on the small street before the tunnel, if you are coming from Ribeira. Save your money and have dinner here, then walk down to the river to enjoy the view. BTW skip the hamburger and pizza places. Eat like the Portuguese!! read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
Small place with big flavors. The rice with octopus was delicious and a big portion good for two people. The prawns in butter and the seafood soup were excellent as well. I would go back. read more
7 years ago
We were staying up the street from this little gem of a restaurant and passed it a few times on our way. It was always full. Finally we finagled a table and enjoyed a fantastic meal with terrific service! The restaurant is tiny with only a few tables so perhaps make a reservation in advance if you can. Gotta try the octopus rice, it is absolutely divine. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This place is a must if you are in Porto. Food is amazing. We had green salad, fried shrimps, baked octopus with rice and lamb chops. It was the best octopus in my life Portions are big. Everything is freshly cooked. Service is excellent. The place itself is not big. If you have opportunity it's better to make a reservation a day before. Or you gonna wait like we did 5-10 min to get your table. Next time in Porto I will come back here for sure. Highly recommended! read more
3 years ago
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More info about Taberna Dos Mercadores
R. dos Mercadores, 36-38
4050-373 Porto
Portugal
Directions
222 010 510
Call Now
Hours
Food & Alcohol
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