I guess we were just lucky. No waiting. Had the octopus rice. Wonder how it was cooked to make octopus so soft. I will leave the wonder to the chef.
Garfieldluvr
I read about this place before our trip, but due to its high stellar reviews, I was doubtful we would be able to get in. One evening we planned on eating at nearby restaurant but found out they were closed for renovations. We walked past Taberna dos Mercadores and realized there was only one group in line, so we decided to wait. Our wait was about 30 minutes until we were seated inside. As others have mentioned this place is small, maybe 10-15 tables. The service was great, the whole place being ran by 2 waiters, 1 chef and 1 kitchen assistant. It was like a well-oiled machine, I really enjoyed watching the chef cook. We had the garlic shrimp as an appetizer and then I had the octopus rice and my boyfriend had the ribs with sausage rice. It was A LOT of food, and I felt bad not being able to finish it all, but the food was spectacular. The best meal I had in Portugal and even one of the best meals I have had in my life. By the time we left, the line was quite long. So, if you want to try to get in, come early, and come hungry,
kak1994
This place is a definite 5 star restaurant. This very small place (seats 16 people) had amazing food and very kind and patient staff. We never once felt rushed despite the small size and long line outside. We had the shrimp, cod fish and pork ribs which were all delicious, but I think our favorite thing was the rice that came in the side of the pork ribs. All the food had amazing flavor and presentation. We ate every bite despite the very large portions. Everyone around us seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their food as well and someone recommended the seafood rice. We ended up waiting about an hour and a half and got in line around 6:30. Would highly recommend going to Citynizer across the street for to go wine/cocktails while you wait - it made the line much more enjoyable.
ianjames07
Wow, we beat the queue to get in the 16 seater taverna, and it was certainly worth it. Salt baked sea bass and lamb ribs, a lovely local wine. Even managed a dessert, apple meringue
TravellingFoodieLife
There are times when you have a good meal in a place. And there are times when you have an outstanding meal in a place. Well this tiny place with only few tables is an outstanding one. Superb home style cooking, just a way a top local Grandma would make it. Everything they do is just tops. I really mean it. Superb staff to boot. No wonder people line up for 60-90 minutes. This one is truly a hidden gem on a narrow street. Thank you guys for a wonderful lunch. Loved every bite
doraveine
Absolutely amazing. Probably the best meal I've ever had out. It was worth the queue. Everything was freshly prepared out of fresh ingredients the flavors were amazing. I had shellfish porridge and it was incredible. Really filling and full of flavour. My partner had the salt cod which was very tasty. Great to see female chefs. The place only has 14 covers so feels very intimate.
NorthMonkeye
Picked based on TA reviews. Opens for lunch at 12.45, but based on feedback on here we arrived at 12pm to find a (small) queue already outside. By the time it opened the queue was significantly longer! Great pair of Octopus dishes - the salad was very fresh and light, the baked main was delicious. Worth the wait - but get there early for lunch
daytonflyer
Several people had told us we should try this restaurant. It was at the last minute, and we didn’t have time to make reservations so we decided to stand in the queue. We waited two hours to be seated and met some great people who were also waiting in line. The meal and the service were definitely worth the wait!
Catjohnson3
Worth the wait! My husband and I came here twice while in Porto. Diogo at our hotel recommended this and its sister restaurant Adega Sao Nicalao. He advised us that the restaurants right on the ribeira were not the quality for the expense. There is a wait, and unless you are one of the first 16-20 people in line you may not get a seat. Waiting in line was enjoyable both days because we made friends with some of our line mates! Everything was so good and the 2 servers working work their butts off. So don't be rude to them! We loved the sea bass, the octopus rice, clams and the lamb. Great traditional food and a lovely atmosphere. Don’t skip dessert!
GlobetrotterTwo
Worth the 1 hr wait for a table. Charming & very hardworking staff/owners, small menu, delicious home style cooking by Manuela, good wine & fair prices. With just 16 covers inside, and a perch outside for 3 more, this restaurant deserves the 20+ queue outside, but beware if a large party tucks in front having booked 6 months before. The Alheira sausage and Octopus salad were sound starters, followed by the Seafood rice which is in a class of its own. Portions are very large. We would return every night,
We were visiting Porto for one month and went here three times. Amazing staff, amazing food, amazing prices. Highly recommended, don't miss it.
Shervita L
You need to be prepared to wait for a table but be assured that it’s worth the wait. The seafood is fresh and the Portuguese wine is amazing!
Flyer15446524980
amazing food. Especially the flammable dishes (prawns and fish in salt). Best Cod we tasted in Porto. great atmosphere. You may need to wait in line as it is a very small restaurant. however, worth every minute.
CharlieNed
This restaurant was recommended to us by friends and we booked ahead of our arrival. People were queing to get in. The staff were very welcoming with a great sense of humour, the food was outstanding and you could see it being cooked. A small restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere whether dining as friends or couples. I would highly recommend! Delicious traditional Portugese!
Sirena1234
The space is a friendly and cozy hole in wall. Luckily, we made our dinner reservations months in advance. The restaurant was full, and they were turning people away. There were 3 in our party, and we started with 2 appetizers: clams and shrimp. Both dishes were tasty, but we all thought a little flat and would have been elevated with a little more acid (lemon) and more cilantro in the shrimp. I had the ribs which had a nice flavor profile but were very chewy. Our friend had a rice dish that she enjoyed. My boyfriend had the lamb, which he had several times during our time in Portugal, and said they were ok but added that they were his least favorite. Perhaps, it was just an off night, or we made bad choices, but in our opinion, it did not live up to current hype. We liked the space as well as the staff, so I am guessing, we would try again but with some reservations.
I guess we were just lucky. No waiting. Had the octopus rice. Wonder how it was cooked to make octopus so soft. I will leave the wonder to the chef.
I read about this place before our trip, but due to its high stellar reviews, I was doubtful we would be able to get in. One evening we planned on eating at nearby restaurant but found out they were closed for renovations. We walked past Taberna dos Mercadores and realized there was only one group in line, so we decided to wait. Our wait was about 30 minutes until we were seated inside. As others have mentioned this place is small, maybe 10-15 tables. The service was great, the whole place being ran by 2 waiters, 1 chef and 1 kitchen assistant. It was like a well-oiled machine, I really enjoyed watching the chef cook. We had the garlic shrimp as an appetizer and then I had the octopus rice and my boyfriend had the ribs with sausage rice. It was A LOT of food, and I felt bad not being able to finish it all, but the food was spectacular. The best meal I had in Portugal and even one of the best meals I have had in my life. By the time we left, the line was quite long. So, if you want to try to get in, come early, and come hungry,
This place is a definite 5 star restaurant. This very small place (seats 16 people) had amazing food and very kind and patient staff. We never once felt rushed despite the small size and long line outside. We had the shrimp, cod fish and pork ribs which were all delicious, but I think our favorite thing was the rice that came in the side of the pork ribs. All the food had amazing flavor and presentation. We ate every bite despite the very large portions. Everyone around us seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their food as well and someone recommended the seafood rice. We ended up waiting about an hour and a half and got in line around 6:30. Would highly recommend going to Citynizer across the street for to go wine/cocktails while you wait - it made the line much more enjoyable.
Wow, we beat the queue to get in the 16 seater taverna, and it was certainly worth it. Salt baked sea bass and lamb ribs, a lovely local wine. Even managed a dessert, apple meringue
There are times when you have a good meal in a place. And there are times when you have an outstanding meal in a place. Well this tiny place with only few tables is an outstanding one. Superb home style cooking, just a way a top local Grandma would make it. Everything they do is just tops. I really mean it. Superb staff to boot. No wonder people line up for 60-90 minutes. This one is truly a hidden gem on a narrow street. Thank you guys for a wonderful lunch. Loved every bite
Absolutely amazing. Probably the best meal I've ever had out. It was worth the queue. Everything was freshly prepared out of fresh ingredients the flavors were amazing. I had shellfish porridge and it was incredible. Really filling and full of flavour. My partner had the salt cod which was very tasty. Great to see female chefs. The place only has 14 covers so feels very intimate.
Picked based on TA reviews. Opens for lunch at 12.45, but based on feedback on here we arrived at 12pm to find a (small) queue already outside. By the time it opened the queue was significantly longer! Great pair of Octopus dishes - the salad was very fresh and light, the baked main was delicious. Worth the wait - but get there early for lunch
Several people had told us we should try this restaurant. It was at the last minute, and we didn’t have time to make reservations so we decided to stand in the queue. We waited two hours to be seated and met some great people who were also waiting in line. The meal and the service were definitely worth the wait!
Worth the wait! My husband and I came here twice while in Porto. Diogo at our hotel recommended this and its sister restaurant Adega Sao Nicalao. He advised us that the restaurants right on the ribeira were not the quality for the expense. There is a wait, and unless you are one of the first 16-20 people in line you may not get a seat. Waiting in line was enjoyable both days because we made friends with some of our line mates! Everything was so good and the 2 servers working work their butts off. So don't be rude to them! We loved the sea bass, the octopus rice, clams and the lamb. Great traditional food and a lovely atmosphere. Don’t skip dessert!
Worth the 1 hr wait for a table. Charming & very hardworking staff/owners, small menu, delicious home style cooking by Manuela, good wine & fair prices. With just 16 covers inside, and a perch outside for 3 more, this restaurant deserves the 20+ queue outside, but beware if a large party tucks in front having booked 6 months before. The Alheira sausage and Octopus salad were sound starters, followed by the Seafood rice which is in a class of its own. Portions are very large. We would return every night,
Restaurantji Recommends
We were visiting Porto for one month and went here three times. Amazing staff, amazing food, amazing prices. Highly recommended, don't miss it.
You need to be prepared to wait for a table but be assured that it’s worth the wait. The seafood is fresh and the Portuguese wine is amazing!
amazing food. Especially the flammable dishes (prawns and fish in salt). Best Cod we tasted in Porto. great atmosphere. You may need to wait in line as it is a very small restaurant. however, worth every minute.
This restaurant was recommended to us by friends and we booked ahead of our arrival. People were queing to get in. The staff were very welcoming with a great sense of humour, the food was outstanding and you could see it being cooked. A small restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere whether dining as friends or couples. I would highly recommend! Delicious traditional Portugese!
The space is a friendly and cozy hole in wall. Luckily, we made our dinner reservations months in advance. The restaurant was full, and they were turning people away. There were 3 in our party, and we started with 2 appetizers: clams and shrimp. Both dishes were tasty, but we all thought a little flat and would have been elevated with a little more acid (lemon) and more cilantro in the shrimp. I had the ribs which had a nice flavor profile but were very chewy. Our friend had a rice dish that she enjoyed. My boyfriend had the lamb, which he had several times during our time in Portugal, and said they were ok but added that they were his least favorite. Perhaps, it was just an off night, or we made bad choices, but in our opinion, it did not live up to current hype. We liked the space as well as the staff, so I am guessing, we would try again but with some reservations.
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