Porto’s story
Located at the mouth of the river Douro, Porto is the birthplace of the nation Portugal under the Romans. Today it is the country’s second largest city, still the biggest producer of Port Wineand an ideal short holiday destination.
Gourmet Tastes
For a Michelin-starred menu and city views, head to the Yeatman and the cuisine of head chef Ricardo Costa. His dishes are highly modern with the best of Portuguese produce, resulting in interpretations of traditional Portuguese flavours. You can look forward to suckling pig with lobster slices and herb sprout salad, lightly cooked turbot with mushrooms, and gazpacho of red fruits with kumquat sorbet and wasabi. Wine Director Beatriz Machado will recommend the perfect Portuguese wines out of the 82 different wines on offer by the glass!
Mild Rumbles
Taking a walk through the narrow streets of Porto’s historic centre feels like time is standing still. Especially the central street, the Avenida dos Aliados, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is worth a closer look. Many of the house façades are covered in colourful, ornamented tiles that make for a magical atmosphere of the inner city. There are plenty of cafés, restaurants and bars, but Museu d’Avó is something quite unique. Decorated with oodles of vintage stuff, an old gramophone, old bicycles and clocks, it feels very much “in vogue”. It serves snack like soup, sandwiches and other tapas very late into the night/morning.
Thirsty Work
Go for a tour and a wine tasting in one of Porto’s dozens of wineries. Taylor’s is a historic winery from 1692. The grapes are grown on rocky soil 150km away in the Douro valley, where mountains block the wind and cause an ideal microclimate. Replicating Roman know-how and state-of-the-art technology, wine is treaded by foot and then aged in oak barrels, producing five distinctive varieties: First Estate Port, Chip Dry Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Aged Tawny Port, and Taylor’s Vintage Port, a collector’s wine made from the best produce of a single exceptional year, bottled long before it’s ready to drink and before it develops its powerful heady aromas and sublime opulent flavours which are the hallmarks of mature Vintage Port.
Splurge
In a breath-taking location, The Yeatman is overlooking the Douro river and the historic centre of Porto. Reminiscent of the terraces in Portugal’s most prominent wine-growing area, the Douro, The Yeatman’s layout is hugging the hill rather than towering over it, resulting in the fact that every room is facing the city with a gorgeous view towards the old town. The hotel is also equipped with a 25,000 bottle wine cellar, an award-winning Spa featuring Caudalie products and indoor and outdoor pools. In short, a luxury wine hotel, that hosts wine dinners once a week and a wine festival in December.
The Yeatman | Rua do Choupelo, (Santa Marinha) | Porto | the-yeatman-hotel.com
Museu d’Avó | Travessa de Cedofeita 56 | Porto |facebook.com/museudavo
Taylor’s Port | Rua do Choupelo 250 | Porto | taylor.pt
Taste Portugal | tasteportugal-london.com