What's new, Porto?
Perfumed by the effluvia of the wine that has made it famous, Port has become a stage cultural and artistic experimentation thanks to a prolific generation of young creators.
The mystical and decadent atmosphere of the Douro city has become the perfect setting where creativity and design flow unreservedly: vibrant gastronomy, shops, urban art, hotels...
Did you know that the futuristic glasses by Kendall Jenner or by Cristiano Ronaldo belong to a brand from Porto ? Indeed, it is ** VAVA Eyewear ** conceived by Peter Silva and whose headquarters is located next to Porto.
Like him, many Portuguese scattered around the world have returned to the city on the Douro to unleash their ingenuity because The Undefeated it has become the city of creativity.
SPARKLING GASTRO PORT
Gone are the times when the inspectors of the red guide did not deign to enter Portuguese territory, much less to penetrate northern lands. But the "macaroni" of Pedro Lemos, The Yeatman Hotel , ** House of Chá da Boa Nova by chef Rui Paula ** or antiqvvm they have paved the way for new proposals full of imagination and ingenuity. Among the most recent, these are our favorites:
**Pedro Limão, creative challenge**
Ready to experience chef Pedro Limâo's whirlwind of flavors? Well, you will have to get hold of one of the only six tables that make up this intimate and cool space in the Bonfim neighborhood.
After diverse gastronomic experiences, this chef has opened his own restaurant in which he boards a letter full of mathematical precision and limitless inventiveness like the masala-spiced tuna tartare and squid risotto.
You can order a la carte or the bravest dare with the **10-course tasting menu (37 euros)** a journey of flavors and colors in which the Portuguese blends successfully with various international influences.
**** A Brasileira ** : even reinvented francesinha**
Enormous Belle Époque-style iron windows look out over a surprising room where the old and the modern mix in an unapologetic way: this is the new restaurant A Brasileira.
The letter is in charge of Rui Martins that masterfully and irreverently revisits the classic cookbook from the north of Portugal. With each meal this nice chef tells us a story or surprises us with a taste or texture detail, turning the fine dining experience into a true fun dining.
And if we talk about imagination, we have loved the reinvention they have made of the well-known francesinha (one of the most emblematic dishes of Porto cuisine and a true overdose of calories based on sausages and meat and covered with cheese and spicy). Much less caloric and modern, the francesinha de Martins has conquered us.
Here you will taste dishes from the north of Portugal like you have never tasted before
Clam
Clam is the exciting gastronomic project of Joao Cura and Sofia Amaral Gomes . In a space that transports us to the past with its solid wood counter and its original tile floor, Cura surprises us with a parade of original and authentic flavors and experiences.
The menu is conditioned to the products offered by a handful of carefully selected producers. Because first of all, Clam is a project that talks about sustainability . "I ask my suppliers for the best products they have at that time and based on that I build the menu."
That is why it is constantly changing, just a few examples to whet your appetite:
Beet and pistachio crumble or Mondego black rice with razor clams. Divine is their homemade bread , of sourdough, of course, to dip in what they call “liquid gold”, Angelica Oil, by Moura.
Clam Restaurant in Porto
LET'S GO SHOPPING FOR PORTUGUESE DESIGN
early-made
Few places also define the essence of this new Porto: Earlymade is a concept store multi-brand but it is also a space in which exhibitions and artistic residences take place . A place of creators and for creation.
Located in the artistic neighborhood par excellence of Porto, Bombard , filled with art galleries and artists' ateliers, Earlymade offers a wide variety of items; fashion, furniture, books… whose selection responds to two very well defined criteria: unique and contemporary style and a clear link with Portugal ( either because of the materials with which they are made, their know-how or because they have been produced here) .
The Portuguese design multi-brand concept store in the Bombarda neighborhood
Cru Cowork
In the same artistic district and with the same philosophy of creative disruption, we find CRU Cowork : a 400m2 space where a creators' shop, ateliers and even a co-working space meet at the same time.
Get ready to discover a range of independent brands, mostly Portuguese: footwear, accessories, jewellery, decoration and even plants... You will hallucinate with the Portuguese design.
Claus Porto
In the number 22 Rua das Flores de Porto , we find in a 19th century building the wonderful store of Claus Porto , opened in 2017. 300 meters dedicated to honoring the oldest soap brand in Portugal, which began to be produced more than 100 years ago for royalty and high society of the time.
This brand, originally from Porto, has been able to reinvent itself like few others, without losing its essence and its roots. In this beautiful store you will not only find soaps, perfumes, or candles but also an impressive historical legacy tangible in the photographs, original perfume recipes, and even the old soap-making machine.
Friendly employees will be happy to share stories and anecdotes about this century-old brand, a favorite of celebrities like Oprah Winfrey.
The truth is that Claus Porto does not stop bringing us news. The most recent?
A free workshop where you can learn how to make soaps according to traditional home production methods: "only natural ingredients and essential oils mixed up to seven times so that the texture and characteristics of the soap are not altered with use."
Let's not forget either the launch of its exclusive collection of eau de cologne conceived by the prestigious perfumer lyn harris . One of them City by the Sea It is a tribute to the city of Porto: centennial stones, wild vegetation and the aroma of the sea make up the sensual aromatic palette of this eau de cologne. Perfect to take as a souvenir of this magical city!
Claus Porto
OVERFLOWING HOTEL CREATIVITY
Torel Avantgarde
This boutique hotel, opened in November 2017, is much more than a place to stay: it is a full-fledged invitation to feel and experience art, while the “portugality” of everything it contains is boldly emphasized.
47 rooms, each one of them different and each one dedicated to a different artist: from Coco Chanel going by Stanley Kubrick or Pablo Picasso.
Each room has been interpreted by a local artist **l (Jorge Curval, Frederico Draw, Daniel Eime and Paulo Neves)** in an attempt to capture the soul and essence of the character.
Apart from the rooms, the common areas, especially the reception and the flower room, They are the most daring and provocative.
The artistic experience offered by the Torel Avantgarde goes beyond a simple declaration of intent, since everything that guests see and touch is for sale.
Portuguese pride in every detail
Pestana Porto - A Brasileira
Located in Porto's historic 'Baixa', the new Pestana Porto – A Brasileira , owes its name to the century-old Cafeteria A Brasileira, opened in 1903 (currently a restaurant, which we talked about above).
Maintaining its impressive façade with a stately parisian-inspired glass and iron porte-chochère , this hotel has been converted into a hotel whose 6 floors are inspired by the spices of the Portuguese maritime expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries: coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper, cinnamon and anise.
Inside, the historic cafe, the restaurant or the hall were rebuilt preserving the original elements that are witnesses of a bygone era but with a touch of creativity and modernity that blends in perfectly.
We especially love the French patio with vertical garden.
Airs of the 20th century
** Armazem Luxury House **
We also found the ** Armazém Luxury House ,** an old iron warehouse converted into a small hotel full of windows that overlook the Sé do Porto and the Torre dos Clérigos, to be very original.
From the rugs brought directly from Turkey to the lamps, everything here is design.
modern and unique
URBAN ART EXPLOSION
The capital of northern Portugal has been transformed in recent years into a fantastic showcase of urban art in keeping with the creativity and ingenuity that floods the city.
We recommend a walk through emblematic Rua Das Flores to Largo de São Domingos to contemplate how the most diverse expressions of urban art come to life, such as the panels that tattoo various facades or the electrical boxes customized by various urban artists (Costah, Hazul, Godmess x Sem and Bug Bolito). In each one, a history of the city.