10 things to like about Porto

Recent trip to Porto reminded me of all the things I like about it. First stop, as usual,

1. Bolos de Berlim at Leitaria Da Quinta do Paço

These are so terrifyingly good that it makes me shake like a junkie just looking at the pictures.

2. Rua Da Galeria de Paris

While in Vitória make a detour for this street full of art nouveau charm and the restaurante/bar Galeria de Paris. Also some cool shops and Made in Portugal.

3. Alvaro Siza’s Serralves Foundation Museum Contemporary Art

Great art gallery in stunning Siza building, surrounded by a sculpture studded gardens and the Casa de Serralves, another museum with a Jaques Tati air.

4. Palácio da Bolsa

A truly remarkable bit of neo-classical mish-mash architecture, take the tour so you don’t miss the Salão Arabe. I also adore the bar of the Telegrafo restaurant, with its gorgeous purple/blue velvet furniture against blue tiling. Luscious. Great for a dessert and a glass of expensive port.

5. Les Cafes Grandes

The Majestic (although ever so touristy) and the Brasileira are gems and will fix you up with a decent coffee too.

6. Abadia.

Our favourite restaurant in Porto. Classic, yum.

7. Estadio do Parque do Palácio do Cristal.

Just love the space ship. No idea if it´s still a functioning stadium. Please advise.

8. While on funky modern architecture, I love the airport.

9. São Bento train station.

Knockout tiles, suitably old fashioned layout. The way all train stations should be.

10. Espinho.

No, not in Porto, but your first stop south. The thunderous roar of the Atlantic and the restaurant BaiaSol (on the seafront) which has twice saved my life with its prawn omelete. Oh yeah.

Oh yes there’s plenty more to like about Porto. The Eiffel Bridge. Casa da Musica. Ikea. Let me know your favourites.

If you´re looking for something in Porto, check out this cool blog. Very cool. http://oportocool.wordpress.com/

the best bola de berlim in portugal

I consulted the Portuguese pastelaria encyclopedia www.fabricoproprio.net to see where the experts say the best Bolas de Berlim can be found…and my place already has been discovered, and it rates with the Portuguese too. Naturally. (Natário in Viana was where my berlim initiation/problem began. Yes, I agree they are very very good. But I now know better.)

You only have to look at me to know how much I love bolas de berlim. I have been testing the berliners of Portugal since my arrival, so that’s now thousands of them I have put away, so I surely know a good one, especially as I have also tried berliners of Berlin, as some kind of starting point, and can say with some authority that they are crap.

The Leitaria da Quinta do Paço can be found at Praça de Guilherme Gomes, (bit of a mouthful… it’s in ‘Vitória’ up towards the Igreja do Carmo)  in Porto. It has recently had a groovy makeover that reflects its own history (as a milk factory) and its commitment to quality. I love this about modern Portugal: more and more it recognises itself in context of history and the wider world. This place says; we were a little milk factory for a hundred years which treated its workers well (check out the photo of the 1959 staff excursion) and took pride in the quality of our milk (there’s a shot of their display at an Expo). Now we are a café with charming old photos on our walls. We have a humble history, we believe in quality, we are proud.

And they have the best bolas de berlim in Portugal.

Google maps link Praça de Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, Oporto 4050, Portugal