Rua do Choupelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
€€€€ ・ Creative
Two Stars: Excellent cooking
Everyone knows that the city of Oporto has a timeless, almost magical charm, but not everyone is aware that one of the best places to experience this is on the opposite side of the River Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia.Here, chef Ricardo Costa conjures up his creative cuisine on a single tasting menu which starts with drinks and appetisers in the bar and kitchen and is based around two key pillars: traditional Portuguese cuisine (with a nod to the chef’s home town of Aveiro), and premium seasonal ingredients which are always treated with the greatest of delicacy. It also features several panoramic dining spaces: the main dining room with its large picture windows and, above all, the spectacular terrace, which overlooks the most beautiful parts of the city. The wine cellar is one of the best in Portugal.