Dona Maria — Restaurant in Guimarães

Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. We were a group of six who ordered Francesinha and a simple meat dish, but what should have been an enjoyable meal turned into a frustrating ordeal.

Firstly, we had to wait an incredibly long time—around 50 minutes—for our food to arrive. When it finally did, it came out in two intervals, five minutes apart, which was inconvenient. To make matters worse, one of our orders of fries was completely forgotten.

When we finally received the food, some portions, like the fries and the meat, were lukewarm at best. While the flavors were good, the lukewarm temperature made the dishes far less enjoyable.

To top it off, the staff, although not directly responsible for the kitchen delays, seemed indifferent and were also quite slow. Overall, the long wait time, forgotten items, and lackluster service overshadowed the food's potential. Sadly, we won't be...

Stopped here for lunch on 5th October 2023. The setting is in a quieter street away from the main squares. As it was warm and sunny, I was able to sit outdoors in a beautiful small square with citrus trees. The service was very friendly and attentive, but just the right balance as the server knew when to be helpful, but also to allow me time to enjoy my meal, drinks and the atmosphere (something that I find as a single diner is not always the case). The food was also excellent (I had the long Francesinha and a chocolate pudding, plus a couple of beers). It was a very enjoyable and relaxing experience and I was also pleasantly surprised by the bill which was not expensive given the quality of the food, service and ambience. I would definitely recommend Dona Maria to anybody visiting...

A great way to spend a rainy lunch in Guimarães. We ducked in here to avoid the rain, and we are so glad we did! We’ve spent about 4 weeks in Portugal so far, and this was the best meal I’ve had. Get the steak with tri pepper sauce. The sauce, The Sauce, THE SAUCE! It was perfection. I dipped the potatoes in it, the rice in it, everything in it! I could’ve just had a plate of sauce and been happy. The greens served with it were also so delicious; perfectly cooked and seasoned and not too bitter like cooked greens can sometimes be. My eating companion got the dish of the day and was raving about the black eyed peas served with the bacalhau cakes. Even if it is a sunny day in Guimarães, skip the outdoor dining areas and come straight to Dona Maria, and ask for an extra...