Seiva Restaurante — Restaurant in Matosinhos

Without any great expectations, I booked a table at Restaurante Seiva in Porto. I had only briefly read that it was a vegetarian restaurant, but didn’t look into it further.

What can I say: The best things in life happen when you least expect them.

A warm, beautifully designed interior with tasteful colors, natural wood, and a great eye for detail — from the moment you walk in, you feel at ease. It wasn’t until I held the menu in my hands that I realized I was in for a truly special evening.

I arrived neutral — and left in love. Soft textures on the tongue, surprising and refined flavors. The strawberry-tomato gazpacho left me with a feeling of fresh infatuation. If it had been a blind date — I would’ve said yes after the first spoonful!

The Shawanmushi , onion dashi: The dashi, made from onion skins, comes gently and delicately. Accompanied by onion cream, caramelized onions, and cashew nuts — it’s a play of texture and depth. I had to close my eyes not to miss a single nuance. I wanted to taste everything.

There is so much more to say about each of the six courses, but that would go beyond the scope of this review.

If you enjoy sustainable, creative cuisine, you’ll leave Seiva with a heart full of joy. The service is warm, relaxed, and if you're curious about ingredients, preparation methods, or fermentation — this is your place.

In closing: Thank you for a truly wonderful evening. So much love, passion, and care went into every detail — an...

I initially gave them a 5-star rating, but my recent experience was a bit different. Let me take you through both visits, where we opted for the degustation menu each time.

The first visit was nothing short of amazing—a solid 10/10 experience. The owner and chef personally welcomed us, and the staff was exceptional—always attentive and caring.

The food was a delight, showcasing freshness and true haute cuisine mastery. They keep things exciting with a rotating buffet menu, exclusively vegan, which suits us perfectly. The culinary journey was a feast for the senses, each dish offering a unique flavor, cooking style, and presentation.

From the diverse dishes to the homemade kombucha and bread, every detail felt special.

Now, the second visit maintained the friendly and available staff, but the food didn't quite hit the mark. The 10-dish degustation menu displayed culinary excellence, yet there was an overload of carbohydrates and fats. Delicious, yes, but the absence of protein sources (think tofu, legumes, tempeh, seitan) was noticeable. Plus, the entire experience stretched over a hefty 2.5 hours—you might want to clear your schedule.

Overall, it was good, but the expansion of the degustation menu to 12 dishes from the original 8 could use some refining. I'm on the fence about returning, leaning towards a 'yes' if there's a protein-packed...

The service was creepy and insulting. The waiter was constantly trying to force us to buy more dishes from the menu. He said, "we are difficult customers" because we didn't want to eat more at the moment. Also threatened us while we ordered that "we will be hungry at the end"... Surprisingly we weren't...

They didn't respect any boundaries and even when we tried to explain the waiter didn't even let us finish our sentence. I felt like he didn't listen to us.

After anxious lunch, we asked to pay for the table. The waiter insisted for the 10th time to buy more. We didn't and he was clearly upset. I asked to pay by card and his answer was "of course, as long you have money in there..." Assuming that was the prices making us not ordering more. The prices were okay btw.

Concluding, the whole experience was judgemental. I don't know who is responsible for the policy of that service (probably the owner) but It would be so much better guys if we didn't have to do all this conversation and of course, if we didn't receive so many "smiley" insults. Like "what kind of people we are" etc...

My advice is just to let people try your food or let them know from the first place that they have to order what you want. So we can choose to stay or go...