Restaurante Cantina 32 — Restaurant in Porto

Before visiting Porto, we tried to do our due diligence concerning each of the restaurants we were to try. One restaurant on our list was Cantina 32. When we arrived May 12th, we called to make dinner reservations sometime during our three week stay. We were told they were fully booked until the end of June for dinner. So, we opted for an lunch reservation that, to our surprise, had availability the following day. After talking with the friendly restaurant manager we were seated. Our waitress asked if we wanted bread, olives/lupines and banana butter. We said yes and asked for a little more information about the unusual butter. Our waitress became a bit tongue-tied and had no real knowledge of the ingredients. Excited to try their entrees, we chose their “Legendary Tiger Prawns” to share. We saw the steep price but opted for them after our waitress told us there would be four prawns that came with a couscous and vegetable side. We also ordered two sparkling waters and two glasses of rosé. Our first disappointment came when the dishes arrived and only three prawns were on the plate. Although the prawns and the side were good, 31 Euro seemed much too expensive for just three prawns. Still hungry, we ordered the Octopus Carpaccio. That arrived as an absolutely beautiful presentation but the octopus was totally overwhelmed by an excessive amount of salt. Trying to salvage our meal with something sweet, we ordered “Cantina 32 best chocolate cake” that was cut in width table-side by the centimeter. The top and bottom layers of the cake were very dry and made the center chocolate the only enjoyable part. Throughout our meal, we noticed that the professional manager was the only staff member that seemed to have any sense of urgency in assisting the customers in the dining room. He cleared tables, poured wines, took orders and was helpful with menu suggestions. The rest of the waitstaff stood around and looked as if they really weren’t interested in attending their tables. If it wasn’t for the manager, our impression of the staff was that they were lackadaisical. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this restaurant and in retrospect realized we may have just chosen a actual tourist trap on the most popular street...

We'd been recommended this restaurant by a Portuguese friend, but we ended up eating here by chance. Restaurants by the river were packed and had long queues even on a Monday evening in September after 8.30pm! We moved a bit more into town, but still a lot of the restaurants in the area had overly long waits or weren't going to be much longer and so weren't accepting walk-ins. Luckily we were told they may be able to fit us in here and there would just be a little wait. As we sat on the bench inside a departing customer told us it was worth the wait.

We had the tiger prawns which came with couscous, stuffed Portobello mushroom, tuna tataki and fries 32 (just french fries with grated hard cheese, maybe parmesan, on top). This was an okay amount as we were quite hungry, but more tired. The food was nice, but nothing extraordinary. Not sure if it is worth waiting longer for, but then again we have nothing negative to say about the dishes. It's just that none of them were magnificent. Other options we considered were the giant Pacific octopus or octopus carpaccio (but we'd had some just the night before at the Time Out market), beef steak and the squid and prawn stew. So, maybe one of those would have been more impressive.

For dessert we had the optical illusion of the flower pot cheesecake. Although the idea was out of the ordinary (though not original as another friend mentioned Bill's in the UK do/did something similar), the taste was just ok. It's a deconstructed cheesecake. The chocolate soil on top would ordinarily be the base. It was like Oreo cookies crumbled up. The cheesecake was a soft consistency, probably quite a lot of cream. There wasn't a lot of banana pieces in the cheesecake. We were the opposite of overwhelmed once we dug in. The special melon ice cream was actually the nicer of the two desserts. Wish we'd tried the Cantina 32 best chocolate cake. There's a bit of theatre in cutting that up. Looked lovely.

We spent €78,20 between two of us and paid by card.

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Experience the Authentic Heartbeat of Portugal at Cantina 32. As you push open the door of Cantina 32, you are embraced by an enticing promise of a unique culinary adventure. Bathed in soft, warm light, this eatery exudes an intimate charm intertwined with an industrial-vintage aesthetic, creating an aura of refined sophistication. An array of delectable dishes, from petite sharing plates to hearty main courses, including the elusive vegan options, grace the menu, ensuring Cantina 32 caters to all gastronomic preferences. The exceptional service is one of the brightest gems in Cantina 32's crown. Our waiter, a paragon of attentiveness and resourcefulness, navigated us through the wine landscape, allowing us to sample two different variants of white wine to discern the one that pleased our palate the most. The culinary journey commenced with a spread of olives, bread, and a unique twist on butter – a whip of butter laced with a banana! This unusual concoction served as an intriguing appetizer and set the tone for the rest of the meal. Our taste adventure continued unabated, with each dish hitting high notes of flavor and satiety. The grand finale was a tryst with a traditional Portuguese delicacy – "pão de ló." This sponge cake, a delightful medley of eggs, flour, and sugar, was the perfect sweet ending to our gastronomic journey. Our recommendation? If you're yearning for an immersive Portuguese dining experience nestled in Porto's vibrant heart, Cantina 32 should be on your culinary itinerary! To sum up, Cantina 32 is an enchanting culinary haven offering a fusion of excellent food, exceptional service, and a warm, intimate ambiance. Whether the smaller sharing plates for a light indulgence or the more substantial portions for a fulfilling meal, the menu caters to all. Seek Cantina 32 for a genuine Portuguese cuisine taste right in Porto's pulsating heart. You won't be...