Capa na Baixa — Restaurant in Porto

Worst experience ever. I even have a hard time to write this, since I know they are very well know for their food. The staff was amazing from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. The space is quite very well decorated. A place to take some inspiration. But my food, oh well my food, what can I say, I got sick, very sick, I asked for a vegetarian meal, because when it came everyone was already eating, I started, it was full of garlic and cream. I could not sense the danger under this strong packed full garlic, herbs and cream, but in the night, I was purging from it and it went on for all night, to the point I went to visit the Hospital. Food poisoning was the verdict, because I was already purging it, they had very little to clean afterwards, and so I was basically hydrated with some intravenous solution. Next morning I flew back to London, without even having time to complaint directly. But out of a group of 12 two people got sick. I learned my lesson, if I can't taste all that I'm eating, I'll send it back. I believe the garlic messed up with my ability to recognize the other tastes and odors. Going back? maybe, but I'll be very careful, maybe asking chef to taste it in front of me. To make him...

Not good food or service. We ordered: Mustard steak with a potato salad side Pizza Caprese salad to share Water, beer, red wine

First we received the caprese salad with the mustard steak and potato salad side all at the same time. Then the pizza a few minutes later. Typically you would expect the salad served first, but since I was having the steak I started with that first so it didn’t get cold. Steak was not seasoned well. Good mustard sauce, but no flavour/salt to the meat underneath.

Caprese salad was also tasteless. No olive oil or balsamic served with it. Had to ask for it and as soon as I put some on they whisked it away. No separate cutlery for this either, so I had to eat it with my mustard covered cutlery and steak knife. Just not acceptable service at this price point.

We never received the water we ordered. Also the table we sat at had the menus for the entire restaurant behind one booth, so they had to reach behind my wife for the menus with every new table - very annoying.

Overall, the worst meal we’ve had...

We wanted to try an old school francesinha in Porto, so we tried the one in Capa na Baixa. The bread was a bit hard/dry and one francesinha from a friend came cold (he asked a smaller dose which is in fact an half of the full francesinha so maybe tha half’s just stay in the kitchen waiting for someone to order). The selection of beers is good so try at least more than one. The service lacks a bit… one person didn’t get a plate after sending back the food (he was eating fries from the table) and when the plate came back he didn’t get the fork/knife. Where the service doesn’t miss is in adding a suggested tip for themselves when they know that someone one the table is from the US for example (in Portugal customers doesn’t have to give 10% service since the staff have their own salary, so be careful if you are a tourist because you don’t have an obligation to give a tip). I believe there are better places...