Culto ao Bacalhau — Restaurant in Porto

When dining here, the magic of the experience opens the moment you step through the automatic doors into a room styled with the trappings of a space where food is made well. The decor is what you would expect from a restaurant with Michelin reviews, the studded flatware is weighted and stylish, and stone tableware only enhances the esthetics.

The meal opens with a bread and dips pairing. The bread was fresh, crusty, but still light. The trio of dips come each with their own character and flavor profile from salty and herbal, to savory with the fresh tomato over chickpea, to earthy with these finely sliced carrots.

Dinner continued into the second course with a recommended pairing of the Laminated Smoked Cod with Capers and the Spanish Style Codfish Rissole. The Laminated Cod is an impressive plate of thinly sliced, perfectly smoked fish, garnished with capers and chive. The texture achieved surprised and delighted, to say nothing of the subtle smoke from the fish joined with the saltiness from the capers. The Rissole was likewise a stunning performance. Fluffy and light, only to score its hat trick with a fennel mayonnaise that's a triumph.

For a main course, the Codfish au Gratin with Prawns. Another joy for the savory palette. The prawns providing a lovely balance between the rich, decadent melange of Cod, caramelized onion and a cream sauce leaving little else to be desired save a hint of chili (possibly).

Finally, the dessert course. The chocolate tartlet is an explosion of ginger and cacao, paired with sheep-cheese ice cream that's an excellent choice for anyone looking to continue their course of strong flavors. However, if there is any one dish that is sure to earn this spot its first star, it will be their rendition of the traditional Pao de Lo sponge cake. An extraordinary plate, completely unassuming, defying all expectation when served the creamy, half baked center with a creme cheese. Reminded me of a deconstructed Puits d'Amour, but better in really every way that matters. A magnificent plate and a joy to eat.

It goes without saying between the food, the wine, the service, and the overall look and feel, to eat at Culto ao Bacalhau would be a capstone on any evening for those visiting Porto who enjoy the fruits of the sea. Looking forward to see what magic they've brewed for...

My first (and unintentional) visit to a Michelin accredited restaurant!!!

Accidentally stumbled upon the restaurant during an overnight stay in Porto.

Good reviews and appealing photos of dishes made the decision easy to pay them a visit.

We were greeted cordially, seated, and guided through their menu etc. Hospitable and friendly.

Received a nice recommendation of wine to match our choice from the menu.

We weren’t that hungry so we only ordered 2 main course, steak.

About an hour after the main had been served (and finished 30-40minutes prior), I was approached by the restaurant manager, asking me if the steak was to my liking. I informed him that both our steaks were lukewarm when served, and cold within 3-4 bites, lacked seasoning (primarily salt), and that both our dishes were served with meat that was rare in the center with an overcooked outside. The manager acknowledged my concerns.

At their own discretion, and about 20 minutes later, we were presented with the chefs apology in the form of the house dessert, split in half, then divided in two…

We had no interest in desserts at this point, and had been ready to leave for quite some time… But it took about another 30mins until my patience had run out, and I approached the cashier to request to settle our bill for the evening.

The bill (subtracted partially for main courses) still came out to €130. And would have been well over €160 (if we had accepted the 1/4 of the already divided dessert that we didn’t ask for).

If had planned to go visit here for a romantic dinner with my spouse during a vacation; I’d rather had spent money at a McDonalds drive through instead of wasting time and money on this establishment.

Prime example of false advertising.

My recommendation, don’t waste...

We ate lunch at the Culto Ao Bacalhau during our trip to Portugal and Spain. The meal and service were extraordinary. The restaurant is on the second floor of the food market called Mercado do Bolhao. We were warmly greeted and directed to our table, where our waiter (whose name I don’t know but he had the “hope” tattoo) took wonderful care of us. He made excellent recommendations and encouraged us to be more adventurous. We were not disappointed. We started the meal with a lovely basket of crusty, sourdough-style bread and three delicious toppings – each unique and flavorful. Then we had starters of cod fritters with a mayo dressing, and cod empanadas with a black bean salad. The fritters were crispy and light, and the empanadas were flaky and delicious. We shared an entrée of tomato salad with cured tuna. The salad was fresh and bright, and the tuna was thinly sliced with a texture and taste like bacon – outstanding. Our waiter suggested wines which were a perfect accompaniment to the meal. Just when we thought we couldn’t have another bite, our waiter recommended a dessert that defied description but was totally mind-blowing – cod skin and tail fried in a tempura-style batter and served with a drizzle of egg custard and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Slightly salty, slightly sweet, light as a feather, and a delight for the senses. At the end of the meal, we were given churros to take away. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. All in all, we had a wonderful experience and would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Porto. The food was authentic and creative, and the service was worthy of a high-end establishment. ...