Essência Lusa — Restaurant in Porto

The best restaurant in Porto. Everything was simply outstanding! The seafood rice was a true highlight – rich, flavorful, and loaded with perfectly cooked prawns, mussels, and other delicious seafood. Out of all the restaurants we've tried, this seafood rice had by far the most amount of incredibly fresh seafood, making every bite a true delight. You can see from the photos just how generous the portions were. I also thoroughly enjoyed the octopus dish. The octopus itself was incredibly tender and flavorful, complemented perfectly by the accompanying vegetables and potatoes. It was clear that both dishes were made with high-quality ingredients and a lot of care. Beyond the fantastic food, the employees were incredibly nice and attentive, making the entire dining experience even more enjoyable. Their warm hospitality truly enhanced our visit. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for an authentic and delicious seafood meal with wonderful service. I can't...

Among the seafood rice I tried in both Lisboa and Porto (all popular places), this turned out as the best one. Everything was seasoned and cooked just right. They use a specific type of crab (i don’t know exactly what type, but it seems like blue crab or flower crab) which adds extra sweetness and savory to the soup compared to regular crabs, not to mention there was so much seafood so you can imagine layers of flavour in the soup. I was so full I had to leave behind a lot of mussels and shrimps.

Only one down side is that perhaps because they cooked the seafood with the rice for long, the seafood was a little bit firm. But I don’t mind at all since that’s what makes this dish the bomb.

I came across this restaurant completely by chance, and so glad that I chose to dine here. I will forever dream of this...

We came here after reading good reviews and it was definately worth coming! The starter plate consisting of olives, tuna pate and crab pate with crackers arrived at our table. It is not complimentary but I would recommend taking it. The main dish was the best experience! We had the octopus and the cod fish with a bottle of Castello d’Alba, as recommended to us by the nice waitress. The perfect combination! We were praising the food as we were eating it. To finish, we had a chocolate cake and an almond tart, both recommended. The prices were super resonable compared to the quality of the seafood we had. Definately recommended for tourists who would like quality food, good service and good prices. Reservations might be needed as there are not so...