Maria Inês — Restaurant in Porto

In a nutshell, dining here is an excellent decision!

Starting with the taste of the food: it's superb! The chefs here are very skilled, and the food they prepare is full of Portuguese character. Four of us ordered five half-dose dishes (I have a larger appetite, so I ordered two): we tried dishes featuring octopus with potatoes, chicken risotto, duck rice, shrimp pot, and fish. To my surprise, every dish was delicious. My favorite was the duck rice; the grains of rice were distinct and full of texture, and the duck was fragrant.

Next, the value for money here is truly high. Guests with smaller appetites can choose half-dose meals, while those with larger appetites like myself can try two different dishes. Plus, the price of each dish is not high.

Finally, I must express my fondness for the owner of the restaurant. The owner is very enthusiastic, always wearing a smile, and kindly reminded us that we could try half-dose meals if we couldn't finish a full dish. When he saw me ordering a new dish after finishing the first one, he also smiled happily at my enjoyment of the food. This was my first time being treated so warmly during my travels in Portugal. Despite the language difference, we still felt each other's goodwill (Note: thanks to the uncle who was there to help me translate).

One more thing to note is, if you're a foreign visitor, remember to bring cash, as it seems that they don't accept foreign bank cards. However, there's an ATM nearby, so it's quite convenient. And it’s better to make a reservation. We didn’t have one, but we were fortunate that there were open seats...

Maira Inês is a hidden gem! We were seriously surprised by how good the food was and how much we enjoyed our time at this restaurant.

The starters were simple but delicious and plentiful. We were served within minutes by the lovely waiter. We had the potato chips and the omelette and enjoyed them very much.

For the main course we went for the traditional Portuguese dishes Bacalhau à Brás and Açorda de Camarão and I couldn’t tell you which one was more delicious. They were both brilliant and I was in culinary heaven. Nothing beats simple dishes being executed to perfection.

The house wine was also very nice and surprisingly sparkly.

The prices were almost too cheap for the quality of the food.

As others have said before me: Go and eat at this restaurant. I tried many restaurants in Porto and this is definitely in the top 3.

Looking forward to my next...

I tried the cod, the vegetable salad, and grilled octopus and they were all delicious. The service is impeccable and the owner came out and chatted with us, showed us the garden, and ensured we felt comfortable. I must warn you the portions here are big so bring your appetite. Once I was done eating, and ready to pay the bill, I found out that they didn’t take credit cards. The owner gave me instructions to the ATM and he quickly realized that I wasn’t following the instructions because I don’t speak Portuguese. He walked with me to the ATM and made sure that I was on track. He is just a kind and considerate person that made a visitor to the city and his restaurant feel safe and appreciated. If the food is a 10, the service surpasses that ranking. When in Porto, you have to...