Restaurante Casario — Restaurant in Porto

I’m going to open this review with saying that our server was lovely, truly one of the kindest people we met in Porto and this review is no reflection of his service. He single handedly carried that entire restaurant. He was the only server on staff, the restaurant was full and he managed to stay attentive to us and the other tables.

We were so excited for this meal based off the thousands of reviews across multiple platforms. We were sat at a beautiful table and given warm blanket. Unfortunately, there were two terrible buskers belting right outside the restaurant (not their fault but beware.)

We knew going into it we wanted to get the five course tasting menu (see course breakdown at the bottom). I don’t drink so I didn’t get wine but my friend got a glass of red. The bartender served us our first and second courses and failed to tell us what they were. We got the bread service which was fine, nothing special. Olive oil is great. The first course was simply not good. The second course was confusing but we liked it after the server came over to tell us what it was. He also apologized for the bartender not sharing the course details with us and offered to make me a mocktail on the house. The third course was fine, the fish was cooked well, but the rice had a bizarre after taste. The fourth course was good, but the potatoes were flavorless. The hazelnut cookie and ice cream were amazing, the cream brûlée was just okay.

Here’s the thing though - the five course menu is low key a scam. You can order everything in the tasting from the A La Carte menu for essentially the same price, but when ordered A La Carte it seems that you get a slightly larger portion. So the tasting menu is just smaller portions of a handful of their regular dishes with a free dessert.

Course 1: Fried Skate with Celery purée Course 2: Beat salad with grilled lettuce Course 3: Cod in Saffron Rice Course 4: Veal with Mustard Sauce and Potato Gratin Course 5: Cream Brûlée and the Hazelnut Cookie with Ice Cream

The host lady came to give us our bill and we noticed the mocktail was on the bill, 9€!!! We told her that it was meant to be on the house and she said no, that it was the same cost of an alcoholic cocktail. This dinner took over TWO HOURS at this point and we were tired so we just left. When we were walking through the square, our amazing server came running after us with 5€ in his hand saying “my colleague messed up! That was supposed to be on me! It was a gift!” We of course refused his money but it really breaks our heart to write a bad review because he...

I booked the Restaurante Casario before we set off on our mini break to Porto after looking at many different restaurant reviews online for where to celebrate my wife’s birthday. There is always a little trepidation that the reviews will meet with your own expectations on the day and this one had to be right on the mark.

We arrived and were politely greeted & seated with a view of the lovely Douro river. My wife chose one of the local gins on offer whilst we perused the menu and she loved it, a good start to our night.

Having reviewed the menu we had some questions as to the fare that was listed, and we were expertly advised as to the composition of the dishes as we were with the local wines on offer which we wished to try.

We were extremely happy with all the food that was presented and enjoyed by us both. All the dishes tasted as good as they looked.

The staff were all very polite and attentive in the right measure. They explained and expressed a great knowledge of the food, wine and of course the local port. If you go to the Restaurante Casario please do ask questions about any aspect of your culinary delight as the staff will be more than happy to engage with you.

As a husband trying his best to make his wife’s birthday special whilst visiting Porto I/we cannot say enough about our lovely evening that we shared there. If you wish to visit upon checking The Restaurant Cesario’s own website and other independent reviews, I would suggest booking in advance so as not to be disappointed.

In closing I would just say that upon asking we were informed that above the restaurant, GRAN CRUZ HOUSE have a small number of boutique rooms available which would be a great location to stay in Porto, and if that is not enough, we found that they also have an associated vineyard which is also available to visit and stay in.

We will consider a possible follow up visit in the future to mop up any Porto attractions that we did not manage to visit this time around with another visit to the Restaurante Casario, which would have to be done, before moving on to a stay at their associated vineyard.

Thank you again to all at the Restaurante Casario for making our...

What a fantastic find for us in Porto. After researching restaurants and reading reviews, I made a reservation at Restaurante Casario and I am happy that I did. My husband and I had dinner there for our anniversary and the experience was wonderful. We had a table for two on the balcony, with a view of the Douro River and the Dom Luis I Bridge. In the distance, we could see the sunset seekers gathering on the hillsides near Serra do Pilar Monastery. We could also look across the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia and the cable car that boards and disembarks there. All this was great, however we came for the food. I don’t partake of red meat or pork, so we passed on the Menu do Chef or Chef’s Menu, and ordered from the Carta. We had the Scallops with saffron and lemon rice, Seabass with fennel orange sauce, and the Octopus and watercress on sweet potatoes mashed. They were all delicious, but it was the Squid and shrimp “Lollipop”, that stole the show for my husband. So much so, that he would have ordered two of those for his meal. For dessert lovers, I don’t think you could go wrong ordering any of the selections on the menu. We ordered the Bolacha( Cookie) with cocoa and hazelnut with salted caramel ice-cream. It was a delicious treat! ( I wish I could have some as I write this review.) Our servers, Ignatius, Mario and especially Andre, were all delightful and very professional. It made for the perfect anniversary dinner. The entertainment of singers and bands on the strip right below was an unexpected bonus. I will definitely eat at the Restaurante Casario again when I get...