Restaurante CUFRA — Restaurant in Porto

My friend and I went there to watch a game and also because he likes Francesinha and my neighbour had told me it was among the best in the city. I on the other hand wanted to eat cruelty-free so I ordered the vegetarian lasanha. Before entering I was aware that I was stepping in a restaurant famous for its meat and seafood but I was not prepared for what I got. The pasta itself was of bad quality, thinner than thin and overcooked. The filling was horrible; canned mushrooms, and it looked as if they had emptied a can of corn in it. There were also stripes of paprika which may have been fresh and some pickles. The melted cheese was obviously there to cover up what should never be sold in a restaurant (at 14€). Other negative points: Slow service, the quality of the tv set, the decoration. Positive point: Apparently the francesinha was good (but not the best of Porto) Good to know: towards closing time the restaurant apparently hands out food to homeless persons -which I think is great and should be applauded- but some of them started touching my bicycle which I had parked outside. There was a Securitas guy but he couldn't care less so we had to run outside ourselves a couple of times to tell them they could look but not touch. All in all,...

After ordering food, two of my colleagues received their soups, and me and another colleague were still waiting for our seafood platter. After waiting for 50 minutes, we asked why the food is still not ready, and got asked by two different waiters what we ordered. After third one came back, he stated that his colleague never put it in the system. When asking why, we just got a indifferent respond “I don’t know. Sorry.” And walked away. We asked for the bill, without anyone carrying about what happened or offering something else or at least apology once we were exiting. We left as we were starving, and had to go to McDonalds near by. There is also a huge TV screen in the restaurant, only playing football, which all staff were constantly watching, and not paying too much attention to their guests. The only reason they received 2 stars is because we had food a day before, which was quite good, however still waited for it 40 minutes, and we were the first ones in the restaurant after it opened in the evening. Very...

Dining at Cufra feels like stepping back into the 1990s—or even further. With over 50 years of history, it seems like not much has changed, from the décor to the way the waiters carry themselves. Their old-school charm and impeccable manners make the service feel almost romantic, a glimpse of a bygone era with a touch of glamour.

When it comes to the food, however, it wasn’t quite for me. Everything was heavily overcooked, and while I understand that in such a huge, packed restaurant, it’s nearly impossible for the kitchen to cook everything fresh to order, it was still a challenge to enjoy. That said, all the locals seemed to love it, and the waiter was so proud to serve us, which made the experience feel special in its own way.

I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this experience, but now that I’ve had it, I wouldn’t feel the need...