Restaurante Real — Restaurant in Porto

We walked in two days ago and requested to book a table for tonight's dinner, as trying to book online via the website was very difficult from outside Portugal - probably something the restaurant admin team may want to look into, since you're now recommended on the Michelin guide and will therefore be very popular.

We loved the restaurant decor and atmosphere and the food was excellent - especially the starters and the steaks. There was a lot of care and attention to detail, and we were very impressed.

Service was also excellent at the start, but unfortunately there was a very....'high maintenance' family of four that was seated near our table about an hour after we were seated. This essentially sucked all the oxygen from the Front of House staff in trying to cater to their incessant demands and make them happy - which seemed an impossible task given the level of entitlement shown by the man at the table. As a result the attention we received from FoH dipped significantly - for example our server at first was very attentive and poured water for us when they noticed our glasses getting empty but this stopped after the first hour. Our plates also took a while to be cleared, and we had to ask to see the dessert menu, we had to ask for the bill, and eventually we had to get up from our table to go pay at the front as FoH were so preoccupied. We also noticed other tables were similarly neglected because of this family of divas! It is unfortunate, and FoH have my sympathy, however your other guests shouldn't experience such a drop in quality of service when something like this happens, as we too are paying customers.

Overall we enjoyed the food and the experience, and would recommend it - but it can be a bit hit or miss as far as quality of service depending on...

This was one of a handful of places recommended to us by our hotel’s concierge, and I’m glad we ended up here. For our trip it was definitely one of the more “fine dining” experiences but with decent portions steeped in culture. The staff was incredible, and made expert suggestions on both wine and food. The chef’s recommendation of the day was for grilled prawns, which were spectacular! We also tried the duck with a traditional rice and sausage base (bowl licking good) and a steak with a port wine sauce (also delicious though it was overcooked). The food was great so I’m overlooking that as the flavors and the staff made up for this. I would say, I think they should enforce a dress code, my wife and I chose to dress up a bit based on the pricing and styling of this establishment, only to find others in t-shirts or sweatshirts. I’d say 75% of people were dressed business casual but as the dining area is smaller and intimate, a stricter dress code would have added to...

After not being able to get a table the first evening, we booked for the next night. It has to be said, the service varied. After being advised that two, in the party of four wanted soft drinks, the wine arrived for the others, and no order was taken for the drinks. We were then left for about 15 minutes before we were approached by serving staff again. Interestingly they hovered when the bill needed paying. The restaurant felt rather pretentious. Despite booking, we were sat at the chef's table, opposite the kitchen, away from the main quiet area of the restaurant. The food was good. Everyone enjoyed their meal. It was tasty, cooked beautifully and served well. Service could have been better, but food almost made up...