Vaccarum — Restaurant in Porto

I would like to start with the (little) positive about the experience at Vaccarum I was with a group of 20 people and booked a table on a bit of a short notice at Vaccarum. We did appreciate the fact that they were able to accomodate for a group this size on such a short notice. The restaurant itself is pretty and the garden in the back very nice. That's the only good things I can share about this restaurant.

We arrived at 20:00 and pretty quickly ordered the food. After 1 hour we still had not received our order, but we have noticed that at least 5 tables around us, with each 4 to 6 people that arrived after us, had meanwhile been served. When I asked the waiter how long it would still take, he responded: "15 minutes" and I commented that this is still quiet long considering that we had already waited more than 1hour. ( I was neither rude, nor loud, just menioned my dismay about the long waiting time) This was when the waiter started to get rude. He basically snipped at me and said that this is the normal waiting time in a Portuguese restaurant with a group this size. When I answered that this is not the experience we previously had, and that I am surprised that tables around had been served, while we are still waiting, he rolled his eyes and said that we had ordered complicated dishes while everyone around us had not (....?!). He left and came back after a few minutes and again in a not very friendly tone said that we have ordered complicated dishes (just normal things on the menue such as Pasta, Bacalhau, steak, etc. nothing out of the ordinary from the menue) and they have to be to the point at the same time, which makes it challenging for the kitchen and takes its time. There was not even an attempt of an appology for the long waiting time!

I was very suprised about the tone and his attitude. While the group didnt speak Portuguese and did not understand any of the content, they could feel the hostility. I normally always praise Portuguese hospitality and friendliness and it made me very sad that on their last evening of the trip, the group had such an unpleasant experience.

The food came shortly after, of course I got my dish last and with a delay and you could clearly feel the change in friendliness towards our group. For the big fuzz they made about having everything ready on time, part of the food was cold when it arrived. The general taste was average, I certainly expected more after having to wait for so long. As the group already felt a bit uncomfortable, they did not want to complain in order to not further spoil their last evening.

The cherry on the top was the waiter that dropped a glas of coca cola on one of the guests and only mumbled an attempt of an appology. There was no offer to take over the cost of the cleaning or any other kind of compensation (a little coffee or desert would have been a nice small gesture).

It has been a horrible experience, I am very sorry for my guests. They left 700 EUR in the restaurant and I wish we would have gone somewhere else. If you are not able to cater for a group of 20 properly, dont take the...

Este é un marabilloso restaurante na Baixa do Porto. Comida óptima con especialidade en carne. Conta con opción vexetariana e menú infantil. Tamén ofrece a típica francesinha do Porto por 9€. Tamén ten peixes: bacallao e atún. O prezo, aínda que lixeiramente superior ao doutros barrios do Porto, é moi bo para a ubicación na que está e especialmente para o bo produto que ofrece. Se buscan un bo restaurante para coñecer a comida portuguesa, este lugar é moi recomendable. O servizo é impecable. A instalación é elegante e confortable. Ten wifi e o baño conta con cambiador para bebés. Non ten acceso para minusválidos. Ten unha pequena terraza na parte traseira. Abre desde o medio día ata a noite, podendo comer os seus deliciosos pratos en calquera momento da tarde. Se só están de pasada no Porto, aproveiten para saborear os pratos deste elegante restaurante portugués.

This is a wonderful restaurant in the downtown (baixa) of Porto. Food is amazing. It's specialized in meat (baked and grilled). It offers vegetarian and child menu. It also offers the famous 'francesinhas' (Porto speciality) for just 9€. They also have fish: cod and tuna. Price is slightly higher than in other areas of the city, but it's very nice based on its location and especially the quality of its products (you may find the menu with prices on the pictures I'm attaching). If you're looking for a nice Portuguese restaurant to meet tradition and style, this is your place. The staff is kind and very professional. The room is comfortable and has a nice decoration. It has WiFi. It also has some tables in the backyard to enjoy the Summer of Porto. The kitchen is open all day long, so if you are hungry in the middle of the day or you're simply running late for lunch, this...

My boyfriend and I decided to go to Vaccarum for late dinner because of its high ratings and convenient location. We were thoroughly disappointed right from the get-go. As we entered said restaurant, i slightly nodded to a staff member standing there and my partner said some variation of hello (maybe too quietly). We walked past the man to explore the half-empty restaurant and choose a table. The staff member (perhaps waiter or manager?) walked right to us and asked if we had reserved a table beforehand, after which he proceeded to condescendingly lecture us on how to enter an establishment (as in, say hello) and how rude it was of us not to. After berating us he asked if we want a table. Honestly, we were so shocked by such an obviously rude interaction that we declined the offer immediately. I will never know whether the food is as good as they claim, but no restaurant meals are worth one’s dignity and evening mood. I’m sure Porto has a lot of much better places to dine in. First impression of the city...