Guia Beach, Food & Drinks — Restaurant in Vila do Conde

We nearly did not come here based on the reviews as 3.9 is really not a good rating, as a cafe owner myself, I know this… also, one of us is vegetarian and I do not really eat fish or seafood and the menu is 90% ocean. But we came for the location.

Imagine my astonishment. First the guy on the front was very welcoming and provided great service (his sidekick, she needs to be removed from the floor… miserable). I wanted to try something different and really wished that I could have tried the sea bass for an individual but I understood that this is an entire fish and is for sharing. I got the beef cheek risotto, my friend the goats cheese pastry and we shared a tomato salad & bottle of Sossego Rosé. Always loved the red and white so was great to try the Rosé. Then the special desert which I can’t recall the name, but is apparently a local specialty.

It is without doubt the very first time in my nearly 6 years in Portugal that I have had a meal that was prepared to perfection. Literally the best meal I’ve ever had here… I am accustomed to this standard in Cape Town and Australia and never expected to see it again! Presentation was spot on, perfectly prepared and flavours that complimented and made complete sense with the right surprises. Coffee could be improved, perhaps for something more boutique roasted and barista prepared. I say this only because the price point and atmosphere of the place conjures this expectation for me.

The location and view is unbeatable especially as the high tide waves crashed right in front of us. Well sheltered for a sunny cool winters day meant we were toasty warm. The design is good as my 20 year career is in luxury hospitality design. Thankfully limited supplier branded furniture apart from the parasols and coffee cups.

We spoke with the chef and owner afterwards to thank them for this really...

This was the worst restaurant experience we’ve had in Portugal and we’ve been to dozens all over. We intended to eat and drink here because the setting was so beautiful and the smell from the restaurant was so good but as soon as we sat down, the upselling began. We ordered drinks first. Pricy but we figured it was justified because of the view. The sangria was extremely sweet with no fruits chunks or blend. It was made with sparkling wine as per the menu but tasted like fruit juice with added sugar. We ordered burger but the waitress convinced us to order fish because it’s their specialty. She brought out a fish for us to assess the size and we could smell it from a few feet away. We declined. Every five minutes, a different server brought bread and we declined each time so we couldn’t even enjoy the “view” (of sun tanners in the corner table) We decided not to eat. On our way out in the open by the exit, we saw displays of fish with filthy glass doors open, no visible ice to be seen, with flies on them. This was not a refrigerated display case. Not sure if that’s how they dispose of rotten fish but at 2pm with the sun at its peak, it was shocking to witness. Not to mention the bad smell. And they charged us for the bread which we had to contest. Just wow. FYI, € 10 for the juice like sangria and...

Normalmente não escrevo críticas, a não ser que a experiência tenha sido realmente excelente ou extremamente dececionante. Infelizmente, este caso enquadra-se na segunda categoria.

Visitei o Guia Beach, Food & Drinks em Vila do Conde com um grupo de familiares e amigos para celebrar o meu casamento. O que deveria ter sido um momento alegre foi completamente arruinado pelo comportamento lamentável da pessoa que se diz ser o proprietário. Este indivíduo foi não só rude comigo, mas também com várias outras pessoas que tentaram entrar no estabelecimento. Algumas não foram autorizadas a entrar, apesar de haver mesas disponíveis, e outras simplesmente foram-se embora devido à total falta de educação e empatia desta pessoa.

Cheguei um pouco depois do grupo, pois estava a carregar o meu filho. A minha mesa tinha acabado de ser sentada, e uma amiga veio buscar-me. Nesse momento, o “dono” correu até mim aos gritos, dizendo agressivamente que “não podia fazer isso” e que “a casa era dele”. Isto apesar de ele próprio ter acabado de sentar o resto do grupo minutos antes. Continuou a ser rude com outros convidados que iam chegando, o que levou alguns a desistirem e irem embora.

A única coisa positiva da experiência foi a simpatia e o profissionalismo dos funcionários, especialmente do nosso empregado de mesa, que tentou desculpar-se e justificar o comportamento do patrão, apesar de ser evidente que não concordava com ele. A sua educação e empatia foram tudo aquilo que o proprietário demonstrou não ter.

A comida era razoável e o local até tem potencial, mas nada disso compensa a atitude absolutamente inaceitável de quem dirige o espaço. Alguém nessa posição deveria dar o exemplo. Se é assim que trata os clientes, nem quero imaginar como trata os funcionários.

Se estiver a pensar visitar este local e notar o mínimo sinal de arrogância por parte deste indivíduo, pense duas vezes. Já passaram cinco dias e ainda não consegui esquecer a forma como fomos tratados—daí estar a escrever esta...