Casa Moreira afurada — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia

Had a reservation for 7 people. The moment we entered the restaurant, the owner/manager immediately approached us, eyeing the birthday cake we had brought, and announced: “It’s forbidden to have birthday cakes unless you order either a second dessert for everyone or a bottle of sparkling wine.”

We reluctantly opted for the sparkling wine but asked if we could order a sparkling wine sangria instead, as we don't really like sparkling wine but having a second desert was absurd. The answer was a firm no, with the argument that the wine used in the sangria was not the same one they sold individually. Even after explaining that the sangria was twice the price of the sparkling wine and suggesting that she could use (and charge us) the one she insisted on selling, the answer remained no.

Meanwhile, the waiters were yelling at each other and complaining about understaffing, we discovered that more than half the menu was unavailable, and we were faced with additional absurd rules—for example, card payments had to be made by only one person, and there was a €0.50 charge for ice in drinks.

Thankfully, we found a great place next door where customers...

WOW is the best description of this hidden gem. Our group visited Portugal for a week which started and ended in Porto… we made it our first and last meal here because we had the best fresh grilled seafood at this place (we chased the same quality/seasoning at other restaurants in Lisbon/Faro but no place came close). No frills here, just fresh seafood cooked to perfection by the grill master himself and Ricardo who is super helpful with recommendations (I also heard him speaking multiple languages so very tourist friendly). Prices are very reasonable and there is nice outdoors seating as well. Honestly everything we ordered was delicious, but if I had to pick I would say the grilled baby squids in olive oil/garlic and the grilled sea bass/sea bream were the best. If you have a bigger group and want to spend more $$$ the fresh Turbot looked great and feeds 3-4 people. All full portions come with a tasty dish of roasted potatoes as well. Definitely going to tell any friends/coworkers that are traveling to Portugal in the future to make this a must stop destination! Can’t wait to...

Café Moreira is a must try! We attended a pottery-making class and this neighborhood was recommended as a place to visit. As we walked the streets of the Afurada we were delighted to see the charcoal grills readied for Sunday lunch. We decided on Café Moreira, where the greeting was warm and welcoming. The staff was very helpful. We chose a dozen squid (recommended as a must try while in Afurada), the prawn skewer, and the golden fish, plus a half dish of potatoes. Everything was grilled to perfection. The fish was perfectly salted and dressed with lemon and parsley. The squid and potatoes were served in garlic oil, which was a nice "dipping sauce" for everything and brought out so much flavor. Squid is one of my favorite foods, and it was done so well here. In fact, we were so delighted with our food we ordered another half dozen squid and a sea bass. This was our best meal in the Porto area, and one of the best meals of our traveling experience. Our party consisted of three adults, we did not have a reservation. Menus are in Portuguese...