Espaço Porto Cruz — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia

Our experience at Espaço Porto Cruz was absolutely out of this world — truly one of the big, unexpected highlights of our trip to Porto!

We originally came for a Porto wine tasting, but what we got was so much more. Our sommelier, Vasco Garcia, was exceptional — knowledgeable, passionate and incredibly down to earth. He stayed with us far longer than required, guided us through a journey of wine that went well beyond what we had booked and made us feel genuinely welcome the entire time.

We started with tastings of white, rosé, and red wines from the Douro region, followed by a deep dive into Porto wines — officially five, but in reality more like nine (but, who's counting when it's this good, right?). Vasco Garcia gave us what felt like a mini masterclass in Porto wine — covering fermentation, blending techniques, aging processes and so much more... — all paired perfectly with food. It was educational, delicious and unforgettable.

One of the main reasons we chose Espaço Porto Cruz was their child tasting option — such a thoughtful and rare offering. For just €8, our son enjoyed a tasting of three chocolates and three juices while we had our wine experience, which made the whole visit much more enjoyable for all of us.

And just as a side note: this was not my first (nor will it be my last) wine tasting. I’ve talked to many sommeliers in the past, and I’m not easily impressed. But Vasco G. knows and loves his wines — and you can feel it throughout the experience.

So here’s my honest advice: don’t be shy, ask for Vasco Garcia and treat yourself to one of their premium tastings. You will not regret it. We came to keep our son entertained while we sipped wine — we’re leaving with a deep appreciation for Porto wines and are already planning our next wine tasting with Vasco G.

Unbelievable in the best way. Thank you once again, Vasco G. and keep up the love and passion you put...

I could see the appeal to the rooftop bar but as for the restaurant don’t waste your time. I’m not sure what the draw is. My husband and I were thrilled to have gotten a table after reading reviews. The staff they have are sweet but it seems as if they are understaffed. We were the second table seated and waited a while between each visit from the waiter. We ordered ribs for an app, a salad, octopus rice and the shrimp rice. The ribs were tender but very fatty and we waited another 13 minutes for my salad... it never arrived. The waiter seemed very distracted and also a bit stressed. Our meals arrived and they looked delicious, we both started “enjoying” our meals and then finally we both expressed our opinions... my rice tasted as if it had been frozen with bits of peppers, my husband felt as if his rice was comparable to a box of rice a roni. Our water was never once refilled and we sat waiting for our bill as we watched the three waiters scramble to serve the restaurant that was still not full. Needless to say I would encourage anyone to search elsewhere and not to waste your time on...

I love this place! I stopped here twice on my last visit to Porto in mid-February. The first time was to check out the rooftop terrace since every time I walked by I heard the music playing and got curious. It did not disappoint. It was busy, so keep that in mind if you plan to go there. You may have to wait a bit for a seat to open up. But you get a great view, the music is thumping, the cable cars to go right over you, and there's a great selection of wines and cocktails to relax with. I also stopped by to do a wine tasting (no reservation, but I would book ahead outside of low season) and had a fantastic experience. I checked in with João, who created a customized tasting based on the types of ports I generally like to drink, and I had a different João deliver the tasting experience to me. Both João's had great personalities and truly elevated the entire experience with how they interacted with me. Just fantastic customer service. It was a great time and I'll definitely be back. I highly recommend checking out the rooftop and a tasting when...