Restaurante São Gonçalo — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia

Sandwiched between tourist traps, with waiters accosting you on the street with their menus, is this gem. Genuine Portuguese flavour, with the waiters watching Porto football club on the telly when they get a chance (Porto won when I was there, I take the credit). Only Mario speaks some English, but the other waiters are all friendly and attentive.

The food is the real deal. Mostly grilled and finished in the oven, presented in earthenware dishes with lots of olive oil. The octopus is perhaps the best I've ever had (yes it's expensive, but if you understand how much work goes into preparing octopus, you understand that it's always going to be expensive). The steak was very good, but the grilled/baked cod was superb.

Yes, they put pâtés on the table and charge you if you eat them. That's not a rip-off, it's the tradition. If you don't want them, don't eat them.

Rough around the edges, Mario will tend to take you under his wing. This place is not poncy fine dining, it has zero pretensions, but you enjoy real Portuguese cuisine with the locals. It's the perfect ratio of locals (including big birthday parties) and a few straggling tourists who know what...

They really had to do something with server. The girl who worked on June 6th for lunch time.... I haven't seen anyone that can be rude in my whole life... If you are in that bitchy mode stay home. I asked to change the wine glass as there was listick mark and she took it and examined again as she didn't believe me and rolled her eyes at us. And she put zero effort to explain the menu at all and no English skills at all. I get that I should know the language when I travel, but this tourist area you should know some English. We asked the bills 3 times as wanted to leave the place as soon as possible only because of her and when she finally showed us a bill she almost the threw her tablet at table. And didnt even say thank you and whatsoever. This was unreal experience. I will have an amazing memories for city but she made big flaw on it.

Ps. Not sure what owner was trying to say here but the server was total racist to us. Didn't want to use the term originally and now you are saying that...

Uncooked salmon, still made me pay. Didn’t have a resolution. Bad service. Waited so long to place an order. Never came to see how we liked the food. Had to wait forever for salt to season the bland food. Staff doesn’t care. You can do BETTER! Not good. Never again for me. Just read how the owner responds to customers negative reviews. This place is trash all around. My only regret is I wasted a Porto meal at this dive.

In response to the RUDE OWNER, as usual, you have a disgusting response. How do you know where I’m from and no I didn’t eat the salmon. I told the server and he had no solution. I was still charged. Besides don’t speak about California or the US for that matter until you’ve been there. Your dingy little hole in the wall wouldn’t survive in the US. You are ignorant and I am very sorry that you are such an angry person. Besides, the fact that you treat your customers or the people that put food on your plate this way is...