Root & Vine - Brunch and Dinner — Restaurant in Vila Nova de Gaia

Vegans avoid this place.

I am so disappointed in this restaurant that I have to leave a review.

I was actually quite shocked that my experience was so bad, considering I have read so many good reviews and looked at the menu before going.

This place is so overhyped, for no reason.

First of all, it's a vegetarian restaurant, but it serves fish in sushi form. Okay..

Furthermore, it's a vegetarian restaurant with barely any vegan option.. I mean, I would understand if you would use lots of cheese, like think of a nice restaurant in an area where cheese is very typical then I would understand basing your menu around that and therefore not offering vegan friendly options...but if you're making ASIAN inspired dishes, something like bao with crispy tofu, and the only reason why the dish is not vegan is that there's some animal ingredient in the BUN I am like... what? why not making it 100% vegan and cater to anyone out there, in 2023? I don't get it, sorry.

Plus, if you look at the menu you would think those dishes were vegan, because it says no where that the bun has some animal derived product in it... At least put icons in the menu like so many other restaurants do, so I know if I want to reserve a table or not.

I found more vegan options at normal restaurants where meat is served than at this vegetarian restaurant. Such a shame.

Well, at least they have a "vegan sushi" menu, so we went for it...and it was the first time in my life I ate sushi that didn't even taste like sushi.

Believe me, I am somebody that can eat a raw carrot and be happy, but a sushi that's made out of a strawberry with a bit of avocado on top? hossomaki with a piece of apple inside? what is this? the flavors didn't blend, if anything, they were bland (excuse the pun). it just made no sense.

Everything looks fancy and cool but that's about it. Avoid this place if...

Disappointing experience. The restaurant is very stylish, menu and wine list looks interesting but service doesn’t correspond to price and style of the place. We came on Sunday afternoon, place was half- full but after waiting for 5 minutes nobody approached us to seat us so we just took a seat at the free table and ordered. Afterwards we were approached by a hostess who in a very rude way gave us a “warning” that we were supposed to wait to be seated and didn’t react in any way or apologise when I said we waited for a while. Besides place wasn’t full. Waiter was kinda nice but not very knowledgeable and they messed up the dish I ordered - poke with tofu, but the tofu was missing so basically I got a salad with quinoa with zero protein for 13€. When I said to the waiter tofu was missing he just smiled and said it was supposed to be there and didn’t apologise. It’s a shame such a nice place has such poor...

Wonderful views and a lovely new WOW area of town, very new, clean and stylish. Food was wonderful and beautifully arranged. The menu creative and lots of different interesting creations. Would love to give 5* for the chef but the experience was a bit spoiled by the staff: very arrogant welcome by the manager. The restaurant apparently seems to be connected with the neighboring one which could be easily explained in a friendly way to avoid confusion. There were tons of waiters/ waitresses but none of them genuinely friendly as we experienced it in many other places in Porto. They didn’t really give you the warm feeling to be welcomed and cared for. Pity! With a friendlier crew this would be a top place. Also the interior is...