Oporto Fooding House & Wine — Restaurant in Houston

Oporto is to me the standard by which a 5 star review is based from now on. This is a restaurant I want to have a standing reservation and visit over and over again.

We arrived to Oporto for lunch with a reservation and were easily seated. The reservation wasn’t necessary but nice to have just in case.

The restaurant has a nicely lit, comfortable style, elegant but not excessive or trying hard. Very good aesthetic for a date. We were seated in a booth and I really enjoyed the benches, they looked very nice and were very comfy.

The staff was also very friendly and helpful with the menu and drinks. They were on point with bringing items out and making sure we were good, without being too helicopter.

The food though… the food is when you witness heaven. The food is when you experience rebirth. They food is a pure expression of joy. The menu is an assortment of Portuguese items that are so beautiful. We ordered:

Pao com Tomate The bread that they have here is amazing. A beautiful and fresh base with which to start. The fresh and sweet tomato pulp on the bread was really nice, just with it had flake salt or something to contrast the sweet juicy tomato. 8/10 would order again.

Croquetas De Bacalhau The fried croquetas with whipped potatoes was really nice, well fried and very nice. 8/10 would get again, but not until I’ve tried other things on the menu.

Cataplana Mussels Lovely muscles in their sweet bath of a sauce, we had served with bread. The muscles were good but the highlight of this was dipping the beautiful bread into the muscles sauce. I could order just those two together, but the muscles were a nice perk. 9/10 would order again.

Polvo com Batatas I want to say this is awful so that you will stay away and I get it all to myself. The octopus was stunning, so tender, so flavorful, just perfection. I could eat forever and be happy. The potatoes were also so good, and with the salsa verde they were the perfect accompaniment to the octopus. 10/10 would come back for this alone.

Lamb Ribs Mediterraneo This is the only item that didn’t resonate with me, but that’s more of my taste than the quality of this item I feel. The meat was so tender and flavorful, prepared just right. The pomegranate molasses was just a little to sweet and not my speed with the meat. 6/10 probably wouldn’t order again.

Scallop Farrotto I weep, I applaud, I celebrate and I rejoice! The promised land is found in these scallops. So tender, beautifully seared, immaculate entry. I can’t begin praise these scallops enough. You take a bite and have to cherish and savor that bite, dreading its end and obsessed with idea of the next. 10/10 am addicted to this one.

I recommend this restaurant whole heartedly, get there as fast as you can for whatever reason. It’s...

This is such a fantastic spot for a great happy hour!

Just a heads up on parking! Oporto offers valet but they also have a garage where you can validate your parking but it's about a 5 minute walk from there to the restaurant. When filling out the parking payment on your phone, don't feel scared to put your credit card info in because after it has 'processed your payment', it will ask you for the restaurant's validation code and the server will provide it for you. But definitely don't forget to pay as soon as you park (or at least within 10-20 minutes) because my friend got a boot on her car.

Okay back to the review! The interior feels cozy and is decorated well (the bathrooms are also very nice)! I made reservations for 5 people on Friday at 5:00 pm for their Happy Hour which ends at 6:30. We ordered the Avocado & Salmon Tartine, Berinjelas, Lulas Fritas, Grilled Chorizo & Romesco, Piri Piri Chicken Wings, and Prego Baguette. Everything we had was absolutely delicious but the crowd favorite were the: Lulas Fritas You would think the squid is the main star of the show (and it was fantastic) but honestly, the grilled baguette was perfection Piri Piri Chicken Wings The exterior wasn't crunchy enough for my liking but the chicken was moist and the tomato piri piri sauce was delicious Grilled Chorizo & Romesco This was my personal favorite. The char on these Spanish-style sausages were incredible. Rich in flavor and paired with the acidity from the tomato sauce, it was chef's kiss Berinjelas ○ Great vegetarian option! The description says eggplant salad but it's more of a spread for the naan. Tasted refreshing and I enjoyed the charmoula marinade Avocado & Salmon Tartine ○ Taste-wise, everything was fine but I don't think I'd go out of my way to order this again Prego Baguette ○ Delicious but the portion is quite small. If you're ordering this for yourself, not a bad idea but since I had a party of 5, it wasn't exactly the best dish to get. The fries were great to share though!

Other than the food, we also had several carafe's of the Sangria Oporto which was delicious. Aside from the delicious food and drinks, our waiter was fantastic and I cannot wait...

Oporto is one of the best restaurants in Houston. Everything about this place is over the top. The staff is some of the best in the business. Our server, Shaw, was easily one of the best servers I've encountered at a restaurant. He was a walking encyclopedia. When asked about recommendations, he gave very in depth details about the dishes and how the flavors blended with each other. When we finally made up our mind on what to order, the descriptions that Shaw provided were spot on.

They recommend ordering 2 dishes per person. I'd say if going on a date, and you are both very hungry, go for 4. Otherwise 3 should be sufficient. They are small plates, but your server may be able to make recommendations based on what dishes you order. My wife and I ordered 4 dishes. The Scallop Farrotto, Polvo Con Batatas, Lamb Ribs Mediterraneo, and the Seafood Curry (not pictured.)

The Scallops were perfectly cooked and just melted in your mouth. The best of risotto that it was served on had a very curry based flavor, but couldn't have been paired any better.

The Polvo (Octopus!) was delicious. This is a dish that they are well known for, and I can see why! If you're intimidated by trying Octopus, don't hesitate and just order it. Its insanely tender and packs delicious flavor.

The Lamb Ribs were one of my favorite. From what I understand, these takw over two days to make. The meat just falls right off the bone, and the accoutrement that it is served on top of was absolutely delicious.

Lastly the Seafood Curry is something I'd highly recommend. If it were socially acceptable to pickup the bowl and drink from it, I totally would. This curry packed so much flavor, that it's like pure euphoria in your mouth. Ask for extra Naan that goes with it. You'll want to scoop up every bit of this sauce.

Can't say better things about this place. Their sister restaurant, Da Gamma is also on the same level - highly recommend checking out their restaurant as well. Awesome place for a date night or if you just want to enjoy a delicious meal. Certainly make reservations if possible, because this place fills up quickly. If you're unable to, enjoy some drinks at the bar while you wait, it's...