Grottino - Vila Nova de Gaia

Superbe essayé plusieurs fois et chaque fois aussi bien patron super sympa

Comida, atendimento, tudo maravilhoso. Bolo de mousse divino!

Très Bon Prix un peu élevé Service: Dine in Price per person: €20–25 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

I really like this restaurant, it has a spectacular sangria and the dish of the day is always affordable and varied. Price quality is one of the great advantages of this restaurant. Well located, in the center of Vila Nova de Gaia, a short distance from Avenida da República (Metro). The francesinha, in my opinion, is one of the best, if not the best dish in the restaurant (I recommend it). Service: Dine in Meal type: Lunch Price per person: €10–15 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

This review for Ristorante (Restaurante) Grottino is both a form of place holding and cheating. I will explain. It 's a form of place holding because the review won 't be of the most recent vintage. However, I have eaten here twice and I see, via other review sites, that this restaurant is open and receiving very favorable reviews. That said, this review might encourage locals and tourists to visit this restaurant and report back. It 's a form of cheating because, when in Portugal, should you, as a tourist, be going out for Italian food? There are no rules, really. In the case of Ristorante Grottino, break those rules and cheat! So, how did I find this restaurant? Staying on the south shore of the Rio Douro from Porto, in its twin city of Vila Nova de Gaia, I turned to the yellow pages in the hotel room 's phone book. That 's right. I had already eaten Portuguese food for a few nights and was looking for something more familiar. The hotel was vaguely aware of the restaurant but, as luck would have it, one could walk to Ristorante Grottino. Getting right to the heart of the matter, Grottino 's food was very good and, in my estimation, authentically Italian. If I recall, the management and/or culinary staff received training and obtained experience in Italy. There was a wide array of offerings, in pasta dishes, meat and fish dishes, and pizzas. On both occasions, the chosen meal consisted of pasta in a gorgonzola type sauce, a soft drink, and a dessert. The pasta, with its sauce, was delicious. The dessert was also very good. They also brought out grissini (the very thin Italian bread sticks) prior to the meal. Grottino 's service was reliable. In more typical Portuguese fashion, there is the attentive, efficient, yet more reserved brand of service than one might find in restaurants in southerly countries in the Mediterranean. Being on the south shore and not in the touristic center of Porto, the patrons appeared to be mostly locals, and groups and children were well represented. The physical plant and the location work well. I 'd say it tilts more toward fine dining than casual, although the attire worn was casual and the prices can be reasonable, depending on what one orders. The restaurant sits behind a street front vitrine, is well lit, was clean, and had fairly nice minimalist furnishings. The location is very convenient. It 's an easy two blocks east of the Metro stop right in front of the big El Corte Ingles shopping center ... and across the street from a cemetery which is adequately walled off. That said, this would put Ristorante Grottino about three Metro stops south of the Ponte Dom Luis and the river separating these twin cities, such that someone living or staying in Porto could easily come eat here. In closing, there are some things I find humorous in translation. I find the Portuguese word for pasta to be sort of funny. The Spanish and French translations are the same and close enough, at pasta and pates, respectively. The Portuguese word for pasta is massa. It makes me think of something massive and unwieldy. Rest assured, though, that it 's the pasta that is loved the world over. If I 've eaten at Ristorante Grottino twice and I still think about it, I must be a fan.