Hiding out in Vila do Conde was hardly a chore, but being away from home always presents challenges one way or another. For example, since we’d never been here before we didn’t have any notions of where we might want to eat. We ended up eating out a lot during our visit to Vila do Conde . . . which makes sense since a lunch was the First Cause. Plus, the place we were staying, while nice, had no amenities related to “long stay” or residential guests, so we weren’t having meals in our room. While nothing was quite like Occulto, we have stories and even recommendations!
Our lunch get-together was at Europa, which is just across the street from the beach, making it an excellent place to stop in when spending a day in and around the sand. With an airy outdoor (covered) area and gorgeous inner setting with a full bar, they attract a wide variety of people. Good prices and a varied menu only add to the positives. Service was poor — we waited ages for our meal and basically had to flag down people to order dessert and more drinks — which detracts from an otherwise pretty good meal.
Our dinner was at the main hotel restaurant, Mosteiro. Hotel restaurants can be hit or miss — lots of text telling you how great they are, but the execution can be lacking. Not so in this case. They chose to emphasize traditional Portuguese cuisine with some interesting additions not specific to the north. We started with the couvert: three types of bread (corn, rye, and seeded) accompanied by olive oil and butter and codfish fritters. All were great, but the fritters were pretty much the best we’ve had since we arrived. Starter options include Breaded Wild Shrimp with Almonds, Eggs with Smoked Ham, Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms, Stewed Broad Beans with Chorizo, and Goat Cheese Puffs with Pumpkin Jam. We tried the latter and were, again, deeply happy with the combination of savory and sweet (pumpkin jam is a big thing here, and we love it). Main dishes varied between fish (such as lobster rice or grilled sea bass) and meats (such as beef entrecote, roast goat, or rack of lamb). We shared the Black Pork “Secretos” — a kind of meat found here in Portugal — and were thrilled by the succulent meat, cooked tenderly, accompanied by rice. We had no room for dessert, but they offer a nice selection that will please almost everyone. This hotel understands that guests may be there for several meals and does a good job of offering variety.
A late lunch/ early dinner was at Romando, an exquisite sushi place right next to the river. The odd hour meant the “kitchen” was closed, as in, no hot/cooked food was available. We shrugged and said, ok, and ordered several rolls and a mixed plate of nigiri. It came promptly, along with a lovely chat with the manager (also serving) about the food and its origins. Much like the surprise of sushi in Evora, we had a grand time. Lightly rice-wine-flavored rice held up superbly fresh fish.
Our final dinner was at Concerto. We were admittedly flailing a bit for options at this point, but poking at reviews and maps in the area led us to this sort-of fusion French Portuguese restaurant and we figured if nothing else it could make for a delightful story. Turns out, it also made for a great meal! As far as we can tell Concerto is a passion project of French immigrants who came to rest in Vila do Conde and are making a go of a restaurant. We started there with a unique deconstructed burrata; the burrata was creamed and mixed with a tomato reduction and pesto, and served up with fresh flatbread. It was unusual and super tasty. We ended up sharing an entree of a …er,… sort of a beef bourguignon confit? thing? A little hard to describe, but for all that it didn’t look like a classic bourguignon the meat was fall-apart tender and just as flavorful as you’d expect. As much as we do enjoy “classic” Portuguese restaurants, breaking up a run of the usual fare is always welcome, and Concerto fit the bill perfectly.
