Terreiro

With three restaurants spread across Porto, the Casa Coelho group – which includes Adega São Nicolau and Taberna dos Mercadores – is also responsible for Terreiro, where you can sample a wide variety of fish. Choose the terrace overlooking the Ribeira and go for starters like the petinga ribs or the octopus salad. For mains, go for the fried dory with roe açorda, the lobster mayonnaise or the sea bass.

We are isolated from the offices and parking is complicated, so they don’t regularly come,” says Renata Coelho, who runs three of the most traditional and popular restaurants in the area: Taberna dos Mercadores, Terreiro and Adega São Nicolau. Gentrification has also alienated many residents – now almost all the buildings in the area are home to hotels or guesthouses. So it was heartening to see more tourists – “mainly our Spanish neighbors and French people,” she says – arrive.

It’s unlike me to start an article with a bunch of sweet stuff, so let’s move swiftly on to possibly my favourite foodie element of Port: the seafood. We’d been recommended two restaurants in the Ribeira area just north of the Douro River, but in the end both were closed. Instead, however, we found what I think is a sister restaurant: Terreiro, overlooking the crowds of tourists promenading along the riverfront, but set slightly back from all the action.

Terreiro is one of the restaurants in Porto overlooking the Ribeira area and the Douro River. Its specialty is fish and seafood dishes; I personally like the Grilled Tuna Ventrecha with sweet potato and asparagus (19€) and the Terreiro’s Steak with beer and roasted garlic sauce (19€), but the shrimp dishes are also very good. How to get there: São Bento station is a 10-minute walk away.

Lying close to the banks of the Douro River in Ribeira, Terreiro is easily among the most scenic seafood restaurants on this list. It’s elegant yet still super relaxed, with a gorgeous cave-like white interior and an even more appealing terrace. I happened to arrive just as the lunchtime rush set in, so I secured one of the few remaining tables outside.

Specializing in seafood, Terreiro is famous for its Polvo à Lagareiro, a mouth-watering dish. The octopus is seared and finished in the oven before being served with plenty of olive oil. Served with crushed potatoes, onion, green pepper and boiled egg, it is one of those comfort dishes that tastes good every day.

A short walk from Bacalhau is Terreiro, which captivates diners with its elegant setting and refined Portuguese dishes. A highlight of the menu is the Polvo à Taberna, or grilled octopus. Its stone walls and wooden accents add to Terreiro’s warm, inviting atmosphere.

I usually avoid restaurants that have a gorgeous view unless I know they serve great food. They are usually tourist traps; paying for the view, not the food. We stumbled upon Terreiro exhausted (after a very early flight), and hungry and they had space so I caved.

I tried the Francescinha at Terreiro Restaurante where I preferred the seafood stew and some really great desserts. One of which was very similar to a creme caramel. The restaurant is also by the water so it makes a special dinner spot.

Terreiro specialises in Portuguese cuisine, with a focus on seafood and fish. Everything is freshly caught and, where possible, comes from local waters. It is also worth a visit for the beautiful view of the Douro River.