Kristen H.
Yelp
Situated on a side street near the picturesque Church of Saint Ildefonso in the charming city of Porto, Gazela is a no-frills Portuguese eatery frequented by the likes of Anthony Bourdain. At around noon (opening time) on a Monday, there was already a thirty-minute queue to eat inside the restaurant, but my party of five was able to be seated immediately if we opted for outdoor seating. There's a large space within the town square with ample seating and covered umbrellas, which would have been much lovelier had it not been so windy! The interior seemed a bit cramped, but reminiscent of a Portuguese sports bar, with pictures lining the walls, and fun wooden countertops.
The menu here is short and sweet, showcasing Portuguese bar/snack foods at affordable prices. Two of my companions opted for their Steak Sandwich with Ham and Cheese (€4.90), which came with a small piece of steak atop a ciabatta-like crusty bread, slices of deli ham, and what seemed to be some sort of melted cheese that was mild in flavor, similar to a Provolone. At under €5, this is certainly affordable and relatively filling, especially when paired with a side of fries (€2.70).
Another two friends ordered the Steak with Egg, French Fries, Ham, and Cheese (€12) - I ordered this same dish but without french fries and cheese, and it came out to €10. This was quite a curious platter - I'd say there was about 5oz of a sirloin-type steak, and they don't ask you how you want it cooked, so it all comes out to a medium. It's lightly seasoned and tastes a bit of red-wine vinegar, which masks the mediocre quality of the meat. The ham is fine, but just doesn't seem to belong on the dish. The egg was expertly fried with a lovely runny yolk, and my friends enjoyed dipping their fries (which were golden-crisp and warm) in it. They didn't really enjoy the cheese, which was not melted at all and simply just in lukewarm slices on top of the fries. Overall, I assume this would probably be a much more enjoyable dish in the presence of alcohol!
You'd be hard-pressed to find anything light or fresh-tasting here (you can order an anemic-looking salad or pickled vegetables for a couple of euros), but that's really not what this restaurant is for anyways. Service was fast and friendly here, the food came in generous portions at affordable prices, and I think that if you know what you're getting into here in terms of expectations (greasy Portuguese bar/snack food), this is a great spot to try at least once, but not necessarily a place I'd come back to.