Restaurante "O Escondidinho"

Our hotel recommended this restaurant and we walked in at 12 noon (w/o reservation) on a Tuesday as it was opening its doors. Upon walking in, all four of us were immediately surprised by the interior decor and atmosphere - classic, elegant, welcoming and quiet. The attendant spoke English fairly well and quickly told us the daily specials not on the menu. My wife always wanted hot water w/ lemon and that was delivered accurately, to her another surprise. She was very intrigued by the olive oil bottle and, especially, its top dispenser, so she asked the kind owner (who came and greeted us) where she might find/buy the latter. The gentlemen paused for a second, then called his supplier (Quinta da Boeira) to ask for us. The supplier kindly offered to send a van to take us to their facilities in Gaia for a tour after lunch. Our orders came w/o much wait, and all of us were pleasantly surprised by their presentations and quality. The cod fish, veal steak, and octopus salad tasted just great! We finished w/o any room for desert. During our 75’ stat, there were two other small parties that came in. As we were about to leave, a group of 40 tourists were led in and taken upstairs. This restaurant was by far the best we ate in during our two-week long trip through Spain and Portugal. I highly recommend it!

This was one of the VERY BEST restaurant experiences I’ve ever enjoyed. The table service provided by Suzanna & Joas was exceptional; not only highly professional but friendly, considerate and unobtrusive. Food was superb, wines magnificent & decor beautiful. Can’t wait to come back to Porto for a repeat‼️

All the dishes were fantastic! We had clams for a starter, cod (bacalhau a Gomes Sa) and meat as main. The wine was great. Definitely recommend!!

How to choose a typical Portuguese restaurant among so many options ? This was recommended by our local friends, and they were spot on. To start with, it’s a very cousy place, well located downtown, but you can easily walk by without seeing it. That’s fair because “Escondidinho” , apart from a traditional Portuguese dish, also means somehow “hidden”. Once you step in and open the menu and see the dishes being served to the other tables, you realise that’s the place to be. You will find a decent selection of traditional Portuguese cuisine, prepared with mastery. We came here for the Cataplania, which you do not find everywhere. Strongly recommend.

Local uber driver recommended this place. Little did we know it was one of the oldest Michelin restaurants in Porto before world war 2. What can I say, food and the service were excellent. Local ingredients and well prepared. Clam sauce was so delicious I wish I had more bread or noodles to go with, savory and not sour. The tripe was amazing flavor, I see it as a more refined version of the Mexican version for Americans but way better. Not sour or strong flavor, tripe are soft and not rubbery

The atmosphere is beautiful and the service is pretty good …except they chat to each other while serving and ram into the table with a cart. Beware it’s €14-19+ for starters and €24 to €38 for mains, €8 per glass of wine and €7 per dessert. €5.50 for bottle of water and €4.80 for a coffee. It adds up very quickly and we didn’t realise …oops. We wouldn’t mind this price we expected very good service and food. We were hungry but hubby’s “medium-well” came out raw through the centre half (I wish I’d taken a photo) and my veal was tasty but a bit tough and more fatty than expected. We ended up exchanging plates just to get through it. A bit sad as it was pricey and not that great.

Very traditional restaurant, the service was amazing, they speak English and Spanish so it’s easy to order and the food is delicious. You will eat good here and plates are big. You will have amazing traditional deserts to choose. It’s better if your order sea food!! Sea food was better from my experience, but overall I would recommend this place to come with your family for a good dinner or lunch.

Wonderful experience! Food is tremendous, restaurant is cozy inside and wait staff was super patient and attentive. We enjoyed immensely our drinks, appetizers, dinners and desserts.

Restaurant was excellent; our dishes - all fish - were well prepared. Room is beautiful. Tables, dishes - real napkins. Waiter and all service was excellent. I would say a first class dining experience.

food: big portions, everything tastes good except the octopus was a bit too salty service: didn't really like all the staff, some of them were nice but there was a male server that kept asking us if we were ready & made me feel rushed ambiance: love the blue & white decor, reserved for right when it opened but I would wait like 730-8 to eat as it will be more lively

Nice place for a nice seafood-forward meal. We tried a couple starters and the cataplana - everything was delicious. Very home style tasting despite the establishment looking nicer. The place is way overstaffed. We had way too many people just hovering over our table. We had the small plates with cleansing napkins set down and removed no less than 5 times by different people. We were constantly on edge waiting for someone to interrupt our dinner. For the price, I expect staff to be able to anticipate customer needs better without breathing down our necks. Good food but not quite there on the service style for the price.

I knew this was going to be a great place just walking in the door, and the great ambiance of it. Its Porto all the way! We had an amazing waiter and sommelier, who actually told us what not not to try as well as what to try. We all got the special menus, with olives and bread, the green broth and bacalhau - all outstanding! The cod melted in my mouth! The cabbage and potatoes were perfectly cooked, everything was perfect, and we spent a perfect couple if hours here! The orange and almond cakes were great as well. The almond cake was different (moister) from the ones Ive had in Spain. This was an outstanding and memorable meal!

Came on the recommendation of the hotel receptionist who made the reservation. After we arrived, the waiter almost immediately came expecting to take our order. We relaid not ready. He left but came back soon after. It felt unusual to be rushed like this. Overall the food was overpriced and average. The service was also mediocre. After serving our meal, no one came to check on us. The best part of the service was the deboning of the fish by the waitress. The service was perfunctory. Didn't feel warm or welcoming.

We felt a bit peckish while walking around Porto and stumbled upon this beautiful restaurant. We ordered: Shrimp, Bread and Olives, Clams, and some wine. Probably the best shrimp dish I have ever had. Not sure what was in it, and as you can see, I was more than halfway through by the time I took the picture.

The soup was delicious but the fish was no cooked well. There are better restaurants in Porto.

This place has fantasic authentic Portuguese ambiance with a high quality service air. Wine selection was great. The Sign out front says they had two Michelin stars since 1936. The problem with most languages is that the past tense doesn't cover when they had something and no longer have something. Needless to say, they still don't have that covetted award. ...let alone two stars. The chicken was over-cooked (and thus dry and tough), the spicy shrimp wasn't spicy, and the cod was stringy and chewy (with bones -- which is highly common everywhere, so highly forgivable). The chewiness is another thing, coming from New England, USA. I NOW realize it seems to be a problem with most cod found in Portuguese restaurants. They have the misfortune of getting cod from boats that preserve it with salt instead of ice. This then requires the cod to be soaked for days to remove the salt. I'm putting money that this is why I've never had cod as good as I have in Boston and Rhode Island while in Portugal. The potatoes and fries were good. The mushroom sauce was good, as well. All in all, the professionalism of the staff was worth a visit. Just try to find better dishes. For dessert, we had the sponge cake. The cake itself was fine and tastey with a good texture. But there was something not-quite-right about the caramel side. It had a bitter taste which indicated it wasn't caramel, and certainly didn't compliment the rest of the plate. Could the caramel have gone bad?

Loud, great for a large family or group of friends, and great service. The seafood is delicious and prepared different ways to your liking. They have all the seafood choices you could ask for, an amazing whole crab dish where they crack open the body and fill it with a crab dip. I would not pass up on their crab and clam dish. It also comes with the most delicious bread to dip. They know what they're doing. I wouldn't say it's inexpensive, but it's worth the trip.

Took my daughter out for a "fancy" dinner and this place did not disappoint. We had the fish casserole for "two," which I put in quotes because it can easily make 4-6 meals. It was a solid dish... the seabass was phenomenal, but there was really only enough for the first serving. They stretched it out with a cheaper Portuguese fish that was also meaty, but also bony. Service was terrific... they plate for you at the table, which was a pretty elegant experience. Was looking for the shrimp dish another reviewer mentioned.... looks like that was an appetizer, so i think you can expect large portions across the board.

Holy cow, the pictures and descriptions do NOT do this place full justice. If you want great food and even greater service, definitely go here for dinner. My wife and I went here on a Sunday night after taking the train up from Lisbon. We asked the young woman at the NH Collection Batalha front desk for restaurant recommendations nearby and this was first on her list. We had no reservations but were seated immediately. After perusing the large menu we decided to get the price fixe menu - soup, main course and dessert. The soup was the caldo verde, which we'd never had, and was delicious!! Shortly after that our steaks arrived table side and this is where the magic started. They had a small table set next to our main table and here they assembled the food on each plate - steak, mushrooms in demi glacé sauce, potatoes and sautéed vegetables. It was like watching a magician practice his art. The steaks were very tender, albeit a tad undercooked. The garlic olive sauce made everything super yummy. After we polished off the main course we were offered a variety of dessert options from a dessert cart on wheels. My wife got the baked apple, fresh out of the oven, with a scoop of ice cream. I got a slice of almond tart with a bit of whipped cream on the side. Both desserts were scrumptious-and tasted even better with our espressos. We highly recommend this place.

Serviço amigável, comida nem tanto. Viemos acompanhando as revisões, mas não acho que valeu a pena. Existem outras opções muito melhores subindo as ruas da Ribeira.

So so good!! We went in with no reservation and were seated happily and right away. I would still recommend that you do make a reservation though to be sure you can get in when you want. The food was really delicious! The servings are quite large. The servers were great as well, very responsive, warm and friendly. I would highly recommend this if you are in Porto.

My hands down to this 80 some years old establishment . They were serving all traditional Portuguese dishes, and plating right in front of guests. To start we were recommended with a very special fine port in which we were so impressed. Another impressive dish was the octopus salad, the freshest I have ever experienced! The rest of main courses, the grilled veal center cut, and grilled kid goat were all marvelous. Also I would like to mention due to this is the traditional family style, all individual portions were generously given, enough for 2 or 3 servings! The rest of the evening was pleasantly spent with liquor, coffee, almond tart, and people watching. Highly recommend Restaurant Escondidinho with its hospitality and prestige's fine china-wears.

This restaurant was recommended by our hotel and wow, it did not disappoint. The food was amazing along with a great staff.

Please be careful when eating here. We had pork and chicken that were both not cooked all the way. The waiter did feel bad and offered some bottles of port wine but we declined. Hopefully nobody in our group gets sick from this. Just check your food before eating. They did take both off of our check.

Authentic food experience in Porto. The dishes were expertly prepared, showcasing traditional techniques and local fresh ingredients. The service was warm and very professional. If you want to eat where the locals go enjoy a wonderful meal, find this hidden gem- 'escondidinho'!!! Treat yourself! And don't forget dessert - cherries on ice chips!!

We passed by the place the first day we arrived to Porto. It was near the apartment we stayed, so we spotted it to come back for dinner when we saw it got a Michelin star. Since we didn't have reservations we got seated by the corner, of course. We ordered one bread, butter and olives to share. The bread -- well, not bread, it was more like toasts, extra crispy (emphasis on the extra) was not very good. Igot the caldo verde and the steak. My friend decided on the sardinhas. The soup was wonderful. Potatoey, not too thick, perfect amount of salt and perfect temperature -- very hot, not lukewarm-- I enjoyed it very much and was expecting the same for our entrees, but what a disappointment! The steak was raw -- I asked for medium -- it didn't even had a crust. Throw in a not yet hot grilled. The side vegetables were disgusting. I'm sorry but there is no other word to describe it. I tried a bit and had to spit it out. I couldn't even swallow it. The mushrooms and chestnuts combo, tasted ok but the chestnuts were hard. My friend's sardines were awful too. We waited for our waiter to check on us but he never came. Once we called him and told him about the food. He consulted wuth the chef and we were able to change our order. The couple at the next table had ordered the bacalao and the grilled sole and said it was good so we decided to order the same. Both dishes were very nice. The bacalao was a big piece perfectly cooked and seasoned with a crispy bread of potatoes with caramelized onions in a bath of olive oil. It was delicious. My friend grilled sole was very good too. It was obvious we initially ordered the wrong dishes. The service could have been better, our waiter never checked on us and we waited a long time between each service. At the end, we got charged $15+ for water, wine and something else that we didn't order.

My husband and I dined here Thursday night for dinner. This restaurant was recommended us by our hotel. We shared the seafood cataplana, which is recommended for two people. There was more than enough, that it could probably be split between three or even four people. The food was delicious and the service was great. We were offered soft bread to dip into the sauce of the cataplana. The restaurant has their own plates and cups with the restaurant's name on every item. I noticed on the menu that they are also available for sale, as a souvenir.

Goddamn son! Louis R hella loves this ornate resto in the heart of Porto. The vino Verde was clutch. The waiter was affable and quick with the drinks and eats. The tripe, steak, shrimp, octopus were fuckin deeelish. I wish Portuguese food in the USA tastes close to the food in this spot. Alas, it does not. It definitely does not. You gotta be like Louis R and come here to get the good stuff. Be like me, stop being local and get across the pond to Portugal.

On our last night in Porto, we ate at O Escondidinho and it didn't disappoint! This is traditional Portuguese food and I enjoyed everything about my meal including the locally delicacy "tripe" which was served in the beans (kind of tasted like pork and beans at home) I had a variety of dishes including the beef escondidinho which was delicious as was the flan for dessert! As in most of Portugal, the wine was inexpensive and quite good as well. The ambiance was the thing I most noted about this place. There are blue and white tiles lining the walls and the heavy wooden furniture is in stark contrast to that. It had a bit of a "lodge" feeling to it as well. I think someone told me that the building was over 100 years old which is why it has such charm. The service was great with the servers going out of their way to take care of us and make sure we had everything that we wanted. Lots of great places to eat in Porto and I'd add this to that list as well!

Service was excellent. Food sublime. perhaps the best gin and tonic I've ever had. First rate dinner - enjoyed very much. I consider myself as a connoisseur of Tournedos and this was perhaps the best I've enjoyed in 30 years.

Absolutely wonderful from beginning to end. Lovely, charming little place. You feel like you are in someones home. Service is impeccable. Food& wine were all perfect. We started with the mussels& seafood soup. AMAZING! Then we shared the seafood casserole. Delicious! We didnt leave hungry thats for sure. They bring a beautiful dessert cart to your table.

This is traditional Portugal restaurant, elegant environment, pretty dishes, good service, nice food...we enjoyed everything

Fantastical meal in an old world atmosphere. This place has been in business since 1931. They have a nice selection of fish & meats to choose from. The asparagus soup was really good, as was the sea bass. The building itself is over 100years old. I really enjoyed this place, cheap it's not but nor is it unreasonably expensive. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice dinner while in Porto.

First evening in Porto and relied on Yelp for this recommendation. Walked in on a Sunday night, after 8:45 and without a reservation. The tables were changing and after five minutes we were seated right in the corner with a great room view and less noise. Staff was excellent! Quick when necessary and slow when desired. Veal and chicken dishes were excellent: Plenty of portions,that we'd only order one next time and pay an up charge for. Prices are reasonable for a vacation and what you get.

Wonderful traditional Portuguese food, it warmed our hearts! We went back twice just so we good eat more on the menu. The service is excellent and the wine selection is fantastic.

Very fast and correct service. Large choice of starters and main courses. Dessert is presented on a trolley, fun way to make your choice. Must be hard for women to say no we ordered gratinated shrimps and piri-piri shrimps, too delicious! Main course "flank steak escondidinho-style" and "squid and shrimp-kebab/brochette", very Nice flavours and Well prepared. Dessert was chocolate mousse and a piece of almond pie. Amazing evening in a truly authentic restaurant. Very fair prices

Wonderful place. The food was great-we had soup, pork, and flan- and the service was amazing. We had a large group -about 30 people- and the owner made sure we had whatever we needed! Our wine and water glasses were constantly refilled. We had a great time!

elegant environment，a veriaty of nice dishes to choose together with great service. outstanding place for both lunch and dinner！

Excellent food and very good service. The seafood soup was very good. My husband had the house specialty steak which was delicious, great sauce on it. I had the house specialty cod that was also very good. The salad is enough to share. Their house wine is a great value and pretty good. We had the crepes for dessert which were good but for me, I would try something else the next time which might be tonight. We really enjoyed eating here and the prices were a little higher but for us we'll worth it.