Get here early as the tables filled up within 15 minutes of opening (seems like they may accept…read morereservations). This was our best meal visiting Portugal five days in. Not to say we didn't have alot of good food, but here each dish received high marks. The chanfana is the local special, so would highly recommend you get that. All of the meat was done well... Crispy outside and fall apart, fork tender on the inside. The staff were also very friendly and personable.

Went here based on yelp review. It more than lived up to the recommendation. It was small and…read morequaint and very Portuguese. Our waiter, Raphael, was courteous and helpful with the all Portuguese menu. We ordered the house white wine and a bottle of still water. The wine was very good but very inexpensive. We started with soup, my wife with vegetable and me with seafood. While hers was good, mine was rich and flavorful and excellent (I had others in Portugal but this was the best). Then we had salad and chorizo sausage. Salad was adequate, but the sausage was done to perfection. Then came my wife's entree of pork cheeks with potatoes and a delicious cabbage mix. I had their goat, served in a pot with a luscious gravy that was perfect for dunking your bread in. With it were boiled potatoes and spinach. The spinach was pan seared with oil and garlic. The potatoes went well with the abundant gravy. Topped it off with the home made almond cake with a side of ice cream. All this for 75 euros. We came back to our hotel stuffed and satisfied. The only problem was yelp has the address wrong. I have included in the photos their card with the correct address, about a half block from the old one. By the way, they do take credit cards. Enjoy!

We went here today and really enjoyed our dinner. The place was recommended to us by vegetarian…read morefriends. All dishes offered are vegan and are offered as an all you can eat buffet. Everything we tried was tasty and fresh. We loved the beetroot orange salad and the electric berry juce. On some dishes we missed the refined taste, but overall it was a great experience, in a very modern style restaurant with nice and attentive staff and we would definitely come again. We give 5 well deserved stars. Buffet: Euro 12.50 per Person, glass red vine Euro 6.00, electric berry juce Euro 4.00.

This is a popular Portuguese chain with many locations in Porto. When we arrived, we were greeted…read morewarmly and immediately seated. The server asked if this was our first time dining there, and we said yes. He then explained the buffet options, drink ordering, and payment process. The buffet line had a wide variety of food choices, each labeled with the ingredients. I tried a small sample of everything, and let me tell you, I was stuffed! I didn't think I had room for dessert, but when the table next to us ordered the banoffi pie, I found a tiny bit of room, barely. The food was absolutely delicious, and the wait staff was incredibly attentive and friendly. The store we stopped in was well-lit and spacious, with plenty of tables.

The service was wonderful. The food was excellent!!! This was the best meal I had in Portugal…read more We even tipped the chef and the waiter we were so impressed! I could definitely go back and have more meals there.

Local charm, warm inviting setting, and standing ovation worthy food!…read more Make sure your GPS gives you an accurate location. Look for a rather small sign across from a tiny courtyard

Mid-size space inside and table outside. Service was a little slow but friendly. Call to make…read morereservations even if shows booked online. Ginger lemonade - 4/5 KFC - 5/5 - crunchy and tasty Cheese and pepper dumpling - 4.5/5 Peanut noodles with mushrooms - 5/5 Mushroom dish with tortilla main couurse - 4/5 Dark chocolate tart with pistachio gelato - 4/5

Essential was my favorite meal of my trip to Porto. My family took a ride share from Gaia and it…read morewas completely worth it! It was perfect for vegans and meat eaters alike. We ordered the bread, lasagna, tofu, risotto, wine, a port wine, a mojito, the tart tatin, and the essential de chocolate. Everything was exceptional and not a bite was left. The service was incredible. Marco was very kind and had wonderful recommendations. We sat in the garden and the setting was beautiful. I would recommend Essencia to any visitor to Porto! I will be back!

So so so so great!!!!! Beautiful vegan food!!…read moreA wonderful inviting comfortable environment with very nice people serving a beautiful cafeteria style Buffet of soup hot dishes and salads A fantastic lunch and a great glass of red wine from the region

Excellent buffet. Really tasty food and good service. Place…read moreis quiet and nice. Many food options that look and taste delicious. Do not know other vegetarian restaurants in the area but this one is amazing. Really worth going to. Very decent prices.

I am not vegetarian nor vegan, yet I very much enjoyed my meal at Cultura dos Sabores…read more The restaurant offers customers a choice between a buffet and an á-la-carte meal. There is only one main course on the á-la-carte menu: the francesinha, a vegetarian/vegan version of a local specialty dish. I've never tried the original dish, but the vegetarian version at Cultura dos Sabores was off the hook delicious. The buffet has a cold section and a hot section. I snuck a taste of the eggplant wrap (filled with plum--yum!!), the seasoned potatoes, and an African kale salad. These were all wonderfully flavorful, reminiscent of vegetarian meals I've had on Buddhist retreats at Spirit Rock in Northern California. Cultura dos Sabores also offers smoothies and desserts. The two fruit smoothies I tried were bursting with flavor and were not overloaded with apple juice, as can frequently happen with European smoothies. The dessert, a creamy pie with a fruity topping, was subtly delicious. My 12-year-old son really liked it, and he's not vegetarian either.

Nice variety of food. Friendly, helpful staff. Clean and bright. Yelp showed them closed on Sunday,…read morethey were definitely open.

Cozy place with a small bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the 1st floor. Asked for a…read morevegetarian option (there isn't any on the menu except the soup) and was given a wonderful meal with grilled mushrooms served with bean rice and "migas" (bread slightly fried in olive oil with garlic and greens). They were very helpful serving something outside the menu and quickly made a suggestion, an attitude you don't get everywhere so I was very grateful for it. In the winter when it gets cold you can sit near the fireplace!

This place is a little hole in the wall with elegant taste and atmosphere. The couple are the hosts…read moreand chefs of this homey restaurant. Their dog is the perfect and lovable addition to your fantastic night. Their tasting is seasonal with farm fresh ingredients that harbor heart and passion in every bite. Every dish locks in a flavor that is perfectly balanced with the vegetables paired. The husband/wife duo are such humble people, yet so artistic in their ability to make you feel like the only people at their restaurant in the most scenic and picturesque garden. Their dessert is so hardy and decedent that by the end of their 10-course tasting you leave feeling satisfied and more educated on what it means to be vegan. Definitely come here to dine, you will not be sorry!

One of the better vegetarian tasting menus I've tried. My wife used to be vegetarian for 10 years…read moreso I've been dragged along to a lot of these (mostly in NY - dirt candy, daniel, candle 79, etc). This meal was surprisingly good and also a great value. We did the 9 course tasting menu for €68 Euros. My favorite dishes were the mushroom, caipirinha pie, and the chocolate decadence dishes. They were only able to give us 1 Portuguese Chocolate Cake "Pan de Lo" but that was great because they gave us two chocolate decadence dishes instead were 10x better. I would ask to see if you can get the chocolate decadence or Caipirinha pie instead of the Pao De Lo when getting the 6 or 9 course (maybe even pay a little more). The areas that the meal could be perfected is the tofu dish tasted really good but looked kind of nasty and they should do something else besides the Seitan. Dinner * Mushrooms (Excellent) * Roasted Cheese and Alheira (Great) * Vegetables Millefeuille (Great) * Tofu (Good) * Seitan (Ok) * Green Broth (Excellent) * Grilled Endive (Great) * Chocolate Cake Pan de Lo (Ok) * Caipirnha Pie (Excellent) * Chocolate Decadence (Excellent)

The food is delicious. It's well seasoned and presented…read more The service is kind and excellent. The food is exactly what we were looking for.

We had just arrived from Lisbon and set out to find a bite...up, up up and around a small curve,…read morepassing this unassuming, ity bity shop, we peeked in and saw 2 vacant seats... What a fabulous little place. A list of innovative sandwiches on fabulous Portuguese crusty bread and soup, salads. We shared a salad called Batalha with feta, olives, dates and tomato and a Sao Joao with fresh sardines, tomato, grilled red peppers. I think the soup was cabbage, and was great. Honestly, I am going to keep the menu in my mind and re create the sandies & salads when possible. Cash, no longer is a lunch special offered in case you read some old reviews. We watched as folks were turned away..so, if you pass and are in the mood, grab a seat when you can.