Places to visit

Touta, the sensuous cuisine of Lebanon in Lisbon

~ saltofportugal ~ 2 Comments

We heard from the culinary rumor mill that a famous Lebanese chef had moved to Lisbon and opened a restaurant called Touta. So, on a warm spring evening, we climbed the hill from Estrela to Campo de Ourique to try it out.

Rita Abou Ghazaly welcomed us into the gracious dining room decorated with Middle Eastern motifs. She served us hibiscus and rose-petal kombucha while Lebanese music filled the air with the same microtones we hear in fado.  

Dinner started with a basket of Lebanese bread and cheese bonbons—crispy cheese treats wrapped in phyllo dough. Next came a plate of hummus, a combination of chickpeas and tahini sauce that is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine. This rendition was the best we ever tried. It was topped with soujak meat, pickles, and aquafaba, a sumptuous emulsion of chickpea water that resembles whipped egg whites. It was quickly followed by grilled cabbage with lentils and beetroots delicately seasoned with cured lemons. 

We tried a delicious soup made with a local fish called mero. It reminded us of cação soup, a traditional Alentejo recipe. Finally, we had a spectacular grilled black pork served with black beans, carob marshmallows, and a barbecue sauce made from molasses. Dessert was a simply perfect sweet croquette. 

“What made you decide to open a restaurant in Lisbon?” we asked Rita. “Ask Waël,” Rita said, laughing, “it’s all his doing.” Waël Haddad told us he has had a crush on Lisbon since his first visit ten years ago. “I kept returning and brought my friend Rita and my cousin Touta, a celebrated Lebanese chef. With every visit, our love for the city deepened, and so we started looking for a restaurant location. We explored various neighborhoods until we stumbled upon this perfect spot with a ‘for sale’ sign. Now, here we are, living our dream.”

Chef Cynthia Bitar, affectionately known as Touta, came to greet us. She inherited her passion for cooking from her mother, a famous Middle East caterer. Touta has always been obsessed with cooking.  “When I was a child and went on play dates, I often cooked in my friend’s kitchens. I think about food during the day and dream about it at night.” 

She returned to her family’s catering business after training at the Paul Bocuse Academy in Lyon. But, like Waël and Rita, Touta fell for Lisbon’s charms. She was drawn to the similarity between Lebanese and Portuguese cuisines, the quality of local ingredients, and the warmth of the people. “I found amazing produce in the farmers markets. Try this carrot.” She sliced a small carrot in half so we could experience its aroma and enjoy its sweet taste.” 

Touta took us to the grocery store at the back of the restaurant. Its shelves are full of products from Lebanon and jars with pickles, jams, fermented drinks, and preserved citruses that she prepared. We stayed past midnight, bewitched by Touta’s sensuous cuisine, sampling everything from molasses and infusions to spices like sumac and za’atar.  

In the 15th and 16th centuries, trade with Africa, Asia, and South America turned Lisbon into a hub for global talent. The diverse influx of people profoundly influenced Portuguese culture, cuisine, and art. It is wonderful to see Lisbon once more attracting people who will bring the city to new heights.  Welcome, Waël, Rita, and Touta!

Touta is located at Rua Domingos Sequeira 38 in Lisbon 960 49 49 49. Click here to go to the restaurant’s website.

Garum from Troia

~ saltofportugal ~ 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a unique gift from Lisbon for a food-loving friend, we have just the thing. Can the Can, a restaurant in Terreiro do Paço, sells flasks of garum. This fermented fish sauce created by the Greeks was coveted throughout the Roman Empire. Like Asian fermented fish sauces, it enhances flavor, adding a rich umami taste.

The Troia peninsula in Setúbal is home to sprawling remains of piscinae, large basins used by the Romans for salting and fermenting fish. Along Portugal’s Atlantic seaboard, this region is ideal for garum production, thanks to its plentiful fish stocks and a climate favorable for fermentation. 

Maria da Luz and Vitor Vicente, two entrepreneurs, revived the production of garum in Troia using mackerel (favored by the Greeks), swordfish, tuna, sea bream, octopus, mullets, and sardines (our favorite). 

In the Roman Empire, garum was a symbol of extravagance. Pliny the Elder described it in his Natural History as a “liquoris exquisiti,” an exquisite liquor. Priced on par with the rarest perfumes, it was reserved for the tables of the affluent. Today, thanks to Can the Can, this nearly forgotten delicacy is both accessible and affordable.

Can the Can is located at Terreiro do Paço, 82/83 in Lisbon. Click here for their website.

Hamilton Reis’ exhilarating wines

~ saltofportugal ~ 3 Comments

Extreme sports, like surfing giant waves, captivate enthusiasts with their exhilarating adrenaline rush. Hamilton Reis’ family wine project, Natus, offers this kind of thrill. The production is organic; the vines are not irrigated; the fermentation relies only on wild yeast and takes place first in the large clay pots that the Romans used and then in old oak barrels. The grapes are picked by hand and trodden by foot. Most modern winemaking techniques are set aside to produce wines with minimal intervention but meticulous attention to detail. Like a master surfer, Hamilton can afford to take these risks because of his extensive experience and depth of knowledge.

Natus means born in Latin. Hamilton chose the name to indicate that he and his family started this project from the ground up. They bought four hectares of land in Vidigueira, Alentejo in 2008. For ten years, Hamilton nurtured the soil so it could recover from decades of chemical abuse with herbicides and pesticides. During that time, he learned about the climate and the varietals planted in the region and talked to the elders about the local wine-making traditions. Those traditions are, for Hamilton, as much part of the terroir as everything else. 

He built a house for his family in the middle of the field so he could take care of the vines as if they were part of his family. The cellar is invisible. It lies underground so that gravity can help unload the grapes. 

An important aspect of the location is the absence of barriers between the land and the sea. The Mendro mountain, situated east of the property, forms a shell that keeps the cool air from the sea. The resulting climate produces elegant wines that are low in alcohol and yet rich in complexity, depth, and freshness. 

These unique wines are difficult to buy because only about 6,000 bottles are produced in each year. Hamilton is determined not to increase production to a level that would compromise his ability to maintain personal control over every aspect of the process. However, to meet the demand for his wines, he has initiated a new venture named Intus, the Latin word for “inside.” This wine is crafted from grapes sourced from a select group of farmers who refrain from irrigating their vines and agree to adopt the rigorous biodynamic methods that Hamilton champions. Like Natus, Intus wines are characterized by their low extraction and alcohol content. However, they undergo fermentation in stainless steel, which preserves the pure essence of the fruit.

The Natus label has a secret. Those who discover it get a glimpse of what Hamilton sees every day: vines that produce wines made without compromises, perfectly in tune with nature.

The Natus vineyards are on Estrada da Cancelinha in Vidigueira, Alentejo. Click here for the Natus website.

Days like this at Gaveto

~ saltofportugal ~ 4 Comments

Gaveto is a restaurant in Matosinhos where winemakers from the Douro Valley and the Vinho Verde regions often gather. It is easy for regulars to take for granted the meticulous selection of ingredients, the flawless execution of each dish, and the impeccable service. But this restaurant took a lifetime to build. 

Its founder, Manuel Pinheiro, began his culinary journey at age 12, working in Porto at the home of the banker António Borges. At age 18, Manuel got a job in a restaurant owned by the Borges family. He started by hauling coal for the stove and washing countless pots and pans. Over time, he learned to cook, to run the kitchen, and to manage the dining room. Ten years later, Manuel put all this knowledge to use by buying a small restaurant in Porto and turning it into a popular spot.

In 1984, while shopping for fish at the Matosinhos market, Manuel learned that a spacious restaurant called Gaveto was up for sale. Tempted by the opportunity to attract a larger clientele, he purchased the place. The investment was so large that his wife Margarida cried for two weeks, worrying that they might soon be ruined. 

Manuel involved his two sons, João Carlos (in the photo with his father) and José Manuel, in the business. Together, they turned Gaveto into a gastronomic landmark and built one of Portugal’s most impressive wine collections. Whenever they serve a rare wine from their cellar, João posts a photo of the bottle on Instagram captioned with his signature phrase: “There are days like this.” 

The menu includes only traditional Portuguese fare, yet the offerings are so tempting that we always struggle with our choices. During our last visit, we hesitated about whether to get the iconic lobster rice, the legendary lamprey, the exquisite tiger shrimp, the perfectly grilled fresh fish, or the tripe with beans, which former President Mário Soares considered the best in the country. 

When dessert time came, we debated whether to opt for one of the many puddings and tarts, get the traditional pão de ló, or taste the fine cheese that Manuel procures in the Estrela Mountain. These were not easy decisions. And at Gaveto, every day is like this.

Art and nature at Serralves

~ saltofportugal ~ 11 Comments

Hidden behind unassuming walls, the Serralves Foundation can be easily missed. But this beautiful park and contemporary art center in Porto is a must-visit destination.

Its story began in 1925 when Carlos Cabral, the 2nd Duke of Vizela, attended the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris with architect José Marques da Silva. The duke returned to Porto with the dream of building an Art Deco house on his family’s property. To realize this vision, he enlisted Marques da Silva and a cadre of French architects, including Charles Siclis, who worked on the villa, and Jacques Gréber, who designed the gardens. 

Siclis’ watercolor of a pink house on a hill became the blueprint for the elegant villa we know today. It took until 1944 to turn that sketch into reality. The cost was so extravagant that in 1955 Carlos Cabral sold the estate to Delfim Ferreira, a wealthy entrepreneur. To ensure that his dream villa would live on, Cabral imposed the condition that the house would be preserved without alterations.

In 1987, the Portuguese government acquired the estate to convert it into a contemporary art center. For the first time, this home, which was the subject of great fascination in Porto, was opened to the public. As soon as we step into the villa, we feel a desire to wear tuxedos from Saville Row and Chanel gowns so we can do justice to the elegance of the place. The villa’s intricate decor and aesthetic harmony are mesmerizing. 

In 1999, the new Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by renowned architect Álvaro Siza was inaugurated. Since then, it has become a beacon for contemporary art in Porto. With each passing year, the exhibition program expands, and the collection welcomes new works and new artists. 

In 2019, the House of Cinema dedicated to filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira and other auteur directors was inaugurated. More recently, the Álvaro Siza Wing added new exhibition spaces where delicately lit pristine walls patiently wait for the arrival of new canvases. 

Spread across 18 hectares, the Serralves Park is dotted with sculptures amid lush trees. Visitors can stroll on the Liquidambar Promenade, explore the Treetop Walk for stunning park views, or visit the gardens of the villa. 

Serralves is a place where nature relaxes the body and art stimulates the mind.

The Serralves Foundation is located at Rua D. João de Castro, 210, Porto.

Ceia, our favorite place for supper

~ saltofportugal ~ 3 Comments

The initial thrill of a new experience often fades with repetition, a phenomenon psychologists call hedonic adaptation. Somehow, this human trait does not manifest itself at Ceia, a restaurant in Lisbon that keeps reinventing itself, serving food that is always interesting, new, and delicious. 

Ceia’s culinary team is currently headed by Chef Renato Bonfim, who previously worked at Adega, a Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant in California. The menu is inspired by the pristine produce from Herdade no Tempo, a beautiful estate in Alentejo that follows regenerative agriculture practices. 

The restaurant, which is part of a project called Silent Living, is located on the ground floor of Santa Clara, an intimate hotel with privileged views of the Tagus River and the Pantheon. Kristin Liebold, a member of the Silent Living team, welcomed us to the spacious courtyard of the historical building that dates back to 1728. She presented us each with glasses of Ode, a refreshing wine crafted near Lisbon from Arinto grapes. As we mingled with other guests, Kristen appeared to whisper a magical incantation. Then a door swung open, unveiling a dining room so perfect it could be the setting for a Vermeer painting.

As we gathered around the table, Renato and his teammates Ricardo Cruz and Tiago Ramos came to greet us and, like the three kings, they brought three offerings. First, slices of sourdough bread accompanied by a sumptuous butter from the Azores and a luscious spread crafted from butter and a type of sausage called alheira. Second, a crispy tartelette made with perfectly seasoned lírio (greater amberjack) and vegetables. Finally, exquisite polenta cubes topped with aioli, garlic, and cheese and nestled in wooden boxes filled with bright yellow corn. Dardas, a bright vinho verde (green wine) made with the Avesso varietal, kept us in great company.

As we debated which of these offerings had most captivated our taste buds, Ricardo introduced a new chapter to our culinary adventure: an algae chowder. It is based on shio koji, a salted Japanese pudding encircled by algae cooked in a Bulhão Pato style. The preparation was crowned with a leaf of the rare Mertensia maritima. We were instructed first to eat the leaf, savor its unique oyster flavor, and then blend a small glass filled with chowder with the algae. The result was an unexpectedly delightful harmony of flavors.

As our glasses filled with a silky Dona Paulette from Quinta de Lemos in the Dão region, we were brought plates of octopus grilled in charcoal, topped with kale, and seasoned with an inventive mole made from grilled peppers and pomegranate—another unusual but perfect combination of flavors and textures.

The next dish featured crispy sarraceno wheat mixed with chanterelles and shiitake mushrooms seasoned with a sauce made from shallots, beer yeast, dehydrated apricots, and raisins. There was so much flavor to process that we closed our eyes to let our brain focus on the gastronomic sensations. A late harvest from the Douro Valley called Aneto complemented the earthy flavors of the dish with a delicate, effusive sweetness.

A sparkling wine made by Sidónio de Sousa in Bairrada ushered the arrival of a turbot from the Azores delicately cooked, dressed with beurre blanc and kombucha, topped with fermented turnip and kohlrabi and finished with a few drops of garum. This Roman fish sauce, which is once again being produced in the Troia peninsula after a hiatus of 15 centuries, added a unique depth to the dish. 

The meat course was a succulent black pork served with a rich purée made from Jerusalem artichokes, chestnuts, and purple onion. It was served with a robust vinhão, a red wine made from a dyer grape called Sousão produced in the vinho verde region by Vale da Raposa. 

The first dessert was an ensemble of panna cotta, chocolate, and matcha powder, garnished with leaves from Madeira that taste like passion fruit. A white port made by Alves de Sousa called Oliveirinha added a velvety smoothness to this symbiosis of flavors.

The second dessert was ginger and pumpkin cooked with Chinese spices, a praline made from pumpkin seeds and seasoned with pollen. 

Our meal concluded with a refreshing lemongrass tea, quindin, a Brazilian coconut pudding, and truffles crafted from 70 percent pure chocolate from the island of São Tomé.

We lingered at the table, talking with the other guests about the culinary experience we had just enjoyed, so replete with unexpected pleasures and delights that we felt like we were dining at Ceia for the very first time.

Ceia is located at Campo de Santa Clara, 128. Lisbon. Click here for the restaurant’s website.

Quinta da Côrte

~ saltofportugal ~ Leave a comment

Perhaps it’s the way the sunlight falls on the steep hill that slopes down to the river or the breathtaking vistas of century-old vineyards. Quinta da Côrte has an enchantment all its own.

This 18th century estate in the Douro Valley once belonged to a family that supplied their prized grapes to renowned port winemakers. Philippe Austruy, a French entrepreneur and wine enthusiast, fell in love with the estate and purchased it in 2013. The boutique hotel opened its doors in 2018. 

The restoration of the buildings and wine cellars was a labor of love, meticulously executed in the traditional style, featuring clay-tiled roofs and yellow-ochre trims around windows and ceilings.

The interior spaces were curated by Pierre Yovanovitch, a designer whose taste was honed during his tenure with Pierre Cardin. Yovanovitch created warm, inviting interiors that blend a sense of place with whimsical elements that surprise and delight.

Each of the eight rooms has a unique personality. All offer great comfort and sweeping views of the Douro Valley. The bathrooms in the main house are adorned with traditional tiles and ceramics that harken back to an era gone by. 

Mornings at Quinta da Côrte start with a splendid breakfast served in the kitchen, right by the spacious chimney where sausages used to be smoked.

Then, there’s a world of possibilities waiting outside. Explore the many trails through the vineyards, take a dip in the granite swimming pool, rest in one of the lookout points, enjoying the spectacular landscape, or visit the cellars, where you can savor the estate’s precious ports and elegant table wines. The port wine cellar stores impressive chestnut barrels, too big to fit through the doors. How did they get in? They were assembled inside the cellar in 1938.

The dedicated staff attends to every detail. A stay at Quinta da Côrte isn’t a typical hotel experience; it’s more like being a guest at the home of a dear friend with impeccable taste.

Quinta da Côrte is located near Valença do Douro, near Pinhão. Click here for their website.

The Cante of Alentejo

~ saltofportugal ~ 3 Comments

Rows of laborers stand motionless, like a battalion poised for battle. The “ponto” starts singing a few verses alone. The “alto” responds often singing the same melody a major third above the ponto. Then, the choir sings, their voices soaring towards the sky. This style of music is called “cante.” UNESCO recognized it in 2014 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

The tunes are generally in a major key, but the people of Alentejo imbue their singing with such a sense of longing that they make major scales sound minor. The tempo is languid, like the rhythm of life in Alentejo, a place where the summer’s sweltering heat eases the pace of everything.  

The verses are simple and sincere. They speak about toiling in the fields, love, faith, the fruits of the land, and the hardships of life.

As the day winds down, people often congregate at local taverns to drink a glass of amphora wine with bread, olives, and some black-pork sausages. Someone sings a few verses, someone else responds, and the group spontaneously burst into song. It is a privilege to hear these voices that carry with them the soul of Alentejo. 

Field recording of Fora d’horas group singing at Monte da Ravasqueira by Vasco Rosa Santos. Sound editing by Pedro Rebelo.

Filipa Pato’s joyous wines

~ saltofportugal ~ Leave a comment

We met Filipa Pato and her husband, William Wouters, at Costa Nova, the beach where Filipa used to vacation as a child. Our dinner at Clube da Vela, a restaurant resembling a ship adrift on the waters of Aveiro’s Ria, was unforgettable.

Even though her family has produced wine for five generations, it was not easy for Filipa to start making wine. She didn’t own land, and she is the daughter of a legend. Her father, Luís Pato, is the visionary who placed wines made from baga, the red varietal from Bairrada, on the pantheon of the world’s finest wines. But, over time, Filipa painstakingly crafted splendid wines and forged her own legendary status. “In New York, they know me as Filipa’s father,” says Luís with pride.

After studying chemical engineering in Coimbra, Filipa interned at vineyards in France, Australia, and Argentina. She returned to Bairrada in 2001 for her inaugural harvest and bottled the wine in 2003. A Belgian distributor acquired half of the production. He sold some bottles to William Wouters, a genial chef and sommelier who owned Pazzo, an acclaimed brasserie and wine bar in Antwerp. William became a fan of Filipa’s wines. “At the time, no one knew the white grapes that Filipa uses–bical, arinto, cercial—so I called the wine a Portuguese Chablis,” says William. 

William and Filipa frequently crossed paths at wine events. Like in a fairy tale, their connection blossomed into love, culminating in their marriage in 2008. Filipa, who is intense, inquisitive, and creative, found a perfect partner in William, who is funny, focused, and organized. There is a great rapport between the two. Both are artists at heart, driven by a passion for crafting exceptional wines. 

Their wines have achieved tremendous success, earning a place in the lists of many renowned restaurants. The demand is so high that they sell through allocations—restaurants and distributors receive only a fraction of what they order. Each January, the couple runs out of wine to sell.

Enthusiasts from all corners of the globe make pilgrimages to meet these trailblazing winemakers. Just last autumn, Jonny Buckland, Coldplay’s guitarist and wine enthusiast, paid them a visit. 

The couple lives in Óis do Bairro, a picturesque village of 200 people that dates back to the Middle Ages. They employ ten people who do everything by hand. “We prioritize investing in people over machines,” says William. 

Their terroir is exceptional, with soil composed of clay and limestone from the Jurassic era. The proximity to the sea infuses the wines with a delightful salinity. The vineyards have low yields, but the quality of the grapes is superb. 

They own 32 parcels of land spanning 20 hectares. “Visiting our properties is like going on a safari,” says William. The portfolio includes centenary vines as well as vineyards that predate the phylloxera outbreak in the second half of the 19th century. One of their jewels is Missão, a vineyard planted with baga in 1864. 

A significant turning point in Filipa and William’s journey was their adoption of biodynamic farming practices. After enduring three years of reduced yields, their efforts began to bear fruit. Yields rebounded, and the grapes acquired a new vibrancy.

Eliminating chemicals attracted snails to the vineyards. To divert these mollusks from the grapevines, the couple planted foods that the snails find irresistible like fennel and fava beans. The biodynamic practices turned the fields into hubs of life, teeming with blooming flowers, wildlife, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects.

Because the space between vines is narrow, they employ sheep, pigs, and chickens instead of horse-drawn plowing. The pigs eat lots of grapes but, instead of lamenting the production losses, the couple takes pleasure in the pigs’ satisfaction.

Our tasting began with the festive 3B rosé sparkling wine, a perfect summer wine. The three Bs stand for Bairrada, the wine region, baga and bical, the two grape varietals. The color of the wine changes from year to year. “My wines wear no makeup; I work with what Mother Nature gives me,” says Filipa. 

Next, we savored a beguiling Blanc de Blancs sparkling made from a trio of white grapes: bical, cercial, and Maria Gomes. Its creamy and refreshing character delighted our senses.

Our glasses were then filled with a 2020 Nossa Calcário white made from bical, ranked high on the Wine Spectator list of the world’s finest wines. You do not need wine critics to appreciate the excellence of this wine, with its exquisite minerality and saline notes. It is made in their village, which in the 19th century was considered the best terroir for white wines in Bairrada. 

We embarked on a journey back in time with Post Quer..s Baga, a red wine produced in amphoras. This delicate wine has a transparency and purity that is rare in modern wines. Filipa does not coat the amphoras, so the porous clay naturally softens the tannins of the baga.

Next came their flagship Nossa Calcário Red. It is made from baga grapes grown on small centenary vines. The result is an opulent wine with fine tannins that is wonderful to drink now but promises even greater rewards with age.

“In Bairrada, it is a tradition to start the meal with sparkling wine and end with sparkling wine,” says Filipa. The grand finale was a stunning sparkling made with a solera process initiated in 2001. 

The solera system uses a sequence of barrels. Every year, Filipa removes wine from the top barrel to use as the base for sparkling wine. This barrel is filled with wine from the barrel just below, which in turn gets filled by the barrel just below, etc. Finally, the bottom barrel is filled with new wine. The result is a moving average of all the harvests going back to 2001.

The wine was poured into a decanter designed by William and then served in white wine glasses. Just one sip of this nectar revealed why it was elected Wine of the Year by Portugal’s leading wine magazine—an exceptional honor in a country with so many distinguished winemakers. 

Filipa and Williams love traveling and meeting other winemakers. They return from these trips to Óis de Bairro inspired and energized, ready to craft wines like these that bring joy to the world. 

Clike here for Filipa Pato and William Wouters’ website.

Lunch at the Bussaco palace

~ saltofportugal ~ 6 Comments

We drove through Bairrada without a GPS device, navigating the narrow, winding road by following signs pointing to Bussaco. Eventually, we arrived at a time-worn toll booth where we willingly paid a modest fee to enter the enchanted Mata do Bussaco. It is a verdant forest with ancient trees that sheltered us from the feisty midday sun. After a short drive, we glimpsed an edifice seemingly made of sand. As we drew closer, we saw a palace constructed from limestone intricately carved by artisans whose names time forgot. One of the last Portuguese kings converted an old Carmelite monastery into a place where his family could stay while he hunted in the forest. The grandfather of Alexandre de Almeida, the CEO of the group that manages the Bussaco Palace Hotel, converted the building into a luxury hotel at the beginning of the 20th century.

The palace hallway is decorated with exuberant tiles depicting scenes from the 1810 clashes between Napoleon’s troops and the Portuguese army. The dining room is magnificent, its walls painted with literary motifs and its furnishings crafted from rare, precious woods.

Alexandre de Almeida introduced us to his gifted chef, Nelson Marques, whose youth is artfully concealed by a well-groomed beard. We settled into the dining room, and soon, a delicate seabass freshly caught at Figueira da Foz arrived. It was marinated with citrus, adorned with crisp slices of sweet potatoes, and accented with purple onion pickles. Shortly after, the servers brought us a briny soup made from Peniche crabs, clams, mussels, and algae harvested from the Aveiro Ria.

António Rocha, responsible for the palace’s iconic wines, paired these offerings with the 2021 Bussaco Rosado, a refreshing rosé with pleasing acidity and beguiling color.  

The first entrée was a delightful codfish confit with savory white beans paired with the elegant 2019 white Bussaco Reservado. 

The second entrée was a game pie served with chutney from Baga, Bairrada’s iconic grape varietal. The servers generously poured glasses of the 2016 red Bussaco Reservado, a wine with grace and intensity that harmonized seamlessly with the pie.

The same wine was a superb companion for a quartet of Portuguese cheeses–Rabaçal, Serra da Estrela, Nisa, and São Jorge–served with freshly harvested grapes.  

Our exquisite meal ended with a Morgado, the palace’s signature dessert, and a 10-year-old tawny produced by the renowned Dirk Niepoort, a good friend of António Rocha.

It’s worthwhile traveling to Bussaco just to enjoy delicious food prepared in an old palace by a young chef to pair perfectly with timeless wines.