Looking for a random place to eat in downtown Porto, we ended up at Raiz, a place that seem small, but little did we know they had additional dining rooms on the three upstairs floors. We decided to try it for two reasons: availability of vegetarian options that were sometimes very limited, and the fact that it offers lots of small dishes so we could try a bunch. Here is what we had:
To start, I wanted to try a white port wine and so I got a glass of Niepoort dry (6 Eur). They poured a generous glass of that still slightly sweet wine that was bright and refreshing.

I then got the traditional octopus fritters (Nuvens de polvo - 7.5 Eur) that were delicious, although I was expecting bits of octopus in it for more texture. Still, a must have.

Next was the « Bulhao pato » style clams (16 Eur): stewed clams in a delicious white wine sauce that reminded me a bit of vongole.

It was followed by mushroom tempura (Cogumelos em tempura - 10 Eur). This succulent dish has a bit of history as tempura originated in Portugal and was introduced to Japan later on.

Mushroom tempura at Raiz in Porto, Portugal

Then, we could not resist trying their breaded Brie (queijo Brie panado - 9 Eur). Served with a tomato chutney, it is a must have if you love cheese, even if Brie is not Portuguese.

Last was their potato mille-feuille with aioli (Mil folhas de batata - 5.5 Eur) that was deliciously crispy.

Potato mille-feuille at Raiz in Porto, Portugal

We hesitated to have dessert but were a bit tired from an all day walking in the streets of Porto (these hills!) and asked for the check that they brought in a book. It was definitely a lot of fried food, but nothing was greasy and I loved the fact that we could share all these dishes. Raiz was definitely a good find.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Raiz - Largo dos Lóios 8, 4050-338 Porto, Portugal

My trip to Porto - Restaurant Raiz

I Just Want To Eat!