T&C || Dine Inside a Life-Sized Refurbished Port Wine Barrel at The World of Wine in Porto
Cross the Douro River over the Luís I. Bridge, past the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar and the wine tasting cellars lining the shores to find The Cultural District — the World of Wine (WOW).
Although it was the weekend when we went, it was clear that visitors to the city still favoured heading to the historic wine cellars and sitting by the riverfront. Shops and cafes at WOW were quieter than other parts of the city bustling with tourists.
So what can you see at WOW? The district is home to seven interactive museums that tell the story of Porto’s port wine industry, from The Wine Experience to the Pink Palace Experience (all about Rosé) and Planet Cork (Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork). I love my tawny and port wines and was more than happy to wander through the area to see what I could discover. We picked up a brochure of the neighbourhood, and interestingly, not all museums are related to wine because there’s the Chocolate Story and the Porto Fashion and Fabric museum, in addition to museums focused on wine.
The view of the city from the World of Wine cultural district.
Twelve restaurants are nestled in the WOW District offering a range of delectable eats to choose from: a chocolate cafe, a classic steakhouse, vegetarian dining, Portuguese gastronomy, and more.
We opted to try the traditional Portuguese cuisine, T&C, where the entrance is marked by grape vines overhead, and the rustic interiors offer spacious seating for large groups indoors or out on the terrace.
Wander through the World of Wine to discover the history of Port Wine and its 12 restaurants, cafes and bars.
Dine inside of a refurbished Port wine barrel.
Our server showed us to our seat, a refurbished port wine barrel with comfortable red leather seating. Wine labels cover every inch of the wooden dining table, an intriguing piece to explore as you sip on your own bottle of wine.
We shared some appetizers for the table and had the Traditional Portuguese smoked sausage from Mirandela, which was flavourful and juicy, and went well with the wine.
We had plenty of cod throughout our travels in Portugal, so when we arrived in Porto, we decided to try other Portuguese delicacies. This time, we ordered the sea bass, rump steak, and Francesinha.
The Sea Bass is finished with carrot puree, spinach and almond, and tomato confit; the flavours are light and ideal for those who shy away from heavier dishes like the Francesinha.
The 300g rump steak would be an attractive option for meat lovers and those looking for a hearty, filling meal. The dish is served with small baked potatoes, and garlic sautéed sprouts and topped off with Mirandese sauce.
Pork belly.
Sea Bass with carrot puree.
300g rump steak.
Finally, there’s the Francesinha. If you love meats and cheese like I do, then you will fall for this Portuguese dish because it’s essentially got every type of meat plus eggs and melted cheese in one compact package drenched in a thick spiced tomato and beer sauce. Some would say that just reading the description of the dish gives them a heart attack, others can already feel their mouths watering; I belong to the latter group. With the T&C edition of the Francesinha, you have local beef steak, cured smoked sausage, sausage, egg, Port Wine sauce, and French fries. I’ll have to admit that I managed to devour two-thirds of the dish before I admitted defeat.
Francesinha for meat lovers.
Throughout our meal, we looked up the wines from the hundreds of wine labels strewn across the tabletop and enjoyed the cozy dining atmosphere inside the refurbished wine barrel. Our Wine Sommelier made some excellent recommendations, and we savoured each sip of the delicious wine. Night has fallen like a heavy blanket by the time we emerged from the restaurants, and we trudged our sleepy bodies back down to the riverfront to take in the twinkling lights across the Douro River.
There are plenty of outdoor dining options at WOW.
