Visiting Porto Alto – Chinatown
Porto Alto was for long and for most of us just a stop (or passing by) in the way to Algarve.
Highways put it out of the way, and Chinese flourishing market transformed it in a distribution base near Lisbon.
It is now a large retail chinatown.
Eating in Porto Alto
A Torre – My first ostrich
Marisqueira A Torre seems to be known by its seafood, coming from Tejo river nearby, however, we ate something different. We were coming from Algarve by dinner time, stopped to eat something, and I was surprised by the menu, announcing grilled ostrich. I had never tasted (nor seen) such a recipe, and decided to try it. It was a dark meat, somewhat dry, and not particularly tasty. OK for one time experience, but not to repeat.
The price was moderate (not cheap) but the family didn’t imitate me and ate something different that I don’t remember, but with some complains.
That’s why, in my following meals in Porto Alto, we decided to go elsewhere.
Address: Alto do Catalão
Site: Torre
Paris – Image recovered
Empty restaurant at 13.15 is not a good “message”. However, the look was good, and we decided to risk.
Well, the menu was attractive, the service discreet and efficient, and a few more people entered the room filling twenty or twenty five percent of the many tables.
We ordered a risotto with grouper and pepper, and codfish “à saloia”.
The risotto was tasty, well served, but too much cooked. We left half of it.
The codfish, was served with poked potatoes and spinach, but they used the worst parts of the fish. What could easily be a good dish became poor and banal.
The desert was good, but my wine was too strong, forcing me to special precautions, not difficult to control since the strength was clearly present in the taste.
Shall I return? Well… I don’t know!
Yes, we did, a couple of times, and now with full satisfaction.
othercontact: rest.paris@gmail.com
Phone: +351 263 651 176
Fading Chinamarket
Once upon a time there was a village, only with one of the most prestigious Inns of Portugal, 30 km away from Lisbon.
One day, the Chinese came and Porto Alto became a plantation of stores of all kinds of Chinese junk.
Then came the crisis, the Inn became a stunning downfall, dozens of Chinese warehouses mimic it, and Porto Alto lost dimension and life.
Why visiting Porto Alto? What will lead a tourist there? I don’t know. I passed there a lot of times, travelling elsewhere, and that can also happen to a lot of people.
