Trinca Espinhas

Frommer's Review

Elegant and hip, this avant-garde restaurant attracts an urban crowd from throughout Europe. It lies along a busy boulevard in the definitely unglamorous neighborhood of Matosinhos, an industrial-looking suburb, near modern dockyards. It was established in the late 1990s in a boxy warehouse that a team of decorators softened with sinuously curved walls crafted from vertical planks of exotic hardwoods. You might want a predinner drink at the poured-concrete bar area. The chef's repertoire is seductive, with fresh spices and herbs used judiciously to highlight the flavor of the handpicked ingredients. Menu items include at least four kinds of carpaccio (including versions made from tuna, monkfish, swordfish, and cod), stuffed spider-crab, three kinds of risotto, pastas, and at least 20 kinds of fresh fish, any of which can be fried, poached with seaweed, roasted on a salt bed, or baked. There's also a sophisticated array of meats, including a salt-roasted magret of duckling with Cumberland sauce, prepared for two diners at a time. Consider the fixed-price rodízio menu: a staggering number of skewers are brought with fanfare, one by one, out of the kitchen, each containing different kinds of fish and vegetables. They're preceded with fish soup and followed by a fruit and chocolate fondue.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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