3 Best Restaurants in Vila do Conde, Northern Portugal

Vila do Conde native Paulo André has worked with top chefs around Portugal; he is now applying his ample talent just steps from the Rio Ave, producing eye-catching, delicious creations from the best local ingredients. Tasting menus cost €90 (plus €55 or wine pairing) or, for the more complete version, €120 (plus €70 for wine), but you can also order à la carte, with signature mains including sea bass with creamy clam-and-prawn rice, garnished with seaweed and trout roe, pigeon foie gras with beetroot purée and blueberry sauce, and lamb with salsify and Jerusalem artichoke purée. The desserts don't disappoint, either: try the rhubarb and hibiscus combo, or the lemon curd and ricotta cannelloni. 

This longtime favorite, overlooking a pleasant riverside garden, has walls that are adorned with old guitars, carvings of saints, ceramic birds, and vintage books—you know the kind of place. In warm weather the terrace out front is a great place to dine on some of the best seafood in town, though it is not cheap.

Inside a charming 1920s building in Póvoa de Varzim (Vila do Conde's twin to the north) that was Portugal's first brick-built theater, staff bustle about a high-ceilinged, white-painted space, serving well-priced cocktails, unusual snacks (ask for the day's specials), and classic northern Portuguese mains. Desserts are more international, including a salted chocolate mousse and lemon meringue tart. The family that runs the place also owns the town's oldest bookstore, and corridors and stairs around the dining area are lined with shelves; on your arrival you'll even find a book on your table to peruse.