WOW Guide: Where to Eat
Produced in Collaboration with WOW The New Cultural Center
Photography & Words by Alison Engstrom
After spending time exploring the WOW Cultural District, it will come time where you’ll want to refuel and absorb everything you have experienced. There are 12 cafés and restaurants scattered around the main square where diners can savor a range of options from mouthwatering Portuguese pastries, fish-centric dishes, to plant-based fare and after, of course, you can wash it all down with a port wine. Here are some of the highlights from the area—for a complete roster of establishments, click here.
Opening Image Asparagus risotto topped with seared salmon. Above Decadent dark chocolate mousse layered with raspberries, both served at VP.
VP
Who doesn’t love a restaurant that serves brunch all day, everyday? For those who share in that sentiment, visit VP for dishes like sweet or savory pancakes, omelettes, to more lunch-forward options like sandwiches and salad.
Left Falafel garnished with fresh flowers and raddichio at Root & Vine; Right A classic choice of fish and chips from The Golden Catch.
Root & Vine
Inventive vegetarian dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious are the calling card at Root & Vine. Stop in for a light snack, try their marinated olives or hummus with eggplant, and sip on one of their mocktails. For lunch or dinner, the falafel is an excellent starter, and for a main, order the cevadotto with cheese from São Jorge, an island in the Azores, or the risotto laden with greens.
The Golden Catch
Personal taste in food can often be a deciding factor when choosing where to eat, say you have a vegan and a non-vegan who want to relish in a memorable meal together. The Golden Catch is adjacent to Root & Vine and allows diners to do just that since you can order from either menu, at either place. Portugal’s proximity to the coast gives way to a variety of fresh seafood that graces the menu in this light-filled space. To begin, sample the ceviche or scallops garnished with peas and lemon; for an entree, enjoy the hot or cold fish platter piled high with oysters, muscles, and crayfish, or the fish and chips served with tangy tartar sauce and malt vinegar.
Below The airy interiors of The Golden Catch.
Above The rustic interiors at PIP Restaurant set among port barrels.
PIP Restaurant
PIP Restaurant affords diners the experience of sitting in an age-old, former port wine warehouse surrounded by barrels of port. This open space, punctuated with wooden communal tables, centers the menu around meals to share like cheese platters, seasonal salads, and pizza.
The Coffee House
Pop into The Coffee House to sip on an espresso, grab a pastry, and enjoy the views of over the terracotta rooftops.
Above The colonnaded facade of Barão Fladgate; the cozy interiors of the restaurant.
Barão Fladgate
Set adjacent to Taylor’s Port Cellars, just next to WOW, Barão Fladgate showcases the best of fresh Portuguese cuisine with a modern flare. Serving lunch and dinner, this fine dining experience offers a rotating menu and prix fixe options. For a starter, order the vibrant watercress velouté garnished with smoked salmon, a crispy egg yolk and a drizzling of fragrant basil oil or the low-temperature egg, a menu favorite, with mushrooms and chervil. Main dishes highlight both land and sea, alongside vegetarian options. Sample the sea bass served atop barley alongside clams
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