O Gato

O Gato is a family restaurant at Rua de José Estêvão 11 in Aveiro, Portugal, serving traditional Portuguese dishes and regional seafood. Aveiro sits on a lagoon known as the Ria de Aveiro, and local cooking draws on fish, eel and shellfish from its waters. The restaurant is regarded for its caldeirada, a Portuguese fish stew, priced at around 16 euros, as well as eel stew at about 18 euros and bacalhau à Gomes de Sá at roughly 14 euros. The cooking is homestyle, with generous portions and straightforward presentation. The atmosphere is warm and unfussy, with attentive family service, a modest noise level and a mostly local clientele. No dress code applies. The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday for lunch from noon to 3pm and dinner from 7pm to 10pm, and reservations are recommended for dinner and weekends. A meal with wine usually costs about 20 to 30 euros per person. Eel stew is a regional specialty found in few other parts of Portugal, so it is worth trying for visitors interested in local cuisine. The restaurant is within walking distance of the central canals, where moliceiro boats operate, and the Art Nouveau buildings of the centre. Aveiro is about an hour from Porto by train, which makes it a popular day trip, and the restaurant suits a lunch stop during a visit. Visitors should note that the closure on Sundays affects weekend day trips.