The Yeatman Restaurant

The Yeatman Restaurant is the two-Michelin-star dining room of The Yeatman hotel, set on the hillside of Vila Nova de Gaia at Rua do Choupelo, directly across the Douro from Porto's Ribeira district. The kitchen is led by chef Ricardo Costa, who builds modern European tasting menus around Portuguese produce, Atlantic fish and ingredients from the Douro Valley. The listed tasting menu is priced at about 195 euros per person, and dishes associated with the restaurant include Douro Valley pigeon and turbot with sea urchin, both served as part of the menu rather than individually. The dining room is formal and quiet, with large windows and a terrace oriented toward the river and the Porto skyline, which makes it one of the most scenic fine-dining settings in Portugal. Dress is smart, and the pace is unhurried, with a full evening typically allotted to the meal. The hotel is owned by the Fladgate Partnership, the port-wine house behind Taylor's, Fonseca and Croft, and the wine programme reflects that: the cellar is extensive, with deep holdings of aged vintage port, Douro reds and Portuguese whites, and sommeliers pair wines with each course. Service is dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday from about 7pm to 10:30pm, and reservations are required. Tables with river views are in highest demand and fill first, particularly from late spring to early autumn and on weekends, so booking several weeks ahead is sensible and longer for a summer Saturday. The restaurant sits in Gaia rather than in Porto proper, so visitors cross the Dom Luís I bridge or arrive by taxi, and the hotel's position among the port lodges makes a pre-dinner visit to a cellar easy to combine with the meal. The experience suits celebrations and travellers who want a showcase of Douro gastronomy and wine in a single sitting.