The Restaurant That Started Our Porto Trip

There are worse ways to start a trip than with octopus, four kinds of butter and a really good mocktail.

Our first night in Porto, my family and I needed somewhere for dinner. We didn’t have a restaurant meticulously researched and bookmarked months in advance.

Instead, our Airbnb host recommended a place called Flow.

Good call.

Flow is beautiful.

The warm lighting, exposed brick, plants and architecture give the restaurant plenty to look at, but none of it feels overdone. It was lively while still being relaxed enough for the six of us to settle in after arriving in Porto and enjoy a long dinner together.

The staff made an equally good first impression. Everyone was incredibly friendly, and the service throughout dinner was impeccable.

Then came the butter.

Four Butters Are Better Than One

We started with bread accompanied by four different spreads: pesto butter, Parmesan honey butter, beet butter and an anchovy olive tapenade.

All four were amazing.

This is normally the point in dinner when you’re supposed to show some restraint. Have a little bread. Try the butter. Remember that an actual meal is coming.

Flow made that difficult.

It was also a pretty good indication of what was coming next.

The Octopus

For my entrée, I ordered the octopus tentacles with mashed sweet potato and peas.

The octopus was perfectly cooked, and the sweetness of the mashed sweet potato paired beautifully with it. Everything on the plate worked together rather than feeling like a bunch of sides added around the main event.

I loved it.

Of course I SHLAYED it!

My sister-in-law ordered the risotto, which I obviously had to try, and that was excellent too. Picking the best dish of the night would be difficult, but I’m certainly not complaining about my decision.

I also had a cranberry-orange mocktail that fit the meal perfectly.

It’s Not Just the Food

As good as the food was, what really sticks with me about Flow is the entire experience.

The restaurant is just a great place to be.

The lighting, the architecture, the energy in the room and the service all come together to create the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay at the table a little longer.

And on our first night in Porto, that was exactly what we wanted.

Six of us had just arrived in the city, sitting around a table together with excellent food in front of us and an entire Porto trip still ahead.

Our dinner came to around €250 for six people, and considering the food, service and atmosphere, it felt absolutely worth it.

I’d go back to Flow without hesitation.

After dinner, we walked back toward our Airbnb through Porto.