Coimbra, Portugal
Coimbra
Porto truly set my Portugal trip at an incredibly high bar, so I admittedly initially felt a bit of anxiety heading to Coimbra. However, as we began an hour and a half drive south, the scenery was breathtaking. I felt a sense of calm take over me and a renewed layer of excitement!
Our first stop, Mugasa (Trip Advisor/Facebook), about 30 minutes outside of Coimbra, was recommended by a local from Porto. This restaurant is known for the various ways they prepare their pork. We ordered the Leitao Assado (suckling pig) and Cabidela de Leitao (pork stew). We were so happy with our choices and for sure would have ordered more if we were here for dinner rather than lunch. The Leitao Assado was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy with the perfect amount of salt underneath. The stew was the perfect pairing, the textures totally balanced out! This location was perfect too because it was on our way to Coimbra and check-in wasn’t until early afternoon.
By mid-afternoon we were settled in and I took the opportunity to do some solo exploring before dinner. Coimbra is that perfect small town that you hope to find on any international trip, filled with charm and cute shops! Because the town is small, you could see most things in a day. The combination of great weather, tranquil scenery, calm and unbothered locals just completely put me at ease.
My first order of business was to, of course, get a pastry! I headed over to Pastelaria Briosa and tried their Folhado de Salsiccha (puff pastry with sausage). WOW did I love their savory puff pastry. They have so many different ones too! I really loved this sausage one because it was minced sausage and seasoned well. I could sit there and eat those all day!
For dinner, I absolutely recommend No Tacho! They are so freaking nice here and we even received sparkling wine and an amuse-bouche upon checking in! For dinner, we ordered:
Charcuterie: (right to left) Iberian, smoked loin, smoked neck, smoked pork belly. I have had charcuterie in multiple European countries, and No Tacho did an amazing job achieving an intensely captivating smokey flavor
Algarve Octopus: with carrot puree, coriander, and vegetables. What can I say? I’m a sucker for grilled octopus and this dish hit the spot
Patridge: Old recipe with Mondego rice. After we discovered rice stews in Porto, we began a conquest to try as many as we could during our trip! The Patridge uses poultry as the protein of its stew, and this one was mixed with vinegar too! The flavors are bold enough to impress but subtle enough to keep you coming back for more
After dinner, we headed back to Hotel Oslo Coimbra for a nightcap. I cannot express enough how happy I was with this hotel! It was reasonably priced and located just an 8-minute leisurely walk away from the main shops and restaurants. The hotel itself is cozy, charming, and safe. The best part though, for me, was their rooftop area! Jacob and I had such a relaxing time munching on late-night bread and butter paired with a solid bottle of Portuguese wine. The best wine down!
Hotel Oslo Coimbra Evening Rooftop
Day 2: You absolutely need to hit up Arcada! I love the decor here, it has so much character and their dishes echo the same vibes. They serve quite a variety of dishes that are meant to be shared. My favorite photo of the entire Portugal trip was the one I took with a string of fried sardines. Worth every penny, no shame here! It was really hard to narrow down what we wanted, but we finally settled on:
Sangria: So refreshing, whether you do sparking, white, or red!
Trouxinhas do Arcada (massa filo recheada com bacon e alho frances): This was a puff pastry filled with bacon and a garlic sauce, perfect starter!
Petingas no Eestendal (8 uni) (sardinha frita): STRING OF FRIED SARDINES ON A BOAT. Need I say more? They were equally as entertaining to eat as they were tasty
Alheira de Caca: This one surprised us because on the surface it looked like your typical sausage. However, the inside had a shredded texture which was smoky, tender and delicious! There are quite a few different kinds of sausage all over Portugal, I absolutely recommend trying as many different ones as you can!
Pimentos Padron: I’m a huge fan of grilled veggies and these grilled pimento peppers hit the spot in terms of heat and char! All you need is some Maldon salt and you’ve got a solid dish!
Cogumelos Salteados: I literally could have eaten 5 orders of these mushrooms. It was so simple, probably just sauteed with butter and salt, but it was so damn satisfying to eat and balanced out all the other dishes.
Have you ever heard of Caracóis? They are miniature snails, and are in season specifically in the summertime, similar to sardines. I’m Vietnamese and where I come from, snails are quite common, whether small or large. I have also spent time in France, and love escargot! So naturally, when I got to Coimbra, I was on the hunt for caracois, which is a hit or miss availability-wise. I was lucky enough to walk by Cabido Bar, a simple and humble bar with affordable small bites and wine, where they had fresh caracois on the menu! These are prepared really simply, with a light broth and garlic/onion aroma. I love dishes that shine on their own with little need of enhancement. It was the perfect snack on a hot day.
Caracois at Cabido Bar
Trying Caracois at Cabido Bar
When in Portugal, you need to do at least one Port tasting, whether you’re into Port or not! As we strolled aimlessly in the afternoon, we walked by an adorable little shop, A Componeza, that was filled with a bunch of different kinds of Port wine. At that moment, we realized we hadn’t had a tasting yet! The woman who ran the shop was adorable, she really took the time to understand our palette. I was really adamant about avoiding sweet wine, which is hard given most Port wine is pretty sweet. She was up for the challenge though and brought us a variety specific to our request. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed most of my tasting (I really had no expectations). She was so charming and kind, it was obvious she truly wanted us to relax and enjoy ourselves.
For our last supper in Coimbra, we hit up Solar do Bacalhau, which was a last-minute decision, because the other restaurant we had planned on was closed for the day. To our delight, they had quite a few different rice stews, and a huge wine list! We ordered:
Arroz de Bacalhau: By now I have had Bacalhau in at least 4 different forms - I loved it in stew form, there was something so comforting and hearty about it!
Arroz de Polvo: This was the first time I tried octopus rice stew with tomato and I really enjoyed it, I was surprised at the ridiculously large chunks of octopus they put in there, totally worth every euro spent!
Pizza Portuguesa (Chourico, onion, peppers, and boiled egg): Okay, we had to try Portuguese Pizza when in Portugal, and because we didn’t want to eat the same thing every day, why not roll the dice?! It was different but I had no complaints, that’s what I love about trying foods in different regions. Every restaurant has their own spin on things, and you’d be surprised what resonates with you.
Later that night, I was in the mood to read a book with a warm drink. I decided it was necessary to pack up my kindle and take a walk in the hopes a cafe would be open. Why not, given it was our last night in Coimbra? We noticed Cafe Santa Cruz was still open with live music! I ordered myself croissant with pork deli meat (quente croissant com presunto sem queijo), which in this region, the croissant is comprised of a toasted brioche bun, along with a decaf double espresso (duplo café decaeifanado). I really enjoyed every pastry/sandwich type of snack here because there are just so many variations. You truly cannot go wrong with anything you order!
Live Music at Cafe Santa Cruz