Porto has an increasingly diversified gastronomic offer, which is why several new restaurants have set up in the city. From traditional Portuguese to Asian flavors, there are many options. But how about getting to know Imanol Barra Basca?
Open since the end of 2024, the restaurant on Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, in the historic center of Invicta, is the brand’s second in Portugal. After Príncipe Real, in Lisbon, Rui Sanches’ Plateforme group decided to head north to bring a new gastronomic option to Porto residents and tourists.
It’s very gratifying for us to be able to bring Imanol Barra Basca to Porto. The relaxation and richness of Basque and Spanish cuisine in general go perfectly with the joie de vivre that is so characteristic of the city,” says Rui Sanches, CEO and founder of Plateform.
Our experience at Imanol Barra Basca
The space has a capacity for 60 people inside, plus another 30 seats available on the terrace. As soon as you enter the restaurant, the bar with nine diners stands out. However, we opted to dine in the room with the high tables.
Once settled in, we noticed the vintage décor, with references to San Sebastián and beyond, where the pink Monserrate walls and dark red tiles stand out . Despite the Basque references, the space conveyed a broader essence.
From the moment we got our hands on the menu, we had no doubts: the gastronomic experience would take us on a journey beyond the flavors of the Basque Country. From Galician influences to Asturian meats, the menu pays homage to Spanish cuisine, as does the wine list.
From cold to hot, we tried everything
To get the most out of the gastronomic experience, we decided to try a bit of everything, from pintxos to tapas, without forgetting the more elaborate dishes.
To begin with, we opted for cold pintxos: txaca blanca with shrimp (€4.25); Galician-style octopus with bell pepper onions (€4.25) and idizabal cheese with membrillo (€3.75), one of our favorites.
Still in the world of pintxos, we couldn’t leave for home without trying the famous txistorra (€4.25), a traditional sausage from the Basque Country.
After the starters, we felt satisfied, but with ‘room in our stomachs’ to snack on the excellence of the meats from the north of Spain, in particular:
- Entrecôte a la parilla (on the basa) 25€
- Cachopo asturiano 25,50
To accompany this, the selection of wines contains references from various regions, from the fantastic alvarinhos from Rías Baixas (Galicia) to hints of Rioja, not forgetting wines from Vizcaya (Basque Country). In our case, we chose a Galician wine.
Already satisfied, we were (almost) giving up on desserts, but we couldn’t leave Imanol Barra Basca without ‘devouring’ one of the jewels in the Basque Country’s crown: the famous (and delicious) cheese tart (€6). A journey of flavors to the other side of the border!
📍Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira, 165 Porto
📅Every day, from 12 noon to 11 p.m.