Open since the end of September, L’Égoïste Bar & Restaurant is one of Porto’s newest restaurants. Despite being housed in the modern Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel, the restaurant is now open to the city, with a new concept that aims to take not only tourists but also locals on a journey through Portuguese flavors.
To get to the restaurant, you have to enter the hotel. However, don’t be put off by this scenario. After all, you don’t need to be staying to eat or drink a cocktail in the city’snewest spot. So, if you want to try out the space and its dishes, all you have to do is enter from floor 0. There’s also free parking for non-guests.
L’Égoïste: selfish only in name
At first glance, the name of the place conjures up an idea of selfishness. However, the aim is precisely the opposite, as there are several options on the menu that invite you to share, whether with friends, family or even your better half. In these parts, the work of two chefs stands out : Duarte Batista (for starters and meals) and Ricardo Tiago (for sweets).
In both proposals, a common concept prevails: the reinvention of traditional Portuguese flavors, with a touch of originality and creativity. With regard to the starters and meals, you can travel from the north to the south of Portugal, feeling the freshness of the seafood from Póvoa de Varzim, or take a trip to Beira Baixa.
Starters & main courses
On an unusual and tasty journey, we start at the beginning. In other words, the starters. At this level, we’d like to highlight the stuffed crab (€24); and the “Conserveira Portuguesa” (€17), a spicy mackerel with carrot and curry puree and homemade pickles, in homage to the Portuguese industry in this field, in partnership with Conservas Pinhais.
Among the snacks, the “Tribute to Francesinha” (22€) also deserves a mention. As the name suggests, this is not a faithful culinary reproduction of the traditional recipe from Porto. However, it’s also nothing too ‘out of the box’ like the Francesinha Berlin Ball – a creation by “Chef Jamon” that left social networks in an uproar earlier this year. But what does this snack consist of? Essentially, this francesinha is presented in a breaded bun fried in herb butter and stuffed with cheese and ham.
As for the main courses, there are a total of eight meals to choose from, including two vegetarian recipes. As we mentioned earlier, just by looking at the menu you can cross Portuguese territory from Póvoa de Varzim to the Algarve. The dishes we liked best were the following:
- “No Reino Dos Míscaros” (26€) – a vegetarian creation that pays homage to the origins of Chef Duarte Batista (who signs the menu from the starters to the main courses), more specifically to the Beira area with fregola pasta with wild mushrooms, mushroom duxelle, sautéed mushrooms and carqueija broth;
- “Porco à Algarvia” (30€) – with black pork presa, clams, pickles, coriander, saffron and smoked mashed potatoes;
- “O Mar da Póvoa” (33€) – fish and shellfish, coriander crumbs and “caldeirada poveira” sauce.
Enjoying the pleasure of ‘gluttony’ at L’Égoïste
Now it’s time for pastry chef Ricardo Tiago to ‘shine’ with his reinterpretations of Portuguese sweets, reflecting a strong inspiration in the maritime voyages of yesteryear. This scenario is particularly evident in “Portugal around the World” (16€), which presents Italian cannolis with filled versions that transport us to Angola, Brazil, Goa (in India) and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Another highlight in the sweet world of desserts is the “O Abade Pegou Fogo” (10€), a reinvention of the traditional Abade de Piscos, covered in meringue, flamed on the table and accompanied by a gin and tonic granizado and small pieces of a greens cheese.
Also noteworthy is the “Arigato!” (€12), a selection of Japanese-inspired mochis, but with a very Portuguese touch, as they are filled with flavors of pastel nata and queijada de laranja, among other options available on the menu.
A journey into Portuguese ecosystems
The experience at L’Égoïste is only complete with a visit to the bar, where the cocktail menu shines, offering everything from signature drinks to classics, not forgetting mocktails.
One of our favorites was the “Laurissilva Forest” (17€), which takes us to Madeira, in an area classified as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
In fact, the motto of the signature cocktails is to discover the different Portuguese ecosystems. Are you ready to embark on this gastronomic journey?
📍Rua de Cervantes, 169
📅Every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
👉Reservations for L’Égoïste by emailing legoiste@legoisteporto.com