Cantinho do Avillez

Cantinho do Avillez is the Porto outpost of a small family of restaurants created by José Avillez, one of Portugal's best-known chefs. Where his flagship dining rooms in Lisbon are formal, the Cantinho format is deliberately relaxed: a bright, informal space serving dishes that start from Portuguese comfort food and borrow freely from the chef's travels.

The menu changes over time but has kept several signatures. Duck appears as a red curry served with rice cooked in the same flavours. Scallops come marinated with avocado cream and a crumble of Alentejo bread, and a classic Portuguese almond pastry, toucinho-do-céu, is served with raspberry sorbet. Ordering a few starters to share before the mains works well for a group, and it is a good way to sample more of the kitchen's range. If you are new to Portuguese food, the dishes offer familiar flavours with a local twist, which makes the menu approachable for less adventurous eaters too.

The restaurant opens every day from 12:30 to 23:00, which makes it a useful option on Sundays and Mondays, when many independent restaurants in Porto close. Booking is recommended for dinner, especially at weekends and in summer, as the room is popular with both visitors and locals. Lunch is generally easier to get into at short notice, and an early or late sitting improves your chances further.

It suits couples, groups of friends and families looking for something more polished than a traditional tasca without the cost and length of a tasting-menu restaurant. Smart casual clothing fits the room. Vegetarians and anyone with allergies should mention their requirements when ordering and ask the staff for guidance. Prices sit in the upper-middle range for Porto, though considerably below the city's starred restaurants.

Rua Mouzinho da Silveira is the long street that runs downhill from São Bento station to the Ribeira, so the restaurant is ideally placed for lunch between morning sightseeing in the Baixa and an afternoon by the river. The Palácio da Bolsa and the Church of São Francisco are a few minutes' walk away, and Rua das Flores, one of the city's most attractive pedestrian streets, runs parallel.