One word of advice, even if you’re a spontaneous traveler, try and BOOK in advance (you can always cancel) because a lot of the good restaurants are reservation only and you could end up missing out on some excellent grub.
FLOW
The restaurant was fully booked but they managed to fit us in the conservatory. In the main dining room, there are Cesca chairs, wicker basket chandeliers and exposed brick walls which gives the space a chic, laidback but luxe feel. Luckily, style doesn’t come at the expense of substance here, as the food we ordered stood up – with generous portions to boot. Good tuna ceviche to start and a solid sea bass risotto for mains. The main dining room was fully booked on a Mon night but we managed to get a seat in the conservatory which is equally lovely.
DOP
Holder of a Michelin Plate, the restaurant is helmed by Rui Paula. We opted for their very reasonable €27 set lunch menu. Starting off with the octopus carpaccio, delightful albeit a little salty for my tastebuds; followed by a hearty portion of veal and gnocchi and summing up the meal with the ‘banana, orange and cookie’ – a modest description for what would turn out to be an excellent dessert plate – there was a mini banana flavoured crème brûlée of sorts which paired delightfully with the orange puree, cookie crunch and caramelized bits of orange. Just yum. Would certainly revisit this spot.
EUSKALDUNA STUDIO
In the evening I treated myself to a meal at Euskalduna. It. Was. Wonderful. With it’s roots in the Basque Country and Portugal, Euksalanda also taps into Asia for inspiration both for its dishes and overall aesthetic and sensibility. There’s no smoke, there’s no foam, there are no gimmicks at this studio; it is focused, considered, precise cooking that experiments with seasonal produce to deliver flavours to delight your tastebuds. The sommelier guided me through 8 glasses of booze alongside the 10 course tasting menu which you can find out more about here.
RIB
As you’d expect, the harbour is swarming with tourists which more than often means terrible dining options. If you find yourself by the harbour and feel peckish, do yourself a favour and head to RIB which is owned by the Pestana Hotel Group and serves some fine croquettes.
K A N N D I D 
