Mistu

We almost didn't make it to this one. Our reservation was ready. We had left our apartment with plenty of time, thinking we would take the bus to get to the area. With some time left too, so we could walk around a little. We waited for almost an hour for one of the two buses to arrive. Ride-share services were not working, drivers simply didn't accept, and some options were ridiculously expensive. Eventually, we gave up and canceled the reservation, since we don't like doing no-shows. It was one of the rare days in Porto when getting around was just impossible.

We ended up taking another bus to the Rotunda de Boavista and caught another bus there that went to the same area as Mistu. We explained the situation and asked them if they could still seat us, which they were able to do. We were led by our host to the mezzanine level and were seated there.

Mistu is larger than your typical Porto restaurant. I would guess that they have more than 30 tables across the two floors. You can see they are spread across two buildings, one of them larger. Most of the restaurants we go to in and around the old town here would be half the size at most. More on this later.

Knowing we would go for a seafood-heavy selection, the staff helped us pick a bottle of white from Douro: A 2023 Redoma Branco by Niepoort. They are fairly big around here, but I believe this is the first time we tried a white from them. We thought it was very good for a reasonably priced white.

We ordered a starter with scallops, guacamole, salsa ranchera, black coral, and smoke. The smoke part became clear when the dish was served in a cloche filled with smoke. It tasted excellent, even though my spouse is usually not a fan of smoked taste. It also really brought out the flavor of the wine, though.

Then came one of our mains: grilled tiger prawn, cuttlefish risotto, and seaweed. Now I can't remember anything about the risotto because… the prawns were just incredibly good. Very high-quality prawn, but also expertly cooked. I want to say that they were the best prawns we had in Portugal. If you find your way to Mistu, I recommend that you order it.

Our other main was grilled octopus, sweet potato, edamame, nduja, and chicken egg. We eat a lot of octopus, and this was one of the better grilled interpretations of it. Again, it was perfectly cooked, very tender, and had just the right amount of smokiness from the grill. The sweet potato and edamame complimented it perfectly.

We went on to order two desserts: a dulce de leche fondant, cold berries soup, and raspberry ice cream for S, and a lime mousse, white and ruby chocolate, crumble, and pistachio ice cream for me. Both were excellent. Despite the plates looking very busy, they were very well-balanced and light. I suspect that they also looked beautiful, which brings me to my biggest complaint about Mistu: lighting.

Maybe you can tell from the interior pictures, because of how noisy and flat-colored they are, it was very dim inside, at least where we were seated. Our camera and phones did a better job than our eyes at capturing the dishes. In person, we would barely make out the colors on our plates. For example, that dulce de leche plate should have been a feast for our eyes as much as our mouths, but instead, it just looked flat.

The other complaint I have would be the table spacing. I'm sure being on the mezzanine floor with lower ceilings also contributed to this, but we felt that the restaurant was just packed with tables. I think they could lose two or three tables from where we were seated. It is a shame because, between the lighting and the cramped feeling, we just didn't have an experience that would match the food. When we were leaving with full and happy bellies, we were happy to be out of there.

Finally, I think the price was fair for the combination of the food, service, and overall experience provided. For one starter, two mains, two desserts, and a bottle of wine, the bill was 150 euros.

We are not sure yet if we will visit again, but we are glad we did. The food was worth it.