Gustatio - Penela

My husband and I were fortunate to dine at the luxury Gustatio Restaurante located in the Duecitânia Design Hotel. Crossing a lit up glass bridge over a river,... read more My husband and I were fortunate to dine at the luxury Gustatio Restaurante located in the Duecitânia Design Hotel. Crossing a lit up glass bridge over a river, it is a stylish entrance in to the hotel through the lobby with its 1920’s Art Deco interiors, plush velvet furniture and glistening chandeliers. We were greeted by a friendly, hospitable and knowledgeable waiter who tended to our every need. We were the first guests to try the chefs new ‘Roman’ menu. It did not disappoint. We started our dining experience with locally sourced sheep’s cheese, olive spread, herb butter, olives and a choice of fresh bread. Delicious. As a starter we had a smoked salmon salad with golden croutons and a beautiful honey and mustard dressing. Presentation, service and quality of produce was excellent. On to the first of two main meals! Perfectly poached monkfish (my favourite) with the most flavoursome sauce. Secondly roasted duck, again, perfectly cooked. The roast vegetables that accompanied the main were also delicious and extremely flavoursome. To finish we had a traditional Portuguese custard pudding with fresh fruit. At the end of the meal the chef came and spoke to us in person about his new menu. He was passionate and enthusiastic about his craft. He gave me some complimentary macaroons and wished us well. This has to be one of, if not the most enjoyable dining experience my husband and I have had. The five course meal came to just €28 per person! If you want to go somewhere really special with every aspect of your dining experience being of the highest quality I would certainly recommend Gustatio Restaurante at Duecitânia Design Hotel.

I highly recommend this place if you’d like something other than the typical Portuguese lunch, which, let’s face it, can get a little old. We found this special... read more I highly recommend this place if you’d like something other than the typical Portuguese lunch, which, let’s face it, can get a little old. We found this special place on Trip Advisor when we were casually driving around the area (staying in a house about 20 Km away) and were pleasantly surprised. This restaurant is located in a boutique hotel by itself in a valley outside Penela. The waitstaff was extremely kind and professional, the hotel front desk man and the decor are modern, quiet, black and white and pretty fancy. My husband had the menu do dia at 12.50€ with a starter of vegetable soup, main of pork loin (very small portion but said it was good), salad and rice, and dessert of orange custard cake (they love custard in the country). I had the Rabaçal pizza which was really cheesy and good took half home. And we had a rosé to go with our lunch. Just lovely. Love it!

I highly recommend this place if you’d like something other than the typical Portuguese lunch, which, let’s face it, can get a little old. We found this special... read more I highly recommend this place if you’d like something other than the typical Portuguese lunch, which, let’s face it, can get a little old. We found this special place on Trip Advisor when we were casually driving around the area (staying in a house about Km away) and were pleasantly surprised. This restaurant is located in a boutique hotel by itself in a valley outside Penela. The waitstaff was extremely kind and professional, the hotel front desk man and the decor are modern, quiet, black and white and pretty fancy. My husband had the menu do dia at with a starter of vegetable soup, main of pork loin (very small portion but said it was good), salad and rice, and dessert of orange custard cake (they love custard in the country). I had the Rabaçal pizza which was really cheesy and good took half home. And we had a rosé to go with our lunch. Just lovely. Love it!

Excellent food served by conscientious staff. A beautiful location in the countryside, with plenty of other facilities on offer such as the two swimming pools,... read more Excellent food served by conscientious staff. A beautiful location in the countryside, with plenty of other facilities on offer such as the two swimming pools, sauna and spa. Not to be missed.

Love this place .. the steaks are excellent read more Love this place .. the steaks are excellent