This beautiful Portuguese city is a haven for food, wine and culture.
When I was a child I was instructed to paint my favourite place as part of an art class. In bright oil crayons I painted the museum in which I spent most weekends, with its sculptures and artworks in gilded frames. I’ve always loved museums and that’s why when I was offered the chance to explore Porto’s newest cultural district which is packed with them, I leapt at it.
World of Wine Porto (WOW for short) is a collection of seven museums, six of which are permanent and one which rotates. There’s twelve restaurants, a wine school and several shops which sell everything from local art to rubber ducks. The district only opened in 2020, objectively a terrible time to try and launch such an ambitious project, but it’s already proving popular.
The museums all explore part of Portugal’s history and culture from the finest chocolate, through to the production of cork, and the ritual of drinking wine through the ages, WOW offers something for all ages.
When we visited on Saturday the district was buzzing with tourists and locals, as people young and old checked out what WOW has to offer. We started our tour in The Chocolate Story which dives deep into the origins and cultural significance of chocolate from the Aztecs and Mayans all the way through to now. The museum has been expertly put together with English and Portuguese plaques that explain all the information. Once you’ve traced the history of chocolate you can head downstairs to the WOW Chocolate Factory where bright yellow clad workers temper and pour the chocolate which you can then purchase in the gift shop or the café.
After the most delicious chocolate tasting I’ve ever experienced, where we learned how to truly appreciate the luxury of chocolate with every sense, it was time to head to the Wine Experience.
This was another incredibly well-researched and well put together museum which traced the history of wine, as well as the many different regions of Portugal producing gorgeous grapes and delicious wines. The museum is a great mix of education and experience, from interactive exhibits to gorgeous documentaries.
I must admit that I actually don’t like wine, but this museum went a decent way to changing my mind. If there’s one thing that will make you crave a crisp glass of white, it’s learning exactly how much effort goes into procuring it. Luckily, the Wine Experience offers a tasting at its culmination where an expert will take you through three different wines and how to properly appreciate them.
One of my favourite things about WOW was how close everything is. All the museums are located less than five minutes from each other. We managed to see five of them in a single day, and the district itself is located in the historic centre of Vila Nova de Gaia, which is an easy half an hour walk from the city of Porto. As WOW is nestled into the hillside on the south side of the Douro River which cuts the city in half, it also offers stunning views of the city.
Red terracotta roofs are stacked ramshackle into the hillside and the tiny ants of tourists can be seen wandering through the winding streets of the city. At night the landscape truly comes alive as the lights of the city glitter and the Dom Luís I Bridge which spans the river illuminates the dark.
After building up an impressive hunger from a long day of exploring museums and tasting wines, we were lucky enough to be invited to one of WOW’s many restaurants.
Mira Mira by Ricardo Costa is the chef’s first attempt at fine dining outside his restaurant at the Yeatman Hotel which gained two Michelin stars. As soon as you walk in, it feels luxurious. The lights are dim, there’s a stunning terrace with views out over the city and the staff are well dressed, knowledgeable and most of all – friendly.
Mira Mira boasts a more relaxed approach to fine dining with an emphasis on Portuguese cuisine. The Harvest Menu which we sampled was nine courses of some of the most interesting and beautiful food I have ever tasted.
From spider crab to pork and everything in between this was an experience like no other. The talented sommelier also showcased some of the most decadent and interesting Portuguese wines which paired perfectly with our meals.
This was the first time I have ever enjoyed red wine, and I put it up to the expertise of the staff at Mira Mira.
WOW Porto is truly a wine lover’s dream – and coming from an historic wine hater, that is something. Even I left WOW with a newfound appreciation for wine in all its forms, be that red, white, rose or Port.
With Porto just a two hour flight from London and flights leaving daily, there’s no reason not to come and experience this fabulous slice of culture.
WOW offers several ticket packages where you can select from 1 to five museums to explore on a single ticket.
