Casa Aleixo has a history of delicious food and is one of the most famous restaurants in Porto. There are three words you can’t forget: Lab, Pharmacy and Torture Room. Yes, I know it sounds totally inadequate using these words when talking about a restaurant. Nevertheless, these are the kitchen (lab), the cellar (pharmacy) and the cashier (torture room).
This restaurant belonged to a spanish man who sold it to Ramiro Gonçalves. He’s the one responsible for the succulent hake and octopus fillets. Well, he did go, everyday, to Póvoa do Varzim (up north from Porto) to buy the fish from the local fishermen. Since his death his wife, Maria Inês and his son run the restaurant and have made justice to Ramiro’s legacy!When going for a meal at Casa Aleixo, you have to keep one thing in mind: the food is good. The food is a lot! You will want more.
Get ready for black eyed peas salad with “bolinhos de bacalhau (a small egg-shapped-like codfish and potato fritter) as an entrée and then I recommend either the delicate hake fillets and super tender octopus fillets. Either way, you’ll be pleased. Then, you’ll have to decide what to have for dessert. Will you choose the lemon pie or the “aletria” (a traditional dessert in Porto, made with thin noodles, eggs and sugar), portuguese crème brûlée or flan. Are you already buying your flight to Porto or dialing the number and making a reservation?
Apart from the food, the staff is usually really nice. The good thing about the food is that it tastes like the food cooked by your mum or grandma! I remember the first time I went to Casa Aleixo. My grandpa took me there and I wasn’t much of an octopus fillet fan. After trying theirs, I started loving octopus fillets. Keep in mind that this is not a cheap restaurant but the food is worth your money!
This restaurant is located close to Campanhã train station. It’s a bit off the downtown track so the better option would be to get on the Metro and walk from Campanhã stop to Casa Aleixo. It’s like a 5 minutes walk. There’s another restaurant in the are that you might want to try: A Cozinha do Manel. (And yes, we are always thinking about eating!)