The restaurant Peza Arroz was born in 1944, still under the name Casa de Melgaço, and owes its name to the nickname of the owner’s great-grandfather. It is rustic and welcoming, located in the riverside area of Porto, and it serves good homemade dishes of traditional Portuguese cuisine. It is a great place to rest and regain energy, and then continue visiting the riverside area. The pleasant space outside overlooking the Douro River and the not less friendly staff of the space stand out, and you can enjoy some “Tripas à moda do Porto” (the most representative dish of Porto that dates back to the time of the Portuguese Discoveries is cooked with tripe and fat meat, accompanied with thick slices of dark bread; today instead of bread white beans are used), or a Francesinha (a sandwich from the city of Porto, consisting of sausage, fresh sausage, ham, cold meats and beef steak, covered with cheese later melted; it is garnished with a tomato, beer and piri-piri sauce and can be served with French fries as a side dish), or “bacalhau à marinheiro” (codfish fillets, soaked in seafood broth, roasted in the oven with clams, shrimps, peppers and onions), or grilled beefsteak on the dish, among others, while enjoying one of the most emblematic views of Porto and Gaia, savoured with a glass of wine.

Say Cheese is a shop specialised in cheese and wine with an area for tasting and conviviality. The shop area is right at the entrance of the new space and has several national and international suggestions that you can take home. There are boards that can be accompanied with sweets, jams and wine glasses. At the end of the room, after passing the shop, there is the tasting area. Everything that arrives at the table has cheese, of course, and that which varies are the accompaniments. You can go through the shop window and choose three, five or seven of your favourite cheeses. You can add side dishes such as chutney, jam, olives or dried fruit. There are also drink tastings, with advice on the cheese to go with them.

In the middle of 2020, in a context of summer and pandemic, the owner missed his native Bahia, its relaxed climate, a place to drink a cold beer, a place to feel at home. He noticed that this feeling was not unique, but of the entire Brazilian community living in the city. It was there that he decided to open the Boteco Pra Começar, according to the Brazilian tradition, to contagion the Invicta with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. According to them, its beer is “stupidly cold”, its portions are generous and have exclusive recipes from the “Patroa” of ‘dadinho de tapioca’ (tapioca little squares), cream topside, mini kibe, besides the traditional acarajé. They also have executive dinner menus.