Despite our 3AM wake-up call, we were determined to have a gorgeous first night in Porto and with that we tried for a Michelin star at Euskalduna. Of course it was full as we were trying just a few days in advance, so we headed to their sister project, Semea. The casual outdoor setting with a view of the river set to the tune of fun early ’00’s tune might have even been a better time than a pesky old Michelin star anyway.

Everything was grilled in this showy, wood-fired open air kitchen.

We started with a Portugese sparkling and cover plate which was wood-fired bread and a chicken pate, enjoying the perfect weather.

The servers were all a bit out of sorts as we learned from several flustered people that the menu had just completely changed an hour earlier. Not great for someone who does their menu-reading homework in advance either, but we all pivoted and had a nice evening anyway, which started with a few oysters perfectly shucked and dressed with a soy-based sauce. While the umami flavor was nice, we enjoy them more of sea salt than MSG salt and probably wouldn’t order again.

For mains we had the pork and grilled white fish. They were simply prepared, but offered that fresh, wood-fired flavor as the rest of the menu. I’d read that on the previous menu, potatoes were a standout, so we tried our luck with their new ones. They were simply roasted and topped with a bright, pepper compote.

For dessert, we shared the only thing that apparently had not changed on the menu, French toast. Served with goat cheese ice cream, this funky dessert offered that salty/sweet/tangy combo that kept you coming back for more, even if you weren’t totally sure you were into it. Accompanied by a glass of port, it was the perfect end to a lovely evening.