One family, three generations
The Porto was never just a restaurant. It is the home of a family – and of its guests.
First generation · 1984
Dona Alice lays the foundation
When Dona Alice took to the Porto’s stove in 1984, she cooked the way she had learned in Portugal: with true devotion, the best ingredients and no showmanship whatsoever. Her honest cooking and the warmth with which she welcomed every guest turned a brave new venture on Ditmar-Koel-Straße into an institution – and laid the foundation for today’s Portuguese quarter.
Second generation
Manuela and Carlos carry the house forward
Manuela and Carlos Vasconcelos took over the Porto from Dona Alice and ran it in her spirit: the founder’s recipes still on the menu – Bacalhau à Carlos and the Salada à Dona Alice among them –, the same refusal to compromise on quality, the same closeness to the guests. Carlos added his own great passion: Portuguese wine, to which the house owes its little wine shop next door and a list of more than 60 bottles.
Third generation · today
Melanie and Marc carry the story on
With Melanie and Marc, the third generation now stands in the family business – having grown up between kitchen, dining room and regulars who have known them since childhood. So the Porto remains what it has been since 1984: Hamburg’s oldest Portuguese restaurant, where guests are never just guests, but often become friends.
The Porto and its quarter
Hamburg has always been a meeting place for people from every corner of the world. The “gateway to the world” stood wide open, and its harbour brought sailors and workers to the Landungsbrücken piers – many of them from Portugal and Spain. Out of them grew the quarter between the Michel church and the harbour that everyone now simply calls the Portugiesenviertel.
When the Vasconcelos family opened the Porto here in 1984, it took courage. The spot was a little removed from the harbour scenery, in a quarter that was not exactly a prime address. Hard to imagine today: on Ditmar-Koel-Straße, now the artery of the quarter, there was no other Iberian restaurant at all.
To avoid closing after a short time like so many others, the whole family rolled up their sleeves. Everyone pitched in, and Dona Alice cooked with devotion. The honest cooking – authentic, fresh, no frills –, the cosy warmth and the unagitated hospitality of a family business soon made the rounds, so that the 60 seats filled more and more often, and with growing success the odd competitor moved into the Porto’s neighbourhood too.
The result is known today as the lively Portugiesenviertel between Michel and Landungsbrücken, where small shops, studios, pastelarias and restaurants keep adding to the colourful mix. The Porto was the first – and remains Hamburg’s oldest Portuguese restaurant.
The best quality for good food
Uncompromising quality is a given at the Porto. We use the advantage of having the wholesale markets for meat, vegetables, fruit and fish almost on our doorstep, so that absolutely fresh produce reaches the table every day. Long-standing suppliers have proven a stroke of luck – even though we still check and inspect every delivery.
Storage and, above all, preparation are constantly held to a strict eye. And our delight in the best food and drink doesn’t stop at the service: it is no hardship for us to take real pleasure in fulfilling our guests’ wishes.
You celebrate – we’ll do the rest
Looking for a different setting for a private birthday or an anniversary party? Want to treat your guests to tapas and wine, or a buffet of Portuguese specialities, at a small event or a company party?
Our friendly and flexible team is happy to help you make it happen. Give us a call or drop by after arranging an appointment. Together we will find the right ideas for your event.
