Casa de Chá da Boa Nova

ortugal’s culinary strength lies in its restraint. Unlike neighbouring Spain or France, Portuguese cuisine doesn’t rely on elaborate sauces or theatrical plating. Its magic is elemental — fire, salt, smoke and sun. Now, those same elements are being refined into high art. At Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, a restaurant perched dramatically on the rocks near Porto, chef Rui Paula uses the ocean as both pantry and stage. Dishes arrive like whispers from the tide: sea bass with citrus foam, octopus charred over vine wood, seaweed tempura crisp as the breeze. The dining room opens directly onto the waves, blurring the boundary between nature and plate.