#70 | Curioso, Porto, Portugal
Last Visit: Winter 2024
My two favorite bars from Porto, Portugal we have already covered. Two very different concepts that complement each other well: Flor and The Royal Cocktail Club. Aside from that there will always be intriguing new openings along that entire Portuguese coast, be that in the capital or in Porto itself. Today's bar, Curioso, is how I expect the vast majority of 'Craft Cocktail' bars in Portugal to be. A decent experience, that lacks in complexity and understanding of mixology on the highest level.
Which doesn't have to be a bad thing. If all you are looking for is a fun bar, with fun garnishes and easy drinks in a convenient location, Curioso might be perfect.
Copyright: Curioso
Royal Cocktail Club comes up as the main bar for tourists, due to its location and well placed marketing. Flor is a bit more hidden, geared towards the hotel guest and locals looking for something more quiet. Curioso featured just as many tourists as locals, as it's one of the bars that is locally known through awards, but also well represented on your typical sites and Google Maps.
It's a neatly designed space with multiple levels, taking advantage of the narrow house on a winding shopping street, down from Flores, where Flor is, towards the water. The decor I would describe as somewhat fantastical, without ever being too over the top, picking up a typical 'tropical theme' mixed with other 'oriental' notes as they call it, meaning a bit of Asia, the middle east, and so on. Personally the atmosphere worked better for me than something like Torto, which is loud, intentionally dirty and uninviting for serious drinks. This feels like a true passion project, and is at least authentic in that regard.
Professor
| Mezcal
| Cola
| Chili Amaro
| Lime
| Wasabi-Apple Foam
A fun list of ingredients, I was hoping for the Mezcal to be the star of this show. It ended up reminding me of a Fentimans Cola (which might very well have been an ingredient). Herbal and just slightly spicy but less culinary (compared to our two other bars mentioned), the drink leaves a dry, not so pleasant, aftertaste. The entire combination gives it a minty impression, some might say almost reminiscent of toothpaste. There are sparkly, bubbly textures probably through the cola, so it's supposed to play with these contrasts, but this is one of those drinks that would have been better with less gimmicks and more room for ingredients.
Uisce Beatha
| Jameson Black Barrel
| Suze
| Mancino Bianco Vermouth
| Ameixa
A light nose for such a 'strong drink', intense notes of vermouth come through, but not necessarily interesting ones. The Whiskey feels very hidden mirroring the experience with the Mezcal from my first drink. Subtle plum, which Ameixa is a local type of, comes through as honey, and over time a lot more herbal notes from the Suze and Vermouth which form the core taste. For people who want something just a bit stronger than a typical aperitivo, this feels like a drink you could also get in a better restaurant accompanying a menu selection.
Speaking of menus, while we don't have access to the menu back from our visit, the current iteration consists of several categories and offers a selection of over 19 drinks, not including some all-time classics where they add little riffs or use specific brands on purpose. A more than solid selection, while many modern bars compress their menus to just 10 drinks plus 1-2 specials. They also proudly present their bar snack selection on their social media profiles, from fried sea food to great looking dumplings & hummus. It's always cool to have something more elaborate than just your olives & chips.
I never had any reason to complain about the service, although you don't really interact much with the bar team. With a menu focused on cocktails and not just wines and such, I would have loved a little more attention in that regard and some more depth in the flavours. Prices were and are more than fair for what you are getting, although, as we have already talked about before, they will always be measured against the price of even more affordable wine in Portugal and need to compete in a place like this. If you spend more than a weekend in Porto and want to go to a few more bars, then Curioso could be a pleasant choice, especially since recent photos online suggest that certain details like textures and garnishes have been improved.
Cheers,
/jf
Excerpts from the most recent menu (click for original size):
