Vogue Café, Porto: The Restaurant Borne from a Magazine

Off the page.

Writer Leah Scott

Vogue Café, a restaurant licensed by media giant Condé Nast, offers chic decor and exquisitely plated dishes, appealing to guests who wish to step straight into the pages of a luxury magazine. Its installation in Porto is just one of the media company’s properties, with other Vogue Café locations in Kiev, Moscow, and Riyadh.

Nestled right at the center of Porto’s lively old town, the restaurant is divided into two main rooms, each with its own unique entrance. From the street, its gray stone exterior is rather unassuming, save for the trademark Vogue logo above the entrance. But when you step inside, you are transported into another world, one of soft light, striking black and white patterns, and Paolo Lobo’s visually entrancing design. The sleek, backlit bar is the nucleus of this casual-yet-classy area, which is adorned with iconic photos from past issues of Vogue.

Vogue magazines on the wall at Vogue Cafe in Portoi

The casual-yet-classy area, which is adorned with iconic photos from past issues of Vogue.

If you enter through the Infante Sagres—one of Porto’s oldest luxury properties, designed by architect Rogério de Azevedo—the sensory experience is amplified. Once inside the foyer, a concierge directs you to an elegant lobby flanked by intricate stained glass, marble-paneled walls and ornate, coffered wood ceilings; natural light floods through a row of wide windows framed in elaborate wrought iron. A corridor leads you from the lobby to a large, high-ceilinged room, replete with plush red velvet sofas and finely set tables. Across the room, a wall-length mirror extends the space two-fold, boasting the same characteristic Vogue logo.

Mere steps away from Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage area, the building exudes a potent temporal contrast, placing you plumb in the present moment. A stunning plant-laden patio connects the restaurant to the hotel’s main structure, and while quietly sipping a refreshing beverage in this liminal space you realize that you are hovering between the antique and the modern, surrounded by both neo-baroque architecture and trendy, Instagram-ready design.

A stunning plant-laden patio connects the restaurant to the hotel’s main structure.

While Vogue has centered on fashion since its inception in 1892, its evolution into the realm of gastronomy makes sense: haute couture and haute cuisine both require masterful technique, endless creativity and innovation, and a savvy understanding of metamorphic trends. Vogue’s emphasis on visual beauty translates perfectly to the restaurant scene, ensuring that the entire dining experience—from the ambiance to the meal itself—captures that enduring air of glamour and allure.

If you find yourself wandering the charming streets of Porto, Vogue Café is an excellent stop for artful cocktails, sumptuous starters, and expertly crafted courses. And for a bite on a late weekend morning, the brunch menu is especially enticing, offering a wide variety of indulgent treats, from perfectly-poached eggs benedict to wholesome breakfast bowls. Oscillating between past, present, and future, Vogue Café has captured the essence of savoring life in style.