Golden Catch – WOW: The Cultural District
Monica Tindall
Golden Catch is an excellent seafood restaurant in the main square of Wow: The Cultural District in Porto. Offering both alfresco dining and an air-conditioned glass-walled indoor area, it’s a terrific place to grab a meal between museum visits and for people-watching.
The outdoor section is covered by umbrellas and dotted with potted plants, placing diners in the centre of the square’s action. From here, you have incredible views of the ancient city of Porto and the happenings immediately in front of WOW: The Cultural District. The restaurant’s interior is decorated in a pale shade of navy blue, with light wood furnishings and gold accents. It’s as equally as inviting, and with a window seat offers similar views to the patio.
Golden Catch Menu
Golden Catch, as you might imagine, specialises in seafood. Situated on the Douro River, not far from the mouth of the sea, the kitchen has access to fresh fish, crustaceans, and all the wonders of the water caught just kilometres away. Even though the menu is seafood-focused, a variety of diners will be happy here. Vegetarians can order meat-free dishes from the neighbouring restaurant Root & Vine.
Aperitive
We started with a basket of dense, crusty bread (yum) with olive oil, tapenade and butter as companions. Local Port cocktails are a fab match. For something on the dryer side, Pale (EUR 9), made with Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port NV with tonic, is highly refreshing. Or, if you prefer something a little sweeter, Pink (EUR 9), a blend of Croft Pink Rosé Port NV with Aperol and soda water, is a great choice. Actually, we’re fans of Croft’s Rosé Port (EUR 4), nicely chilled all on its own. Give it a try!
Food Menu
Root & Vine’s Salad (EUR 9) is a fresh and nourishing place to start. It’s a vibrant bowl of cress, orange segments, cauliflower, quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower and poppy seeds. Packed with green goodness, it’s just what we needed to balance a month of gourmet travel. Vegetable Soup (EUR 5) was another healthy option. Croutons and chives added some crunch to the smooth cream, and a splash of Taylor’s Chip Dry with Port added a little depth of flavour.,
Golden Catch Mains
We finished the last drops of our cocktails with the starters and switched to a delicious local white wine for the mains. Niepoort Redoma Reserva 2021 DOC Douro is an elegant choice crafted from Rabigato, Códega, and Viosinho grapes. The aroma is fresh with citrus and apricot notes, complemented by minerality and a subtle smokiness. It offers crisp acidity, full texture, and a persistent finish – which could age quite well for several years. Its elegance and complexity made it a versatile match for hubby’s rich seafood stew and my light sole fish.
Cataplana (EUR 27), so named for the copper clam-shaped pot used for cooking, is seen around the country featuring any number of ingredients depending on the region. Here, seafood is the obvious choice, and this beauty featured the fish of the day (sea bass) with mussels, prawns, and coriander. It’s rich and filling but didn’t leave us feeling heavy.
My Sole (EUR 37) was delicious – meaty yet delicate! It’s a lovely, clean fish of high quality. Prepared simply, there was no need for excessive seasoning. On the other hand, the side of truffled mashed potatoes was decadent – smooth and creamy, with the earthy flavour of truffle. The plate was balanced with fresh veg – bimi broccoli, yellow carrots and pea sprouts.
Dessert
I was happy ending with the last few drops of wine, while hubby enjoyed a house-made scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream (EUR 2 per scoop).
Reasons to visit Golden Catch: lovely setting in the central square of WOW: The Cultural District; a great spot for people watching; excellent wine list; superbly fresh seafood; helpful staff; meat-free meals can be ordered from Root & Vine next door.
Golden Catch
Main Square of WOW: The Cultural District
Rua do Choupelo 39, 4400-088 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
+351 22 094 3803
wow.pt/menus/golden-catch
Golden Catch Opening Hours
Daily 12 pm – 11 pm
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I would love to try the Cataplana. Looks good.
Soup looks so darn good.
Coffee is on, and stay safe.
That floating fish lamp/structure thingy captured my attention!