On board the chic new sailing through Portugal's Douro Valley
But who cares when I'm heading for a short taster cruise down the fabulously winding, port-packed Douro River on a swish new ship with a difference. The Estrela is the first vessel on the river operated by the Australian company APT and it switches between itineraries, offering both all-inclusive luxury cruises and more budget-friendly journeys under its four-star Travelmarvel brand. The latter are designed to appeal to those who want to enjoy all the Douro's attractions but aren't looking for door-to-door cosseting.
On a five-star APT trip it's a hedonistic whirl of oysters, champagne, sorbet palate cleansers between delicious four-course dinners, espresso martinis on tap, and 'insider' experiences, including lunches in barrel-lined port house cellars. On a Travelmarvel cruise the menu is simpler — but still includes Portuguese specialities such as caçoila, a hearty beef stew and, of course, flaky pasteis de nata custard tarts. There are soft drinks, beers and local wine during lunch and dinner, and while there's an excursion each day, some trips have to be paid for. But the ship and the terrific crew, mainly from Vietnam and Myanmar, are the same and the itineraries only slightly different.
The sleek Estrela, painted matt taupe rather than the traditional gleaming white to blend in with its surroundings, is the usual giant floating shoebox because there's only so much you can do to customise a river cruise ship sailing through the narrow locks and under the low bridges of European rivers. This one can accommodate 116, has a laid-back, airy feel and decor that's a pleasing riff on a Mediterranean beach house, with lots of pale stone, wicker furniture, blond wood and natural linens; I love the elongated raffia lampshade and sawn-off tree trunk bedside tables in my stateroom, as well as the picture window whose top half glides down to the halfway point at the push of a button to create a French balcony.
Having just one restaurant keeps things simple and there's a small lounge at the front of the ship for late breakfasts and light lunches. There's no spa or gym on board, so I have a great excuse to just unwind on sailing days. When the sun finally shows I hang out on the top deck, home to a pool that's the largest on the Douro (although it's still pretty dinky) and, true to its Aussie heritage, a sunken barbecue and bar.
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Golfers desperately missing their tee times can take aim on a mini three-hole putting green, but I'm happy just to get comfortable on one of the many squishy sunloungers, perfectly positioned to take in the view of endless sheer-sided gorges and 50-shades-of-green terraced hillsides planted with vineyards, as well as the succession of dams and locks en route.
These were built on the orders of the Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar in the late 1960s, designed to tame the river and generate hydroelectric power for northern Portugal, and to my mind they're just as impressive as the landscape. On our way to Regua we pass through the big daddy of them all, the cathedral-like Carrapatelo, the deepest lock in Europe, lifting boats a whopping 35 metres. It's an incredible feat of engineering and it's enormous fun to watch the whole process, boggling at what a tight fit our ship is as we squeeze through.
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From Regua we board a coach to Quinta da Pacheca, an 18th-century estate that's a minnow in port production terms, producing 600,000 bottles a year compared with 12 million at the more well-known Sandeman, but brilliantly innovative: guests can stay overlooking the vineyards in glamping pods designed to look like huge wine barrels, take jeep tours through the vines and wallow in a red grape bath in the spa.
Our guide for the morning is more sanguine than me about another downpour: 'It's fine if it rains now, we just need good weather for the vines from the end of May.' We're ushered indoors to see the lagares, huge stone vats in which grapes are still crushed by foot. At the tasting afterwards, there's an introduction to fresh and fruity pink port, the great hope of the port industry and designed for cocktails, although my pick is the luscious, chilled 30-year-old tawny, perfect with cheese. (I'm also alarmed to be told that the bottle of young vintage ruby port I bought last year and has been languishing in my fridge needs to be chucked away: it should have been drunk within three days.)
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Sadly I'm not able to experience the whole itinerary; the Estrela will usually sail across the border into Vega de Terron for a day trip to golden sandstone Salamanca, Spain's most famous university town, and a flamenco show before heading back via the village of Barca d'Alva, followed by a visit to the baroque Mateus Palace and its glamorous garden. I'm gutted not to have a nostalgic sip of the slightly fizzy pink staple of 1970s dinner parties (and Saddam Hussein's favourite wine), but apparently although the palace provided the classic image that adorns Mateus Rosé bottles, the wine wasn't actually produced there.
Instead, the highlight of our return trip is a night-time cruise through Porto when the bridges, including the city's main landmark, the extraordinary iron double-deck arch Dom Luís I, built by a student of Gustave Eiffel, are extravagantly lit up and the weather plays ball. Up on the top deck, the scenery stuns and the port flows. Life on board the Estrela is as smooth as the Douro itself.Julia Brookes was a guest of APT Touring, which has eight nights — seven all-inclusive on board and one B&B in Madrid — from £4,795pp, including flights and transfers on a Madrid to Porto sailing (aptouring.com)
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Area: Chiado Website: Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Liberta Kitchen Liberta Kitchen entices with its affordable Italian cuisine from talented Chef Silvio Armanni, whose product-driven menu draws on the best seasonal ingredients from both Portugal (think beef from the Azores, clams from the Algarve) and his home country (polenta from Rovetto, olives from Sicily, flatbread from Sardinia) to ensure you return and return. Not to be missed are his home-made meat ravioli, casoncelli alla Bergamasca, with pancetta, sage, brown butter and parmesan. Las dos Manos Situated right opposite one of Lisbon's scenic points, or miradouros, this Mexican restaurant fused with Japanese touches proves as much of an attraction with its dazzling turquoise tiles and mural of Frida Kalho as the view opposite of the capital's red-roofs. 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With its small wooden tables, brass lamps and dim lighting and its menu, mostly untouched over the decades, this offers a glimpse of a Portugal from yesteryear. Famous for its meat croquettes and steaks, with home-made, crunchy, French fries. Area: Bairro Alto Website: Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Best for fine dining Feitoria Feitoria is found right on the banks of the River Tagus in historical Belém, where the great Portuguese explorers set sail. This gourmet restaurant, with a gold Nanban panel at its entrance, pays homage to the spices found on those journeys, weaving them through the menu. Chef Andre Cruz serves two tasting menus based on roots and leaves, each paired with a vegetarian option. Wine pairing is expertly done with little known gems from around the country. 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Don't miss the scarlet shrimp with pumpkin, harissa and black garlic. Sala by João Sá João Sá displays his passion for the ocean in his sublime tasting menus. Here you find the typical Portuguese flavours of caldo verde soup reimagined into a clear broth, or clams à bulhão pato encased in a bite-sized tartlette. The small and charming restaurant sits near the waterfront, in an area with a rich multcultural history. João also pays homage to his Angolan heritage and the culinary melting pot of his beloved Lisbon. Belcanto A must if you want to understand the nuances of Portuguese cuisine, the traditions that the country holds close and the flavours they hold even closer. Here you will feel the Lisbon light that reflects off the Tagus River, the pull of the sea woven through the DNA of the people and you will taste Chef José Avillez's signature dishes over the years from The Garden of the Goose that laid the golden eggs to his suckling pig with orange peel purée. 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Basically, it is worth joining the inevitable queue at the door. Area: Chiado Contact: @tabernadasflores; 00351 21 347 9418 Prices: £ Reservations: Walk-ins only A Cevicheria No reservations are taken here, which often means a queue at the door, but they do serve drinks through the hatch while you are waiting. Highly recommended is their Pisco Sour. Once inside, in a small restaurant, dominated by a large (model) octopus suspended from the ceiling, try the shrimp ceviche with sweet potato, the potato causita with Algarvian prawns or anticuchos of black pork belly with roasted octopus. An intoxicating blend of Portugal and Peru. JNcQUOI Delibar Avenida The perfect place to drop in when you decide to treat yourself on a whim or want a fun catch up with a friend, this is tucked under their main restaurant. Start with a signature martini (Absolut Elyx, passion fruit and chilli) before ordering oysters or a lobster hot dog, a truffled beef tartare or a selection of Portugal's best cheeses. Save room to indulge in their creamy tiramisu and ice-cream, it is worth it. Area: Avenida da Liberdade Website: Prices: £££ Reservations: Essential How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Mary Lussiana I have lived in southern Portugal for over 20 years. When in Lisbon, you can find me chatting with the chef at the latest culinary hotspot, checking out a new rooftop bar or sampling the newest hotel on the block.
