'I went to the world's most beautiful McDonald's but the shine quickly wore off'
When I'm on holiday, McDonald's isn't typically on the itinerary, unless I'm tight on time and trying to grab something quick and easy amidst sightseeing.
However, on a recent city break to Porto the fast food restaurant was one of the top items on my list of must-visits, because the Portuguese city is home to what's been dubbed the 'world's most beautiful McDonald's'. I'd seen it all over my social media feeds, and knew I wanted to go and check it out to see if it lived up to the hype.
After all, I was promised glitzy chandeliers, amazing Art Deco interiors, and a setting that wouldn't be out of place in a film set. The restaurant is located in a former café, and McDonald's kept most of the original features when it first opened its doors in the 1990s. (It's not quite as lively as the one that boasts a DJ until 4am).
When I arrived at the McDonald's Imperial, things were already promising as the entrance alone feels quite grandiose. There's a huge statue of an eagle and a large brass sign reading 'McDonald's' as you walk up towards the door.
Once inside, it was quite impressive to look at. The shimmering chandeliers and the huge Art Deco artwork on the wall behind the counter are pretty eye-catching, and like most of the tourists around me, I quickly whipped out my phone to film some of the interiors.
However, the shine quickly wears off. The restaurant appears to be quite big when you walk in, but it's actually because the walls are covered in huge mirrors. The actual amount of seating available is quite limited.
Rather than a film set, I felt more like we were in a theme park as we had to join the throng trying to get to the kiosks to order their food. We were lucky enough to bag ourselves a table, but I did see a few people circling for a while. I was concerned that we might end up waiting ages for food, but it all arrived fairly promptly.
While the decor is beautiful, the furniture itself is just bog standard McDonald's; perfectly fine, but definitely felt a little jarring compared to the interiors. Unsurprisingly everyone is taking photos and videos, so it can feel a little chaotic as you try and get from counter to table, and we definitely felt that we were in a tourist spot.
Still, it's not surprising that it's a hit with visitors as the eatery boasts a brilliant central location right by heaps of Porto's main attractions including the Livraria Lello (a beautiful bookshop that looks like something out of Harry Potter), the beautiful Sao Bento station, and the Douro River which is about a 15-minute walk away. (FYI: No doubt because of the crowds and central location, if you want to use the loos you'll need to buy food in order to get a toilet door code).
One major perk of the whole experience for me was that while we don't have gluten-free meals in the UK (sort it out McDonald's please), I was genuinely excited to see that there was a full gluten-free menu on offer in Porto. That meant that for the first time since being diagnosed, I could actually have a Big Mac and it was absolutely glorious. (You'll just need to head to the counter for a member of staff to take the order as you can't order it yourself at the kiosk).
While I'm not going to start chasing down every pretty McDonald's in the world, I've since been assured that if I head to Rome, I should add the Piazza Di Spagna restaurant on my list; apparently it has marble walls, fountains and statues. So I guess that's my next adventure sorted!
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