Palacete Severo

Character and identity

Set behind century-old chestnut trees in the residential calm of Boa Vista, Palacete Severo occupies a yellow-walled early-20th-century mansion built as an exemplary "Portuguese house," complete with exterior staircase, loggia, hand-painted ceilings, stucco work and Antoni Rigalt stained glass. Twenty rooms split between the original palacete and a modern garden wing, all designed by Paulo Lobo. The Bar doubles as a working gallery hung with art rotated quarterly from Géraldine Banier's Perspective Gallery. Éon, the intimate gourmet restaurant, and a more relaxed Bistro are both led by Michelin-starred chef Tiago Bonito. Service feels like a well-staffed private home.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this place apart is the combination of lived-in historic house, rotating contemporary art and a genuinely accomplished kitchen, an experience nothing else in Porto currently offers. Spend up on a room in the original building for the stuccoed ceilings and stone balconies, book Éon with the wine pairing, and consider a treatment with Susana while you're at it.