Solar do Vinho do Porto

NileGuide Expert tip:

Arrive early to avoid the tour groups.

Description:

• Port wine connoisseurs and enthusiasts can indulge their passion at this upscale bar set within the serene 18th-century Palácio de Ludovice, at the top of the Elevador da Glória. Over 300 varieties of port are available to taste, by the glass or bottle, and visitors can sink into comfy, oversized chairs and sofas arranged under rustic, low-beamed ceilings while doing so. Specialist books and other publications about the wine are also on sale. The choice is overwhelming. Listed are dozens of different ruby, tawny and white port labels spanning 10 years to several decades. Reserve, late bottled vintage and vintage selections stand alongside more accessibly priced examples. The Solar do Vinho do Porto is run by the Port and Douro Wine Institute and the cellar is the most comprehensive in Lisbon, representing all producers. Service can sometimes appear stuffy, brusque almost. Ignore it! This is still the best place to savour the most emblematic of Portugal's wines.
  
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