Palacete Severo: art and fine dining in historic Porto

Floating on my back and looking up at the shadowy tips of the trees and the warmly glowing windows of Palacete Severo, I can’t quite believe I’m taking a nighttime dip.

That morning, I had been standing on the tarmac waiting to board the aircraft beneath a gloomy grey sky in London. But in Porto there isn’t a cloud to be seen – and the hotel’s heated saltwater pool looked too inviting to miss swimming a few lengths before bed. It’s early March and no other guests have decided to brave it, so we have the entire garden to ourselves. Everything is quiet apart from the rustle of leaves and the gentle murmur of voices from the bar.

Why stay here?

Tucked away down a side street in Porto’s residential Cedofeita neighbourhood, Palacete Severo would be easy to walk right past if it weren’t for the attentive staff waiting to guide guests to the front door. The yellow-walled building peeping out from behind a curtain of crimson camellia trees doesn’t look like a hotel – at first glance it could be the elegant home of a wealthy resident.

For many years it was. The renowned Portuguese architect and engineer Ricardo Severo built the townhouse in 1902 for his Brazilian wife, Francisca Santos Dumont. It stayed in the family, slowly falling into disrepair over decades until the French art dealer Géraldine Banier bought the property and began the painstaking process of restoring the building to its former glory, transforming it into a luxury boutique hotel.

From the hand-painted azulejo tiles to the wooden panelling and ceiling frescoes, every effort has been made to preserve the architectural details and celebrate the building’s history. Look out for the immaculately restored original stained-glass windows, including one above the staircase, which is inscribed with the names Ricardo and Francisca.

The hotel has retained its residential feel with just 17 guest rooms split between the main building and a discreet modern addition across the garden, also home to the compact spa.

Designer Paulo Lobo is responsible for the beautiful interiors; rooms are pared back and spacious in calming neutral tones. Ours featured an enormous (and very comfy) bed with a rattan headboard, tasteful brass lamps, a plush green velvet armchair and a writing desk with views out over the camellia trees. Sliding glass doors lead into the marble-clad bathroom complete with a monsoon shower stocked with organic “8950” toiletries crafted from locally sourced figs, almonds and fennel.

Banier owns a contemporary art gallery in Paris and has turned the hotel into a second outpost; at every turn you’ll spot a painting or sculpture. One of the walls in our room was adorned with a striking ochre and saffron canvas by local artist Filipe Cortez. If something catches your eye, every piece on display is for sale, so you can take it home with you. Impressively, a curator changes the works every four months, and so you’re unlikely to see the same pieces twice.

Eating and drinking

Palacete Severo was relatively quiet when we visited in March, but the wood-panelled fine dining restaurant, Éon, had a buzzy atmosphere. Diners are in safe hands when it comes to the food; dishes are inspired by the early memories of talented head chef Tiago Bonito (who previously held a Michelin star at Largo do Paço). Each dish is expertly paired with a wine chosen by the knowledgeable and charming sommelier, Victor.

We kicked things off with a glass of white port (what else?) and a selection of delicious bite-sized morsels including mini pastry cases stuffed with trout and topped with dots of anchovy mayo, and Bonito’s playful take on Portugal’s favourite piri piri dish – a creamy chilli and lime filling sandwiched between two layers of crispy roast chicken skin. I could have eaten an entire plate of them.

Other stand-out dishes included delicate cubes of bluefin tuna served with a tangy Granny Smith apple ice cream and oyster emulsion; a consommé made from the heads of scarlet shrimp, dotted with drops of XO sauce; and a succulent piece of hook-caught hake with a heady pil pil sauce and a turnip head gel. Just when I was hoping for a bread roll to mop everything up, an entire bread course was served: sourdough and brioche rolls with extra virgin olive oil for dipping and three different butters. The final flourish came with the whimsical dessert – a tiny tree topped with candy floss, served with miniature churros, caramel and popcorn ice cream.

The bistro is a lovely laid-back setting for lunch; the glass-topped courtyard is decorated with pretty white-and-green tiles, and lush potted plants. Simple but tasty dishes span everything from truffle and mushroom linguine to veal loin with rustic potatoes and grilled tuna with malandrino “naughty” rice (a traditional Portuguese loose, soup-like rice dish with a similar texture to risotto). Breakfast is also served here. While you won’t find a buffet, guests are treated to a generous selection of bread rolls, pastries, cheeses, cured meats and fresh fruit, as well as a comprehensive menu of hot food including pancakes, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast.

Things to do

Days are easy to fill sipping cocktails in the bar, reading a book in the wood-panelled library or taking a dip in the outdoor pool. Just a few steps from the main building, past the 300-year-old wild chestnut tree, is the tranquil spa complete with a Himalayan salt room, Turkish bath and gym. Susanna, the warm and experienced therapist, is on hand to carry out an array of treatments; the hot candle wax massage soon dissolved my lingering knots of tension.

The hotel is a short cab ride or half-hour stroll into town (a word of warning: Porto is very hilly, so allow some extra time to pause and get your breath back). The sun-drenched streets are lined with colourful, crumbling houses – these dilapidated yet beautiful buildings are all part of Porto’s charm, adding to its unique and authentic atmosphere that is absent from many of Europe’s more polished cities.

It’s well worth spending an hour exploring the shady interiors of Porto Cathedral, marvelling at the chapel’s elaborate frescoes and blue-and-white tiled cloisters, and climbing the steps to the roof for spectacular views out across the city.

For more wonderful panoramas of the Douro river, nip over to Arco Das Verdades – a small, friendly wine bar with a decent selection of traditional Portuguese nibbles. And for those with a penchant for port (and even those without), it’s worth heading down to the water for a visit to one of the historic cellars. Sandeman offers an hour-long tour and tasting for €23 (£20). Before you leave, be sure to visit the scenic Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, where peacocks and chickens roam freely through the winding paths.

The verdict

Whether relaxation is your priority or you’re eager to soak up as much of Porto’s culture as possible, you would be hard-pressed to find a better spot than Palacete Severo. This is far from a glossy resort. With its thoughtful staff, stand-out food and surprising artworks at each turn, this unassuming yellow townhouse is much more special.

Irenie was a guest of Palacete Severo, palacetesevero.com