Last year, on the final evening of a trip around Portugal, my husband and I sat on the completely sublime patio of the Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort, overlooking its soaring cliffs and luminescent, crashing waves. At dinner that night (and for the week prior, if I’m being honest) we’d eaten as much glorious seafood as our stomachs could hold. And as happy as we were in that moment, we were a little sad about leaving—already nostalgic for Portugal’s seafood, its joyful hospitality, and its singular, easygoing elegance.
Little did we know that a team was already working on an homage to that magical amalgam back home. Douro, Portland’s Eastern Waterfront newcomer from The Prentice Group (the folks behind Twelve and Evo, among others) is an ode to all the things that Portugal and Maine have in common.
That means, for starters, extraordinary seafood. Just steps inside, your first decision is whether to grab a seat at the sinuous bar and dive into a plate of chilled lobster with salmon roe or find a table off to the side and tuck into a plate of toast loaded with mussels, savory sofrito, and tangy escabeche.
In this airy and radiant main space, hanging greenery meets the indigo-and-white azulejo tiles Lisbon is famous for. In fact, the whole room is meant to evoke that city, whereas the dining room to the left—with its rustic prints and wildflower bouquets—nods instead to the countryside and beaches.
But it isn’t just seafood that Douro means to highlight as a Maine-Portugal commonality. The menu, courtesy of executive chef Colin Wyatt and chef de cuisine Jim Stein, focuses on Maine’s access to local farms and ingredients in general. So, expect glistening and tender piri-piri chicken alongside a stunning traditional cataplana for two—an absolute showcase of Maine’s best seafood in its own right.
But none of the above quite explains what sets Douro apart from many other Portuguese eateries in America, does it? There’s a final, more visceral element of Portugal that Douro weaves into the details of its service and design—from encouraging walk-ins at its bar starting early in the day and the heartfelt welcome from every staff member to its space overlooking our own harbor’s luminescent, crashing waves. The entire place is easygoing elegance come home. ▪️
