DOC: A Compelling Douro Restaurant

While planning my trip to the Douro region, a friend highly recommended that I dine at DOC Folgosa Restaurant, stating that it was, "One of the best tasting menus I have enjoyed in years." I did some additional research on the restaurant, and it certainly was enticing so I made dinner reservations. DOC ended up being one of my top dining experiences in Portugal, and I also cannot recommend it enough to anyone visiting the Douro region. What an amazing dinner!

On the evening of our reservation, our driver took us from our hotel to the restaurant, and most of the Douro was shrouded in darkness, with tiny lights visible sporadically in the mountains. You gained a sense of the isolation of the homes and wineries in the mountains, as well as a sense of serenity and great views of the sky. 

DOC, located in the village of Folgosa, is owned by famed Chef Rui Paula, and he opened it, with his brother Pedro, in 2007. He would open additional restaurants as well, including DOP in Porto and Casa da Cha da Boa Nova in Leça da Palmeira (which was awarded 2 Michelin stars). DOC is an acronym for “Degustar Ousar Comunicar” which essentially translates as “Taste, Dare, Communicate”. The cuisine is contemporary Portuguese with a modern and inventive flair. 

At the restaurant, the dining room was full and we sat on the terrace patio overlooking the Douro River. It was a relatively mild night, and there were heaters on the patio so it was comfortable. When the restaurant started to clear out, they offered to seat us inside, but we were fine on the terrace and remained there for our entire dinner. 

Inside the restaurant, and visible from our table on the terrace, there was a large screen which provided a live stream of the kitchen. A fascinating perspective, and a rarity among the restaurants I've ever visited.  

DOC is open for both lunch and dinner. For dinner, they have three Tasting Menus available, each for 120 Euros, as well as an A la Carte menu. The Tasting Menus include the Essence, Signature and Vegetarian, each with seven courses, including 3 Starters, 2 Mains, and 2 Desserts. An optional Wine Pairing of 7 wines is available for an additional 90 Euros. The A la Carte menu has about 18 Starters (19-34 Euros), 9 Mains (38-40 Euros, with a couple more expensive dishes for 2 people), and 8 Desserts (15.50-16.50 Euros). 

The restaurant allows each guest to select a different Tasting Menu, rather than forcing the entire table to order the same menu. So, we opted for the Essence and Signature tasting menus, and I added the Wine Pairing for the Signature menu. This allowed us to share the various dishes, so we actually ended up sampling 14 different courses. I took very few notes during dinner as I was simply enjoying everything, each dish offering such a delicious blend of flavors and textures. I also thoroughly enjoyed nearly all of the paired wines, with only one wine being too oaky for my own preferences. 

I began the dinner with a glass of 2014 Cattier Champagne RP, which was created in a partnership with Chef Paula. It was delicious, dry and complex, with elements of apple, pear and brioche. A fine way to begin the evening.

We also ordered an additional wine by the glass, the 2021 Unlocked Siria, which is made from 100% Siria, an indigenous Portuguese grape I've never tasted before. An intriguing wine, with stone fruit flavors, spice notes, and some herbality. 

My Wine Pairings included: 

• 2022 Covela Natur White Wine: Excellent
• 2019 Paulo de Tebas White Wine: Too oaky for my preferences.  
• 2021 Quinta dos Avidagos White Grande Reserve: Excellent. My favorite white.
• 2019 Quinta do Pessegueiro Red Wine: Elegant and delicious, 
• 2018 Quinta de Ceis Old Vines Red Wine: Also elegant and delicious. My favorite red.
• NV A Laranja Mecanica White Wine : Like an orange wine. Excellent 
• Calem Tawny Port 40 Years Old: Superb. 

Dinner began with a loaf of warm, fresh bread with a nice, crusty exterior and a soft, slightly chewy interior. I love warm, fresh bread so, to me, this is always a great way to start a dining experience.

We then received a "Chef's Welcome" course, an amuse bouche, a dish of Corn different ways, with a Shrimp Slider. A fun way to begin, and the sliders were especially tasty.

For the first course of the Essence menu: Burrata, tomatoes and olives. Not a traditional plating, but the ingredients were fresh and delicious, and was more complex than a traditional plating.

For the first course of the Signature menu: Foie gras, pear and nuts. Silky foie, enhanced by the crunchy nuts and taste of pear.

For the second course of the Essence Menu: Sea bass and mushrooms. This was basically Sea bass tartare, which was silky smooth, with a citrus accent, and fresh, thin and slightly earthy mushrooms. Delicious!  

For the second course of the Signature menu: Smoked eel, Pata Negra smoked ham and dates. I loved this dish, especially as I like eel. Smoky, salty, and meaty, with a touch of sweetness.  

For the third course of the Essence Menu: Eggs cooked at low temperature and Alheira Sausage. This intriguing dish has a hidden egg, and you are supposed to break the yolk and then mix up the dish. Such an amazing taste, with the sausage and egg, like a highly elevated breakfast dish.  

For the third course of the Signature: Scallop and green curry. Tender, sweet scallop with an intense and flavorful curry sauce. 

For the fourth course, a Main, of the Signature menu: Sea bass, cauliflower, and mussel. Such fresh tasting seafood, presented in a creative manner.

For the fourth course, a Main, of the Essence menu: Grilled Octopus with infusion of EVOO and garlic. Superb! Such extremely tender octopus, with a delicious meaty taste with hints of the sea. One of the best octopus dishes I've enjoyed this year. 

For the fifth course, a Main, of the Signature menu: Crispy Suckling Pig with galette potatoes and sautéed vegetables. It was like delicious pork belly, with a very crispy skin and silky fat and flavorful pork. 

For the fifth course, a Main, of the Essence Menu: Baby lamb, raisin couscous and Romesco sauce

The lamb was excellent, tender and flavorful, perfectly prepared. Both meat mains were so compelling. 

For the first dessert of the Essence Menu: Citrus Eclair. A nice blend of textures, with sweet citrus accents.

For the first dessert of the Signature menu: Apple and celery.

For the second dessert of the Signature: Ruby brûlée, raspberry and roses.

For the second dessert of the Essence Menu: Chocolate and coffee pie.

Finally, we received some cookies as a parting gift.

Service was professional and excellent, with multiple servers attending to us during the course of the dinner. The courses were spaced out so you didn't feel rushed. The food was creative, well balanced and absolutely delicious. And the wines were generally excellent as well. I was thoroughly impressed and it fully lived up to my high expectations. Highly recommended!