Raiva Restaurant – Octant Douro Hotel
Monica Tindall
Located in the picturesque Douro Valley, Raiva restaurant honours the traditions and produce found along the iconic Douro River. Despite its name being rooted in the Portuguese word for “anger,” fear not, for the chef and his team are anything but! The emotion of the word lies in their passion for crafting innovative dishes, seeking to infuse classic recipes with a fresh perspective, and is also a nod to the name of the region in which the hotel lies.
Headed by Chef Dárcio Henriques, a seasoned culinary expert with a wealth of experience, Raiva brings a seamless blend of local heritage and European creativity to the table. Chef Dárcio’s journey, from Portugal to renowned establishments worldwide, has left a string of recognitions including MICHELIN stars and mentions. With his arrival at Octant Douro, Chef Dárcio is dedicated to redefining Douro cuisine by blending tradition and local ingredients with modern European creativity.
Raiva takes diners on a journey through the most important eno-gastronomy region in the world, the Douro Valley. From its source in Spain to its mouth in Portugal, the Douro is home to diverse climates and landscapes, giving rise to a wide range of delicious foods and wines. The menu celebrates this bounty by featuring traditional dishes, wines and a creative use of produce found along the river’s path.
Elevated on the river bank, a seat on the patio offers views of the winding river and is especially pretty at sunset. Otherwise, the indoors offers controlled temperatures, white-clothed tables with candles and floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors so views are still accessible.
Raiva Menu
The Raiva Menu entices with a choice of à la carte options, showcasing Portuguese and Spanish recipes, or a Tasting Menu, inspired by Chef Dárcio’s cherished childhood memories (7 moments -EUR 105, 8 moments -EUR 125). Wine enthusiasts can include expertly curated wine pairings, ranging from the Octant Douro (EUR 50) to a Premium Pairing (EUR 150). We leave the selection in Bernardo Pinho’s capable hands with the Sommelier’s Choice (EUR 90).
Amuse Bouche
Like a spring garden, the amuse bouche is on a plate rimmed with fresh blooms and leaves. The first of the trio is beef tartare sandwiched between fine crunchy mini toasts with black lumpfish eggs on top. The next, a beetroot pillow, is charged with fresh cream and smoked salmon and sprinkled with mushroom dust. Finally, a simple vol-au-vent filled with chickpea hummus doesn’t offer much flavour on its own but instead spreads the richer notes of the other two around the palate.
Raiva Bread
We’ve learned that in finer restaurants in Portugal, bread is served purposely, as its own course and is worth going an extra few miles for (either on the treadmill or to reach the destination). Raiva’s Homemade Bread and Smoked Butter is no exception. Not one, but two loaves are presented alongside a small tower of smoked paprika butter and local olive oil from Vallegre Douro. The first loaf is light and fluffy with a nice crisp crust. The second is quite dense in contrast, similar in texture to an Aussie damper, filled with seeds and cereal.
Stuffed Tomato
Attractive plating continues with the starter, Stuffed Tomato. It’s a beautiful, red, plump, sous-vide beefsteak tomato holding a filling of cool tomato sorbet, creamy buffalo mozzarella and aged balsamic vinegar. It sits in a pond of tomato liquid with basil oil, reminding us of a classic caprese salad, only much fancier. The first wine pairing, Maynard’s White Extra Dry Port, serves to excite the palate and, at the same time, provides a fresh fruitiness to balance the acidity in the tomato course. It’s great with food but could also serve as an aperitif all on its own.
Octopus Salad
A small white plate acts as a canvas for rounds of octopus leg interspersed with frisée lettuce in the Octopus Salad. The salad is neatly balanced atop a bed of potato and green beans and surrounded by dots of pink and coriander green sauces.
A lovely light bubbly, La Volée Rosé Brut Sparkling 2021, is pale salmon in colour, more Provence in hue than Portugal. It offers plentiful fruit on the nose with strawberry dominance. Like most sparkling from this region, it’s made using the traditional method offering a fine mousse and persistent conclusion. Once more, the pairing serves two purposes. The first is to cleanse the palate, and the second is to balance the octopus with dryness and acidity.
Poached Atlantic Sea Bass
Poached Atlantic Sea Bass is soft and wet with a nice saltiness of the sea. White cauliflower puree is a compatriot in the colour palette, and trout eggs and elderflower pickle add a light acidity to the profile balancing the creamy beurre blanc that is poured over tableside.
Sommelier Bernardo describes the 2018 Douro DOC, Quinta S. Bernardo White wine pairing as “breakfast in Paris”. It’s aromatic with buttered toast on the nose and super smooth in the mouth. While there is substance to the palate and a hint of vanilla, it sports a fresh lingering finish – mirroring the butter sauce and slicing through it simultaneously.
Lamb Loin
When asked for literary inspiration to describe the Lamb Loin, hubby’s help was, “Oh my god, it’s just so delicious.” So, yes, it was darn tasty and elegant at the same time. The meat, perfectly cooked, dark on the edges and pink in the middle, was rolled in a crust of aromatic herbs and fine bread crumbs. It’s partnered with roasted celeriac puree, green peas, onions and sea salt. Lastly, just a splash of Port wine reduction (taking two days to make) is poured on top – just a touch – and the remainder in the jug is left for adding to pleasure. Quinta do Fojo, 2016 Douro is an excellent wine match for the lamb. Consistently scoring over 90 points with wine critics, it provides a good balance of structure, acidity, tannins, elegance, complexity and a delightfully persistent finish.
Pre Dessert
All fine diners know that there is never just one dessert. This style of dining is a dream for the sweet tooth. Having lost my fondness years back, we often ask for just one of each of the typical trio of sweet conclusions (pre-dessert, dessert and petit fours). However, the tart acidity and herbal layer of the green apple, basil and extra dry Port sorbet make me glad I don’t have to share. Bernando delivers the “gift”, telling us that it will cleanse the palate, allowing us to fully participate in the chocolate experience that is dessert.
Before dessert, Bernando is back with a four-litre bottle of Maynard’s 20-year-old Tawny Port. He reports he wanted something special for Octant Douro, so he purchased all of the barrels of the 10, 20, 30 and 40-year-old vintages, so if you like it, you have to come back here to get it.
Raiva Dessert
The Chocolate Tart with Douro Hazelnut is, of course, exceptionally well made. A spoon is enough for me, considering I now have a glass of Octant Douro’s sweet nectar in my hand. Hubby, on the other hand, who loves to chime in with “we don’t eat dessert”, has polished off both his and mine. We’re a “zero waste” team.
Reasons to visit Raiva: beautiful views over the Douro River; knowledgeable and helpful service team fluent in several languages; a celebration of produce and wine from the river’s origins to its mouth.
Raiva
Octant Douro
Estrada Nacional 222 km 41, 4550-631 Castelo de Paiva, Portugal
+351 255 690 160
https://douro.octanthotels.com/en/raiva-restaurant
Raiva Opening Hours
Daily: Breakfast & Dinner
Find more recommendations for gourmet travel in Portugal here and stay up-to-date with our latest gourmet travel finds here and here.
A touch of class…