Cais-me Bem: A Centuries-Old Love Story Behind Gaia’s New Restaurant

Source: New in Porto

During the Napoleonic Invasions, in the 19th century, Maria, a varina from Porto, and Louis, a French soldier, met on the banks of the Douro. Their love story serves as the starting point for the concept of the Origine Porto hotel and now extends to the restaurant Cais-me Bem, which draws from the same plot to tell it from another angle: food, scarcity, and the cultural heritage left by this encounter between two worlds.

Even the restaurant’s name comes from that idea of meeting. “Cais-me Bem” works as a play on words between the riverside cais, the expression “cai-me bem,” and the desire to create a comfortable place, designed to return to often, and not only for special occasions.

The restaurant opened in August 2025 with the hotel, but it remained in a maturation phase over the following months. After a discreet soft opening since late December, the official opening took place this Thursday, February 5. The intention was to consolidate the team, fine-tune the concept, and ensure the space had its own identity, independent of the hotel’s pace, and aimed above all at those who live in the city.

“We want to be a restaurant to come back to, not only for special days,” explains director Tiago Duarte. The concept is based on relaxed service, open throughout the day, with shareable dishes and prices that make it possible to return often. The wine list follows the same logic, with references from small producers, less commercial options, and price points that make it possible to have just a glass at the end of the afternoon.

If the hotel looks at the romantic side of the story between Maria and Louis, the restaurant prefers to focus on what happened next. The hunger caused by war, the products that arrived with the French invasions, the techniques brought from abroad, and the cultural expressions that are still part of Portuguese daily life today become narrative raw material. The result is Portuguese cuisine with French influence, but without fine dining formality and without the rigidity associated with that world.

Leading the menu is Ricardo Cardoso, who describes the concept as “a kitchen without tricks and without secrets, very Portuguese and full of flavor.” The chef’s background includes time with Vítor Matos’s team at Antiqvvm - shortly before it earned a Michelin star in 2016 - nearly a decade leading the kitchen at Barão Fladgate, in the Taylor’s cellars, and three years at the restaurant of Wine & Books Hotels Porto.

Despite that experience linked to high gastronomy, the menu seeks simplicity. The focus is on national products, seasonality, and a straightforward approach, with irreverent proposals within Portuguese tradition. Among the starters, highlights include the golden egg cooked at low temperature with alheira, Portuguese cabbage, and kataifi pastry (11€), shrimp fritters with parsley mayonnaise (13€), and wild prawns with garlic and fresh cilantro (14€).

In the flavors of the sea, there is oven-roasted octopus tentacle with seafood cassoulet (26€) and bacalhau à Brás with cured egg yolk (19€), as well as dishes designed for sharing, such as fish caldeirada or sea bass rice with clams and seaweed (42€).

From the land come piri-piri chicken with fries (22€), pork cheek with corn and mushrooms (24€), and sharing options like lamb shoulder roasted at low temperature (55€) or ribeye with creamy potato (48€). There are also vegetarian options, such as green tagliatelle with truffle sauce and almonds (16€) or tomato in tatin with crème fraîche (14€), as well as several classic sides.

The historical narrative continues into the desserts. Among them is “rota das ilhas” (8€), inspired by the Portuguese court’s escape to Brazil and the Atlantic crossing that brought new flavors to the table. The combination of pineapple, coconut, and aguardente works as the final chapter of the story that began in the French invasions, and translates into something sweet the meeting of geographies, cultures, and different times. The menu also includes proposals such as le feuilletine with hazelnut, chocolate, and Madeira banana (10€) or a vegan, gluten-free citrus tartlet (9€).

With around 40 seats, plus 20 on the terrace - when the weather allows -, the space is divided into three rooms with distinct atmospheres, where Portuguese colors, patterns, ceramics, and materials converse with French references. The décor reinforces the duality between local tradition and foreign sophistication present throughout the concept, always accompanied by the open view over the Douro and Porto.

Inspiration from the Portuguese varina is present in tapestries, tiles, tableware, floral arrangements, and even in the staff uniforms, which “symbolize local traditions.” The more refined facet, associated with the French soldier, appears in Art Déco elements, gold finishes, noble woods, and gold-plated accents.