Torel 1884 Hotel

Porto, Portugal

Lisbon may be the glamour girl of Portuguese city breaks but her bohemian little sister, Porto, is finally sashaying into the limelight – and rightly so. Intimate and arty, cooled by the Duoro River splashing against the docks and with winding medieval steps beckoning from every street corner, the city feels as if it was designed with early autumn strolls in mind. Located five minutes from the riverfront area of Ribeira and one minute from Rua das Flores’ boutiques, Torel 1884 has all the warmth and privacy of a local’s home, albeit one with a superior art collection.

Mother-daughter duo Nano Design have transformed this 19th-century palace into a hip haven without losing its historic elegance. The renovation wittily contrasts original features such as granite lintels with contemporary art by some of Porto’s biggest names – we particularly love the entrance hall where João Pedro Rodrigues’ nymphs and gargoyle sculptures battle it out from opposing walls. All 12 bedrooms reflect the spirit of Portuguese explorers: ‘Porcelain’ nods to Asia through blue and white fabrics and a canopied bed, ‘Solomon’ has woven baskets and a hot tub, while ‘Tobacco’ is furnished in natural, earthy hues. Bartolomeu Bistro serves sharing platters and an all-Portuguese wine list, although if you’re after a tipple, the honesty bar in the library is our pick: what could be more convivial than savouring local port and listening to vinyl under its glass- domed ceiling?

Doubles from £150. 00 351 226 001 783, torelboutiques.com

Words by Imogen Lepere.

This review was taken from the October 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.