Built on Roman foundations and housed in a building dating from the 16th Century, Coimbra’s 100-year old Museu Nacional Machado de Castro (named after Portugal’s celebrated sculptor) has recently emerged from a four-year renovation by architect Gonçalo Byrne. Taking over multiple levels and designed to enhance the ornate religious collections it houses, the translucent backlit museum is remarkably hidden from the street. Inside, a glass-walled cube-like terrace bar commands breathtaking views over the storied university city comprising drab granite buildings spread over a hillside on the east bank of the Mondego river. The last of the renovation projects to launch, the eatery offers diners a three-course menu, which includes dishes such as cod au gratin - tender slices of Atlantic cod smothered in a creamy cheese and baked until golden brown - and a medieval-style duck à l’orange.
