As part of its head-to-toe design overhaul - which included the addition of 50 rooms and suites earlier this year - hotel Pestana Vintage Porto just unveiled a marquee restaurant: Rib Beef & Wine, a stylish steakhouse that is hoping to lure more locals to the Ribeira, the riverfront neighbourhood of touristy eateries and the embarkation point for many of the Douro River cruises.
To do that, Rib, which is housed on the ground floor of one of the centuries-old homes that Pestana Vintage occupies, foregoes typical Portuguese visual flourishes in favour of a contemporary decor scheme dreamed up by Cristina Matos, a Lisbon-based designer whose portfolio includes Lx Boutique Hotel and Pestana Alvor South Beach in the Algarve. Eyes are immediately drawn to the graphic palm tree wallpaper that covers most of the restaurant. Surprisingly, it complements the contrasting textures found throughout such as the bright blue chairs, the black-and-white plaid carpeting in the private dining area and the studded leather panels on the bar.
Most of the furnishings are auction-sourced vintage and then restored specifically for the project, like the Midcentury Modern chairs in the private dining room that were reupholstered in tweed. They orbit around a custom-made table on which to enjoy award-winning Portuguese chef Rui Martins’ meaty dishes such as a 14-month-old smoked Cecina and Black Angus Tomahawk steak.
ADDRESS
Praça da Ribeira 1
-
The 2025 British Pavilion in Venice offered up a Geology of Britannic RepairThe 2025 British Pavilion in Venice is curated by an Anglo-Kenyan team of architects and designers; titled 'GBR: Geology of Britannic Repair', it explores the landscape of colonialism, its past, present and futures
-
A Venice sneak peek into the new Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean NouvelA new home for Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean Nouvel will open later this year in Paris; in the meantime, the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 offered the perfect platform for a sneak preview of what's to come
-
Let's go outside: ten outdoor furniture ranges we loveOur round-up of outdoor furniture brings together work by leading designers and studios, blending contemporary forms with enduring materials designed to elevate open-air living
-
Wallpaper* checks in at MACAM Hotel: a night at the museumPortugal’s first hotel-museum is home to 600 pieces of modern and contemporary art and 64 rooms for the ultimate artistic immersion
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
The world's most heavenly destinations for astrotourism in 2025We're in for a big year for celestial events. These are the world's best hotels to see the cosmos as you've never seen it before
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinationsDiscover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners – the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join – and watch our video to find out why they won
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Find serenity at Casa Fortunato, a Portuguese bolthole filled with lightDesign-savvy duo Antonio Falcáo Costa Lopes and Filipa Fortunato chose Alcácer do Sal as the perfect setting for the second iteration of their original Casa Fortunato
-
Lisbon hotel Locke de Santa Joana wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025Born from the restoration of an old convent, Locke de Santa Joana receives our Best Opening award for its design inventiveness and sunny disposition
-
The Rebello is a chic hotel with an industrial past on Porto’s riversideTransforming industrial buildings on the Douro river, The Rebello is a new hotel ‘with an old soul’
