KOTA Team Trip to Porto.

April 14th 2022

By KOTA

Introduction.

As a remote team, we have limited opportunities to see one another IRL. That’s why we organise team socials every few months, to have some fun together and catch up about things other than work.

Everyone loved the trip to Amsterdam we had before Corona, so this time, we went on another team trip abroad – to Porto! We hoped to catch some Portuguese sun, eat a whole lot of pastéis de nata and have fun.

Day 1

On our arrival, we were greeted by the rain. This was definitely not in our itinerary, after weeks of unreliable weather in the UK. We left sightseeing for another day and decided to enjoy the Portuguese culture in another way – with food and drinks!

Check-in @ Hotel Carrís Porto Ribeira

Firstly, we had to drop off our bags. We stayed in this centrally located hotel, very close to the river.

Lunch @ Simplex Virtus

Quoting James: ‘Best burger I’ve ever had’. In short, we weren’t disappointed! Simplex Virtus also have a good selection of their own craft beers.

They can cater to vegans as well (we really didn’t want Em to eat leaves and bread only…), so make sure to ask.

Port @ Candelabro

Lovely local bar with outdoor seating where we enjoyed some port wine (which was very good, both red and white). They also have a bookshop, but sadly, none of us can read Portuguese.

Champagne @ Brutt

Located just next door to Candelabro, we popped in to Brutt for champagne, to celebrate our meetup.

Dinner @ BOA-BAO

For dinner, we went to BOA-BAO, a highly rated Pan-Asian restaurant. We enjoyed some dumplings, noodles, and (as their name indicates) bao. Great find!

After that, we took a stroll, admiring the city at night.

Day 2

Breakfast @ Zenith

Zenith is another must-go place for foodies in Porto. We went for breakfast, but they also do brunches and excellent cocktails.

Photoshoot & Sightseeing

We felt that the team photography we currently have on the website doesn’t reflect us anymore, as we don’t go to the office anymore. So, as our website is getting a little facelift (we’ll tell you more about it soon), we had new photos for our studio page taken.

There was no theme, it was just a fun and relaxed photoshoot to show our team just as we are IRL.

Lunch @ Adega Leonor

We had tapas-style lunch (washed down with sangria) at a small pub by Jardim de João Chagas. Simple but tasty food and friendly staff, a perfect place to chill out after a long walk.

We were also lucky to watch a capoeira practice with live music on a nearby pavilion.

Boat Trip @ Douro River

Porto’s impressive bridges are best seen from the Douro! We went on a boat trip to see them all and find out more about the nearby tourist attractions.

Dinner @ Pizzaria Luzzo

For dinner, we settled for a restaurant close to the hotel. It’s a decent local pizzeria with nice interiors. We could even pick from Napolitan or Roman style.