Cusco in Gaia: Vibrant Peruvian Flavors, Porto Roots, and a Douro River View

Sitting high above Vila Nova da Gaia, with a front-row view across the Douro River to Porto’s Ribeira and the iconic Luís I Bridge, Cusco feels like a destination in its own right. This cosmopolitan restaurant and cocktail bar, located on the top floor of the Hilton Porto Gaia, delivers a sophisticated setting for a special evening—whether you come for sunset drinks or settle in for a full South American–inspired dinner with Portuguese flair.

From the moment you step inside, Cusco announces its personality through design. Bright, bold colors—golden yellow, blood orange, and deep teal—set the tone, while joyful Peruvian-inspired prints of flowers, tropical birds, and butterflies animate the walls. The atmosphere is modern and intimate yet relaxed.

The cocktail program alone makes Cusco worth the visit. A traditional Pisco Sour is a must when exploring Peruvian cuisine, but here the mixologists have created a local riff: the Pisco Sour à Moda do Porto, blending aged pisco finished in Port casks with citrus, sugar, vegan foam, chicha morada, and a Port wine reduction. It’s a clever, well-balanced nod to where Peru meets Portugal. Other standouts include the Cuscolada—pisco acholado, anona juice, crème de coco, amarguinha, and lime—and the One Cusco, a smooth mix of 10-year tawny Port, singeverga liqueur, pisco, lime juice, and agave syrup.

cusco cocktail bar porto — Dragon Fruit Caipirinha

The menu reads like a journey through classic and contemporary Peruvian cuisine, grounded in local Portuguese produce and Porto-region recipes, with subtle Nikkei influences. Starters such as yuca fries with aji amarillo mayo, fish croquettes with spicy sweet chili, and pork sausage with linguiça—an homage to Porto’s market “hot dogs”—set the stage.

cusco pork sausage — Pork sausage and “linguiça” hotdog

Raw dishes and ceviches are a highlight. The Azores tuna ceviche with ponzu leche de tigre, seaweed, and edamame is clean and vibrant; the salmon tiradito with mango mole and crispy corn adds a playful sweetness; and the shrimp ceviche with pineapple, passion fruit, white garlic, and basil oil tastes like summer on a plate. The amberjack tiradito, dressed in hibiscus-and-strawberry leche de tigre with grilled cucumber pickle, is both striking and refreshing.

cusco paella — Octopus and shrimp “paella”

Hot dishes continue the cross-continental conversation, from grilled turbot with “corn and cockles papas” and green salsa to seafood and octopus rice criolla, finished with rocoto aioli. There’s also chicken thighs anticucho on a spit, ribeye steak with adobo rub, and a comforting side of French fries.

Desserts bring a final flourish: coconut quindim inspired by the Brazilian favorite, a classic “tres leches” cake, and a dark chocolate and chili mousse with sweet guacamole and lucuma—a chocolate lover’s dream.

With DJs and dancers enlivening Friday and Saturday nights, dramatic river views, and a menu that gracefully bridges Latin America and northern Portugal, Cusco is more than a restaurant or bar. It’s a vibrant, sensory experience—one that invites you to sip, savor, and stay awhile.