Langarica Bodega

In the search of good food related stories, I sometimes forget that there are other intricate details that are not food related and hold so much importance. One thing that surprised me about this place was how good the food is, the quality and quantity in comparison to its price. All my friends and I paid 20€ for a night of unlimited food and drinks. It feels weird because the quality of the food was amazing. See, there it is, my mistake. I forgot that some people just love to cook and want to make good food accessible to everyone. The kind of joy I noticed on the faces and in the stories of the people making this place work, is everything I want from people in the food industry. The core thing is to make your community happy. That is what Catarina and Helena are doing with Langarica Bodega. 

Based in one of the most popular neighbourhoods of Porto, on a not so popular street, is this restaurant. I don’t know what to exactly call it because in its essence it feels like a friend’s house. A few years ago, Catarina with her parents, bought a small building before Porto really boomed. On the ground floor, the only grocery store catering to all the people around. The store was ran by an old couple. Eventually, they couldn’t work there anymore and decided to close shop. Seeing that it was the only grocery store in that area and that its closure would affect many, Catarina decided to take over. She quit her job as a psychologist (even though she was advised against) and fully invested herself into this. After a while, she hosted a cousin’s birthday at the store. It was decided that she would cater it too, as she loved cooking. The party was a huge success and everyone wanted more of that experience. Luckily, the grocery store was licensed as an Adega (small ‘cafe-esque’ restaurants allowed to serve alcohol along with the food). It was meant to be and this grocery store by the day/restaurant during the night hybrid was born (sounds like a superhero for the food business). 

Now, comes another beautiful aspect to this story. Shows like ‘How I met your mother’ and well, all the Bollywood movies have primed me to be a sucker for good love stories. After about a year of running small dinners at the store, Catarina stirred up an emotional connection with one of her customers. Helena, an archaeologist then, loved every bit about this place and what Catarina was trying to create. They liked each other, started dating and got married (Come on, food just brings everyone together). Later, Helena quit her job too and joined in on this venture. Now, Helena and Catarina handle the whole thing together. They were offered several times to take this concept to a bigger place but the one thing they love the most about working like this is to be able to connect with their customers. Realistically, they are rarely serving strangers at this point. 

When you are there, even if it is the first time, it feels like dining at a friend’s because of their hospitality. The drinks are lined up in a fridge on the entrance, they ask you to serve yourself and there is full freedom to choose anything off the shelves too (benefits of dining in a grocery store). There was an instance where they had a few different group reservations, totalling in about 40 people. It was like usual stuff at the start but as the night continued, people started joining their tables. By the end, it was one big table where everyone just gelled together because of this place’s atmosphere. They were aiming to create a homely feel and they definitely achieved it. 

With all this evidence, I don’t really have to say that Catarina and Helena are very nice people. Another thing they are doing for the community, is integrating this work with local producers. None of the dinners have the same menu because it all depends on what is locally produced. It helps them to use great ingredients, make fun dishes and all at an affordable price, as mentioned during the start. They recently purchased a small farm to be able to grow their own vegetables because they want to keep pushing towards having the freshest possible produce. Even though the whole menu depends on the availability of product, they are extremely accommodating. Whether it is asking for a specific dish or having an entire menu based on your dietary preference. They made an array of vegetarian food just for one person in our group and at times I preferred those dishes over the already fantastic non-veg options (Unfortunately, Porto is not the best place for vegetarians).

Naturally, people want to keep having this experience. Anytime I pass the place, I see it full of people enjoying themselves. Yes, it is not easy to get a reservation. But I still urge you to go and visit in the morning. See how it runs as a grocery store, have a chat with the people working there, maybe you will find an opening. Otherwise, the street is beautiful and you can come across one of the best views in Porto, if you continue walking. I am eager to visit the place again. (Honestly, I hope to be a part of a dinner where everyone comes together and form a MEGAGROUP!)

P.S. I didn’t share any pictures of the food because of a few reasons: a) The menu changes a lot. b) They won’t tell you the dishes either because they want to keep it a surprise. c) It is a lot of food and any picture I took wasn’t justifying the quantity on that table. Just take my word and go.