
Rosa Et Al Townhouse
A place like home
Among artists and artisans
In the creative heart of very-much-arrived Porto lies Rosa Et Al Townhouse: an imaginative blend of traditional architecture and mid-century design. Hand-crocheted throws and an artful assembly of antiques give the six light-filled rooms personality, there's a courtyard garden out back to catch some rays and brunch is the stuff of local legend – teetering stacks of pancakes and just-baked loaves among its highlights. Brother-and-sister owners, Patricia and Emanuel, ensure the warmest of welcomes – and you'll soon feel like one of the family, too.
Planes
Porto Airport is 15 kilometres away. There are direct flights from London Gatwick with British Airways, Easyjet and TAP Portugal, and from London Stansted and Liverpool with Ryanair. TAP also has routes across Europe and from several major cities in North and South America. To get from and to the airport, ask the hotel for a transfer (€50 each way), or take metro line E.
Trains
Apart from on two feet, the best way to get around the city is with an Andante ticket (€15 for three days, see www.stcp.pt) for buses, metros or trains. Campanhã is Porto’s chief rail hub for long-distance travel, with trains to Lisbon (under three hours on the Alfa Pendular express) and into Spain. It’s a little out of the way, but can easily be reached by taxi or metro from the historic São Bento station in the city centre. São Bento is also the place to go for services to Braga, Guimares and other parts of northern Portugal - just be sure to leave enough time to ogle at the ornate tiled walls; check www.cp.pt for timetables. From the hotel, São Bento is a 15-minute walk or a short taxi ride (a transfer costs €15).
Automobiles
If you need a designated driver to visit the surrounding area, hire a car from any one of the major companies at the airport. There’s a car park next to the hotel; it costs €20 a day and to be sure of a space, reserve in advance.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Get barely out of bed for an in-room massage, or venture downstairs for a cooking class with Patricia and Emanuel (Thursdays and Sundays only, classes are in English). They’ll give you the inside line on modern Portuguese cuisine, but beware, the classes sell like hot custard tarts, so book ahead. In the local area, gallery hop (Ap’arte and O! are good places to start) and shop in Centro Commercial Bombarda, which houses independent fashion and home boutiques such as Storytailors and Piurra. A little further down, concept store Early Made Cedofeita resides in one of the Bombarda Art District's iconic industrial buildings, selling locally-produced pieces just steps from it's partnered restaurant. Or to delve a little deeper, ask at reception for an art, food or photography tour. The storied Lello is the grandest of bookshops, magic enough to inspire JK Rowling and many a muggle before and since. For a day out, take a trip up the Douro Valley to explore the port vineyards, and tour the riverside cellars back in the city to sample the end product. Or, explore the city with an architecture tour, taking in Gustave Eiffel’s bridge over the Douro and countless crumblier relics. To work off brunch try a bike tour up and down the hilly streets, or a gentler riverside ride along some of the 70 kilometres of cycle paths. After dark, hit the theatre district for a show, or head to the angular Casa da Música concert hall for proof that good acoustics don’t always come in domes. The hotel staff are on hand to advise and book any of the above and more.























