This IN Diferente Porto review shares my experience of the restaurant’s seafood-led Tribute tasting menu, which I enjoyed with my mum during our Portugal trip.
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The restaurant now holds one Michelin star, but what stayed with me was not the status alone: it was the warm service, thoughtful pacing and way each dish told a story.
It became one of the most memorable meals of our Portugal trip, and a travel memory I was grateful to share with my mum.
IN Diferente Porto: Arriving Late but Still Warmly Welcomed
Dinner almost didn’t begin as smoothly as planned.
Traffic around Porto was much busier than we expected, especially around dinner time. Even though we had taken an Uber, we still arrived a little late.
Thankfully, our hotel manager had already called the restaurant to let them know we were on our way. It was a small gesture that immediately took away any stress, and the staff welcomed us warmly as though nothing had happened.
Small moments like this shape how I remember a restaurant almost as much as the food itself.
Choosing the IN Diferente Porto Tribute Tasting Menu
We chose the Tribute tasting menu, the seafood-led option inspired by Chef Angélica Salvador’s passion for the sea.
As we usually have only one glass of wine with dinner, we asked the team for advice. They recommended a crisp Portuguese white wine that paired beautifully throughout the evening.
The staff explained each course without making the experience feel overly formal or intimidating. The service remained elegant but relaxed, which made the whole evening feel comfortable.
Every Course Told a Story
The evening started with the chef’s greeting.
It looked almost like a delicate little ball filled with something wonderfully savoury. I have to admit I completely forgot the exact explanation by the end of the evening, but I do remember how carefully every course was introduced before we tasted it.
Next came the bread service.
Normally I don’t spend much time talking about bread, but this one deserves it.
The naturally fermented bread arrived alongside creamy Azores butter and organic Portuguese olive oil. The olive oil was poured from a tiny pipette-style bottle, something I hadn’t seen before. It sounds like such a small detail, but the flavour completely surprised me. I never realised Portuguese olive oil could be so rich and smooth.
The seafood courses followed one after another, each completely different.
The Balfegó tuna with soy, Champagne and plankton was incredibly delicate.
Then came Azores squid served with smoked broth, white beans and cured egg yolk, which was probably one of the most comforting dishes of the evening despite looking very refined.
The wild hake surprised me the most.
It was much meatier than I expected and came with Russian salad, white wine sauce and brown sugar. We decided to add the Oscietra caviar supplement, which made the dish feel even more indulgent without overpowering the fish.
The Icelandic cod arrived next with a modern interpretation of à Brás, confit tomato, leek and olive. There were so many layers of flavour that every bite tasted slightly different.
Dessert looked almost too pretty to eat.
The popcorn and caramel creation with spices, peanut and honey resembled a floating cloud and balloon. It was playful, light and ended the savoury journey perfectly before the petits fours arrived with our coffee.
Sharing the Experience With My Mum
What made the evening especially meaningful was sharing it with my mum. I may forget the exact explanation behind one small dish, but I remember our conversations, the anticipation before each course and how happy we were to experience it together.
Travelling with my mum has created some of my favourite memories, and this dinner immediately became one of them.
IN Diferente Porto Prices
When we visited, the Tribute tasting menu cost €100 per person. The current 2026 menu still lists the Tribute experience at €100, while the longer IN Diferente tasting menu costs €130 per guest.
Drinks, wine pairings and optional supplements, such as the Oscietra caviar we added to the wild hake, cost extra.
Menus and prices can change throughout the year, so check the restaurant’s official website before booking. For the quality of the ingredients, attentive service and level of detail, I thought the Tribute menu offered excellent value compared with many fine-dining restaurants I’ve visited elsewhere in Europe.
How It Compares With Other Memorable Meals
I love collecting memorable dining experiences whenever I travel.
In London, my favourite fine-dining experience remains the Lecture Room & Library at Sketch, while the bottomless dim sum at Leong’s Legend was memorable for entirely different reasons.
In Japan, I still think about the omakase dinner I enjoyed during my Tokyo trip.
Every destination creates a different food memory, and IN Diferente comfortably joins that list.
What I Loved
- Warm, attentive service that never felt intimidating.
- The seafood-focused tasting menu flowed beautifully from start to finish.
- The bread, Azores butter and Portuguese olive oil were unexpectedly memorable.
- Every dish was explained without feeling rehearsed.
- Sharing the evening with my mum made the experience even more meaningful.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Porto traffic during dinner hours can be surprisingly busy, so leave extra travel time.
- Reservations are highly recommended.
- IN Diferente is at Rua do Dr. Sousa Rosa 23, outside Porto’s main tourist centre, so check your route and allow extra travel time.
- Current opening hours list dinner from Tuesday to Friday, plus lunch and dinner on Saturday; confirm the schedule when booking.
- Expect around two and a half to three hours for the full tasting menu.
- If you enjoy wine but don’t want the full pairing, ordering by the glass worked perfectly for us.
- Menus and prices might change seasonally.
My Verdict on IN Diferente Porto
For me, IN Diferente delivered the special-occasion experience I had hoped for. Not every individual dish was my favourite, but the entire evening felt carefully considered. The service, pacing and atmosphere worked together to create a memorable experience rather than simply a sequence of beautiful plates.
If you enjoy tasting menus and seafood prepared with precision, IN Diferente deserves a place on your Porto itinerary.
My rating: 5/5
Explore More of Porto’s Food Scene
Prefer to explore Porto’s traditional flavours beyond fine dining? This Porto food and wine walking tour includes ten local tastings, alongside Port wine and ginjinha, while a local guide introduces places enjoyed by Porto residents. It is a useful guided option if you want to experience more of the city’s food culture without organising every stop yourself.
Continue Exploring Porto
Planning more time in the city? My 6 Days in Porto guide brings together the food, wine, cultural highlights and personal recommendations from our trip, making it a useful starting point for building your own Porto itinerary.
