Vegan
International
Western
Portuguese
Elegant restaurant in a restored old house situated in a romantic garden. Offers a nine-course tasting menu, re-designing traditional Portuguese dishes in vegan varieties. Reported fully vegan December 2021. Open Tue-Sat 19:00-21:30. Closed Sun & Mon. Last order at 9:30pm, but customers can stay until 12am.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
Loading...
-
-
Last update on 15 Oct 2025 by VictorRodrigues
Update business info -
Added by AndyT on 10 Apr 2014
-
-
118 Reviews
First Review by AndyT
lauren8001
Points +110
Amazing experience - Edit
The staff were so lovely and friendly, made you feel very welcome. The food was amazing and very well explained by the server.
Read morePros: Lovely host, Delicious food, Beautifully presented
Guest
Doro62
Points +1114
Sensationel flavours, such nice persons running the restaurant - Edit
We had the "9 moments" with pairing wine which consists of 1 cocktail, 2 white wines,1 incredible red wine and 1 portwine all of them organic. Each course set a new highlight with great flavours. It was such a nice evenning
Read moreGuest
Felifu
Points +206
Außergewöhnliche Erfahrung - Edit
Tolles Ambiente, sehr nette Gastgeber*innen und kreative Küche. Alle 9 Gänge waren besonders, einige besonders hervorragend. So ein hohes Level an veganer Küche findet man selten. Absolut empfehlenswert.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-09-08
Pros: Kreatives Menü, Schönes Ambiente, Besondere Erfahrung
Guest
JessicaRudder
Points +22
Exquisite vegan artistry served with the soulful warmth of a Porto friend's dinner table. - Edit
We chose Em Carne Viva for a memorable birthday celebration and it surpassed all expectations. This isn't just a great vegan restaurant; it's a sophisticated culinary destination offering a 10-course tasting menu that reimagines traditional Portuguese cuisine through a completely plant-based lens.
Read moreAs vegans, experiencing Portugal's famously meat and seafood-heavy classics can be challenging. Em Carne Viva solves this beautifully by presenting creative, veganized versions of Portuguese dishes that are both respectful to the originals as well as innovative. The entire menu was delightful and we found it difficult to choose a favorite. Our top choice changes every time we discuss the experience.
There were many highlights - the purple tortellini both made from and filled with onion was a burst of delicate flavour and texture. The vegan interpretation of Malandrinho, that staple of Portuguese comfort foods, was rich, satisfying, and deeply nostalgic in the best way. And the meal culminated in a stunning strawberry dessert that provided the perfect, vibrant finale.
Beyond the exceptional food, the ambiance is equally captivating. While Porto is best known for the stunning azulejo exteriors, this restaurant is a wonderful reminder of the city's equally beautiful historic interiors. The owners have taken great care to maintain the elegant Portuguese charm which resulted in a warm and sophisticated dining environment.
Adding a personal touch to the evening, we had a genuinely wonderful conversation with the co-owner (who had also been our server for the evening), whose passion for her hometown of Porto was palpable and infectious. This personal connection truly enhanced the experience.
Em Carne Viva is a must-visit, not just for vegans, but for anyone seeking an inventive, high-quality fine dining experience in Porto. It offers a rare opportunity to explore the soul of Portuguese cuisine in a completely vegan format, served with artistry and passion in a setting of genuine historical beauty. The birthday dinner was flawless, and we cannot recommend Em Carne Viva highly enough.
Guest
Westdogg
Points +35
High end vegan dining - Edit
This is one of the best, if not the best, dining experience I’ve had. And I include my pre-vegan life in that. Food was phenomenal and so unusual. Forget about risotto and sorbet! The restaurant itself is beautiful and has been restored over years by the owners. Huge emphasis on sustainability and recycling. When we went, they just had the 9 course tasting menu. They did have had other menus but told us the 9 course was the one that produced the least waste. The courses where superb. Highlights for were the red onion tortellini and the seaweed tempura. My wife loved the tofu lagareiro. They deffo saved the best till last thought as the dessert was one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten. Absolutely delicious. This is not fast food and it is relatively pricey at €90pp (although not for the quality of the food and the service). It also takes the guts of 3 hours to get through. I would strongly recommend checking it out if you are in Porto.
Read morePros: Dessert , Decor, Service
Cons: I wasn’t a huge fan of the granita
Guest
polishphoenix
Points +405
Great food, beautiful space, kind staff - Edit
Very creative and tasty dishes here! Got the ten moment menu and split the wine pairing with a friend. We got there at 7 pm and left at 11pm. The woman who runs this restaurant was very kind and told us many fun facts about the food and how it was made. We ate in the back garden which was super beautiful - very much secret garden vibes.
Read moreGuest
SamirAyeb
Points +72
Best vegan food in Porto - Edit
Absolutely amazing! Delicious, creative vegan dishes packed with flavor. Cozy vibe, friendly staff, and every bite was a delight.
Read morePros: Food, Service, Cat
Guest
NellieAyeb
Points +56
Amazing experience - Edit
Such a amazing dinner, we had the 5 course meal. The location is beautiful and the woman who served us was so sweet and explained everything so good! Totally recommend this food experience for everyone who loves a fine dining.
Read morePros: Service, Location, Food
Guest
Day&Fla
Points +110
Best food - Edit
Superb service, amazing environment.
Read moreEduarda explained every dish, every wine, and gave us great context on everything.
The dishes tasted beautiful and looked so too. I highly recommend doing the full 10 moments menu with wine pairing.
Pros: Food quality, Service, Ambience
Guest
NotYourMumNotYourMilk
Points +136
Perfection - Edit
10 course taster menu, food was beautiful delicious. Super friendly staff, the chef even came out and told us how he made some of the dishes. Best food we’ve ever eaten. If you are a vegan and visiting Porto then this place is a must.
Read moreGuest
Sofia.in.Wanderland
Points +2562
A Vegan Haven in Timeless Elegance - Edit
Em Carne Viva is more than just a restaurant. It’s an experience of sublime tastes wrapped in timeless charm. Nestled in a beautifully restored old house, the space exudes sophistication with beautiful plaster details adorning the ceilings and walls. The soft glow of candlelight enhances the cosy, intimate atmosphere. The culinary artistry is unmatched. Every dish is a masterpiece, blending flavours and textures. It’s evident that each plate is crafted with care and passion. But the warmth doesn’t stop at the ambience or food—the owners themselves are the heart of Em Carne Viva. Their genuine hospitality makes you feel welcomed and valued, adding a personal touch to the entire experience.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-15
Guest
raiye
Points +916
A must-visit! - Edit
What a lovely place to eat!
Read moreAlready when entering the restaurant we felt comfortable and welcomed.
The restaurant looks really nice and cozy.
There is also very cute Garden that looks almost enchanted.
We were accommodated so lovely and kind.
The food was an excellent experience! Each dish was build upon the next and so delicious.
If you visit Porto you need to visit em carne viva!
Guest
MichaelDorf
Points +16
Possibly the best meal I’ve ever eaten - Edit
We each had the testing menu. The delicacy and subtlety of each course were incredible
Read morePros: Vegetable forward, Marvelous creativity, Extremely friendly service
Guest
Mikmikn
Points +44
Beyond Perfect! - Edit
You need to come hungry and open minded! The tasting menu has ten beautiful plates, that are incredibly delicious, interesting, unique and satisfying, and a lot of it blew our minds. It was so filling, that we could not finish the second desert (even though we tried but were just too full!) Eduarda the host, and Victor the chef with his team, gave us such a warm and homey feeling. We just can't recommend it enough. It's expensive as a chef's restaurant, but worth every penny.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-09-19
Pros: Unique food, Very satisfying , Warm hospitality
Guest
ClaudiaRevuelta
Points +48
Amazing - Edit
Amazing little vegan spot, top experience!!!
Read moreGuest
pampli8a
Points +103
El restaurante regional portugués al que hay que peregrinar - Edit
A día de hoy, el mejor restaurante vegano en el que he comido (perdón, cenado) en toda mi vida. Hablamos de una cocina de primer nivel mundial.
Read moreEn lugar de probar el menú degustación, me decanté por probar varios platos individuales de la carta. Como no podía ser de otra manera, me atrapó la francesinha local además de probar el tofú laminado con salsa Porto, un «pastel» de chía con varios vegetales y acompañado siempre con vino de la zona que acabó con un postre magnífico: chocolate en diferentes texturas con crema de avellanas, naranja, ron y caramelo salado.
Aun así, resaltar cualquier aspecto sería no hacerle justicia a la exclusiva carta y menús inspirados en la cocina portuguesa. El personal de sala y su trato, la estética de su sala o la experencia culinaria inédita de este restaurante, lo hacen, sin duda alguna, es un lugar obligatorio en la «peregrinación» sostenible. Aunque mi visita fue en 2021, aun espero con ansias tener la oportunidad de volver para seguir disfrutando de Em Carne Viva y probar cualquier menú que me ofrezcan. No hay estrellas suficientes para lo que yo sentí al salir de la puerta del lugar.
Gracias por tanto, Vítor. (Obrigado)
[Visita: Cena del viernes, 3 de diciembre de 2021]
Updated from previous review on 2024-08-09
Pros: La variedad de su menú, El ambiente exclusivo y único, Vítor y el resto de su equipo
Guest
AdeleDowney
Points +87
Fabulous vegan experience - Edit
We had the most delicious food in beautiful surroundings with perfect hosts
Read morePros: The venue, The food presentation , The quality of ingredients
Cons: None
Guest
MichielVanD
Points +1438
Unique restaurant - Edit
High end and vegan. In a beautiful building. Ten courses and great wine. This is a must visit when you are in Porto. Or come to Porto for this place as we sometimes do!
Read moreGuest
Prajna
Points +6250
Enchanting experience - Edit
Worth every cent that you pay.
Read moreThe food is so tasty and impressively beautiful. I can only imagine the time it takes to put each plate together.
They use fancy things like foams and molecular techniques.
The place is a very nice old house from 1900.
It is a family owned place. The chef and is kind and attentive and the woman that brings out the dishes, his wife, is kind and lovely.
Very worth for a special meal.
Guest
kxtie
Points +505
WOW - Edit
just WOW! the flavours, attention to detail, plating of the food were just marvellous.
Read morewe had the 10 course tasting menu & wine pairing.
everything was an absolute delight. highlights for me were the onion tortellini, seaweed tempura and white asparagus.
the drinks were also great. the wine pairing actually is 1 cocktail, 3 white wines, a red wine and a LBV port.
during the summer the seating is outdoors in the most beautiful garden. it’s like a fairytale. we went on the first day of being back outside, so the resident dog was really pleased to be out among the diners (she is not allowed in the dining area inside) and i was more than happy to say hello and give her some fuss.
we chatted with the chef who came out during a quiet moment to say hello and play with the dog and also the front of house who were both absolutely lovely.
overall it was an incredible dining experience and i feel very grateful to have dined here!
Guest
BrunoFehr
Points +196
Mandatory experience - Edit
We had the 5 course and 10 course experience and if the issue is not the budget, always go for the 10 course. We did not have the wine experience but we drank amazing white wine.
Read more100% recommended.
Pros: Amazing food experience, Super nice staff, Fair price for the experience
Guest
AdaS
Points +154
Exquisite - Edit
This place is an experience and a very nice one. It’s fine vegan dining at its best. The food was very unique and the service exceptional. We highly recommend it.
Read moreGuest
jessica_janes
Points +13
Do not miss! - Edit
This is an incredible dinner experience. The 10 course tasting blew us away. The thoughtfulness of each dish the surprise in transformation and balance with every ingredient and the genuine creativity is brilliant. Would highly recommend the wine pairing as well. Lovely place, incredible food, excellent service.
Read moreGuest
Pamelastephens
Points +85
Incredible!!! World class!! - Edit
Hours actually open at 7, not 7:30. The food is beautifully presented and taste is amazing. We loved the atmosphere, very classy, elegant, beautiful. Could be extremely romantic if desired. The chef is so talented and artistic. Family run in beautiful home. Wife is so sweet and perfect also!! Worth the Uber there and so much more. Best food in all Porto!
Read moreGuest
ClydeStephens
Points +19
World class dining experience - Edit
Victor and his son are creating dishes that are as delicious as you are ever going to find. The tastes are subtle and complimentary. The quality is outstanding. We had the five course tasting menu, and I wish I had chosen the ten. His wife, Edwarda, was incredibly attentive, and a delight to converse with. One of the best meals in my life.
Read morePros: Gazpacho soup, Purple sweet potato , Chocolate desert
Cons: No dislikes at all
Guest
VeganTraveller09
Points +1248
Unique 5 star experience - Edit
What a delightful space is ‘Em Carne Viva! Had the 5-course menu and enjoyed the different flavours and textures and their unique take on veganised Portuguese food. As a vegan chef myself I particularly appreciated the quality and painstaking detail put in to bringing each dish to the table. It is a unique fine dining experience well worth experiencing. I took non vegans and they enjoyed every mouthful. Go and support this small vegan family business.
Read moreGuest
munda
Points +513
Every dish a delight! - Edit
Went there to try out their ten-year anniversary menu, and was just blown away. Lots of subtle flavors inspired by Portuguese cuisine, beautifully arranged. I'm typically not a chocolate person but the chocolate was to die for.
Read moreThe couple running the place were very friendly, willing to explain things and chat, and there's even a cute little dog (in the garden outside), Stella, who you can pet if you're so inclined.
Pros: Awesome food, Great people, Cute dog
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business
See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 39519 times.