O Victor – Heritage, distinction and devotion to the art of hospitality

There are establishments that do more than just serve meals: they serve stories, memories, entire generations. Located in Póvoa de Lanhoso, O Victor restaurant is one of those rare establishments, where time eases gently by and tradition lives on in every gesture. Its custodian is Victor Peixoto, a man with deep roots and a soul entirely devoted to hospitality, gastronomy and the preservation of a family legacy that began in a simple and modest way.

There are establishments that do more than just serve meals: they serve stories, memories, entire generations.

Anyone who drops by is welcomed with his warm smile, kindness and friendliness, in the space that is still home to the grocery store his parents opened, exactly one day after they got married. “It started out as a small tavern, but quickly became a meeting place for many good people,” recalls Victor. Over the course of the years, the tavern evolved into a restaurant that is today a landmark eatery like no other.
Here, the food stays true to its origins, and cod is king. Not only can you buy it at the grocery store, but you can also sit down and feast on it. But before anything else, we should warn you that if you already have a favourite cod dish, it might be best not to try this one.
The batatas a murro (potatoes cooked in their skins, then smashed), “the finest cod on the market and the finest olive oil” make this dish the house speciality and the leading attraction, recognised nationally and even internationally. But no less difficult to resist is the suckling kid, prepared as Victor’s mother used to make it, and the Barrosã veal chop, grilled over charcoal, both sourced from the highlands.

Here, the food stays true to its origins, and cod is king. Not only can you buy it at the grocery store, but you can also sit down and feast on it.

The desserts also retain the family touch: the leite-creme (crème brûlée), another signature dish of the house – let me tell you, you won’t taste another one like it anywhere else – the walnut cake, the coconut pudding and the Abade de Priscos pudding are made by Victor’s daughters, Olga and Maria Angelina. “They are the ones who are truly carrying on the legacy of this restaurant. And I am delighted that, just as I have continued this legacy, they are continuing it too.”

Among the many illustrious visitors who have visited here, such as Amália Rodrigues, Jorge Amado deserves a special mention, as he even referred to the restaurant in one of his works, Navegação de Cabotagem. The connection has endured through the generations that have followed: “His children still visit here when they come to Europe.” And his words are still read by those who visit: “There is no restaurant where you can eat better than in this little eatery, hidden among vineyards and flowers, in the village of São João de Rei...”. It should also be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo has ordered Senhor Victor’s cod several times during his stays at his home in Gerês.

Among the many illustrious visitors who have visited here, such as Amália Rodrigues, Jorge Amado deserves a special mention, as he referred to the restaurant in one of his works […].

The journey of O Victor was recently recognised at the highest level in the country. At the age of 88, Victor Peixoto received the Official Degree of the Order of Commercial Merit from His Excellency the President of the Republic – an honour he describes as unforgettable. “It was one of the greatest things in my life. When I entered the São Bento Palace with my wife, my daughters and my son-in-law, I felt like Victor, but a different Victor.’ He recalls the kindness of the President and the deep emotion he felt: “If I were to enter heaven, it couldn’t be any better. I felt that I had honoured my parents. I was sorry that my father wasn’t alive to see it.”
Victor still lives where it all began: “I sleep in the room where I was born, I was born in this house. I wake up prepared for this, every day.” He arrives early at the restaurant, where his daughters have already got everything ready for him: “When I arrive, they are already here, everything is already prepared.” He checks his social media, his post, and watches over the daily goings-on of the house. And, as in all restaurants that are truly homes, he ends the day with his family: “We have lunch and dinner together every day as a family.”
When asked about the secret behind decades of recognition, Victor responds with the simplicity of someone who has nothing to add: “Being loyal to our guests.” And perhaps it is this loyalty – to memory, to his family, to his origins – that makes O Victor restaurant not only a culinary landmark, but also a place where time takes on flavour, and where every visit becomes a story to take away with you. 

“This is a place of harmony, interaction, conversation and flavour,” says Victor, with the warm and serene voice of someone who knows better than anyone the value of a home with a heart and soul.

At the age of 88, Victor Peixoto received the Official Degree of the Order of Commercial Merit from His Excellency the President of the Republic […].

 

Text: Carla Martins 
Photos: Ana Nogueira