Douro Restaurant is one of our favorite restaurants in the Westchester / Fairfield area. It is without question some of the best food I have ever had in the area, probably the world. We have had the privilege of dining at Douro on many occasions and not once have we ever been disappointed. Founded by Chef Rui Correia, Douro calls their cuisine ‘Mediterranean with a pinch of Portugal’. The bottom line is the food is absolutely incredible.
The Bloody Mary
As far as Local Taste is concerned, there is only one way to start off brunch and that is with a Bloody Mary. Douro uses Ripe San Marzano Bloody Mary Mix, which is really one of the freshest Bloody Mary mixes on the market. It’s made with cold pressed, San Marzano tomatoes and is also one of the only pre-made mixes that require constant refrigeration and has a fairly quick expiry date. It’s not surprising to me that Douro would choose Ripe as their preferred mix if they aren’t going to make their own. Ordering a Bloody Mary without any alertations will land you a crisp and refreshing Bloody Mary with no garnish to write home about. But there is the secret to take the Douro Bloody Mary to whole new level and I am about to share that secret with you. It is Piri-Piri sauce. I kid you not, you could put Chef Rui’s Piri-Piri sauce on a piece of cardboard and it would be the best thing you ever tasted. So now imagine what it does to a Bloody Mary! WOW! It is so, so, so good!
The Brunch Scene
The restaurant itself is sub level from the street, which if in the right seat, makes for excellent people and car watching on Greenwich Avenue! It can be a little dark in the dining room, so we prefer to sit at the bar which lets in more natural light and accommodates several guests which is nice. The brunch scene here at Douro is not as good as the food. It is friendly, but quiet. And while I typically prefer a little bit more of a ‘vibe’ at brunch, the food makes up for what the ambiance lacks.
Good to Know
Brunch at Douro is served on Saturdays and Sundays and you can offer a la carte or choose and starter and an main for a fixed price of $22.00. (The price fix does not include a brunch cocktail.)
Douro’s Brunch menu really isn’t all that brunchy. It’s much more of a lunch with the addition of a a couple of egg dishes on the menu. So in terms of the menu, several of us agreed that we love Douro, but would like to see some more breakfast inspired items to choose from.
All about the Eats
Some of our regular favorites from the Douro Brunch starter menu include the Hummus, Garlic Shrimp and Spicy Tuna. We absolutely love the Douro salad from the salad menu. Favorite Sandwiches include the Pork Belly BLT, Picante Pita, Piri-Naise Sandwich, the Prego and the Burger! (They are all so good we had to include them all!) If you are going for an entree, we recommend the Piri-Piri Chicken. All of the above should be ordered with an extra side of Piri-piri sauce. Do not skip this tip- it’s the game changer. This is also no time to skip the chips, so when offered a side salad or chips on the side, go chips all the way. Then dip them in the Piri-Piri sauce!
The Final Say
The food at Douro is created with a passion for quality ingredients and flavor, and it comes through with every bite. We’d like to see a little more spunk and energy in the Brunch scene, but when it comes to wanting simply excellent food, Douro has it. And although we are talking about brunch here, dinner is real culinary experience here and I highly recommend it should you ever get the chance.
