It is a multifaceted space, created for the consumption of diversified trade goods, preferably acquired in the national market and especially Wines of the Douro.
There is a restaurant with modern and creative cuisine, never forgetting the flavors of Douro.
Designed for holding events, wine tasting and exams with winemakers. At Castas & Pratos there is a "Wine Bar" where the difference, both in the concept and in the decoration, is a space where they have the pleasure of tasting our wines and accompany with the most varied Gourmet products, while at the same time enjoying a Night in a very pleasant environment.
The passion we feed for true quality is the hallmark of the wines and spirits that we make available, ensuring their authenticity in the most advanced storage conditions in our unique wine cellar.
Our history
Restaurant, Wine Bar, Lounge, Gourmet and Whine Shop: it is at least «a five in one» business of Castas & Pratos. Much more than a restaurant, what a bar, what a gourmet store, what a meeting space or a wine shop. You have to go to Peso da Régua. Or you need to dial in the GPS: Latitude 41º 9 '28.39' '; Longitude 7 ° 47 '0.64' '. Or just go to Castas & Pratos, via Web 2.0, on Facebook. In the Peso da Régua, in Castas & Pratos, certainly the palate, the smell, the vision, the touch and the ear will work. And one or the other sense more. When you put latitude and longitude on the GPS, you have already felt the appeal: as the SIC report says, "going is the best medicine". In the digital world, whether through Web 2.0 or through the site (www.castasepratos.com), the only conclusion is even to combat inertia and go. Because it's really the best medicine.
Castas & Pratos, shortly CP (matching the place where it is located, at the Régua train station), was formed by the will of two entrepreneurs, linked by family ties, and moved by ambition and passion for the Douro. The taste for the region of Douro ended up strengthening the union, transforming it into a shared challenge both in familiar terms and in commercial terms.
Edgar Gouveia, born in the second half of the 70's, was soon engaged in trade, even by family influence. The entrepreneurial spirit was born early. Manuel Osório, born in the first half of the 70's, completed studies in Business Management and, after passing through two small companies and restructured a third, decided to install himself. The entrepreneurial inclination was also beginning to take root.
Edgar Gouveia went through perfumery business, selling clothing and a bar in the riverside area of Régua. Later it would even open a restaurant with quality above the panorama of the region and the only one to dedicate itself to dishes of traditional kitchen properly made. Edgar and Manuel, besides cousins were also great friends. In one of their many late-afternoon conversations, around a glass, they decide to better exploit the region's tourist needs, especially in gastronomic terms. The gaps quickly came to the fore, and the design of an innovative and differentiated concept began to emerge in their heads: one had to make the difference for the positive.
Since always linked to the land by the family origins and also great admirers of what could best offer - whether in terms of agriculture or livestock - began to outline what would become the Castas and Pratos. The motto was to make known what the best the region could provide. Or rather, the lands of the region. But to make known to all those who lived there, therefore natural Douro, as to all who could be visiting the region. From sketch to CP practice was one step. This is what can be called a project born and raised in the Douro. Thought and made in the image of the best the Region can give.
From this sunny late autumn, where the conversation ran like cherries, until the actual implementation of the project 12 months passed. A lot of study, a lot of research, many other late-afternoon conversations, always accompanied by a growing desire to get on the ground, were paving the way for CP.
One of the most outstanding ideas of the project was to make known the land of Douro through a historical space. It was therefore crucial to find this same space. And probably recover it. This is how the eyes came to meet with the old warehouses of CP - Portuguese Railways.
Virtually abandoned, it was necessary to adapt and rebuild them, preserving its historical characteristics, which was joined by a central place where it was essential to give birth to the comfort and even the luxury that the project deserved.
After negotiations with CP / Refer and with the project and the company already in the body, the name would have to match: CP preserved the beauty associated with the railroad at the same time as the C vineyards would be born. The plates were to be born (restoration).
The project was started from scratch, with all the ponderation and much work in terms of investment and viability. Manuel Osório's management skills were essential in this respect. With Edgar it was the responsibility of finding an architect and building the work. In order to share the two, it was the creation of a young, dynamic and innovative team that was essentially proud to respect the region's past but also to make a difference in quality.
From the first conversation to the reality of Castes and Dishes, as already mentioned, 12 months of work were always overcome by the will, by the vision, by clear ideas about what they wanted.
Opening doors implied not only the work, the financial plan and the capital. It was necessary, for example, to form collaborators. Plus, Manuel and Edgar had a lot to learn and a lot to study. In addition, to choose and change the mindsets of suppliers (and with them to establish partnerships), to create ties of collaboration with tour operators, namely hotels, rural and housing tourists, to strengthen links with producers and winemakers of the region, besides overcoming difficulties Created by the official entities and so many others who came to increase along the way contributed to create the necessary resilience and strengthen the great friendship between the two partners, fundamental aspects to overcome obstacles and reach the present.
Work upstream, ie the upstream side in the way wine suppliers, winemakers and producers are involved, and work the downstream, ie potential markets or shared markets, where hotels, housing and rural tourism are found, Were practices that proved to be fruitful and capable of delivering effective results.
Open doors, there were not even hands to measure. Never has Castas and Dishes left, for a single moment, to set new heights and create new stages to overcome. Manuel Osório, with experience acquired in his previous phase of life, immediately implemented management control tools. At the same time, the area of communication has become essential. In this chapter, the internet and Web tools have opened up worlds. The invitation to communication professionals made Castas and Pratos quickly become a reference in the Douro and known throughout the country and beyond.
In the press, Castas and Pratos has already been present at OJE, at Blue Travel, in the Voice of Trás-os-Montes, Douro Today, Douro Up, Happy Woman, Jornal de Notícias, Notícias Magazine, Tribuna Douro, in the Saturday News, Evasões, Espresso, Vision, Wine Passion, The New York Times and Wine - Essence of Wine. In TV he has a story of more than 5 minutes in prime time in SIC. In terms of prizes, he was the winner of the Best of Wine Tourism, the highest prize in Gastronomy with Port Wine, the prize for the best wine list (Regional Wine Chart), the award for the presence among the 100 best national restaurants of Saturday magazine. Mere examples of what has been achieved so far but which, tomorrow, will be outdated. Such is the will and determination to embrace more and more press and to raise more and more prizes that create the brand and promote the CP.
Manuel and Edgar seek to travel a lot in search of the most didactic aspects for the CP. Visit similar spaces, benchmark, collect new ideas, assimilate new concepts, debate a lot and improve every day. At the end of the day, each day of work, you have to stay a little of the demand to reach the plateau of excellence. The CP, after such a short period of existence, was able to take root and develop a whole visible branch of the tree. Financially it is a consolidated project and new opportunities are always on the horizon of these two entrepreneurs. Towards excellence.