During my stay in Portugal, I have seen Vista Alegre tableware used in many restaurants and cafes.
On the first day of my stay, I had breakfast at my hotel and used cutlery from the "Prism" series by Vista Alegre. I fell in love at the first sight! Especially when cutting food with the slim knife and bringing it to my mouth with the fork—it felt incredibly smooth. It’s the joy of using cutlery! The design of the handle is also beautiful. I said, "It looks like fish scales, so it’s very Portuguese!" but my partner who is less into food thought it looked more like a pineapple 🍍 😅
The Prism cutlery series includes dessert, dining, and even cutlery for eating fish. The ones set on the breakfast table at the hotel were the shorter dessert cutlery. For my daughter and me, the dessert-sized cutlery could work just fine for regular meals as well. I also tried the standard dining cutlery at the hotel, making my decision even harder.
I was so impressed that I couldn't help but ask the staff about the brand. They told me Vista Alegre is a historic Portuguese brand and there is a store in Porto. Of course I had to visit!
The store is located in an area full of historical buildings, near the famous Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.
The store has two floors, and I was especially drawn to the plates and cutlery in the basement. I spent so much time there, dreaming about serving cake on one plate, cutting grilled vegetables with a Prism knife… My family was a bit exasperated by how long I took! I had already decided to buy a fork and knife from the Prism series as a souvenir, but I couldn't decide on the length. There were still so many plates I wanted to see, so I decided to return the next day to finalize my choices.
The next morning at breakfast, I examined the cutlery even more seriously than before. Looking back at the photos now, I can’t help but laugh at how focused I was. But really, they are just so beautiful!
Since I wanted to take my time, I left my family when they started feeling tired and went back to the store alone. I wandered around, mesmerized by the gorgeous tableware and cutlery.
Vista Alegre does not have direct stores outside of Portugal. While you can purchase their products online or at department stores, the selection is often limited and cutlery is sold as a set. I decided to buy one set each of the Prism dessert and dining knife and fork. This way, my daughter and I, or my partner and I, could use different sizes.
When I asked the staff to prepare my purchase, she recommended the spoon as well. At first, I only requested the knife and fork, but while she was wrapping my items, I realized I wanted to bring the spoons to Germany too. So, I ended up buying both the dessert and dining spoons as well. I’ll use them a lot, so it’s fine… probably 😁
The staff told me Vista Alegre has a hotel, spa, and factory in Aveiro, about 40 minutes south of Porto by train. They even offer factory tours! Now, I’m already thinking about visiting next winter… 😊
If you are a food and cooking fan and traveling to Portugal, I recommend you try Vista Alegre’s cutlery 🍴
ポルトガル滞在中、たくさんのレストランやカフェでVista Alegreのテーブルウェアが使われているのを見かけます。
滞在初日にホテルの朝ご飯でVista AlegreのPrismというシリーズのカトラリーを使う機会があり、一目惚れしました。特に細身のナイフで食べ物を切って、口に運ぶときの気持ちよさと言ったらもう！持ち手のデザインも美しいです。私は「魚の鱗のようでまさにポルトガル！」と言ったら、パートナーは「パイナップル」と・・・。
Prismのカトラリーにはデザート用と食事用、さらに魚用まであり、ホテルの朝ご飯でテーブルに並べてあったのは短めのデザート用のものでした。私や子供なら小さなデザート用を普通に食事に使うのでもよさそうです。ホテルで食事用のものも使わせてもらって迷います。
感動のあまりいてもたってもいらなくなって、ホールの人にこのブランドについてたずねたら、ポルトガルの歴史のあるブランドで、ポルトにもお店があると教えてくれました。行かないわけにはいきません。
世界で最も美しい書店の一つと言われるレロ書店のある、歴史的な建物の多いエリアにお店がありました。
地上と地下の2フロアがあり、個人的には地下のお皿とカトラリーが好みのど真ん中すぎて、「このお皿にケーキを乗せたらな」「グリル野菜をのせてこのカトラリーで切ったらなあ・・・」と家族に呆れられるほど長々と見ていました。Prismシリーズのフォークとナイフをお土産に買うことは決めていたものの、長さを決めきれず、お皿もまだまだ見たいし、翌日もう一度来て決めることにしました。
翌日の朝ご飯では前日以上に真剣にカトラリーを吟味しました。真剣すぎて写真を見直して笑います。ああ、それにしても美しい・・・！
この日はゆっくり見たかったので、疲れたと言い出した家族と分かれて、一人でお店を見に来ました。きれいな食器、カトラリーにうっとりしながら飽きずに見てまわります。
ポルトガル国外に直営店はなく、オンラインストアやデパートで取り扱いがあれば買えるのですが、セットのみで種類が限られているので、Prismのデザート用と食事用のナイフとフォークをとりあえずひと組みずつ買うことにしました。これなら私と子供、私と相方とで食べる時に大小使い分けできます。
お店の人にお願いすると、「スプーンもいいですよ！」と言われ、今回はナイフとフォークだけお願いしました。でも、包んでもらっている間にやっぱりスプーンもドイツに連れて帰りたくなり、スプーンもデザート用と食事用のものを購入してしまいました。いっぱい使うからいいですよね、多分 😁
そんなVista Alegreは、ポルトから電車で南に40分ほどのところにある、Aveiroというところに、ホテル、スパ、工場があって、工場見学もできるとのことで、次の冬に行きたいな・・・ともうすでに次の旅行を考えてしまいます！
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I've never known anyone who's so mesmerised with cutlery, no wonder your family left you to yourself 😄 And your partner isn't wrong, it does look like pineapple! They're nice though, got to admit
Noooooo it's fish 😂 It is the only cutlery I was astonished (in my life!), honestly! It's so comfortable to cut with the knif. I cannot wait to use them at home.
Very beautiful place, the beauty of the place is very extraordinary, the food also looks very delicious ❤️