The delicious nuggets. The barbecue sauce. The McChickens and McDoubles. And on top of it all, some fizzy drink, a cold co*ke, perhaps. Or Sprite. That is vintage McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food restaurant chain and one of the most recognizable brand names. Healthy? Maybe not. Outstanding quality? Debatable. Yet certain elements of McDonald's are as guaranteed as the axis on which our planet rotates. It's cheap. And it's fast. And while it may not be luxurious, it’s good enough.
According to Statista, the online platform that provides consumer data and market insights, there are 40,031 McDonald's restaurants in the world. Of these more than 40,000 restaurants, the McDonald's restaurant in Porto is the most beautiful on the planet. Of course, the architectural quality of McDonald's restaurants is not at par with, say, New York’s Guggenheim. Some even claim the buildings are soulless. Could the one at Porto be an exception?
Here’s What To Know About McDonald's Restaurant In Porto, Portugal
The McDonald’s restaurant in Porto is the most beautiful in the world. But wait a minute. How dare we make such an audacious statement regarding beauty, a subject that’s among the most divisive on the planet? And why not the gorgeous McDonald’s in Budapest, the one situated in a railway station? Or the one in Downey in the Golden State, the oldest McDonald's restaurant in the world? Or just any other McDonald’s restaurant? There’s something about the McDonald’s restaurant in Porto, something about how it looks, that makes it a cut above the rest. While the exterior is deceptively average and doesn’t exhibit any indication of the building’s architectural finesse, it is still impressive, if not breathtakingly so, and almost imperial, just as the restaurant name implies: McDonald’s Imperial.
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McDonalds Porto
The entrance is grand. And high up. On the space of concrete between the building’s glossy arcade and its high roof, just behind the golden “McDonald’s” signage, stands a sculptured bronze eagle with outspread wings. It raises its head and seems to be captivated by something in the distance. That giant bronze is the handiwork of Henrique Moreira, one of Portugal’s finest sculptors, especially in Art deco. As one steps inside the building, the aesthetic impression is instantaneous. This is evidently not an average McDonald’s.
Here’s How The Interior Of McDonald’s At Porto Looks Like
The interior of McDonald’s restaurant in Porto is sleek and classy; manifestly, this is one of the most luxurious McDonald’s restaurants on the globe. “Magnificent” is an adjective that is often painfully abused; however, here, it finds its truest application. For starters, it’s conveniently spacious and palatial, nothing like one would expect in Porto. The ceilings are high up, not much lower than those of a medieval castle in Europe. But If there’s one aspect of this restaurant that comes off as a huge feature of its aesthetic appeal, it is the massive stained glass window behind the counter.
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It is so extensive that it covers much of the wall behind the kitchen and then stretches up the staircase. While everything about the restaurant’s interior speaks of class, the stained-glass window, the handiwork of stained-glass artist Ricardo Leone, is the centerpiece of this McDonald’s restaurant. The window exhibits artworks that capture scenes related to coffee; all the way from cultivation and processing, to the consumption of the final product. And then the crystal chandeliers hgh up on the roof, with shimmering pendants that gleam and glow and sparkle, and that creates a swanky ambiance that is extraordinary for any fast food restaurant. . Nothing, definitely, like one would expect in a typical McDonald’s.
- Where Is The McDonald’s At Porto, Portugal Located? This McDonald’s is located in the city center on Avenida dos Aliados, one of the most beautiful avenues in Porto.
McDonald's Porto
And less conspicuous, though not less elegant, are a number of white friezes on the ceiling, many of which depict different dance styles. Of course, McDonald’s is not the first tenant of the building in Porto that it currently occupies. So some credit should obviously go to Imperial Cafe, the original entity that designed the current marvel.
Here’s What To Eat At McDonald’s Porto, Portugal
The McDonald’s restaurant in Porto is not among the strangest in the world. So its food is just the typical delicacy that one can enjoy in any typical restaurant in the United States. But with one fundamental difference: Sagres beer. Of course beer is one of 20 menu items only found in European McDonald’s.Other than this, there are all kinds of delicious burgers; one of the signature items of a McDonald’s restaurant. They also serve many kinds of delectable sandwiches, including Chicken Bacon Onion sandwich that, even for a vegetarian, will prove impossibly tempting.
The restaurant also serves fries and smoothies; buns and bacon and soups, and much more. Visiting the McDonald’s in Porto should be an itinerary item for those vacationing in the world’s friendliest country.
