Like in any other country, Italian food occupies a special place in Portugal when it comes to eating out or ordering in. Tarantino, recently remodeled and movie-themed, is probably the best pizzeria to go when money is short, and the hunger for pizza is striking.

But Tarantino is not only all about ridiculously cheap pizza. In the historical Praça Carlos Alberto, Tarantino offers an adorable backyard to its starving clients, something that restaurants such as this seldom have. I had your curiosity, but now I have your attention: the menu varies a lot, from sandwiches, salads or other Italian delicacies, but it’s hard to compete with their pizzas, the reason that makes Tarantino so special. As mentioned above, and as the name suggests in a tribute to the famous director, you can find movie references all over the restaurant: the order balcony is a ticket office, a Darth Vader mask, or, perhaps my favourite, the placemats made of recycled movie posters. It’s open until 02:00, so it’s a perfect place to meet with friends and drink the first beers, since it also presents a nice terrace near the main clubs and bars of Porto downtown.

However, not everything is perfect, and sometimes you might have to wait a while for the hot plate to reach the table. But it’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you want to take a small break from all the traditional local food.

Pizza, movies, good open spaces and and adorable staff: Oh, that’s a bingo!