It's been almost 20 years since Porto Lounge first opened in Fishponds, yet anyone who regularly passes will know that it still pulls in a loyal crowd all this time later - people regularly queue outside for weekend brunch, patiently waiting on the pavement opposite Fishponds Park.
This month marked the start of a new chapter for the bar-restaurant as it vacated its small green-tiled corner unit and moved to a huge premises just up the High Street, which had been empty for some time after the departure of the Card Factory and Lloyds Pharmacy. Bristol Live went to check it out inside its vast new home, and found that it was already full of customers all just as keen to try it out.
It was the first Friday night since opening, and it had been the talk of the neighbourhood since the signage and dusky pink painted exterior had been unveiled a few days earlier when the hoardings came down. Still, with the cost of living crisis and competition like the ever-popular Crafty Egg and family-friendly cafe-bar Grounded opposite, it's no mean feat to pack out a venue this size.
