The Symington family, fifth-generation port and wine producers, has opened a new three-storey townhouse in the heart of Porto designed to engage a new generation of wine lovers.
The space, named Matriarca, overlooks the city’s historic Carlos Alberto Square and reimagines the traditional private port clubs with a contemporary, inclusive approach. The venue features a wine bar, restaurant, cellar shop, and soon-to-open port cocktail bar and wine academy.
Matriarca is inspired by Beatriz Leitão Carvalhosa Atkinson, a 19th-century Portuguese-British ancestor of the Symington family known for hosting convivial dinners that brought people together over food and wine. The family says the townhouse channels that same welcoming spirit across its various spaces.
Each of the areas within Matriarca is open to the public and has been designed to offer diverse experiences—from shared wine tastings at the ground-floor Wine Bar to formal dining at The Dining Room, where Porto chef Pedro Lencastre Monteiro combines British and Portuguese culinary influences. The Cellar Shop offers a curated selection of Symington wines and ports, with personalised advice from staff.
A wine club, launched online by the Symingtons in 2023, offers members access to exclusive wines and events.
“Having been in the works for several years, it is an enormous pleasure to finally welcome people to Matriarca,” said Vicky Symington, fifth-generation family member and enotourism marketing manager. “Inspired by Beatriz, we wanted each space within the townhouse to be warm and welcoming with the familiar sense of home. We wanted to build unique spaces that lend themselves to special moments between friends and family over fantastic food and wine.”
The townhouse was designed by London-based interior firm Thurstan, led by former Soho House European Design Director James Thurstan Waterworth. The design incorporates reclaimed and repurposed materials in collaboration with local artisans, with a focus on sustainability.
Symington Family Estates, which operates port brands such as Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s, and Warre’s, has been a certified B Corporation since 2019. The company manages the largest area of organic vineyard in northern Portugal and is the first wine producer in the country to obtain the Sustainable Winegrowing Certification.
The Wine Bar, Dining Room, and Cellar Shop opened to the public on June 20, with the Attic Bar and Wine Academy set to launch later this year.
For more information, visit https://matriarca.pt/ or follow it on Instagram.
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