Eat, sleep and breathe art: Palacete Severo, the hotel with a revolving art gallery
• Stay at the stylish new five-star hotel in the heart of Porto’s most creative neighbourhood
• A changing programme of exhibitions is hosted around the entire building – bedrooms, spa, reception, bar, restaurant, garden
• Fine dining restaurant, Éon, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Tiago Bonito, is a work of art itself
• Walk everywhere to explore Porto’s galleries and boutiques, then return to this secluded sanctuary
Palacete Severo, an exciting new hotel launch in the heart of Porto’s creative neighbourhood, Cedofeita, exudes art, history and discreet luxury.
And what makes it truly unique is the hotel acts as a revolving gallery. Owner Géraldine Banier, who has a contemporary art gallery in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district of Paris (the Perspective Galerie), has designed her Porto hotel as a living art space, inviting Portuguese and international artists to showcase their work.
A changing programme of temporary exhibitions is hosted around the entire building – bedrooms, spa, reception, bar, restaurant and garden (with its heated outdoor saltwater pool) – and artwork is available to buy. So if you visit more than once you get an entirely new experience.
Like her Paris gallery, Palacete Severo aims to be a living bridge between artists and audiences, creating a space where contemporary art becomes accessible, thought-provoking, and engaging.
Winter (IMAGENS PARA O INVERNO), the latest exhibition at the hotel (until 22 March 2026) is inspired by the season of cold and fantastical landscapes, a time when the light is stolen from us too soon, and we retreat indoors to rest and mediate, until spring brings rebirth. Curated by Laura Castro, the work by six artists ranges from ceramics and marble, to painting, collage, printmaking, digital media, rubber and latex.
Living through winter brings us closer to traditional life cycles, of course, when harvests were gathered in September and provisions stored for the winter. In this exhibition, the provisions gathered are actually artworks which nourish our dreams and hopes, and feed reflection.
Isabel Pavão’s paintings are inspired by childhood memories of gardens in Porto where camellia trees bloom in winter and lemon trees can flower all year round; while Susana Piteira works in porcelain and marble, a material once described as “bright as silver, white as snow”. As we live patiently through the winter solstice and the festive rite of New Year, Diana Costa’s bold acrylics on paper and glass make us hopeful of the return of spring but also aware of the uncertainties of the coming year. Filipe Cortez offers a close up of winter through his paintings, Nettie Burnett takes us closer to the forest with graphite and gold leaf trees. Maria Regina Ramos’ paintings show a more intimate side of the season with both a look at her garden and paintings, showing the mapping of trees in a northern Portuguese forest, marked with a surgical red cross identifying the spots where mushrooms were removed. Winter is officially here, for all to see at this unique gallery.
Palacete Severo is an architect’s dream house. The yellow-walled “palacete” was built by Portuguese architect, Ricardo Severo, in 1904 for his Brazilian wife Francisca Santos Dumont.
There are just 20 bedrooms and suites. Eleven are in the original 20th-century building, with oak floors, thick wicker bedheads and stuccoed ceilings; while nine are in the new-build extension in the grounds. They all have their own character, from the former maid’s room, half way up the stairs under a sloping ceiling, to the original enclosed wooden balcony room and a garden suite apartment with separate sitting room area with a varanda overlooking the garden.
And Éon, the wood-panelled fine dining restaurant is a work of art in itself – from the imaginative dishes to the presentation of the food and the setting. The Michelin-starred chef Tiago Bonito reimagines Portuguese and Mediterranean classics with seasonal local Portuguese ingredients. Dishes on his tasting menu are inspired by his own memories of his childhood, such as Caviar & Onion – Squid, Miso, Browned Butter; Bluefin Tuna – Oyster, Cucumber & Apple, Wasabi; Hook-Caught Hake – Parsley, Mushrooms, Pil-Pil; Scarlet Prawn (Algarve) – Harissa, Pumpkin, Bísaro Pork. And for dessert: Childhood Memories – Popcorn, Caramel, Cotton Candy.
Because the hotel is so central you can walk to many of Porto’s famous cultural attractions including the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, the Casa da Música, Dom Luís I Bridge, the Bolsa Palace and the Livraria Lello Book Store. Located on a quiet residential street, named after Severo himself, the hotel is close to Porto’s many art galleries, as well as independent boutiques, shops, restaurants and cafés.
For 20 years, Géraldine Banier has represented artists – both.emerging and established – attracting art enthusiasts, collectors, and curators to her iconic Paris gallery. And now we can engage with the artwork in a luxurious hotel setting where you can literally eat, sleep and breathe art.
A tribute to a modern vibrant city, Palacete Severo is a very special addition to the Porto landscape.
palacetesevero.com
Rua de Ricardo Severo 21, 4050-460 Porto, Portugal
B&B is priced from €300.00 per room per night
Getting there: From the UK Porto airport is served by five airlines: BA, TAP Air Portugal, easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2, from around 11 airports nationwide including London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Belfast. From Ireland Porto airport is served by Ryanair. Porto is three hours by train from Lisbon.
From the airport: Taxi, Uber, Bolt or Metro (Line E Purple) to Carolina Michaelis directly then a 10 minute walk. The Porto Metro runs from around 06.30am to 00.40am.
