First, about us: a group of 6 American couples (12 people) who have traveled extensively but had never traveled as a complete group before. Two of us were celebrating 60th birthdays.
We spent 3 days in Lisbon, then 5 days at Fox House, then we all split up for separate travels. We used Fox House as a base for day trips to Porto, Douro, and hiking. The location of Fox House, which might seem a little rural, is a great central point for most things in northern Portugal.
We asked Mafalda and Miguel to suggest chefs for 3 of our 5 nights.
If you are like us, you are probably wondering what the Fox House will be like (does it match the pictures?) and whether the chefs they suggest will really be worth the cost.
The house is wonderful. Mafalda and Miguel have made excellent choices in renovating Fox House. Each bedroom can be equipped with single beds or doubles (we chose all doubles), and each has its own bathroom. Oh yes, the layout: there's a main house with 4 bedrooms, an additional villa with 2 more bedrooms, and a separate Fox Club. Fox Club has a professional kitchen that sits behind a large entertainment room with couches, a bar, and a dining table.
We LOVED the ability to gather as a group. In a hotel you lose that—but at Fox House you always have ways to celebrate together. In addition, the house and grounds are so large and diverse that practically everyone could find a little spot or nook to read or work alone when needed.
Our total vacation time varied by couple, but in general was about 12 days for this trip—only 5 of which were spent at Fox House. However, it's the group's consensus that our best days were spent at Fox House.
As well as our best meals. The two chefs (Luis and Henrique) took turns creating the best meals we had in Portugal. While some portion of their success might be attributed to the setting (the relaxed Fox House atmosphere), the food was simply outstanding. I honestly don't remember a weak course that either chef served. In typical Portuguese fashion the meals were advertised very simply, but in practice were quite elaborate, and had great wine pairings. We have some serious “foodies” in our group, and everyone was thoroughly delighted by the meals.
Mafalda and Miguel were super attentive to all our needs, and although they (and the housekeeper) stay out of sight by default, we found them so delightful that we dragged them into our party when we could.
Fox House was a delight. Hearty recommendation!