Restaurants
You’ll find Porto’s most atmospheric restaurants around the riverfront – from traditional adegas (taverns) offering great-value set lunches to more upscale nouveau Portuguese restaurants. Seafood is wonderfully fresh and delectable, with dried codfish (bacalhau) and sardines featuring on all the menus. Note that the Portuguese are big meat eaters – if you’re feeling adventurous, you must try the traditional tripa á moda do Porto, tripe stew with sausage, chicken and beans, and the other Porto specialty, francesinha, a beef, ham and sausage sandwich covered with melted cheese and tomato sauce.
The best tripe-eating spot is the long-running Tripeiro (Rua Passos Manuel 195; closed Sun), while for francesinha, you can’t do better than the no-frills Regaleira (Rua do Bonjardim 87; closed Sat). Otherwise, if you just want to sample deliciously prepared regional seafood specialties, nab a table at the intimate O Escondidinho (Rua Passos Manuel 144; closed Sun; reserve ahead at 351 (0)22 200 1079) right by São Bento, with elaborately furnished interiors and pricey entrées such as lobster au gratin, oven-roasted cod, and sole fillets in Madeira wine. For a creative twist on Portuguese cuisine, book a table at the elegant Cometa (R. Tomaz Gonzaga 87), a remarkable newcomer to Porto’s dining scene, just northeast of São Francisco church. On the Ribeira, the classy Dom Tonho (Cais de Ribeira 13–15; reserve ahead at 351 (0) 22 200 4307) is a dining institution with beautifully renovated historic stone interiors, a stellar menu of authentic seafood and meat dishes, and a top-notch wine list. Outside of town, the chic Trinca Espinhas (Av. Serpa Pinto 283), in Matosinhos (see our day trip suggestions, above), is a hugely popular destination restaurant that dishes out gourmet-fresh fish and outstanding meat alternatives.
Our favorite budget eatery in town is the tiny Adega S. Nicolau, just up from the Ribeira (Rua S. Nicolau 1; closed Sun), a simple, traditional tavern popular with locals for its huge portions of wonderfully prepared Portuguese staples. For a quick snack of olives and cheese, head to the hugely evocative Mercado do Bolhão (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 8am–1pm; Rua Fernandes Tomás), a colorful wrought-iron market built in the 19th century; it’s a perfect spot to catch the vibrant everyday moments of Porto.
For the best coffee break in town, visit the historic Café Majestic (Rua Santa Catarina 112), the grandest Belle Epoque café in Porto, with intricately appointed interiors and excellent, albeit pricey, coffee. You’ll find Porto’s hottest bar near the river, the chic and happening Aniki Bobo (Rua de Fonte Taurina 38), housed inside an ancient building and boasting cutting-edge décor and live music on most weekend nights. Meanwhile, if you’re strapped for time but don’t want to leave ‘portless’, there’s a splendid port-tasting bar right in Porto: Solar Vinho do Porto (Mon–Sat 2pm–11pm; Rua de Entre-Quintas 220) is housed inside an 18th-century building and offers a sophisticated lounge and a marvelous terrace where you can sample hundreds of port varieties starting at €1 per glass.
