16+ Best Food in Porto Portugal: Pastel, Francesinha + More!
Fresh seafood, juicy sandwiches and delectable pastries are all included on this best food in Porto Portugal list.
Porto is home to such delicious food that you need to know exactly what to eat on your trip and I’m here to help you with a Porto foodie plan!
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In This Food Post
Eating in Porto
Eating in Porto is a thing to do. It feels meaningful. It’s an event. It’s delicious. It’s also budget-friendly!
I had the luxury of visiting Porto with a Portuguese friend who gave me the insider tips on Portuguese cuisine, ordered for the group and took us to the best spots. If you ever have the chance of exploring a place with a local, take that chance.
I spent 2 days in Porto, and predictably, fell in love with this culture. When it comes to serving good food Porto knows what it’s doing.
I’ve put together this list of the types of food to try in Porto from the old Pastel de Nata recipes that come from afar to the fresh sea food Porto has on its doorstep. You’ll find something you need to try and why eating these foods will connect you to the city’s history.
Most foods have a recommendation of where to eat in Porto like my favourite seafood pot, celebrities’ spots and where to get the best Francesinha in Porto. There’s also the best tours in Porto Portugal if you want a guide to take you around and teach you.
15 Best Food in Porto Portugal
1) Francesinha (Hearty Sandwich)
Topping the Porto food list with the most famous food from Porto is the Francesinha.
Francesinha is a sandwich. Probably one of the most heartiest sandwiches you’ll ever have and not something you can eat everyday. Or maybe you can, no judgement here!
A typical Francesinha consists of smoked ham, cheese, steak and sausage inside two slices of white bread. Then it’s covered with more cheese and a beer sauce. The special Francesinha also has a fried egg on top with french fries surrounding it (that’s what I got).
Francesinha directly translates to ‘little French woman’.
History: The Francesinha is inspired by France’s Croque Monsieur after a local named Daniel Silva moved back to Porto after living in France in the 60s. But he enhanced the recipe with quite a few more ingredients!
Where to Eat Francesinha in Porto: Cafe Santiago is one of the most known places to have the best Francesinha Porto. The queue speaks for itself (I waited over 45 minutes for a table). It’s a simple restaurant with the lively atmosphere making up for the bare walls and basic furniture.
Cafe Santiago, R. de Passos Manuel 226, 4000-382 Porto
Is the sandwich known as Francesinha best in Porto to try? You be the decider.
2) Pastel de Nata (BEST Pastry in Portugal)
Next is the most famous food in Portugal, and my favourite indulgence in Porto, the Pastel de Nata.
Everyone travelling here wants to know the best Pastel de Nata Porto has and I was no different.
I did a few tours in Porto and the guides had their favourite but I was going with my friend’s opinion, who went to baking school may I add. She told me that the best Pastel de Nata in Porto was actually a chain bakery from Lisbon called Manteigaria (which translates to buttery).
I went to Manteigaria twice while in Porto and once right before I headed to the airport and took 4 home with me in a to-go box!
A Pastel de Nata is a traditional Portuguese pastry, flaky and crispy on the outside and filled with egg custard on the inside. There will be condiments to add to it like caster sugar and cinnamon. Order an espresso to go with it.
History: During the 1800s, monasteries in Lisbon used to use egg-whites as starch for nuns and friars’ clothing. Then the leftover egg-yolks were used for baking which they went on to sell and well, you know the rest.
Where to Eat Pastel de Nata in Porto: Go to Manteigaria for the best Nata in Porto, perhaps the world, because it’s consistent and they bake right in front of you!
Manteigaria, Rua dos Clérigos nº37, 4050-205 Porto
Try this and convince me it’s not the best pastry in Portugal!
3) Piri-Piri Chicken
Okay I can’t do a Portuguese food list without mentioning piri-piri or peri-peri chicken, one of the most famous styles of chicken in the world that comes from this country.
Although coming from the Algarve in Southern Portugal, it’s not specifically a Porto food but peri-peri chicken is something you have to try when visiting anywhere in the country. You’ll find it in restaurants or from a random stall in a food market in Porto.
Cooked between metal grates while turning above raging-hot coal and coated with piri-piri sauce, excellent chicken like this is hard to beat.
History: Portuguese colonists came across chilli peppers in African countries like Mozambique and Angola
Where to Eat in Porto: Churrasqueira Portuguesa do Amial, Porto –
Worldwide: I did a Food Tour in Montreal and had incredible chicken in Little Portugal. And Nandos in the UK is a Portuguese-style chicken restaurant, now a culinary institution. If you’re from the UK, you’ll know.
4) Fish and Seafood
If someone asks me what to eat in Porto, I immediately say fish or seafood. It’s the ultimate must eat Porto dish in my opinion! Being so close to the Atlantic Ocean AND the Duoro River, there’s plenty of options for the best seafood in Porto. Also, Portugal eats the most fish and aquaculture per capita in the EU!
Think prawns, crab, clams, barnacles, scallops, sea bass, tuna, hake and cod, the most popular fish in Porto. The cod used in Porto comes from places like Norway, Iceland and Scotland but it is salt-dried in Portugal and left in water before cooked so its method makes it the perfect food in Porto Portugal.
Note: It’s widely known that 10km from Porto, a town called Matosinhos is the best seafood Porto or close to Porto has so if you get a chance, head there.
5) Salada de Polvo (Octopus Salad)
This is a light, refreshing, fresh Porto seafood salad to enjoy as an appetiser in any seafood restaurant. It’s made with boiled octopus, onions, coriander, olives, garlic and peppers covered in olive oil.
I loved this along with a seafood rice stew (below) at Adega Sao Nicolau.
Adega Sao Nicolau is a cosy taverna, not far from the river-front in Porto but tucked in a steep street with pretty interior and excellent outdoor seating. This place was so busy we had to wait for a table but we grabbed a beer to drink while we waited. It was SO worth it and we had a feast.
Where to Have Octopus Salad: Adega Sao Nicolau, Rue de São Nicolau 1, 4050-561 Porto
6) Arroz de Marisco (Seafood with Rice Stew)
The mixture of seafood scent hit my nose before my eyes locked on the boiling clay pot heading toward our table. The main course had arrived. My smell and sight were satisfied but after my food bite, my tastebuds were delighted.
Arroz de Marisco is a pot of prawns, clams, mussels and langoustines blended with herbs and rice in a rich broth made from the juices of the aforementioned seafood. And it’s wonderful. This was, hands down, the best food in Porto Portugal that I ate!
Where to eat Seafood Rice in Porto: Adega Sao Nicolau, Rue de São Nicolau 1, 4050-561 Porto
Read Next: Discover How Porto is Home to Harry Potter!
7) Alheira (Sausage)
Alheira is a smoked sausage made of a blend of meats such as pork, veal and chicken with garlic (alho means garlic). It’s eaten on its own, with bread or tapas-style with cheese and olives.
Any food market Porto is home to will have this special sausage for you to sample, eat there-and-then, take for your own cooking or take home as a souvenir!
History: During the 1400s when Sephardic Jews in Portugal were forced to choose Christianity or leave the country, they created garlic sausages with no pork to retain their beliefs. Nowadays, Alheira is widely-used and can contain pork.
Where to Eat Alheira in Porto: A Favorita do Bolhão, Rua de Fernandes Tomás 783, 4000-218 Porto
Tip: Looking for the best market in Porto? Head to Mercado do Bolhão (Bolhao Market) for fresh ingredients, Porto food to try, souvenirs, joining food tours Porto and exploring a landmark of the city.
8) Pastéis de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Fritters)
Pasteis de Bacalhau is cod, potato, parsley and onions mushed together with eggs and milk and deep fried so they are kind of a cod fishcake or a croquette. And they are rich in tastiness but cheap for the budget! Perfect.
For things to eat in Porto, this is one of my favourites because it’s fish, for starters, but it’s wrapped in a small bite that melts in your mouth and you can order it whenever you like. I had it as a snack on-the-go from one of the food markets in Porto mid-morning and then as an appetiser in the evening.
Any decent Bacalhau will have NO cheese in it. The one outside the Clerigos Tower advertises their salted cod bites oozing with cheese so don’t go there if you want an authentic taste of Porto eats.
Where to Get Cod Fritters: Anywhere that specifically does not have cheese in them.
9) Sardines
Grilled sardines is something Portugal is known for and although it’s usually associated with Southern Portugal, don’t think Porto doesn’t have them too. They do and they’re everywhere.
They are served whole perhaps with some bread or with potatoes and salad.
Tinned sardines from Portugal are world-known and make for the perfect souvenir. But do not go to the shops that look like a circus with the sardine carousels for your purchase.
Where to Buy Tinned Sardines: The best place to buy tinned sardines is from the shops that look like not much is going on when in fact there’s a lot packed in there. Mainly, packed sardines.
10) Bifanas (Pork Sandwich)
Some people would say Bifana is the best food Porto provides.
Who wouldn’t love this sandwich made of thin, juicy pork slices that have been cooking in their own sauce and seasoning all day that soaks up the crusty white bread?
Every food tour Porto provides will have Bifanas as a food tasting it’s THAT popular.
Where to Get the Best Bifana Porto: Conga Casa das Bifanas – the food is in the name!
Extra: Another excellent sandwich in Porto is the Sandes de Pernil which is roasted pork in a crusty roll. For this, the best place to eat in Porto is Casa Guedes.
Best Food Tours in Porto Portugal
To learn more about the traditional food in Porto, I recommend joining a guided food tour in Porto for more depth and try the most popular food in Porto with a local. Check these out:
11) Tripe
Tripas à Moda do Porto means Porto-style tripe. It’s the stomach lining of cows served with rice, beans and carrots.
Porto is the best place to eat Tripe as the people of Porto are known as Tripeiros, meaning, Tripe-eaters.
The history of Porto Tripe comes from, as many famous dishes around the world do, from the working class. After sending voyagers off with the best parts of the meat to eat on the ships, the remaining civilians used everything leftover from the animals and thus the guts made this stew.
Where to Eat Oporto Tripe: A Cozinha do Martinho. In S9, E8 of Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain eats Tripe at in Porto. I’d take his recommendation over most.
12) Cachorrinho (Portuguese Hotdog)
Cachorrinho is made of pork sausage and melted cheese in crusty bread that is cut into bite-size pieces. It’s a typical street food of Porto that people like to eat to accompany a beer.
This is one of the best cheap eats Porto has and perfect for a mid-afternoon snack or something to have while enjoying a beer before the main dinner.
Where to Eat in Porto: Cervejaria Gazela, Tv. do Cimo de Vila 4, 4000-434 Porto
Filming Location: None other than Anthony Bourdain went to Cervejaria Gazela for Cachorrinho and Mark Weins also went to this spot in his street food Porto episode.
Related Post: Somebody Feed Phil Locations in Montreal
13) Caldo Verde (Green Soup)
Caldo Verde is a popular Portuguese soup made from leafy greens like cabbage or kale, onions, garlic and seasoned well. Aptly, it translates to ‘green broth’.
History: The soup comes from the Minho province in the North of Portugal, so not far from Porto, and is based on a recipe brought by English merchants.
Where to Find Caldo Verde: As one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders of Gastronomy, Caldo Verde is a popular dish that you’ll see at birthdays and weddings but it will be on the menu in every best place to eat Porto.
14) Bola de Berlim (Next Best Pastry Porto)
The only other dessert on this Porto Eats list is Bola de Berlin and while I didn’t try it myself, my friends did and loved it, and it’s everywhere!
It translates to ‘Berlin Ball’ like the German pastry and is similar to a doughnut filled with egg-yolk-based cream and sprinkled with lots of sugar.
Where to Get Bola de Berlim: You will find these at any and every bakery in Porto.
15) Roasted Chestnuts
When you’re on your Porto walk you’ll see little vendors cooking up something with lots of steam coming from their stall. These are roasted chestnuts. Super cheap, super easy and super yummy. Buy them by the bag to accompany your activity that day.
I bought them from a vendor outside Clerigos Tower (pictured left) and got about 20 chestnuts for less than €5!
Where to Stay: I stayed in Be Oporto Apartments Clerigos right next to Clerigos Tower so walkable to all major Porto sights, clean, spacious and private accommodation and close access to public transport.
16) Presunto (Cured Pork)
Presunto is Portuguese dry-cured ham. It’s like jamon in Spain and prosciutto in Italy. Along with the delicious cheeses, olives, bread and oil there are many places you’ll find the best tapas in Porto to enjoy with Port wine.
Where You’ll Get Presunto: Some of the best tapas Porto I had was in Petiscos no Mercado Bolhão, next to Bolhao market at night, and Praca 63 for lunch.
Top 3 Drinks in Porto
17) Super Bock Beer
In Portugal, the difference between North and South can be seen in their choice of beers. In the North, it’s Super Bock and in the South, it’s Sagres.
Super Bock is the most-drunk beer in Porto in bars, restaurants, supermarkets and parks.
Super Bock is everywhere and not just the beer but the adverts are on every patio umbrella, all the beer mats, FC Porto and the Porto Film Festival.
The only time I saw Sagres in Porto was in McDonalds! That’s how serious they take their beer in Portugal.
18) Port
Douro Valley is home to Port. If you ever have Port that was not made in this region, it is not Port, it’s fortified wine.
Port is sweet and heavy and used in Portugal as a dessert wine, after dinner and on occasions. It’s world-renowned.
The best port in Porto will be found in any shops or restaurants as long as it comes from the Douro Valley. It won’t be hard to find.
Best Wine Tours in Porto Portugal
I did this wine tour from Porto, one of the best port wine tasting in Porto which was a full day out as it was located in the Douro Valley (the best region for wine) and included transfers to and from Porto, lunch, a boat ride, 5 wine tastings and a knowledgeable guide the entire time.
If you prefer a shorter tour that stays in the city of Porto, see here for the best port wine tour in Porto:
19) Pedras Salgadas Sparkling Water
This is natural sparkling water. I know what you’re thinking because I thought the same – that’s impossible. But my friend kept telling us it is sparkling water from a natural spring and after Googling it, she was right, it’s a naturally carbonated mineral water from the North East and I felt bad for doubting a local!
She also told us it’s the perfect stomach settler/hangover cure after a night on the Superbock. This time I took her advice, no questions asked.
Will you be taking my friend’s advice too and trying all this amazing food in Porto?
Tips For Food to Eat in Porto Portugal
- The best places in Porto to eat will have little English on their menus.
- Servers will not give you the bill. This is not North America. So when you’re ready to pay, ask for the bill or you’ll be there all night.
- On that note, this is Europe. And in Europe you have the table as long as you want. No-one will be rushing you out.
- The most authentic, and probably the best places to eat in Porto, will be closed on Sundays (traditional and religious).
- Restaurants will almost always serve bread and oil to the table before ordering main meals.
- If you want good food Porto will give you it!
Porto Food Guide: Pin Me!
