What to eat in Porto?

Are you greedy? Do you love discovering specialties? You will be served in Porto, a city rich in delicious gastronomy. Ready meals, typical drinks, sweet pastries and quality products, it's time to enjoy. Located on the banks of the Douro River in northern Portugal, the climate is ideal for cuisine full of sun and flavor.

Report photo: Porto Guide

Taste traditional products in Porto

Prepare your taste buds, the meal begins with the aperitif with good, well-presented and fragrant products to discover and share. In bars, cafes and restaurants, it is not uncommon to be offered a platter of cold meats and cheese accompanied by olives to eat. Most often made from pork, Portuguese charcuterie is a tradition that should not be missed. Salpicão, the most traditional of sausages, Presunto, thinly sliced dry-cured ham or Chouriços, smoked sausage flambéed in brandy, the pleasures are varied with the Portuguese!

And we haven’t yet told you about cheese! Creamy, soft, made from raw or pasteurized milk, Portugal is a major producer of cheese in almost all regions. Queijo de Cabra Transmontano made with goat's milk in the north, Queijo de Castelo Branco with sheep's milk in the center or Queijo de São Jorge with cow's milk in the Azores, discover a Portuguese tradition most often tasted sweet and sour with marmalades or quince paste.

How good it is to feast in Porto. Even the fruits and vegetables are of high quality thanks to a rich and fertile land with a sunny climate perfect for growing olive trees, apples, oranges, cherries or tomatoes.

Savor typical Portuguese dishes and recipes

Now that we know where to start, let's continue with delicious Portuguese specialties. Savory or sweet, there is something for all tastes and hungers, even if the dishes are often well served and plentiful on Porto's plates. Let's go for the culinary tour!

Traditional savory dishes

On the go, on site or to take away, you can enjoy them at any time of the day:

Francesinha, a cooked dish presented as a croque-monsieur filled with meats and covered with melted cheese, a staple of Porto.
Bacalhau in Gomes de Sa, a specialty best enjoyed in winter, made from cod soaked in milk accompanied by potato, garlic, egg and olive.
Caldo verde (green broth), a thick soup made with finely cut kale, chouriço slices and potato.
Prego, a sandwich to enjoy on the go where grilled beef pairs wonderfully with garlic and spices between two slices of soft bread.

Traditional sweet dishes

To finish a meal or fill a little hunger pangs during the day, there's nothing like a sweet treat accompanied by a coffee. Pastry shop, bakery, market and restaurant, there is no shortage of places to satisfy your desire for treats in Porto:

Pastel de Nata, the most popular and absolutely delicious Portuguese dessert. Crispy on the outside with its golden puff pastry and creamy on the inside with a flan heart flavored with vanilla, lemon or cinnamon, it is an icon not to be missed.
Pão de Ló, a very simple but delicious pastry made with egg, sugar and flour. With vanilla or lemon, this soft and light cake is perfect for a snack.
Fogaça, a soft bread almost like a brioche to enjoy at any time of the day.
Ovos Moles, an egg yolk dough surrounded in a sweet shell. Produced in the Aveiro region south of Porto, it is a typically Portuguese dessert.
Bolos de Arroz, a Portuguese pastry made from rice, which is presented as a pretty cylinder in a paper. Easy to eat, filling and delicious.
The Portuguese are also fond of French pastries, such as croissants and pain au choclat, which are often found in cafes and bakeries. It's a somewhat special version, with a more compact puff pastry and often cream inside.

Are you full? Rest assured, Porto offers very beautiful vintages to accompany Portuguese Mediterranean cuisine.

Discover Port wines

You can't leave Porto without tasting the city's iconic drink, port. Deliciously sweet and fragrant, it is ideal as an aperitif or to accompany dessert. Served in all cafes, bars or restaurants, it may even be offered in certain boutiques during your shopping. Made from wine, port comes in different names depending on its age and grape variety:

Tawny port aged for 5 to 7 years in vats,
Reserve tawny port aged for at least 6 years in oak barrels,
Tawny port with indication of age, a maturity which complicates the taste and aromas,
Tawny harvest port, vintage bottles aged for a minimum of 7 years.

Aroma of caramel, chocolate, dried fruit or coffee, the tastes of port are varied. Go to a cellar for a guided tour and discover all the secrets of this typical Portuguese drink.

Vinho verde, (green wine), is another specialty of the region, a wine that is drunk young just a few months after the harvest. Red or white, it is most often consumed in summer for its fresh and light side.

Portuguese gastronomy now has no secrets for you. Treat yourself, explore the markets, discover the good addresses and above all, try all the specialties. For our part, we are salivating with envy just talking about what we can eat in Porto. And you, have we whetted your appetite?