If you’re looking for fantastic food, Porto has you covered for all things delicious. As it is located amongst the Atlantic ocean, vast rolling hills and everything in between, there is a diverse range of fresh local Portuguese food for you to taste.
Here are some recommended top foods you should eat in Porto.
Pastéis de Bacalhau
I’m not a fan of seafood so when I recommend something that involves fish as a key ingredient, you know it’s good!
Also known as Bolinhos de bacalhau in Northern Portugal, these codfish cakes/pastries are typically made from a mixture of potatoes, bacalhau (codfish), eggs, onion, and parsley. They are then shaped into a croquette shape or small balls before being deep fried.
They are somewhat crunchy on the outside but rather delicate with a creamy texture on the inside. To me, it was like a potato croquette with some fish mixed in. Pastel de bacalhau is definitely worth tasting.
HOT TIP:
Don’t be a gullible tourist and pay around €4 or more for pastéis de Bacalhau at Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau! You can get quality codfish cakes at well known bakeries such as Confeitaria do Bolhão for less than half the price!
Pastéis de nata
Invented by monks at Jerónimos Monastery in Belém (Lisbon) and considered the most famous of all Portuguese foods, the pastel de nata is an egg tart pastry typically dusted with icing sugar and/or cinnamon.
It is a must to try at least one of these Portuguese egg tarts – though it’s hard to stop at one!
Get the tarts early in the morning ideally for the freshest ones.
Pastéis de nata are commonly found everywhere in bakeries, cafes or shops solely making them. They typically sell for around €1. I got some from Manteigaria and Confeitaria do Bolhão – both places are great and affordable.
Recommended places to try pastel de nata
Pastéis de Chaves
If you’re a pastry lover, give pastéis de Chaves a taste.
Hailing from the city of Chaves in Portugal, Pastel de Chaves is a pastry that is made of a fine filo dough in the shape of a half-moon (similar to an empanada) typically filled with minced meat. It comes in various savoury flavours and sweet flavours like chocolate.
You can get Pastéis de Chaves in different flavours (Savoury meat, vegetarian, and sweet) at A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves where locals go and it’s easy to taste why!
Francesinha
Originating from Porto, francesinha is a sandwich consisting of bread, three meats such as wet-cured ham (wet-cure is when the meat is injected with a curing solution before cooking), linguiça (a smoke-cured pork sausage flavoured with garlic and paprika), steak or another roast meat, and covered with melted cheese and a hot, thick savoury tomato and beer sauce that can be a unique recipe to a restaurant; a lot of restaurants will claim to have the best francesinha in town.
It can be served with french fries and/or sometimes with a fried egg on top – both are normally added extras.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this dish. It’s a bit OTT with the numerous meats I think. It certainly wasn’t disgusting (just don’t think about the calorie and fat count!). It tasted good. It is quite rich and heavy, perfect after a long day of walking around the city.
It’s one of those dishes you want to try once since it’s a local thing, even though you probably know how it’ll taste. I tried it once and once was enough.
I tried francesinha at Cervejaria Brasão Aliados. It’s a great place with a good drinks menu and authentic Portuguese food in a smart casual atmosphere with chilled out music and great service (Note: The starter of bread and spreads already on the table is not free so don’t eat it if you don’t want to charged for it).
Where to eat Francesinha
During the brutual Salazar dictatorship, high numbers of Portuguese people migrated to France. One of these people is Daniel da Silva who had a lot of affection for the croque-monsieur (a baked or fried ham and cheese sandwich) and for French women.
When da Silva returned to Portugal in the 1960s, he invented a much grander and heart attack-ier version of croque-monsieur for Portuguese tastes. He named the sandwich after his appreciation for French women!
Francesa is a Portuguese word meaning “French woman”. “-inha” is a Portuguese suffix for “short” .
Indulge yourself with gelato
Okay, gelato isn’t Portuguese but it’s great anywhere in the world!
It gets hot in Porto so cool down with some luscious gelato at Gelataria Portuense. They have a small but delectable range of flavours ranging from Coffee, Pistachio, strawberry cheesecake, stracciatella to more gourmet flavours such as chocolate with amaretto and pistachio curd.
Bolas de berlim
Fried? Yip. Sugar? Of course. Full of cream? You betcha!
Probably my favourite food that I had tried in Porto, bolas de berlim is a sweet-fried and sugar-sprinkled doughnut (sans hole in the middle) and filled with an egg yolk-based cream in the middle. You can also find ones with different filling options such as Nutella.
I bought two (don’t judge haha) from Confeitaria do Bolhão – yeah, I went to this local place a lot! I highly recommend it.
While it isn’t original (it is derived from Germany’s Berliner doughnut), bolas de berlim is damn tasty and good.
Go treat yourself!
Try a sandwich from A Sandeira do Porto
Head over to A Sandeira do Porto if you’re looking for a delicious meal while on a budget. Located in a small side street, it’s a cosy little place, often busy with locals and travellers alike.
Their delightful and affordable sandwiches are big and filling with different choices with meat and vegetarian options. If you are still somehow hungry after a hearty sandwich, they also have desserts available.
Here are some food recommendations for you to taste when you’re in Porto:
- Pastéis de Bacalhau: Deep fried codfish cakes.
- Pastéis de nata: Freshly baked Portuguese Egg tart.
- Pastéis de Chaves: Filo pastry filled with a delicious filling.
- Francesinha: A sandwich packed with different meats, topped with melted cheese and a hearty sauce.
- Gelato: Tantalising ice cream made with local ingredients.
- Bolas de berlim: Sweet-fried doughnut with an egg yolk-based cream.
If you’ve been to Porto and know of other delicious food to eat and restaurants to dine in, let other travellers and myself know!
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