Porto is in a privileged location, just a few kilometres from the sea and on the banks of the Douro River. It is also just over 100 kilometres from the Douro Valley, one of Portugal’s most special natural areas. This, coupled with its gastronomic tradition and wide variety of dishes and specialties, makes the city an ideal destination for food lovers looking to enjoy the best restaurants in Porto.
Porto also offers food options to suit all tastes, with various restaurants including gourmet, traditional and tourist establishments, catering for its 200,000+ inhabitants and the thousands of tourists who visit daily.
With so much to see in Porto, it’s practically mandatory to take a break to recharge your batteries, and what better way to do that than by visiting Porto’s top restaurants?
Having visited the city six times as a tourist and lived there for another six months, I can recommend the following restaurants in Porto for your next trip (based on my opinions and personal experiences).
Content index
Taberninha do Manel
In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in Porto. Located in the heart of Cais de Gaia in Vila Nova de Gaia, its terrace overlooks the rabelos and the Dom Luís I Bridge. Inside, the stone walls and rustic décor, with lights set to a low intensity, give this Porto restaurant a unique ambience on both the ground and first floors.
The smoked sausage, which used to come out of the kitchen literally on fire, the pica-pau, the prawns, the cod, the cheeks, and the desserts are all renowned, although the entire menu is worth trying. Prices are much higher than at other traditional restaurants in Porto, but I think it’s worth it.
Tip: I got to the conclussion that the bread, coffees, desserts and shots are what inflate the bill in this restaurant, so bear that in mind if you’re on a budget.
Update April 2025: Such is the fame of this Porto restaurant that they have recently opened another called ‘Adega do Manel‘ closer to the bridge. It has the same menu and features a terrace with small tables where you can have a drink and overlook the river.
Republica dos Cachorros 2
This place became one of my favorite restaurants for eating Francesinha in Porto 10 years ago. I found it by chance as I had intended to go to the well-known Café Santiago, but it was so busy that I opted for this place instead.
Since then, I never miss a visit when I’m traveling, and although I knew it for its francesinhas, the highlight is its ‘cachorros’, Porto-style hot dogs. They’re tasty and a bit spicy, and the place has a great atmosphere (maybe too much, since there’s almost no room to move…).
Yay! This is one of the few restaurants in Porto where you can book in advance. Do it through Google Maps or the DISH app.
Casa Guedes
This one would take second place in my list of the best restaurants in Porto. I have been a fan since 2015 and have recommended it to all my friends and family – it never disappoints. The pernil sandwiches with sheep cheese are out of this world.
The original restaurant is located on one corner of Poveiros Square, which is my favorite, although, as it is very small with a large outdoor terrace, it may only be a good idea if you go to Porto in summer. For this reason, and because of its popularity, it has opened another restaurant in the same square, as well as one in the centre, near Cedofeita.
During my trip in April 2025, I visited Casa Guedes Progresso, this central one, and was disappointed as it felt much more touristic and less authentic. I didn’t like that I was also charged 3,50€ for tap water, which I didn’t ask for. This restaurant is traditional and wonderful – I hope it doesn’t become a show.
Conga Casa das Bifanas
This is one of my latest discoveries. Until the trip I made in August 2024, I had never focused on finding places to eat bifanas in Porto. I had always prioritised other types of food, but focusing on this typical Portuguese dish gave me the opportunity to try it.
It looks promising from the outside, as you can see the large steaming pots in which the pork is cooked through the window. These spicy, comforting, and delicious bifanas are impressive. If you don’t believe me, go to the bar and try one for yourself. It is located perpendicular to Praça dos Aliados, making it the perfect place to stop between visits.
Lareira – Baixa
This is another charming Porto restaurant that I discovered on one of my trips. Here, you can try typical Portuguese food in tapas form, with portions that are perfect for sharing. I tried their alheira, octopus salad, and sardines, although there are many more dishes on the menu.
With its stone walls, two levels, and tiny tables, not to mention the statue to which many people leave offerings, this place is always busy both for lunch and dinner, so be sure to check it out because it’s worth it!
Tasquinha Zé Povinho
This family-run tasca has been serving authentic Portuguese cuisine for years. If you’re looking for a traditional Porto dining experience, Zé Povinho offers daily specials for less than 6€, including soups and other sides.
It has a small terrace at street level that is perfect when the sun is out. I usually visit when I come back from the Crystal Palace Gardens because it is very close.
Churrasqueira Lameiras
Eating well and cheaply in Porto is possible in many places, but if you want to do so a few steps away from Praça dos Aliados, this restaurant makes it easy. It looks small when you enter, but it extends to a back dining room with stone walls.
They have broths, starters, fish… Although it is known for its meats (hence its name), everything is worth trying. The service is great, the prices are unbeatable, and everything is delicious.
Marisqueira Serpa Pinto
Looking for a cheap place to eat seafood in Porto? Head to Matosinhos, the mecca of this cuisine, and look for this restaurant among the eateries stretching between Serpa Pinto Avenue and Heróis de França Street. You can enjoy a hearty seafood platter here for less than 60€.
It has indoor and outdoor dining and a menu that goes beyond seafood. As with other seafood restaurants in Porto, don’t miss the homemade desserts in the fridge – the perfect finishing touch!
Casa Viúva
Unpretentious, Casa Viúva is a great place to eat in Porto. It offers a variety of daily dishes that are generous in quantity, high in quality, and affordable. It’s a restaurant with a lot of personality, featuring white and blue tablecloths and a nautical theme.
Dishes include meat for 8€, whole fish for 9,50€, desserts for 4€, and jugs of wine for 5€. If you’re looking for an inexpensive meal in Porto, this is one of the best restaurants in Porto to get it. Save it, it’s a must!
Lage Senhor do Padrao Restaurant
One of my favorite places to eat cod in Porto is this restaurant in Matosinhos. It’s good, cheap, and nice, and it has everything to satisfy your palate with traditional food and Portuguese flavors.
The prices are lower than in other restaurants on this street and the next, but the quality is the same, so it’s a good choice. It has become very famous and is one of the busiest restaurants in the area, but it’s worth the wait.
Gazela
Eating in Porto is a pleasure if you know where to go. That’s why you can’t miss Gazela, one of the most acclaimed and recommended places to try the cachorros. In fact, this restaurant has been included in the list of the world’s best restaurants, ranking in the top 5 in the ‘House Specialty’ category.
Do you see all of the pictures on the wall in the first image? They are pictures of renowned people, including Anthony Bourdain, who didn’t want to miss it.
The atmosphere here is very cool, encouraging you to chat, eat, drink, and enjoy life. The friendly waiters will give you the best recommendations. Be prepared to wait in line.
Tito I and Tito II
Another top place to eat cod in Porto is Tito I, which I tried in 2024, and its twin, Tito II, which I tried in 2025. They have the same menu, style, and flavors, so you don’t have to choose one or the other. Tito II is usually busier inside and on its covered and enclosed terrace.
I recommend trying the grilled sardines, cuttlefish, horse mackerel, and seafood. The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable, making it a great option just steps from the Matosinhos beach.
Other places to eat in Porto
There are many other restaurants and tascas that I have saved based on recommendations from friends or family, but have not yet had the opportunity to try personally.
In case you want more restaurant options in Porto, since it’s common for them not to allow reservations and for there to be lines waiting for lunch or dinner (I’ll explain below), I’ll list them here:
- Casa de Pasto O Golfinho: recommended for Francesinha in Porto.
- Petiscaria Fonsecas: tapas in a charming restaurant in Porto.
- Cana Verde: it has daily set menus at very good prices.
- Taberna Santo Antonio Porto: the perfect place to have dinner after enjoying one of the best sunsets in Porto.
- Abadia do Porto: traditional and spacious with typical food.
- Casa Expresso: perfect for tasting rojões.
- Adega São Nicolau: has a pure Mediterranean-style terrace.
- Tasquinha dos Guindais: great place to try traditional food near one of Porto’s most famous staircases.
- Piolho: traditional restaurant with lots of atmosphere.
- Taxca: a place with sandwiches and bifanas for an inexpensive meal in Porto.
- éLeBé Baixa: a chic, gourmet restaurant in the city center.
- Taberna Londrina: another recommended place to eat Francesinha in Porto.
- Cafetaria da Bolsa: specializes in grilled fish.
- A Taska: a traditional place to dine with charm in Porto.
- Tábua Rasa: perfect for snacks and has lots of cold cuts.
- Café Santiago Porto: known by many as the best place to get a francesinha in Porto.
- Tapabento Porto: tapas in the city centre, next to the train station.
You can see all of my reviews of the best restaurants in Porto on my Google Maps profile.
Practical tips for eating in Porto
Queues at restaurants
It’s common for restaurants in Porto to not take reservations and seat people on a first-come, first-served basis. Clearly, with the number of tourists, it is more profitable this way. However, it’s important to keep this in mind when you see lines at restaurant entrances.
If you don’t mind waiting and don’t have a reserved tour or activity afterwards, I recommend joining the queue, as it usually moves quickly, especially if you’re traveling alone or with a partner. However, you should always check Google Maps, Tripadvisor, or the restaurant’s website in case they take reservations.
Many of the best restaurants in Porto have bar seating
Many traditional restaurants in Porto, in addition to a dining area, have bar seating with individual chairs fixed to the floor. It is a very common way to eat, especially if you’re alone, and it allows you to avoid waiting in long lines.
Extras are neither free nor cheap
What do I mean by extras? It depends on where you eat. It could be the bread, the olives, or a bottle of water that they put on the table. If they bring you something you didn’t order, you can say ‘não é preciso, obrigado/a’ and they will take it away. If there is something on the table when you sit down, there is a 99% chance that you will be charged for it, so don’t be embarrassed and ask if it’s free. If not, you can say you don’t want it. These hidden charges are very common in tourist areas and are one of the great tourist traps.
On a personal note, I have the feeling that there are places where the food isn’t particularly expensive, but the bill increases with the additions to the main courses. For example, I have paid 5€ for a few slices of bread, and I have had after-dinner coffees, a shot, and desserts that cost more than some dishes. If you want to eat well in Porto and these things are important to you, then don’t hesitate; enjoy them. But if you want to save a few euros, I recommend doing without them.
Restaurant prices in Porto
In this city, you’ll find every option imaginable. Porto has Michelin-starred restaurants, modern and international places, and traditional tascas. The price varies quite a lot between them, but as a general rule, in the establishments and types of food that we travelers usually choose, you can eat in Porto restaurants for 15-25€ per person.
To give you an idea, traditional tascas usually have menus or daily specials for less than 10€, cod dishes cost around 15-20€, Francesinha sandwiches range from 10-15€ depending on the place, and bifana sandwiches cost 3-4€.
Prices as of April 2025:
- Dish of the day at Viúva: 9,50€
- Bifanas at Conga: 3,40€
- Bacalhao á Brás, Taberninha do Manel: 18€
- Grilled sardines, Tito I: 12,50€
- Largo combo plate, Lameiras: 12,50€
- Serpa Pinto Seafood tray: 55€
- Cachorro at Gazela: 4,50€
- Cachorro special, Republica 2: 9,50€
- Sandes de pernil at Casa Guedes: starting at 6,90€
- Dish of the day, Zé Povinho: starting at 6€
- Roasted cod, Senhor do Padrao: 34,50€
As for drinks, the price depends on where you eat. For example, beers are usually either fino (0.20cl) or prince (0.35cl), and the brands are mainly Super Bock, Estrella Damm, and Heineken. Prices range from 1.50€ to 3.50€.
In Porto, it is common to drink wine. It is served in glasses or earthenware jugs in traditional places and bottles in modern/touristy ones. I have paid 4.50€-7€ for half-litre carafes of vinho verde of the house, but also 18€-22€ for more special bottles. Port wines usually cost around 3.50€-6€ per glass. Shots range from 4€ to 7€. A portotonic rarely costs less than 10€, and coffees range from 0.85€ to 4€, depending on the type ordered.
Typical food that I recommend trying in the best restaurants in Porto
I could go on and on, but I will try to recommend the most typical dishes. In any case, I will compile a list of everything you should try on your trip in an article about typical Porto cuisine.
When it comes to lunch or dinner in Porto, it’s essential to try petiscos, which are typically served as starters. Examples include bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish cakes), rissois (shrimp fritters), croquettes, and samosas. Broths and soups are also an essential part of a good meal, especially caldo verde, the most traditional Portuguese soup.
Smoked sausage and alheira are also good options for a starter or main course. Popular fish include grilled sardines, carapau, sea bream, swordfish, sea bass, turbot, and, of course, cod.
As for meat, churrascarias (steakhouses) offer all kinds of cuts, but in Porto, you will mainly find pork, beef, suckling pig, and chicken. From costeletas to pernil, you can find steak, rojoes, leitao, and tripe.
Don’t forget to try one of the star dishes: Francesinha. With or without egg, with various cuts of meat, with or without French fries, this dish is the best example of typical food in Porto. In the style of the Francesinha, you will find the cachorro especial, a heartier version of Porto’s hot dog.
Speaking of meat that goes between bread, we must mention the sandes and bifanas, two of the sandwiches par excellence in Porto. Sandes translates to sandwich, and there are many types. Bifanas are more special to me, with slices of pork cooked in a special sauce that is sometimes spicy. They’re super comforting.
Other typical dishes include pica pau, oily cheeses, seafood, octopus, sausages, rice, and beans. There are also traditional breakfast items, which I will cover in another article, along with the best cafés for breakfast in Porto.
MAP – Best restaurants in Porto
Finally, here is a map that you can open on your phone with my favorite restaurants and other recommended places to eat in Porto. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
