A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Porto

  Vinho Tinto in Porto

Generally speaking, eating out in Porto is pretty budget-friendly and, what’s more, because it's a compact city, it doesn’t take long to get your bearings and hunt down the more attractively-priced eating and drinking options.

The waterfront area is perhaps the most scenic place to have a drink or a meal in the city, and it's lined with smart restaurants and bars. Moving away from the river north through Ribeira (the old medieval core of the city), however, places to eat in the upper city are generally cheaper.

Small ‘tabernas’ serving rustic fare can be found in the maze of snaking streets and alleyways around Rua Cativo, Rua Cima da Vilo and up towards Praca da Batalha and Rua da Picaria. The area is also markedly less touristy than the crowded riverside with a higher proportion of locals.

Given that these locals are known as ‘tripeiros’, or ‘tripe-eaters’, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that tripe features heavily on most menus. Admittedly, cow’s stomach isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste, but the ever-present ‘tripas a moda do Porto’ is the city's specialty...

A less adventurous (and cheaper) local alternative is the time-honored ‘bifana’ (pork sandwich), which can be picked up for very little across town, but particularly on Rua Bomjardin. A similarly good budget option is the ‘francesinha’, a spicy cheese and ham toasted sandwich.

Cheaper still is the wonderful Mercado de Bolhao on Avenida dos Aliados, a little to the north of the train station. Spread over two tiers and a Porto 'sight' in its own right, the market is a great place for picking up some local produce before heading off to the beach for the day.

In addition to the glorious ocher-colored port, grown in the nearby Douro Valley, the local sparkling white wine, ‘vinha verde’ is very much worth trying. The ideal accompaniment to the popular ‘bacalhao’ (cod) dishes, it’s extremely reasonable and perfect for a hot summer night.

But the undoubted highlight of dining out in Porto is the city itself. Rising up from the river, it’s an evocative place and its uneven mass of red tiled roofs forms one of the most idyllic of backdrops to a night out.

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