Our family’s list of recommendations for things to do in Porto.
FOOD, RESTAURANTS & GASTRONOMY, SIMPLER MEALS/SNACKS
O Buraco, a very traditional, well established and affordable restaurant in downtown Porto. 20-minute (1.3Km) walk from the house. Not expensive and very good quality. It does get super-busy due to its popularity, and bookings aren’t always easy to get.
https://www.facebook.com/Restaurante-O-Buraco-161956973839602/
Very near there, you can find the traditional ‘Mercado do Bolhão’ (Bolhão market):
https://goo.gl/maps/U8vDgdTwAZK2
In the street right opposite the original market you’ll find some of the best fine grocers in Porto, who sell great traditional Portuguese food produce. For example:
https://goo.gl/maps/C8hum55Uk1p
Nearer the house you can find this cervejaria (beer bar), which serves amazing hot dogs:
http://portovore.com/cervejaria-gazela/
As recommended by Anthony Bourdain:
https://www.portugalist.com/anthony-bourdain-porto-parts-unknown/
(lots of other nice places to visit)
Nearby, in the Batalha Square, you can find lots of cafes that also serve lunch. Simple, but usually nice - this one's my favourite:
Batalha Cafe
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d9824756-Reviews-Batalha_Cafe-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
(also nice for breakfast, and a quick snack / coffee any time)
And another one:
‘Churrasqueiras’ (charcoal grilled chicken places) are very popular and found in several places around town. These are probably the most typical ‘takeaway’ in Portugal. In most you can also seat, they are restaurants, but some only have a few tables and rely more on takeaway. The famous ‘peri-peri chicken’ that originated in Africa has been for decades a staple Portuguese ‘kind-of-fast food’). There is one near the house:
Restaurante Churrasqueira A Brasa
Address: Praca da Batalha 117, Porto 4000-102, Portugal
Please note I haven’t had their food for a long time. Last time we did it was nice. Besides chicken, they often make other grilled meats and sausages, and have chips, rice and salad.
Really near the house, 30 metres down the street (in the direction of the river), there’s a local community-run cafe with an amazing outdoors seating area overlooking the Dom Luis bridge and the Funicular dos Guindais. The cafe is called Guindalense FC.
https://goo.gl/maps/gBU9dkZGPEA2
It’s simple, serving cafes, beers and a few spirits, soft drinks and ice cream, and some snacks such as hotdogs, pizzas, the typical ‘francesinha’ and other snacks. There’s table football and Super Bock beer on tap. The views are simply amazing, in a genuine Porto place.
Other good restaurants
Taberna dos Mercadores
https://www.facebook.com/tabernamercadores/
FISH & SEAFOOD
You can go to Matosinhos, a fisherman neighbourhood about 30 minutes away from Bolhão station, by metro, to have some lovely fish and seafood. You can take the A (blue) line from Bolhao and get off at ‘Mercado’ (metro) - see metro map here:
https://en.metrodoporto.pt/uploads/document/file/371/MapaRede_NOVO.pdf
This restaurant offers good quality at a reasonable price:
Lage do Senhor do Padrão
https://goo.gl/maps/xSqsEqRY9Up
But there are about 20 or more to choose from in that street.
I would go in the morning, have a quick look at the fish market (best in morning with lots of fresh fish):
https://goo.gl/maps/rr9RSz4U4382
And the fishing harbour:
https://goo.gl/maps/rCsYPqm3tnk x
Seafood specials
In Matosinhos you can find numerous ‘marisqueiras’ (seafood restaurants), which typically offer superb quality, but can also be expensive. This one is my favourite:
http://www.amarisqueiradematosinhos.com/
It has been elected as one of the ’50 best restaurants of the world’ by The Telegraph newspaper in the UK:
You should ring to book a table.
Michelin stars and Michelin ‘recommended’
Then there is the striking one-Michelin-star restaurant 'Casa de Chá da Boa Nova', which runs in the old 'tea room' building, next to a tall lighthouse, embedded on the rocks by the sea - a project by the renowned architect Siza Vieira, and part of the International Architecture Itinerary. It is well worth a visit - but of course, being a Michelin-starred restaurant prices are high.
http://www.casadechadaboanova.pt/en/
See all restaurants in Porto with 1 or 2 Michelin stars, or recommended on their website:
https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/porto-region/porto/restaurants?sort=distance
And on a map:
https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Restaurants-search/Restaurants-Porto-_-Porto-Portugal
……
If you have a car, 'A Cabana’ (The Shack) is a bit further away from Porto, but well worth the visit. It’s a quirky fish and seafood restaurant right on the beach, in a very traditional fisherman town (Apúlia). There are another 5 or 6 restaurants next door, it’s usually packed, so you should ring to book a table.
https://www.facebook.com/cabana.apulia/
HISTORIC SITES
You're in a perfect spot for visiting historic sites in Porto. The house is 50 metres from the city walls, and you can go down the Guindais Stairs (Escadas dos Guindais) to get to Ribeira, Gaia's port wine cellars, the Dom Luis I bridge, and all other sites in the UNESCO World Heritage area.
Within a 20-minute walking radius you'll also find the cathedral, the stock exchange, traditional markets, etc.
Also worth a visit:
Torre dos Clérigos (Clérigos tower - amazing view of the city, many steps to climb!)
https://goo.gl/maps/euWPxaRUgFK2
PORT & WINES FROM THE DOURO REGION
You should try the port wine cellars in Gaia, a 15-20 minute walk from our house. You have to book for a tour and wine tasting. Here’s a link to articles with reviews and useful information:
https://portoalities.com/en/best-port-wine-lodges-porto/
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/the-best-places-to-try-port-in-porto/
Some boating companies and port / wine estates organise boat trips up the Douro river. You can get out of the boat to visit the wine estates, hear a bit of their history, try the wine, have a meal and so on. There are numerous, see some information here:
https://www.winetourismportugal.com/en/catalogue/wine-experiences/wine-cruises/region-3/
Douro is the oldest wine region in the world. Its wines are among some of the finest. It is also worth hearing about wine production (beyond port), which you can do, for example, in the Ferreira cellars - see here:
https://winetourism.sogrape.com/en/visit/ferreira
I would pick the ‘CASA FERREIRINHA’ VISIT.
Casa Ferreirinha, part of the Ferreira-Sogrape group, are one of the most renown wine makers in Portugal, with some truly great wines.
DOURO BOAT TRIPS & YACHTING IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
This page from the official Portuguese Tourism Board offers good information and suggestions of things to do and see:
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/node/73746
This boat rental company used to offer very good quality, I hear, it featured in a UK Channel 4 documentary about the Douro river with Timothy West and Prunella Scales, in their TV show ‘Great Canal Journeys’:
A more economical option would be either the many ‘rabelo’ (traditional wooden boats, but made larger, for tourists) operators in Ribeira or Gaia, or a more established boating company such as Douro Azul (offer all sorts of options - the ‘6 bridges’ cruise is very popular:
http://www.douroazul.com/Default.aspx?ID=1396
Check more information on different ways of seeing the Douro here:
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/douro-valley
And here:
https://www.cruzeiros-douro.pt/en/1-day-cruises
You can also visit the Douro valley by train from Porto to Tua. It's a really beautiful railway journey for most part next to the river.
Apparently ‘Oporto Road Trips’ do private and small-group tours including wine tastings, road transport and a boat tour and lunch.
https://www.oportoroadtrips.com/
If you’d like to go on a yachting experience you can try this in Porto, or in the nearby city of Viana do Castelo (75Km), you can find more information here:
Porto:
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/sailing-porto-celanus
Viana do Castelo:
https://mobilub.pt/en/experiences/
GUIDED TOURS
This one won the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best on Tripadvisor:
You can find many more on Tripadvisor.
Note we have not tried them, so cannot guarantee their quality - but the many reviews on Tripadvisor should give you a good idea of the top ones.
WALKING
As for walking, I would to these:
A. Cross the Dom Luis bridge to Gaia and walk along the river. If you continue for some kilometres you get to Afurada, a fisherman town, then the sea. It's beautiful and not too busy.
https://goo.gl/maps/7zHooWrZVAF2
B. From the Porto side, from Ribeira, you can also walk all along the river, via Passeio Alegre, Foz neighbourhood, the Foz beaches, and if you're brave enough all the way to Matosinhos, a fisherman area with loads of nice fish restaurants.
https://goo.gl/maps/Rghr5YLNffL2
TRAM + WALK
Go for a stroll in Foz, where the river meets the sea
Take the tram from Ribeira, line 1 to Passeio Alegre (https://goo.gl/maps/Y2LDhcXMXkF2). 15-20 min walk from the house. Note the tram can get a bit busy with tourists, but the walk after is much more authentic. Then walk from Passeio Alegre along the river and sea. There’s a beautiful promenade, cafes, beach bars, some restaurants too: https://goo.gl/maps/XbtLtYNCUru (25 mins). If you’re brave enough you can walk all the way from Foz to Matosinhos beach, passing the old fort, the Old British College and then some surf schools and beach cafes: https://goo.gl/maps/C3ko2jEPVQp (another 25 mins). In Matosinhos, past the beach, you will find tens of fish restaurants - start here: https://goo.gl/maps/gieg3M8PZBz.
ARTS & CULTURE
A contemporary art museum, the world renowned Casa de Serralves, with beautiful gardens, is well worth a visit:
https://goo.gl/maps/m5C19WSM58Q2
You can buy tickets for the gardens only or for the museum too.
Casa da Música (literally The Music House): a very modern, architecturally innovative building, with a program of concerts, resident musicians, guided tours and more - see: http://www.casadamusica.com/en/#
LIVRARIA LELLO
A beautifully designed bookshop with over a century of tradition. A very local shop, family-owned, which is part of the history of Porto, of the spread of literature and political ideas in the city. It is claimed that its staircase inspired J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter books - she was living in Porto in the formative years of the series. Expect queues as this is very popular.
https://www.livrarialello.pt/en-us/
MUSIC
Porto has a place called ‘House of Music’ (Casa da Musica). It’s an interesting building from an architectural perspective, and as the name indicates it is a place for music events, for rehearsals of local orchestras / bands / groups. Check out the agenda and more info here:
https://www.casadamusica.com/en/agenda#
A list of jazz clubs in Porto:
https://portoalities.com/en/best-jazz-clubs-in-porto/
One of them is really near our house, one of two sister bars: Hotfive Downtown & Hotfive Uptown. In both, jazz and blues are the reigning genres and live music is the main attraction.
More music bars downtown:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/the-best-bars-with-live-music-in-ribeira-porto/
And a larger club/venue with lots of live concerts:
https://www.hardclubporto.com/EN/
MAUS HÁBITOS
Described as ‘a space for cultural intervention’ it is located on the top floor of the iconic 1930s car park ‘Garagem Passos Manuel’. In Maus Hábitos you can eat and drink, you can dance, watch musical and other performances, see small exhibitions. An alternative place, for so many different tastes and styles. See their website for the cultural agenda, food menu, and so on:
https://www.maushabitos.com/en/o-maus/
COLISEU DO PORTO
A space for concerts, circus, and a range of other cultural performances.
RIVOLI TEATRO
Managed by Porto City Council, this is a beautiful building where you can watch theatre, an eclectic selection of music concerts, and other performing arts. There is also a nice café. Check their website:
https://www.teatromunicipaldoporto.pt/en/programa/
INDEPENDENT CINEMA
An alternative to current blockbusters, Porto has 3 or 4 cinemas and other places where you can watch alternative cinema. See the programme for all ‘independent cinemas’ in Porto:
http://agendadocinema.cm-porto.pt/
And a link to my favourite, ‘Casa das Artes’, designed in the 1980s by the renown architect Souto Moura.
https://www.visitportugal.com/en/NR/exeres/AEB89047-A1CB-4E09-B8D9-EC5CE506B8DB
Porto’s arts street (Rua Miguel Bombarda)
A small-dimension art block, with a mix of contemporary art galleries, vintage shops, alternative cafes. Sometimes there are cultural events and launches across several shops/cafes.
Palácio de Cristal
A garden near downtown Porto, in the Palácio de Cristal (Crystal Palace):
https://goo.gl/maps/GztrVcyzRnS2
Look out for concerts and events.
BARS and NIGHTS OUT
See here for a selection by TimeOut - it includes many established and more recent spots. Check out the 'Guindalense' local club 'cafe-bar' just 30 metres from our house, by the Guindais stairs.
And here a few more, which include a nice music (mostly jazz/blues) bar 2 minutes from our house:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/portugal/articles/the-10-best-bars-in-porto/
Then there's the popular 'Galerias de Paris', a street that used to host traditional high-end shops, and now is home to the biggest concentration of bars in Porto - usually buzzing until sun rise:
https://www.insideporto.com/package/porto-city-guide-nightlife-bars-and-clubs-galerias-paris/
BEACHES
Praia dos Ingleses - small and cosy, cafes nearby
https://goo.gl/maps/GNN1kXqoAb12
(30 mins, walk + bus; or the traditional wooden tram)
Praia do Molhe - beach bars, restaurants
https://goo.gl/maps/c7n5aDH3cyP2
Matosinhos - originally a fisherman neighbourhood, still with a large fishing harbour and fish market but also very modernised with a nice beach front, bars, the best ice cream around (Cremosi). Great for surf schools and tons of grilled fish restaurants nearby (most along Rua Heróis de França, where you can find 20+ restaurants).
https://goo.gl/maps/qrDuAgVezV22
Surf schools:
https://www.google.com/search?q=matosinhos+surf+schools&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t
To reach Matosinhos you can take the Metro. It's about 30 minutes away from Bolhão station, by metro. You should take the A (blue) line from Bolhão and get off at ‘Matosinhos Sul’ (metro) - see metro map here:
https://en.metrodoporto.pt/uploads/document/file/371/MapaRede_NOVO.pdf