What We Ate in Porto
After Lisbon, Porto’s food felt like a comfortable follow-up, hearty dishes that hit the spot after long days of wandering. Most of the places we ate at were picked by our tour leader, with one unplanned stop thrown in, and a couple that came straight from the trip itinerary. We’re sneaking in a quick mention of our food experience in the Douro Valley too, since we were only there for one night.
Pedro dos Frangos
Our tour leader swore by this place near Bolhão Market, and now we know why. It’s a genuine local haunt where the food speaks louder than the decor. We went for the frango assado no espeto con batata frita, spit-roasted chicken juicy enough to make us forget every other rotisserie out there, with crispy fries to match. Husband ordered the bacalhau à Pedro, perfectly flaky salted cod, done Porto-style. Both were spot on after a long day exploring.
Burmester
We popped into Burmester for a proper Port tasting session. Their range was impressive, from crisp whites to rich tawnies, and the staff made sure we knew exactly what we were sipping. A must-do for anyone wanting to understand why Porto’s wine is world-famous.
Cafetaria Portuense A Brasileira
We were hungry and this place wasn’t busy, so we just went for it. We had the francesinha con batata palito. At first, it looked like a lot, but we ended up finishing it. Husband kept it simple with a sanduíche de presunto e queijo. Not a bad birthday lunch. Turns out, this spot has been around since 1903, making it over 120 years old.
O Comendador (Duoro Valley)
After catching the train to the Douro Valley, we stayed at Lamego Hotel & Life, a calm retreat with stunning views and a heated outdoor pool to relax in after a day of exploring. For my birthday dinner, we ate at the hotel’s restaurant, O Comendador. The atmosphere was elegant and the service spot on. I had the veal entrecôte followed by pineapple crumble with vanilla ice cream. Husband chose the black pork cheek with pear. Sadly, we have no photo of his dish. Still, it was a memorable meal.
Next Time in Porto
There’s plenty we missed on this trip. Next time, we’d like to try:
Tripas à Moda do Porto (Porto-style tripe stew)
Cachorrinho (Porto’s take on a hot dog)
Rissóis de Camarão (shrimp turnovers)
Alheira (smoky garlic sausage)
Chouriço à Bombeiro (flambéed spicy chorizo with a show)
Final Thoughts
We enjoyed Porto and would happily come back one day. The food was nice, not mind-blowing but solid and satisfying enough to keep us fuelled for exploring. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
