While Portugal’s cities are experiencing a restaurant renaissance, with new spots serving cuisines from all of the world and others “elevating” the classics, there’s still something unmissable about an old-school restaurant. Portuenses (as the people of Porto are called) are especially proud of their traditional favorites, where the cooks have been turning out the same classic dishes for decades. While the dream of going to a great place without any other tourists is impossible, these ten restaurants are deservedly popular with locals. Here is our list of Favorite Portuguese Restaurants in Porto.
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Rogério do Redondo
A number of local journalists argue that this spot is the best nowadays in town. It’s a bit more upscale than some of the other choices here—white cloths on the tables, elegant bottles on the wine list—but the cooking is still straight-ahead. One of the most popular dishes is the filetes de pescada (lightly breaded hake fillets) served with classic tomato rice. It’s worth noting that this was one of Anthony Bourdain’s first stops when he first visited Porto.
Rua. Joaquim António de Aguiar 19, Porto | +351 918 033 067 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
O Buraco
As the name implies, this is a hole-in-the-wall downtown. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in Porto, and a place full of regulars, especially among the people who work close by. The menu is brief, with a handful of meat or grilled fish options each day–go for anything fresh—and affordable. No one here speaks much English, but they’re kind to guests and Google Translate helps. At lunchtime, a full meal with soup, a main course, dessert, and coffee can go for less than 20€.
Rua do Bolhão 95, Porto | +351 222 006 717 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Salta o Muro
Porto’s seaside suburb of Matosinhos is famous for two things: fishermen and restaurants where fish (or seafood) is king. The standout is Salta o Muro—a typical taverna with long shared benches and “no comfort at all” (to quote a local foodie)—whose name translates to “jump the wall” in English. That’s because the fish comes to shore just behind the restaurant, and the proprietor gets first dibs on the catch. The fish, including wild-caught versions of commonly farmed fish like sea bass and sea bream, is always very fresh, and the cooking is superb.
Rua Heróis de França 386, Matosinhos | +351 229 380 870 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Esplanada Marisqueira a Antiga
Matosinhos has a clear division: Closest to the ocean, the restaurants celebrate fish. A few blocks inland, they serve classic Portuguese seafood. The standout here is Esplanada Marisqueira a Antigua, an institution since 1957. The display cases are full of shellfish, from tiny cockles to enormous lobsters and crabs, and a series of tanks in the back store live animals from Portugal’s northern waters, Algarve coast, and even Alaska. Chef Rui Paula, who holds two Michelin stars at the nearby Casa de Cha da Boa Nova, maintains that it’s the best marisqueira in Matosinhos—and argues that it deserves a star of its own for simplicity and quality.
Rua Roberto Ivens 628, Matosinhos | +351 911 111 711 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Cozinha da Amélia
It’s usually a good sign when a restaurant’s name contains a person’s name: You know there’s going to be a human touch, and probably some family recipes, to the food. Another traditional favorite in the city, Cozinha da Amélia is also famous for filetes de pescada, as well as simple fish dishes like sea bass in the oven, and some excellent meat dishes, like costela mendinha (short ribs), posta à Mirandesa (veal steak), tripas à moda do Porto (tripe—which is so popular here that one of the nicknames for people from Porto is tripeiros, or people who eat tripe).
Rua do Campo Alegre 747, Porto | +351 226 002 077 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Senhor Zé
Another downtown spot, Senhor Zé is the newish restaurant (opened four or five years ago) from a cook who became famous in another restaurant before getting into a dispute with this business partner there. But never mind the soap opera. The food here is traditional and tasty, with timeless dishes like filetes de pescada, octopus fillets, grilled sole, liver smothered with onions, tripe, and other stick-to-your-ribs fare from northern Portugal.
R. do Campinho 13, Porto | +351 222 051 011 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Adega Vila Meã
Nearly 50 years into its existence, Adega Vila Meã still looks like a traditional family home, with blue and yellow azulejos on the walls, high-backed wood chairs lined up beside the long wood tables, and classic Portuguese guitars used as decoration. It stands out for hearty meat dishes like alheira (typical Portuguese sausage), sarrabulho (pig’s-blood stew), caldo verde (collard greens soup with potatoes and chorizo) and miminhos de porco preto (one of those untranslatable dishes with black pork).
Rua dos Caldeireiros 62, Porto | +351 910 975 184 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
Taberna dos Mercadores
While the famous Adega São Nicolau has become a guide-book staple and a favorite among visitors to the city, one of its owners’ other restaurants remains a little bit more beneath the radar. Taberna dos Mercadores (market workers’ tavern) is a tiny spot in Ribeira, with just a handful of tables and an open kitchen that turns out large portions of classics such as açorda de mariscos (garlicky bread stew with seafood), rojões (diced pork) codfish croquettes, and alheira.
Rua dos Mercadores 36, Porto | +351 222 010 510 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
O Rápido
O Rápido is exactly what its name implies: a no-frills place to have an efficient, top-quality meal. Despite its location at the back of the São Bento station, it’s still discreet and relatively unknown, making it a good first meal or last meal in the city. Along with a short menu of classic dishes, it has an ever-changing variety of plates of the day, including various cod dishes and feijoada à transmontana (a hearty, pork-laden bean stew from the rural far north of Portugal)
Rua da Madeira 194, Porto | +351 222 054 847 | Website
CLASSIC PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS IN PORTO
A Cozinha do Manel
Walking into A Cozinha do Manel, a narrow traditional restaurant hidden outside the tourist area in trendy Bonfim, is like a kind of time travel. Most of the seats are at a bar, with a display of wines in the back and a collection of vintage cookware hanging overhead. Black-and-white photos decorate the opposite wall. It’s known for roasted sausage, duck rice, and oven-baked codfish. To try one of the most classic Portuguese celebratory dishes, order the cabrito assado (baby goat cooked in the oven) at least two days before your visit. (Photo at top | A Cozinha do Manel)
Rua do Heroísmo 215, Porto | +351 919 787 598 | Website
