Where to Eat Like a Local in Porto

eat like a local in Porto

If you’d like to experience authentic Portuguese home cooking and taste the house wine then you should visit a tasca, small neighbourhood restaurant. They are often run by a husband and wife team or extended family. In Porto, and all over Portugal you’ll find tascas, some can be very small –  just half a dozen tables, that often specialise in snacks  (petiscos) with some focusing on only one specialty, and others offering a range of selections. A food tour is a great way to get an insight into the culture and find out why the Portuguese are so passionate about their food, if you’d like to find out more and be led by a local consider booking this  3 Hour Food &  Tasca Tour

 

Local delicacies include;

  • rojões (pieces of shoulder of pork marinated in garlic and wine and spiced with cumin)
  • codfish cakes (bolinhos de bacalhau)
  • sardines
  • octopus salad (salada de polvo)

For lunch or dinner you’ll usually find fresh seasonal produce simply cooked. Many are served with the same trio of accompaniments potatoes, rice and a salad garnish. It is common to order only a main course as the portions tend to be big, but there is always a soup of the day and desserts if you are hungry.

Where to eat like a local in Porto

Lunch at Viseu no Porto. Roast Veal with rice, potatoes and a salad garnish.

Two popular snacks are bifana and francesinha

  • Bifana is thinly sliced pork marinated in wine and garlic and served on a crisp roll called a papo seco
  • Francesinha is the typical sandwich from Porto.

Pedro dos Frangos

Where to eat like a local in Porto

Where to eat like a local in Porto

Rua do Bomjardim, 223

If you want to eat like a local in Porto then you should visit a traditional churrascaria ( barbecue grill) to eat the famous piri piri chicken. Pedro dos Frangos is a great place to eat barbecued chicken in Porto city centre, it will come accompanied with the usual chips or a salad garnish. You can wash it down with a glass of wine or go for a nice cool beer to combat the piri piri sauce.

Adega Viseu no Porto

Rua da Madeira, 212/218  à Estação S. Bento

Beside São Bento train station in the centre of Porto with an area for snacks on the ground floor and on the first floor they serve meals. Adega Viseu no Porto was started by a man from Viseu and hence the name. It is now run by a young, dynamic couple Antonio and La Salete Monteiro. Go for lunch or try the following snacks; salada de polvo, bolinhos de bacalhau, and rojões.

 

 

RELATED: Best Tours  and  Day Trips in and around Porto

 

 

 

 

Adega O Alfredo Portista

Rua do Cativo, 14

Welcome to Porto FC’s unofficial museum. Over the past 60 years the owner has transformed this tasca into a sanctuary to the glory of Porto FC. It is a symbol of the love people from Porto have for their football team.

Alfredo Portista serves petiscos (snacks) as well as full meals, petinga ( tiny sardines) or bacalhau with arroz de couve ( cabbage rice) or rojões. Snacks include Bifana. To drink they serve house wine.

Casa Guedes

Praça dos Poveiros, 130

Casa Guedes a tasca famous for their sandes de pernil  ( slow- roasted marinated pork shank) sandwiches which have become such a success that it is an obligatory stop for anyone visiting Porto that wants simple food at any time of the day. Served with or without cheese. The sandwich should be accompanied with a glass of vinho verde. As well as this traditional delicacy other  snacks include; queijo da Serra cheese, dry cured ham, and black pork sandwiches. At lunch time they serve meals.

 A Casa Padrão

Rua de Santo Ildefonso, 353

A Casa Padrão is run by Sr. Dionísio and his wife who does the cooking. His parents who came from Galizia started the tasca. Most of the clientele is from the local area. They serve lunches and dinners as well as traditional delicacies. Sr. Dionísio loves to chat with customers and translate the menu.

 

 

RELATED: Restaurante Lindolfo

 

Conga

Rua do Bonjardim, 314/318

Manuel José de Oliveira started Conga in 1976, and his son Sérgio now runs the tasca. It is known for its Bifanas à Congo which is slightly different from the traditional bifana in that the sandwich is made with pieces of pork like pulled pork and a hot sauce.

Bifana à Congo

 

 

Casa Louro

Rua Cima de Vila, 80

Casa Louro a great tasca to try a petisco (snack),  Presunto, dry cured ham and Broa de Avintes, traditional rye bread made from corn and rye flour. Accompany with a vinho verde de Baião, served in small bowels, a perfect combination with presunto.

 

RELATED: Portuguese Cookbooks to Delight Your Tastebuds

 

 A Gazela

Cachorro at Gazela

Travessa do Cima de Vila, 10

Just off Batalha Square in the centre of Porto is Gazela and if you like hot dogs then you must try this very original cachorro, hot dog. Lightly toasted bread with a very spicy sauce and cut into bite size pieces, ideal for snacking. Accompany with a beer.

Adega Rio Douro “ Casa Piedade”

Rua do Ouro, 223.

The Adega Rio Douro is famous for its fado nights, every Tuesday, from around 16.30 to 20.00. They serve several local delicacies worth trying are iscas de bacalhau and rojões. This is the only tasca we’ve mentioned that is not in the city centre, but worth a small journey by bus or tram if you want to experience real fado.

I hope this has inspired you to visit a tasca in Porto and sample some local dishes and if you do please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out more suggestions for places to dine out in Porto in this post:

Best Port Wine Cellar Tours

Share this post on

More Articles from Susan

Portugal Exposure FREE Guides

Destinations

We have complied this Porto guide to help you get the most out of your trip to Porto. We love Porto, we lived there for years and return frequently to visit as holidaymakers. Porto is a fantastic destination to visit alone, with family or friends.

READ MORE

The Portuguese capital is constantly recognised as one of the greatest cities in the world. Our Lisbon travel guide is packed with world-class art museums, a booming restaurant scene, and hotels for every taste and these are just some of the reason why you should visit.

READ MORE

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

READ MORE