Porto Walking Tour
We joined a historical center walking tour of Porto.
Eat a Francesinha for Lunch – Porto’s Famous Sandwich.
A francesinha is a multi-layered meat sandwich covered with melted cheese and a thick hot spiced tomato sauce. It’s usually served with fries on the side. The sauce is so delicious that they usually bring you extra, which makes for the perfect dip for your fries.
Tip: If you’ve never had a francescinha, definitely split one with a friend – unless you’re prepared to take a long afternoon nap.
Where to eat Porto’s iconic sandwich
We ate a traditional francescinha at Brasão Cervejaria. It’s definitely more popular with tourists than locals, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Other recommened places: O Afonso, Bufete Fase, and Café Santiago.
Port Wine Tasting in Gaia
After lunch, walk over the Dom Luís I bridge to the port wine cellars in Gaia. This is where port wine ages for years before being shipped all over the world.
There’s no need to book tours in advance. Just pick out a cellar, walk in, and join their next tour. Tours typically conclude with a tasting of 2-4 port wines. Here are some of the most popular port wine cellars:
- Caves Ferreira
- Caves Cálem
- Caves Taylor’s
- Caves Churchill
Eat Dinner on Rua Heróis de França Street in Matosinhos
Matosinhos is a city in Northern Porto District, which is reachable by the metro (stop: Mercado). Here, you’ll find the best and freshest fish in Porto. Head directly to Rua Heróis de França, the famous fish street.
Rua Heróis de França is a street in Matosinhos (in Porto district) lined with fish restaurants. This is where the fine citizens of Porto come to eat seafood.
Each restaurant has its own open-air grill, where they barbeque fresh fish for their patrons. Most Rua Heróis de França restaurants have indoor and outdoor seating. Fish is priced by the kilogram.
How to get to Rua Heróis de França
Matosinhos is 8 km from central Porto. You can either take bus line 500, or the metro. If you opt for the metro, head to Trindade (central Porto) station.
You’ll need a zone 3 ticket to travel from Trindade to Mercado in Matosinhos. It takes about 40 minutes (on the metro) plus 5-10 min walking to reach Rua Heróis de França. Otherwise, just take an Uber.
Should you make a reservation?
If you intend to dine around 8 or 9 pm, I would. If you’re arriving earlier, you shouldn’t have a problem securing a table. Weekends will be busier naturally.
Restaurant Meia Nau
We had a great dining experience at Meia Nau. We walked in without a reservation and were seated outside (covered outdoor terrace). The staff spoke excellent English and were extremely professional.
Like all the restaurants, fish is priced by the kilogram. After ordering a dourada (sea bream), our waiter brought out the raw fish and conveyed the weight (so we knew approximately how much the fish would be).
At this point, we could decide for, or against the fish. We said yes, and thank goodness we did. That was the best fish we had since Fisherman Hari in Montenegro. Also, they make a fantastic fish soup as well!
- Address: R. Heróis de França 375, 4450-159 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Exact Location: Google Maps
- Reviews: Tripadvisor
Restaurant Tito II
We returned to fish street and visited a new restaurant. When you order a fish at Tito II, you’ll get complimentary potatoes and vegetables.
We ordered the pork sausage and the vegetable rice (brothy vegetable rice – more soup-consistency) – both were great. The fish was excellent too. We didn’t love their fish soup.
- Address: R. Heróis de França 321, 4450-718 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Exact Location: Google Maps
- Reviews: Tripadvisor
Stay in Porto
Budget | Zero Box Lodge
Midrange | Casa dos Lóios by Shiadu
Luxury | PortoBay Flores
Look for accommodation in Porto.