Porto is perfect for local food and wine
Porto is one of the most fertile places in Portugal. The generous rainfall in Northern Portugal characterizes the region with lots of small farms. The hilly landscape is painted with vineyards. Port wine produced in Douro Valley is particularly world famous. Plus the proximity to a major coastal port, Porto is strategically located to offer the best local food and wine from both sea and land.
Tourists tend to hit the wine bars first in Porto. Savoring food becomes less of a priority, but Porto is such a small city that it’s still not easy to get into the good restaurants during the high season. The most popular ones don’t always have the best food and the best prices either. If you only spend 1 or 2 days in Porto, it might be a good idea to check out the hidden gems restaurants first.
Our top picks of sensational hidden gem restaurants that are also the best of Porto
Manso
Manso is a local culinary circle’s favorite, and ours too. The cuisine is elevated traditional Portuguese without loss of authenticity from the elements. They always use quality seasonal ingredients from sea and land so the menu changes. You get to even taste interesting ingredients like oyster leaf and delicate varieties of seaweed that you’ll probably never find elsewhere. The whole team really care to deliver the best dining experience to the customers. Come hungry and leave nourished. Manso is definitely worth an Uber ride from the touristy walkable area of Porto.
Le Monument
Le Monument’s 120 euros tasting menu takes you on a curated journey savoring the best discoveries of local ingredients around Portugal, interpreted with French cuisine techniques. Bread with sea water, seaweed butter, smoked cod, Bísaro pork, lamb, sardine, crab, giant red shrimp, marine plants, turbot, mushrooms, coffee, pineapple from Azores, the list goes on. It truly is one of the best value tasting menus that give you the best experience. Le Monument just earned a Micheline star recently.
Bota&Bira
Bota&Bira is a cozy restaurant that serves simple but mighty food. If you like surf and turf, this will hit the spot. They have delicious garlic shrimp and dry aged Portuguese beef. Call or stop by to make a reservation (no online reservation). It’s across the most popular burger restaurant, Holy Sandwich Shop, in Porto. While you are waiting in line for Holy Sandwich, you can easily make a reservation at Bota&Bira for the next day.
NATAS D’Ouro
Natas D’Ouro is an underrated nata (Portuguese egg tart) bakery. We’ve tried all the popular pastéis de nata places in Porto and Lison, they are all good in different ways. Different thickness of the puff pastry crust, different recipe of the custard. Natas D’Ouro’s Port wine nata happens to be our personal favorite. Caipirinha (Brazil’s national cocktail made with cachaça, sugar, and lime) natas and savory flavors such as cod or chicken are also worth trying.
Pinhais Cannery
Pinhais Cannery offers an incredible tour of the working factory and a sardine tasting. Tinned fish, especially canned sardines, are a culture icon in Portugal, but most of the canneries are not open to public. If you recognize Pinhais or Nuri canned sardines in gourmet grocery stores, this will be a memorable visit. You’ll see the care they put in the entire process to make their sardines artisanal. You can even participate a little. The tour includes sardine tasting of your choice with yummy bread. The bigger the group, the more flavors you can choose. In their shop, you can find flavors or editions that aren’t available elsewhere.
Pro Tip
1. Different experience on weekdays or weekends
- On week days, you’ll be able to see the skilled workers handle the sardines in every step, but you can’t get close to them for hygiene reasons.
- On weekends, the workers are off, but you’ll be able to go through each station and practice a “dry run” without sardines
2. How to get to Pinhais Cannery
Uber is the easiest and fastest way (20 minutes) to go to Pinhais Cannery in Matosinhos from Porto city center. On the other hand, the bus coastal route 500 from São Bento or riverside is slow but a nice way to see the river and Atlantic coast. Sit on the left side to Matosinhos for the best view.
Empanadas Malvón
Empanadas Malvón is a perfect place to grab delicious Argentinean empanadas in the sightseeing area if you don’t have time to sit down for a proper lunch. Beside classic flavors like carne picante, you can have Ibérico pork, Costelinha BBQ, Provolone and tomato, and even Thai empanadas.
Honorable mention
Euskalduna Studio
Euskalduna Studio has had one Michelin star for a while and perhaps not a hidden gem any more, but it’s a very fun creative omalase-like experience. They do try to push the envelope and simulate your five senses.
