Where to Eat in Porto: Francesinhas, Cachorrinhos & Everything In Between

If you tell someone from Porto that you live in Lisbon, the inevitable response will be, "WHY?! We have a big rivalry! Our food is better. The people are friendlier. Porto is the best!" And if you tell someone in Lisbon that you're visiting Porto, they'll say, "Porto is AMAZING! Their food is so good and the people are so friendly."

So, naturally, I had to find out just how good the food up north is for myself. After several visits, I've compiled my list of the best places to eat in Porto. Spoiler alert: the rumors are right. The food really is amazing!

Porto Food Guide: The Best Restaurants

The Best Brunches in Porto

Floresta Café by Hungry Biker

If you order one brunch in Porto, Floresta Café's Strawberry Fields should be it. The combination of halloumi, strawberry jam, cream cheese, avocado, pistachio, fresh strawberries, and pepper on toast makes my mouth water just thinking about it. And their iced matcha orange with a hint of passion fruit is the most delicious way to start the day!

Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker

This was the first Hungry Biker cafe I visited, and I loved it so much that I tried their other location. I don't know who these Hungry Bikers are... but they know good food and great vibes. The back patio gives cozy greenhouse vibes, and their pastrami waffle was one of the best brunches I'd ever tried... until the Strawberry Fields at their Floresta location! Waffles with cheese, curry sauce, capers, caramelized onions, pastrami, arugula, parmesan, and pickles were a creative pairing that I didn't know I needed in my life!

BrunchIt

This cafe is all kinds of Instagrammable, and their Salty Pancakes were both beautiful and tasty! Pancakes topped with scrambled eggs, onion and bacon jam, sour cream, homemade granola, Hollandaise sauce, crispy bacon, and maple syrup are a whole lot of ingredients that, together, just make sense!

Keeping it real: While the meal was incredible, the chai tea was pretty flavorless, so I'd recommend skipping that and choosing a juice instead!

Where to Eat in Porto: Lunch and Dinner You'll Love

Casa Guedes

When I say I dream about this place, I'm not joking. Their pork shoulder sandwich is melt-in-your-mouth good, and a must-eat on any visit. Casa Guedes has multiple locations in Porto and one in Vila Nova de Gaia, so no matter where you are, you're not too far from the best pork sandwich of your life. My favorites are the Da Casa (Roasted Pork with Soft Sheep Cheese and Caramelized Onion in Port Wine) and the Chef Guedes (Roasted Pork, Brie Cheese, Caramelized Onion in Port Wine and Arugula), but you can't go wrong no matter what you choose!

Brasão Cervejarias

You can't visit Porto without trying the francesinha. As a Texan and a fan of all things OTT, the francesinha tastes like home. Toasted bread, filled with a variety of meats (like steak, sausages, and ham) and finished with a tomato-beer sauce warm enough to melt the cheese on top. You'll thank me for recommending you split this one with a friend!

Cervejaria Gazela

You may think you know hot dogs... but Porto cachorrinhos are a class of their own. The local favorite went worldwide when Anthony Bourdain featured Cervejaria Gazela's version on Parts Unknown. The sandwich combines two types of sausage (linguiça and salsicha) with cheese, pressed inside a crusty baguette-style bread, and topped with francesinha sauce.

Orpheu - Tapas and Cocktails

This charming restaurant has seating down a set of stairs next to the restaurant. The tables are super close to each other, so you can get a good look at what your neighbors are having to help you decide! The tapas menu means you can choose lots of things to try— my faves were the pulled pork cheek tacos and melted cheese with herbs.

This is a popular spot, so be sure to make a reservation or be prepared to wait for a table. The good news? The team will fill your drink order while you wait. A smoky mezcal drink and a spicy passion fruit margarita made the line much more enjoyable!

Boteco Igrejinha

Looking for something a little ✨extra✨ in Porto? We walked into the red-lit Boteco Igrejinha, past the wall of popular saints (ya know, Saint Beyoncé, Saint Taylor, Saint Mariah, etc.) and straight into a spirited round of Drag Bingo. The drink menu is full of hilarious and perhaps a little bit blasphemous names. To get a Heineken, you'll need to order Priest's Pee, and if you want an Aperol spritz, it's a Vatican spritz... You get the picture! We perused the Brazilian menu and ordered several rounds of dadinhos de tapioca to go with our drinks, and got to chat with Samantha once she was finished leading Bingo!

Gluten-free Porto

Com Cuore

While many of the above restaurants have gluten-free options, this is a fully celiac-friendly spot where you can try all of Porto's most iconic dishes. You can try the iconic francesinha, cachorrinho, and pastel de nata in a celiac-friendly restaurant! When I traveled to Porto with a GF friend, we tried their cachorrinho, which rivaled the gluten versions in other restaurants.

Porto's Best Desserts

Say Cheesecake

I've been to the Basque Country, but Say Cheesecake's Basque cheesecake is one of the most unique cheesecakes I've ever tried! I've got a major sweet tooth, but this hit the sweet-and-savory note of perfection. The secret? This cheesecake has cream cheese (duh), but the pastry chef adds depth with Parmesan and Brie.

1927 Gelateria Portuense

Trained in the same place where the original gelato machine was created nearly 100 years ago, the owner of 1927 Gelateria Portuense pays homage to an Italian treat in the heart of Porto.

Choose a cone with your favorite flavor or two, OR choose the degustation menu, where you can try six flavors! I love a gelato shop with choices!

Whether you're visiting Porto for the first time or the 15th, these restaurants are must-visits! Have you tried any of these? Have I missed your favorite? Let me know in the comments!