When I heard my friends ( Mal and Lynell ) were planning to get married at a place near Porto, a city in Portugal, I was quite happy for a number of reasons. Firstly, this was going to be my first ever trip to Portugal with my interest being really peaked after seeing Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’ TV series about the amazing food he had in Porto , Second reason was my quest for finding the tastiest plates of food in Porto ( I loved some of the dishes I tasted in some London Portuguese restaurants ) and last but not the least was the joy that comes from watching two people say those beautiful words.
Now l’m back from Porto and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I had some of the tastiest plates of food in Porto. This blog post will focus on where to find them. Before I kick off however I might have to apologise to a few Portuguese friends due to professing my love for Spanish food over Portuguese food on Social media. Don’t think I will be making that faux pas again.
Without further ado let me tell you about some of the tastiest plates of food in Porto and the places I went to find them.
Tastiest Plates of food in Porto and where to find them
Pasteis De Nata / Custart tarts
Manteigaria – Fabrica De Pasteis De Nata
The tastiest custard tarts can be found at Manteigaria Bakery , right next to famous Mercado do Bolhao market under renovation. We had ours with a glass of port at 11am and for €6 you can get 6 of these little bits of heaven ( costs £4 in some London restaurants , so make sure you feast on them while you have the chance ) . I found out about this place whilst searching for places to dine out in Porto on a Culture trip blog post.
They have traditional Pasteis de nata and have also managed to jazz things up a fair bit by flavouring some with Port. Why have it separate when you can have 2 in 1. These were yumm.
Tip : Walkover to Mercado bolhaos ( market ) temporary location with your custartd tarts and pair it with with 3 glasses of Port for just 7 € .
Bacalhau a Lagareiro / Grilled Codfish with olive oil
Restaurante Abadia do Porto
Tastiest plate of Bacalhau have ever had was served by this restaurant . Every bite of that’s fresh grilled fish delivered loads on flavour. Bacalhau and potatoes for one costs €19 and €35 for two, so not really the cheapest plate of food, however worth every penny .
They also serve a mean tripe and beans stew with various meats.
Polio a la parrilla con Patatas Fritas
Restaurante Pedro Dos Fragos / Chicken on a spit with chips
We walked past this restaurant near Rivoli theatre on Rua do Bonjardim street 223/312 and had to stop and take a look because of the strong smell of roast chicken drifting into the sidewalk. They had selections of whole chickens roasting on a spit and a poster on their window that says the whole chicken would only set you back €10.50. We went inside and got served some of the tastiest plates of plates of food in Porto. The chicken was crispy , tender and moerish. I had a quick look on Tripadvisor and saw many foodies love this cheap restaurant as well.
Peito de Pato, Cogollo , Bearnes , Sementes de Abobora, Cogumelo – Duck breast , ice Berg Lettuce , Bearnaise sauce , pumpkin seeds and mushrooms
This fine dining restaurant located at Rua do Almada street grills small delicious plates of food on wood fires in an open kitchen. This was exactly what the doctor ordered as we were soaked with a down pour of biblical proportions. Get a counter seat by the flames and order from their A la Carte or tasting menu. You wouldn’t regret it.
Manga Assada , Canela Fria e Choloate | Roasted Mango , Cold cinnamon and Chocolate
Polvo a la Lagareiro / Grilled Octopus
Restaurante Rito – Cozinha Regional
I booked this small local restaurants for an evening dinner out with work friends and I have to say that everyone loved it. Al and I got the tastiest plate of Octopus you will find anywhere and all for €18.50. I also tried out Maireads massive prawns and enjoyed . I wish I had enough space to try out their Bacalhau. You might need to get an uber from the centre, however you will be looking at less than €5 for the ride so no problem at all.
Francesinha / Portuguese steak sandwich
We went to this restaurant located at Campo dos Martires da Patricia 64 street, based on Cristina’s recommendation.
We had a vegan in our midst and she had to find a place that catered for Sue’s new diet. On getting to the Dona Porto, Elisha and I ordered a Francesinha to share. After a few bites of this steak and pork sandwich swimming in cheese and beer gravy I struggled to share because this was the best sandwich have ever tasted . Elisha asked for more of the cheesy gravy, I covered the spoon with my table cloth and kindly gave her some using my fork. I thought I got away with it until Mairead with her 360 vision pointed out she saw what I was up to. You just can’t get away with certain things when Elisha’s lobster crews around.
Finally find a Portuguese wedding with two lovely couples and eat until your heart beats to staying alive
There goes my blog post about tastiest plates of food in Porto and where to find them. Be it a cafe , local restaurant ,cheap ports at a market , a fine dining place or a wedding, Porto delivered in the foodie department.
I’m now going to end my Porto foodie adventure with the most important picture. Yep, she finally got married in the words of her niece.
