24 Hours in Porto
Porto is a beautiful city in the north of Portugal. How do you survive 24 hours here while eating your way around? Easily.
The people of Porto love meat and fish, and you can tell. Cod, lobster, pork and sausages come flying at you. And don’t forget the port and many cheeses. You don’t go to Porto to lose weight, that’s for sure.
Breakfast
In Portugal, and therefore also in Porto, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. Breakfast like a Portuguese person therefore involves coffee, and a torrada (toast with lots of butter) or fatias douradas (Portuguese French toast). In many cafés, you can simply eat something small while reading the newspaper, so be sure to go to a place like Lameiras 2. Have a chat with the locals.
Sweet Snack
The people of Porto have a real sweet tooth. Breakfast is often followed by an ‘11 o’clock snack’: lanche da manhã. Pasteis de nata are world-famous (also in Lisbon), but did you know that éclairs are also very popular? They officially come from France, but at Leitaria da Quinta do Paço they make them much better, according to the Portuguese. Instead of custard, the pastries contain thick, fluffy whipped cream. They have been making éclairs since 1950, so they have certainly earned their stripes by now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Biy5sXkH5Fk/?taken-by=leitariadaquintadopaco
Lunch
During lunch, the Portuguese often eat a hot meal, but since Porto is rich in sandwiches, you have to try those first: bolas de lamego, a bifana, cachorrinhos or a francesinha. The latter two are also ex-cel-lent for a late-night snack accompanied by beer. And this is why.
A cachorro is basically a hot dog with cheese, grilled, with a spicy sauce, while a francesinha is a sandwich with steak, sausage, ham and bacon. And cheese. And perhaps an egg on top as well.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNA169JAPvl/?tagged=francesinhasandwich
You eat cachorrinhos at Gazela and francesinhas at O Afonso. But both sandwiches are so popular that you won’t have to look far to find another place selling them. If you want a slightly lighter lunch, go for a bolas de lamego (bread filled with ham) or a bifana (a bread roll with juicy, thinly sliced pork). As you can tell: Porto is a paradise for meat eaters.
Drinks and Snacks
For a snack with your drinks, try the petingas. These are fried sardines and are delicious with a squeeze of lemon.
You are in Porto, of course, which means drinking port. If you’re going to do that, you might as well eat lots of cheese with it. Porto is known for its many cheeses, which do not travel beyond Portugal’s borders. Have you ever heard of azeitão, for example? Or serpa? For the best port-and-cheese combinations and nights out, head to an old chapel: Capela Incomum.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmYJAgmg4ts/?tagged=petingas
Dinner
You absolutely have to eat bacalhau, or cod. You can do that, along with the petingas from your drinks and snacks, at Esplanada Marisqueira Antiga. This is an excellent restaurant that Anthony Bourdain was also completely enthusiastic about. Michelin-worthy, but slightly less expensive. If you want something much cheaper but still fish, go to O Filipe.
