Thick kale and potato soup with chourico, the defining comfort food of northern Portugal. The Braga version is denser and more pork-rich than the Lisbon preparation, made with finely shredded galega kale.
Where to eat it: 10 restaurants across 3 cities.
Caldo verde originated in the Minho region and is the soup most associated with northern Portuguese domestic cooking. The combination of galega kale (a tough, dark-leafed variety grown in the Minho), potato and chourico was codified as a restaurant dish in Braga in the 20th century but has been made in farmhouse kitchens for at least three centuries. The Braga preparation uses more olive oil, more chourico and less water than the Lisbon version, producing a soup closer to a stew. Caldo Entornado near the cathedral is the benchmark address for visitors.
Common allergens: Gluten
Tip from the editors. The kale must be sliced very finely, almost like chiffonade, or it stays tough. Use a very sharp knife and stack the leaves before cutting across the grain.
Near the cathedral, Caldo Entornado offers comforting Portuguese dishes without fuss: caldo verde, bacalhau and daily specials under €14 at lunch.
Try: Caldo verde, bacalhau, daily specials
Order: Caldo verde and bacalhau a Braga with a glass of vinho verde for a complete local lunch under €14.
Tip: The caldo verde here is the benchmark for the Braga approach: thicker and more pork-rich than the Lisbon version. Arrive at noon for the freshest pot.
The popular Sunday restaurant of Braga locals: roast kid, stuffed bacalhau and papas de sarrabulho at honest prices away from the tourist centre.
Try: Papas de sarrabulho and bacalhau recheado
Order: Papas de sarrabulho with bread and a vinho verde at the family table for under €13.
Tip: Sunday lunch fills by 12:30; reserve by phone. Weekday lunch is more relaxed and the same full menu applies, often at slightly faster service.
A traditional Braga tavern next to the Sé cathedral with a rotating weekly menu of Minho standards: bacalhau preparations, arroz de pica no chão and honest.
Try: Menu semanal: rotating daily Minho plates including arroz de pica no chão and bacalhau
Order: The chef's daily suggestion at lunch, paired with house vinho verde for under €11.
Tip: Closed Sundays.
Solar dos Presuntos in Restauradores, Lisbon: a family seafood institution open since 1974, famous for cured ham, Minho cuisine and a celebrity wall.
Signature: Arroz de marisco, Roast kid, Bacalhau a Braz
Order: The plate of presunto first, then arroz de marisco for two.
Casa do Alentejo in Lisbon's Restauradores: a 17th-century palace with a Moorish patio serving the bread soups, migas and pork of the Alentejo.
Signature: Acorda alentejana, Migas com entrecosto, Carne de porco a alentejana
Order: Acorda alentejana, the bread-and-coriander soup, with a poached egg.
Cervejaria Trindade in Chiado, Lisbon: Portugal's oldest beer hall, brewing on site since 1836, blue azulejos walls, Sagres draught and Trindade steaks.
O Buraco is a working-day tasca behind the Bolhao market since the early 1970s, serving veal pie and tripas a moda do Porto to a 12:30 local crowd.
Why locals love it: Long-running working-day tasca behind the Bolhao market, open since the early 1970s with veal pie and tripas a moda do Porto on the menu and a 12:30 local-only lunch crowd.
Tip: Closed Sunday, no dinner Saturday. Best dishes are gone by 14:00; arrive early.
Adega Sao Nicolau in Porto's Ribeira has been pouring red since the 1940s, serving polvo a lagareiro on a small Douro-facing terrace below the quay.
Signature: Polvo a lagareiro, Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa
Order: Polvo a lagareiro: octopus baked with potatoes, garlic and a slug of olive oil.
Tip: Lunch service from noon. The river-side terrace fills first; the inside room is cooler in August.
Casa Guedes on Praca dos Poveiros in Porto runs Saturday hours to 22:00, with the sandes de pernil still going out to a queue of locals and late-night.
Try: Sandes de pernil
Casa Guedes on Praca dos Poveiros in Porto has pulled roast pork leg into a soft fofo roll since 1987, with optional Serra da Estrela cheese melted on top.
Signature: Sandes de pernil, Pernil com queijo da Serra
Order: Sandes de pernil com queijo da Serra, glass of vinho verde.
Tip: Open daily, kitchen runs continuous service. A second site at 76 to 80 handles the overflow on Saturdays.
More cities are in research. Want caldo verde (green soup) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.