Francesinha
Photo: José Raeiro · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Daniel David Silva, an emigrant returning from France and Belgium, joined the Regaleira on Rua do Bonjardim in 1952 and adapted the croque-monsieur for Portuguese palates. The francesinha (little French girl) traded ham and bechamel for cured sausages, steak and a hot tomato-beer sauce. The dish became Porto's lunch identity within a single decade, and the original Regaleira still trades on Rua do Bonjardim.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 45 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of thick white sandwich bread
  • 2 fillets of steak, 150g each
  • 2 fresh chourico sausages
  • 4 slices of cured ham
  • 4 slices of mortadella
  • 300g sliced cheese (Edam or similar)
  • 2 eggs (optional, fried for topping)
  • 300ml tomato passata
  • 200ml beer (lager)
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp piri-piri sauce
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp flour

Method

  1. Make the sauce: melt butter in a pan, add flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in tomato passata, beer, beef stock, tomato paste and piri-piri. Simmer for 30 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  2. Cook the chourico in a dry pan over medium heat, 4 minutes per side. Slice lengthwise.
  3. Pan-fry the steaks, 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes.
  4. Build the sandwich: bread, ham, mortadella, steak, chourico, second slice of bread.
  5. Top with sliced cheese covering the entire surface. Bake at 220C for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  6. Top with a fried egg if desired. Pour over the hot sauce generously, until the sandwich is half-submerged. Serve immediately with fries to dip.

Tip from the editors. Use a strong lager (not a craft IPA) for the sauce; the bitterness can overpower the tomato. Cheese coverage matters: it seals the sandwich so sauce stays on top.

Where to eat francesinha

Francesinha in Porto

Cafe Santiago ★ 4.4

€€ Portuguese (francesinha)Baixa

Cafe Santiago on Rua de Passos Manuel in Porto is the most-cited francesinha counter, layered with mortadella, sausage and steak under tomato-beer sauce.

OrderFrancesinha especial with egg, side of fries to soak the sauce.

TipClosed Sundays. The original 226 site is the one locals defend; the second site up the street is overflow.

Directions

Bufete Fase ★ 4.4

€ Portuguese (francesinha)Baixa

Bufete Fase on Rua de Santa Catarina in Porto is the locals' francesinha counter, an even-keeled sauce balanced by the same owner since the 1990s.

OrderStandard francesinha. No egg, no fries, just bread and sauce.

TipCash only. Queue starts at 12:30; arrive earlier and you might get one of the eight tables.

Directions

Brasao Aliados ★ 4.2

€€ Portuguese (francesinha)Aliados

Brasao Aliados in Porto opened in 2014 as the first Brasao Cervejaria, with the city's most-Instagrammed francesinha and a black-garlic mayo for rissoles.

OrderFrancesinha with the egg on top, croquette flight to share.

TipOpen daily. Queues from 12:30-14:00; book ahead or arrive at noon.

Directions Book

Lado B Cafe ★ 4.0

€€ Portuguese (francesinha)Baixa

Lado B on Rua de Passos Manuel in Porto sits next door to Cafe Santiago and runs a fresher francesinha, plus a vegetarian build of mushrooms and tofu.

OrderClassic francesinha with chips and a Super Bock. The veg version if you do not eat pork.

TipOpen every day. The veg francesinha is a Porto rarity; arrive before 13:00 to avoid the queue.

Directions

O Afonso ★ 4.2

€ Portuguese (francesinha)Cedofeita

O Afonso on Rua da Torrinha in Porto's Cedofeita is the dark-horse francesinha, a thinner sauce and a steady following of architecture students.

OrderFrancesinha with egg, glass of red.

TipClosed Sunday. Counter seats turn over quickly; a 14:00 arrival usually works on weekdays.

Directions

Francesinha Cafe ★ 4.0

€€ PortugueseUntil Daily until 24:00

Francesinha Cafe on Rua da Alegria in Porto turns out francesinhas with fries until midnight, the after-midnight refuge for the city's main late-night.

TryFrancesinha and fries

Directions

Yuko Tavern ★ 4.0

€€ PortugueseUntil Daily until 24:30

Yuko Tavern up on Rua de Costa Cabral in Porto stays open until 24:30 with francesinhas, bitoques and full plates for the post-club crowd north of the city.

TryFrancesinha and bitoque

Directions

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