Where Braga drinks local: brewpubs, taprooms and the new wave.
Taprooms, brewpubs and the local beer scene in Braga worth taking a tram to.
The Braga urban taproom for Cerveja Letra, one of the oldest and best-regarded craft breweries in Portugal, founded 2013 in nearby Vila Verde.
Tip: Order the Letra sampler: five 150ml pours covering the full core range for around €10.
The home brewery and brewpub of Cerveja Letra, 20 km north of Braga in Vila Verde. The taproom has glass walls overlooking the production floor.
Tip: Book the guided brewery tour in advance (contact via the website).
The second Braga microbrewery, operating from an industrial unit at Quinta da Goja where the tanks are visible from the bar. PCB brews pale ales.
Tip: The sampler paddle of four 200ml pours covers the full current range. Ask what seasonal specials are conditioning in the tanks.
Not a brewery itself but the best multi-tap craft beer bar in Braga's historic centre, with 12 rotating taps and around 100 bottled varieties from Portuguese.
Tip: Ask what arrived in this week's tap rotation. The guest taps change regularly and the team has clear curation standards.
A full-day cervejaria with 30+ beer options near the courthouse on Praça da Justiça, open from 08:00 for breakfast through to midnight. The widest daily beer.
Tip: Come at lunch when the kitchen produces grilled meats and Portuguese classics paired with beer. Less crowded than the evening service.
A craft beer bar with a terrace overlooking a church on Rua Dom Paio Mendes, with exposed brick walls, wooden floors and live music on weekend evenings.
Tip: Come on a Saturday for live music at 21:00. The terrace church view and the Portuguese fado-influenced sets are distinctive.
A specialist craft and imported beer shop with a bar counter on the São Lázaro side of the city. The fridge stocks Portuguese craft, UK ales.
Tip: The Belgian Trappist section is the strongest part of the shop.
A São Vicente beer-bar restaurant pairing a long list of Belgian, German and Czech imports with house francesinhas and prego no prato. Booking recommended.
Tip: Order a francesinha with a Belgian dubbel rather than the standard lager pour; the kitchen's sauce reads to deeper malt better than to a pilsner.
The Belgian tavern of Braga: the most curated Belgian beer list in the city, covering Trappist, Abbey, Saison and Witbier styles alongside the famous.
Tip: The Chimay Blue with the Taberna Belga francesinha is the house combination. The beer's dark fruit notes cut through the sauce better than any Portuguese beer.
The evening bar mode of the APE Coffee Roasters building, with a small craft beer selection from Braga producers. Letra and PCB feature on the four taps.
Tip: Good for a quick craft beer before heading to SETRA upstairs. The ABV range tends toward session beers (under 5%) which works for the late-evening format.