British gastropub€€Tuesday to Sunday 18:00-02:00; Monday closed
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.
British gastropub€€Monday to Thursday 16:00-00:00; Friday to Saturday 17:00-01:00
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.
British gastropub€€Monday, Tuesday, Thursday to Saturday 12:00-15:00 and 19:00-23:00; Sunday 19:00-23:00; Wednesday closed
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.
British gastropub€€Daily 12:00-23:00
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.
British gastropub€€Thursday to Saturday 21:00-02:00
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.
British gastropub€€Monday to Thursday 17:00-01:00; Friday 17:00-02:00; Saturday 15:00-02:00; Sunday 15:00-00:00
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.