Taberna Holandesa is a brewery in Braga.
A São Vicente beer-bar restaurant pairing a long list of Belgian, German and Czech imports with house francesinhas and prego no prato. The kitchen sets it apart from pure tap bars and the imported list goes deeper than the local-craft venues nearby.
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.
Address: Rua Cónego Luciano Afonso dos Santos 16, 4700-371 Braga
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.
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. Ask the staff about the seasonal and limited releases on the rotating guest taps.
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 tour explains the 10-year story of Letra and includes a tasting of beers not available in the Braga taproom.
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.
