The rooms worth a reservation in Porto, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Porto. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Tapabento behind Sao Bento station in Porto plates octopus salad, duck rice and grilled tiger prawns in a small, loud, family-run dining room.
Signature: Octopus salad, Duck rice
Order: The octopus salad to start, then the duck rice with chourico.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Book the 19:00 sitting if you want a chance of a same-day table.
Cantina 32 on Rua das Flores in Porto plates quail-egg croquettes, grilled octopus and a cheesecake served in a terracotta flower pot at communal tables.
Signature: Grilled octopus with roasted tomato, Cheesecake in a flower pot
Order: Grilled octopus with roasted tomato, finishing with the flower-pot cheesecake.
Tip: Walk-in only after 22:00. Lunch menu is the better value if you want the full plate selection.
Cantinho do Avillez in Porto is chef Jose Avillez's relaxed bistro on Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, with daily Matosinhos fish and a strong wine list.
Signature: Tuna tataki, Iberian black-pork cheek
Order: The tuna tataki to start, Iberian black-pork cheek to follow.
Tip: Open daily, lunch and dinner. Walk down to Praca do Infante after for a riverside coffee.
Almeja in Porto's Bonfim is chef Joao Cura's seasonal counter, building short tasting menus around what arrived from the Atlantic and Minho gardens that morning.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu
Order: Whichever menu the kitchen is running this week.
Tip: Tiny room. Book a week ahead. Lunch is cheaper than dinner and runs the same kitchen.
Taberna dos Mercadores in Porto's Ribeira packs eight tables, an open kitchen and a board of acorda, rojoes and cod croquettes a block from the Douro.
Signature: Acorda de mariscos, Rojoes
Order: Acorda de mariscos, the bread-and-seafood stew that built this place.
Tip: Reservations exhausted weeks ahead. Try lunch Tuesday or Wednesday for a walk-in chance.
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.
Cafeina in Foz do Douro, Porto, occupies a tiled corner villa where the kitchen pairs Portuguese classics with international turns and a serious wine cellar.
Signature: Bacalhau a la Cafeina, Tournedos with foie
Order: Bacalhau a la Cafeina, then the chocolate cake in port-wine reduction.
Tip: Closed Mondays; lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. The walled garden books out on Saturdays.
Flow in Porto's Baixa pairs a sushi counter with a Mediterranean kitchen across two floors and a roof terrace, on a quiet Conceicao side-street near Cordoaria.
Signature: Tuna tartare, Black-rice seafood
Order: The tuna tartare to start, the black-rice seafood to follow.
Tip: Walk up to the roof bar for a Touriga Nacional flight after dinner.
MUU Steakhouse on Rua do Almada in Porto serves dry-aged Portuguese and international cuts from a glass maturation room, with a kilo-cut to share.
Signature: Maturated tomahawk, Iberian secreto
Order: The maturated tomahawk to share, with the smoked-potato gratin.
Tip: Dinner only, 18:00 to midnight. Bring an appetite; portions are sized for two.
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.
Signature: Francesinha, Meat rissoles with mushrooms
Order: Francesinha with the egg on top, croquette flight to share.
Tip: Open daily. Queues from 12:30 to 14:00; book ahead or arrive at noon.
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.
Signature: Francesinha
Order: Francesinha especial with egg, side of fries to soak the sauce.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The original 226 site is the one locals defend; the second site up the street is overflow.
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.
Signature: Francesinha
Order: Standard francesinha. No egg, no fries, just bread and sauce.
Tip: Cash only. Queue starts at 12:30; arrive earlier and you might get one of the eight tables.
O Buraco off the Bolhao market in Porto is a working-day tasca open since the early 1970s, with veal pie, fried sardines with bean rice and tripas a moda do Porto at lunch.
Signature: Veal pie, Tripas a moda do Porto
Order: Tripas a moda do Porto, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Veal pie any other day.
Tip: Closed Sunday, no dinner Saturday. Best dishes run out by 14:00; arrive early.
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.
Cervejaria Gazela in Porto opened in 1962 off Praca da Batalha and built its name on the cachorrinho: griddled sausage, crisp bread, butter and spice.
Signature: Cachorrinho da Batalha
Order: Two cachorrinhos and an imperial. That is the order.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Anthony Bourdain filmed Parts Unknown here in 2017 and the queues followed; arrive before 13:00.
O Paparico in northern Porto runs an evening-only Portuguese kitchen inside a small stone house near the Areosa church, with a long Douro wine list.
Signature: Slow-roast suckling pig, Bacalhau a moda do Paparico
Order: Slow-roast suckling pig, bottle of Douro red from the cellar.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Two services, 19:00 and 21:30; book a fortnight ahead.
Lareira on Rua das Oliveiras in Porto has been a family-run tasca since 1984, grilling steaks, leitao and bacalhau a brasa at working-day prices.
Signature: Bife grelhado, Carne de porco a alentejana
Order: Bife grelhado with garlic potatoes, half a litre of house red.
Tip: Cash strongly preferred. Lunch only, closes 16:00. Walk on to Galerias de Paris for the night.
DOP at Largo de Sao Domingos in Porto is chef Rui Paula's modern-Portuguese tasting room inside the Palacio das Artes Fabrica de Talentos, opened in 2010 with a deep Douro cellar.
Signature: Cataplana of seafood, Slow-cooked pork cheek
Order: Tasting menu with wine pairing. Cataplana de mariscos a la carte for one plate.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Lunch tasting is cheaper than dinner and runs the same kitchen.
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.
Signature: Vegetarian francesinha, Classic francesinha
Order: Classic francesinha with chips and a Super Bock. The veg version if you do not eat pork.
Tip: Open every day. The veg francesinha is a Porto rarity; arrive before 13:00 to avoid the queue.
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 from over the road.
Signature: Francesinha
Order: Francesinha with egg, glass of red.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Counter seats turn over quickly; a 14:00 arrival usually works on weekdays.
Lemos Cafe on Rua de 5 de Outubro in Porto is a residential francesinha counter, a darker sauce with whisky in the build and a regulars-only crowd Sunday nights.
Signature: Francesinha, Bitoque
Order: Francesinha and an imperial; bitoque if you want a side of beef and chips.
Tip: Closed Tuesday. Walk-in only and ten tables; arrive 19:30 if you want a clean turn.
OMA in Porto's Miragaia is chef Luis Moreira's neighbourhood counter, a Michelin Bib Gourmand for short tasting menus built around the day's fish.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu, Cured Atlantic fish course
Order: Whichever short tasting the kitchen is running; the wine pairing is the move.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Eight counter seats; book through Instagram or by phone two weeks out.
Brasao Coliseu in front of the Coliseu do Porto holds 250 covers over two floors, the largest Brasao and the easier walk-in for a francesinha at 14:30.
Signature: Francesinha, Cured-meat board
Order: Francesinha with mature cheese, share a board of petiscos before.
Tip: Open daily, kitchen until 23:30. Book ahead or walk in after the post-lunch turn.