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 dishes: Seasonal tasting menu
Must 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.
Address: Rua Fernandes Tomas 819, 4000-219 Porto
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.
