Porto travel review: Where to wine and dine in Portugal's second city

I like to travel around the south of Europe at this time of year, the sun is usually out but it’s not too hot, it’s also off-peak season and you can grab some great bargains, both in terms of flights and accommodation.

I shop around holidays in the heart of winter, right after Christmas when everything is a bit too dark and I need something to look forward to, and this year, I’ve been looking forward to Porto.

Porto is located on the mouth of the Douro River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, on the north coast of Portugal. 

It is the second largest city in the country and it has been granted the title of Unesco World Heritage site for the historical significance of its buildings.

Porto is glorious, old, extremely hilly, vibrant – and noisy and dusty from all the construction work going on at the moment while they’re extending their metro lines.

The city is lived in. While it may be smaller and less populated than Lisbon, it is an enticing destination in its own right. 

I have many boxes I like to tick when I select a new destination: I want a bit of sun but not too much; reasonable, good quality accommodation; I need exciting food and wine and I love beautiful buildings and a bit of culture.

If the people are warm and fun, even better. Porto exceeded my expectations on each and every front.

I spent some time researching food and drink and the local delicacies and where best to source them from. 

There are 19 Michelin stars in Porto, we have only 22 in the whole of Ireland and so a lot of the starred restaurants came up when I was looking for information. My research was two-pronged: First, I asked people who love food and that have been to Porto for their recommendations, and secondly, once I got to Porto, I asked local people for their advice. 

Every single person I met was questioned thoroughly. As it happens, Porto natives are nicknamed “Tripeiros” after their famous tripe dish and because they adore food.  This made my research exciting and the results were delicious. 

I ended up booking in places that were recommended by both locals and people that had been to Porto and boy did I eat well.

The first meal I had was late on a Sunday night, in a small traditional restaurant, very near to where I was staying. I feasted on fat juicy prawns served with boiled eggs and mayonnaise followed by a massive serving of simple grilled squid, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil.

The local vino verde is juicy, fresh, and acidic and was the ideal pairing for most of the food I ate that week. That night, I had the first one of many delicious glasses and went back to my rental, full, happy, and looking forward to the week.

I started the following day with a quick prayer to the god of gluttony and a breakfast of coffee, orange juice, and pastel de nata, the famous Portuguese custard tart, and its larger relative, a bolas de berlim (a custard-filled donut). 

You will find that breakfast in Portugal is primordially sweet and people start the day with a coffee and a pastry. Who am I to argue? You need sugar to climb the heights of Porto and visit the sights.

I walked from that first breakfast to a small modern cafe for my first Francescinha. 

The sandwich is made of two thick slices of pan-style bread and filled with steak (medium rare), smoked sausage, and ham. It is then covered in what can only be described as an eruption of hot, melted, cheese and doused in a generous helping of a spicy beer and tomato sauce. This is served with a mountain of house fries for dunking. You will never be hungry again but you will be happy, I certainly loved it.

The bread has enough bounce that it doesn’t get soggy and you will relish every savoury, smokey bite of this glorious meal.

Unsurprisingly, a cold glass of beer pairs ideally with this delicious madness.

A Taste Porto food tour of the Mercado De Bolhão and its surrounding was a fun and informative way to conclude my first day. 

It helped me find my bearings around the city and try some typical foods (a highlight was the wine tasting with local cured meats and cheeses).

As a solo traveller, the tour also gave me the opportunity to be social and meet other food lovers. We even headed for drinks when it finished.

I stayed six nights in Porto which gave me the opportunity to explore the city fully and walk as much as I could manage.

I walked the riverside with the windy sun beating on my face, my lips still salty from a delicious shellfish lunch and the bacon-infused caramel pudding I finished the meal with, in the tiny but exceptional Taberna Dos Mercadores.

I walked up and down the lower level of the famous Ponte de Dom Luis I. I could have climbed to the upper level or even gotten on the funicular but I am scared of heights and enjoyed a river ferry ride instead. 

I walked, carefully, on the cobblestones and the tiled streets, I stopped a lot to admire the beautiful tiles that adorn many of the buildings and churches. I even stepped inside the most glamourous McDonald’s in the world on Praça da Liberdade.

I took a slow tram ride by the Douro and walked to the small fishing port of Matosinhos for yet another fish-centric meal at O Gaveto where not a tourist was to be found but instead, mountains of prawns and the best clams money can buy. 

I walked right on the river bed to Semea, a restaurant that holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and where most of the food is cooked on coal.

My last afternoon was spent walking around World Of Wine in Gaia. WOW, as it’s known locally, is a cultural district across the river from Porto. 

It consists of several museums and restaurants held in an airy and relaxing compound. 

If you have an interest in wine or Port, it’s a great way to spend a few hours and I loved the Wine Experience museum.

Porto gave me a week of walking and eating delicious food paired with fun wines at low prices and as a woman travelling by myself, I felt completely safe at all times, walking around sometimes late at night.

My final word of advice: Pack some good walking shoes and stretchy pants, try the tripes, eat all the fish, and prepare to truly relax.

Getting there:

You can fly to Porto with Ryanair from Dublin, Mondays to Saturdays, or from Shannon, Wednesdays and Sundays. At the time of checking, Dublin flights start at €53.73 and flights from Shannon start at €27.86 one way, before any extras.

I stayed at Bolhão Residences in a serviced self-contained studio near Bolhão Market around the corner from Sephora on Rua de Santa Catarina, a lively shopping zone and a 20min walk from the riverside. 

Having my own kitchen and washing machine was particularly handy. 

From April, prices for the studio start at €85 per night. They have larger rentals too. 

I booked through booking.com as their website is still being built but it’s worth reaching out directly to avoid the commission fee. 

There is a €2 tax per person per night for your accommodation. You may have to pay for this separately.

Porto’s public transport is cheap and efficient and all information can be found on the STCP website. 

A final tip – cash is still king and many smaller restaurants and shops don’t accept cards.