Great little local shop with a variety of goods and gifts, many made by the owner's family or that…read morecome with the story behind the item. The owner was very sweet and as a local, even offered us his own list of best places to check out in Porto. He has a friend who designs socks that are unique and colorful also. Many fun little finds and a personable touch. Owner speaks Spanish and English.

From the owner: We're a local business that sells handcrafted souvenirs made by Portuguese artisans…read more The Fuchic purses and bags are all handmade by Rita, her mother and her grandmother. Rita is the mentor of the project. Our store is that special place where you can buy an authentic souvenir.

This little gift shop is near the S. Bento subway and train stations. They feature cute little…read moreearrings, bracelets, key chains and stuff that are quite elegant, with a Portuguese reference: swallows, sardines, cock of Barcelos, Viana heart, cork, azulejo, etc but not too touristy. Inexpensive and light to carry, they make for quite a nice souvenir. They have an online shop too, and according to their business cards, several locations.

From the owner: A Bem Português é uma marca portuguesa criada no Porto, em 2011, com o objetivo de celebrar a…read morecultura, a identidade e o saber fazer nacional através de peças de design originais. Desenhamos e produzimos localmente acessórios, decoração e pequenas lembranças feitas sobretudo em madeira, MDF e cortiça, muitas delas pintadas à mão e inspiradas em símbolos portugueses como os azulejos, as andorinhas ou a cidade do Porto. Cada peça é pensada para contar uma história e levar consigo um pedaço de Portugal, seja como recordação de viagem, presente especial ou detalhe para a casa. Acreditamos num consumo mais consciente, valorizando a produção local, os materiais sustentáveis e o comércio tradicional de rua. As nossas lojas estão localizadas no centro histórico do Porto e são um convite a descobrir Portugal através do design, da criatividade e da autenticidade.

Probably one of the best finds from our trip to Porto. This gallery has everything, from affordable…read morepostcards to pieces worth hundreds of euros. The collection leans modern, with a focus on illustrations and drawings. There are plenty of unique originals alongside some reprints, so there's something for every budget. We didn't know what to expect and ended up walking out with two beautiful prints, which was no easy feat because I wanted to buy half the gallery. The service was beyond incredible. We asked if they could hold our purchase for a day so we could continue sightseeing without carrying it around and they were happy to do so. If you're into art, definitely check this place out. And even if you're not planning to buy anything, it's worth a visit. Some art spaces can feel a bit stuffy or pretentious, but this gallery is the complete opposite. It was welcoming and approachable.

Some people find this a magical place that they are convinced inspired J.K. Rowling to create her…read morevision of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. Others see it as the overcrowded, moneymaking result of its own publicity. Given Jamie W and I had to pay 12€ per person in advance to enter, I lean a bit more to the second camp, even though we appreciated the ornate combination of Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture, especially the stylized, curving red staircase in the middle (Photo 6). The staff credits the payment against a potential book purchase, but make sure you know what you want beforehand because casual browsing was nearly impossible given the streaming masses taking selfies. The bookstore dates back to 1906 but didn't become a heavy tourist magnet until the Harry Potter phenomenon exploded. Ironically, Rowling never took inspiration from this shop as she admitted not being aware of the bookstore while living as an English teacher in Porto in the early 1990's. If you can shift your perception of the space from a bookstore to the pure tourist attraction it has become, you may feel more satisfaction with a visit. As Instagrammable as it is, Jamie and I spent a mere fifteen minutes here. We were overcome by the swarms pouring in, even though the staff made a valiant effort in controlling the number of people at any given time. I really don't mean to discourage you from visiting. Just dial down your expectations of wizardry accordingly. RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/N4i04zdRK2

A not so magical overcrowded bookstore…read more Livraria Lello is one of Porto's most popular stops, renowned for its stunning bookstore interior. Its double spiral staircase is promoted as an inspiration for Harry Potter despite JK Rowling denying ever having set foot while living in Porto. From afar, we were met with huge lineups outside the stained glass exterior. Once inside, it was overcrowded with many tourists roaming about. The decor features wood carvings, stained glass, and an iconic red spiral staircase right in the center. If you're the first one visiting at 9am, it might be a beautiful experience. But for everyone else it's congested and claustrophobic while squeezing wall-to-wall like a tourist trap. There are too many tourists scheduled for each entry time. Staff were nice enough to allow our entry at 10:30, despite coming an hour after our scheduled entry time due to jet lag. Another saving grace is the €12 silver entry fee can actually be used as credit towards book purchases. There were books of many languages on the second floor while a number of classic novels were available. For €15, we picked up Great Gatsby with edge gilding from this so-called most beautiful bookstore in the world. That's great value as we paid only an extra €3 for the book. Skip it or hit it? With overcrowding, I recommend to skip unless you manage to reserve the 9am slot or visit in the offseason.

Variety of food and drink selections that offered meals. cheese and meat boards, wine flights and…read moreeven frest fuit cups and juice. Good value at low to moderately priced options. Service was quick. Not sure though if food trays/dishes are to be returned to the vendor, after my friend did we saw a tray cart at the end of the hall. My friend was happy with his all you can eat vegetarian food from Daterra for a mid day lunch. While I had a refreshing fresh dragonfruit juice.

This food hall reminds me of the open markets in Spain. Lots of different food stalls and open…read moreseating inside. It's just off the water so if you wish to eat a little more casual than the restaurants along the river. I think the prices are a little elevated because they are in the touristy area along the Douro but I think less than the more formal sit down restaurants in the surrounding area. There's a good chance you'll find something on your list but if you're looking for an item from a specific restaurant then you probably won't find it here.

During our trip to Porto, we decided to visit the market as a rainy day adventure. It was fun to…read moresee the different produce and seafood offered for sale by small, local merchants. The market is broken up into different areas. As I love seafood, this section was my favorite. There were tanks full of octopus and squid, and lots of varieties of fresh fish, and frozen seafood. I saw some of the largest shrimp I've ever seen. It's a great place to visit.

Temporarily moved while the original 19th century structure undergoes MASSIVE renovations that are…read moreexpected to take at least two years, the Mercado Temporário Bolhão is in business in a very nicely remodeled level of the parking lot UNDERNEATH La Vie Porto Baixa, which is only two short blocks from the original Bolhão. Yes, these should be completely separate businesses as the vibe and feel of the Bolhão isn't here even though many/most of the original vendors are here. They have done a quite well at keeping the look and feel of a farmer's market here. It's clean, it's quite well lit and when we stopped by, it was very busy. Fishmonger, butcher, flowers, wine (of course), bakers and so much more. There is even a spot for filming demonstrations - there was one underway when I was here. There is signage everywhere nearby so if you can find the original Bolhão, you will have no trouble finding the Temporário Bolhão. So while it's not the original Bolhão, it's darned close. I am a fan. [Review 9884 overall, 1462 of 2018.]

I have never thought about rating a museum as 1 star, but this really did something special (or…read morelacked anything special) to afford this designation. The 12 Euro ticket comes with entrance into the main exhibitions as well as access to most of the gardens. Keeping in mind that this is a Contemporary Art Museum, I kind of understand the curation, but the artwork was extremely obscure and lackluster. For example, one entire exhibition was dedicated to materials sourced from Portugal, Dubai, and Greece (?) -- marble, timber, and I-beams. It was quite literally 5 pieces of each arranged into haphazard shapes and heights with speakers attached to them to mimic the audio of construction...Underwhelming is not a strong enough word. The rest of the "exhibits" mimicked this contrived art and did little to peak the interest of the observer. After agonising for an hour and trying to find a semblance of talent, you can head off into the gardens where...surprise surprise, there's a ton of construction and things are barely opened or labelled. You basically graze around woods without any direction or guidance, and try to avoid the jackhammers. If it wasn't clear, I feel strongly about advising people against this museum, especially since it's a ways away from the city centre.

This place was awesome and had a lot of different things to do. I enjoyed the art a lot but wished…read morethere was a little more in the main museum. The gardens are amazing and there are multiple outdoor sculptures. There is also some smaller exhibits in buildings around the grounds. The treetop walk was great, kids would definitely enjoy this. We brought my grandmother to the museum who struggled walking long distances. There were free wheel chair rentals near the front desk you just leave an ID. Overall a great experience, wish we had more time to enjoy everything!