What a perfect experience for my first night in Porto. This is food theater! I had the pleasure of…read moresitting at the bar right next to where the chef prepared each dish. His masterful craftsmanship and artful care with each ingredient was an inspiration to witness. Everyone in the kitchen participated in a delightful choreography that kept the service running seemingly without effort. My server was a doll, and helped me choose the most complimentary wines for the dishes I ordered, as I opted not to go for the tasting menu or pre-determined wine pairings. However, seeing the dishes that came out for those that did order the tasting menu, I was both endlessly jealous as well as relieved that I wasn't faced with eating that much food. (Be sure to come here very hungry.) I settled on the sourdough bread with smoked butter, potato terrine with béchamel, and the wild croaker with kale and noisette. I enjoyed the bread and potato terrine the most (what can I say, I'm Irish). The wines were also delightful. I didn't love the croaker, as it was a bit tough and meatier vs. flaky and buttery, which is the texture I tend to prefer; but it was the first time I'd had that type of fish, and it might just be personal preference. I wish I'd ordered something different but the service and atmosphere made up for my disappointment with the main dish. I was too full to order dessert, but what I saw coming out for other patrons looked divine. I instead enjoyed a Porto suggested by the server, and it was seriously the best dessert wine I've ever had. It's a gorgeous restaurant, with each detail being carefully considered. I felt a bit guilty taking any photos since it was almost like a secret speakeasy -- romantic mood lighting and tables privately tucked away in the back of the building past the kitchen. Compared to prices in the U.S. or UK, this place was very reasonable for the elevated quality. I would come again to do the tasting,

Walking into Elemento leaves no doubt about the method of cooking; the smokey smell permeates the…read moreair. I was dining solo and seated at the counter. As noted by others, the counter area is on the warmer side so dress accordingly! You can order a la carte or have the chef's 8 moments menu with optional Portuguese wine pairing. I opted to forgo wine for the night and appreciated that they offered mocktails! I tried the elderflower mocktail and gin & tonic mocktail. Both were really great mocktail options, although the elderflower was a little overly sweet. I came in specifically for the chef's tasting and it did not disappoint. From the fire toasted bread to the banoffee inspired dessert, everything was phenomenal. It is difficult to pick a favorite but the black pork rump was especially tasty . Also any place that has a pre-dessert dessert is right up my alley! The pre-dessert included a cauliflower ice cream that I was initially skeptical of but one bite had me sold. Service was friendly, timely, and unobtrusive. Highly recommend making this a stop on your trip to Porto!

Underwhelmed by this trendy dining spot…read more Mito has much hype as a Michelin recommended restaurant in downtown Porto. This is a contemporary casual-gourmet bistro. We arrived for our reservation around 7:30pm to find the restaurant relatively empty but it quickly became packed over the course of the hour closer to local dinner time. The interior decor is quite plain but dark and modern. Service spoke fluent English. We tried several of their popular dishes for a small dinner including bola, shrimp omelette & dessert. The menu is creative and accessible with small portions. Bola de Berlim (€4) was a bite-sized appetizer with a cream & pata negra ham filling in a pillowy doughnut bun. The sweet savory contrast was satisfying. Shrimp Omelette (€16) was a delicate egg omelette topped with salted Algarve pink shrimps drizzled with shrimp oil for extra umami kick. The app and main's flavour profiles were on point but we still had plenty of stomach space for another meal after visiting this venue. Before heading out, we also tried their dessert of French Toast (€7) paired with candied quince and sheep ricotta mousse. The bread half-slice was a bit disappointing but the dessert combination was similar to ice cream with apple pie. Skip it or hit it? While the flavour profile is on point at Mito you'll find better value throughout town.

Food was very delicious, but portions were very small for the large dishes. Expect to pay a lot,…read morebut it will knock your socks off! Make sure things on the menu sound good to you before you go. Some of the most expensive water we had on our trip lol. Service was prompt and kind.

Small place with a small staff but a ton of good dishes with great flavor. Inside seating is…read morelimited but there is a nice seating area listed. Modest decor, clean and neat. The waitress was very nice and gave us English menus. We shared Black pig cheek slowly cooked in red wine with bread, Codfish "Pastel de Nata" codfish and cream filling & Tuna profiterole - tuna pate and spicy pineapple jam. Small free bathroom for customers.

I was on the lookout for a decent local restaurant when I stumbled upon this gem. We arrived early…read moreand ended up waiting in line before it opened, unaware of its popularity. Given its small size, with only five tables inside, we waited at least an hour for a seat. The food did not disappoint. We started with the black pig cheek served with bread, and it was surprisingly delicious--big chunks of pork, a bit spicy, juicy, and not at all dry! Next, we tried the "a brás," which features fried potatoes, onion, and egg. It was fantastic, but you have to eat it quickly as the thinly sliced potatoes get soggy fast. Of course, we had to order the Francesinha, Porto's traditional dish. It's quite heavy, consisting of a sausage, ham, and steak sandwich smothered in melted cheese. While it was interesting to try, it was a bit too much for me to finish, and I don't think I would order it again. We also enjoyed the octopus and codfish, both of which were pretty good--the octopus drizzled with olive oil and the codfish flaky. We paired our meal with a local wine, which was decent. Overall, the food was great and definitely worth a visit. It was surprisingly affordable given the generous portions we ordered!

As a huge foodie, I love traveling the world and experiencing different cuisines and unique dining…read moreexperiences, so I was excited to discover so many Michelin-starred options during our trip. With so many incredible choices, deciding where to dine was difficult, but I am so glad we chose Antiqvvm. The location and views were absolutely stunning. The only frustrating part of the evening happened before we even arrived. We made the mistake of ordering a car through Bolt, which is similar to Uber or Lyft in the States, and our driver dropped us off at a park entrance instead of the restaurant. We ended up walking through the park and trails in heels trying to find our way there. It was definitely not how I envisioned starting the evening! If you visit, I would recommend arranging transportation through your hotel and making sure your driver knows exactly where to go. After our unexpected adventure, we finally arrived at the entrance and immediately noticed the restaurant's impressive Michelin recognitions dating back to 2018, along with a Best Chef award in 2024. Once we checked in, we were shown to a beautiful courtyard where we found the perfect spot to watch the sunset. After enjoying the amuse-bouche, we were escorted inside to begin our meal. To say Antiqvvm was a wonderful start to our trip would be an understatement. It ended up being one of the absolute highlights of our journey.

I hope this review is not too outdated as it has been a little more than a year since I went but I…read morestill think about my lunch here every once in a while. Have been meaning to write this review but time keeps slipping away from me! We had both the menus (I believe one is vegetarian) and honestly I think the vegetarian one was a little better but they were both excellent. Every single dish had such an amazing flavor profile, and really some unique ingredient choices. The seaweed butter for example was one of a kind. I don't know how to express how good the food was. I would fly back to Porto to eat here. Service was excellent and the view is incredible (you can look over the water to the other side).

Food: Started off my Portugal vacation with my first meal here! Ordered several dishes and shared…read moreit with my friend and I could not have been any more happier! Loved all the dishes we ordered and was extremely happy and satisfied with our first restaurant once landing in Porto! Cost: Reasonably priced dishes (maybe a tad on the expensive end) but the quality of the dishes were worth it! Environment: The restaurant is very cozy! Initially I thought it was super small but the rooms are just very long and they have a decent amount of seating available however it does fill up fast so after reading some reviews I did choose to make a reservation just incase! Service: Good service, had no issues and all the dishes came out in a timely manner. Uniqueness: Cozy restaurant with plenty of dishes to choose from!

A memorable meal in Porto! It really doesn't get much better than this. A Cute restaurant just…read morefar enough fro the super touristy area on the water, to enjoy a peaceful meal. We were very lucky they had 1 table left as we walked in on a whim without a reservation. We decided to share everything we ordered and then order extra of our favorite dishes. Servings are small, more of a tapas style. It turned out to be the perfect plan. We had several favorites, but overall we enjoyed every dish. All 5*... Vegetable tagliatelle Toast w/ ham, brie and tomato jam Mushroom company Cod ceviche with toasted hazelnuts and apples

We went here after we went to Serralves Museum and Gardens since it was nearby. We had a dinner…read morereservation for 7 pm, but that wasn't necessary as there was lots of seating available. We ordered the Mia pizza and it was delicious. Highly recommend this place!

Great little cafe in a nice area! It's cozy inside with only a handful of tables. You can dine in…read moreor take out. We started with the cheese plate, bread, and sangria. The bread was heavenly and came out warm! We had the steak sandwich with egg and the chicken sandwich with vinaigrette! Very reasonably priced. We only spent $31 total for everything. Highly recommend. Would go back!

The Francesinha is really good, very filling, but the service, at least on the night I was there,…read morewas horrible. I ordered a drink, but 20 minutes later, another waitress stopped by to apologize but they ran out of ice and my waiter had to go get more. huh??? I ordered the marinated olives as a starter because the menu picture showed it came with hummus and bread, but all I got were olives. So the same waitress noticed I had no bread and apologized and brought bread. My waiter returned (presumably with the ice), walked over to my table and took away my bread plate with no explanation. While I was eating the bread (because now I had been there over 40 minutes with no food or drink) Finally I got the francesinha, which yes was good, but sheesh, idk how there could be so many misses in the service, and no apologies from my waiter, no offer of a free espresso or anything to make up for the comedy of errors. I hope this is just an anomaly because there are so many other good reviews, but I won't return.

While visiting Porto we were recommended by our tour guide to try Bulha restaurant. The first night…read morewe were unable to get reservations but the next day we were able to go around 3 in the afternoon. I am writing this review on a tour bus so I am keeping it short but refer to the pictures and I agree with the other good reviews. My wife had the Octopus and I had Shrimp and rice which was good but was better in Lisbon. Overall we had a good time.

Number 1- make a reservation- we didn't. I waited an hour behind a potted plant for a table whilst…read moremy non-smoking husband paced outside with a team of chain smokers to be seated. The place is charming and European and fun and lively. The Francesinha was rather delicious. We marveled how the bread stayed firm in spite of the cheese and sauce. I had to try it so the two delicious bites were just that. The volume of meat on the sandwich is alrming so I went vegetarian. The zucchini tartare with vegetable croquettes was one of my favorite meals in Portugal. I raved about it for two days. I still think about it. Expertly executed and truly a culinary wizardry meal.

Came here to try the famous Francesinha…read more Brasão Aliados in downtown Porto is part of the Brasão chain of lively restaurants recognized for their well-regarded Francesinha sandwich. Anthony Bourdain referred to this dish as the heart attack on a plate as it features steak, sausage & ham sandwiched within two bread slices underneath layers melted cheese that are then finished with a tomato-beer sauce. For good measure, we had egg on top the traditional way. Service was relatively inattentive but we were here for the food anyways. The restaurant has a refined modern pub vibe, and was busy with tourists & locals when we visited. The server conversed in fluent English and the food arrived quickly despite the crowd. Surprisingly, we found the Francesinha to be quite salty especially with the much hyped beer-drenched sauce that overpowered other flavours. Our server had urged us to order the half-size, but the regular size was fine and only 2 EUR more (€13.30). There was also a couvert basket which we kindly declined. There was a longer lineup by the time we finished. Skip it or hit it? Hit it to try the classic Porto eat, be prepared for a rich but salty meal.