Eating with the locals in Portugal - northern edition (1 of 2) It was later in the evening and I was laying my head down in Porto instead of Vila Nova de Gaia, which is atypical for me. I asked where to get some fairly priced and good grub that locals would definitely like. I was given this name - Capa Negra II - and, since they know they can be nasal and enunciate differently from the other Iberians, this young lady wrote it down for me. Capa Negra II was nearby and on the busy street that buses use to go from the Casa da Musica Metro over the Ponte Arrabida to the south shore. I had thus been by it numerous times. I took note that they offered many things, but are best known for their Francesinha. Even though Francesinha approximates "little Frenchie" in Portuguese, it is said to have been born in the Porto area. It is a sandwich inside which there are pressed layers of different pork and cured meats and it is covered in a complex sauce including cheese, tomato sauce, beer, port wine, spices, and then some. It is usually topped with an egg. They are very nice to look at, albeit almost decadent. I have a short history with the Francesinha. Years ago, I notice a place that looked like Capa Negra II and on that very same row of eateries that was hopping in the evenings and I went in there to get a Francesinha. (I don't know why that similar place is no longer open.) The sandwich was just like I have described above except that there were peppercorns in the meat that, in my opinion, were nasty and I had to open it up to work around them. It was thus the only time I had eaten a Francesinha. The waiter was mild mannered and I told him I only needed to verify one thing. I always try to put together some words in the local lingo because I want to ... and because I want to be far from being an "ugly American." I was adamant about there being no peppercorns in my Francesinha. I said something like, "Tem issas coisas pequenas negras e picante dentro a carne? ... nao quiero ... nao gosto." He quickly understood my issue and indicated there would not be any. Now, here, I was an idiot an asked for "batatas cocidas!" I should have just accepted the traditional fries that accompany the sandwich given how many times I've had Big Boy and Big Mac combos. I washed it all down with a soft drink. I was happy that I gave the Francesinha another chance. Mind you, you cannot do this often. It was robust, tasty, and, since you might eat only that, it will be filling without completely bogging you down. I liked the waiter and his politeness. The price was fair. The restaurant was modern, simple, comfortable, and airy, even though it was in the evening. Finally, there was a queue because it was full and you had to give the host your name. They stuck to it and got me seated quickly. I really appreciated the fairness and even handedness of all this and it's usually this way in Portugal, especially in its north. Their Francesinha is good and they have many other choices. It's not fine dining. I would almost describe Capa Negra II as a glassier modern tavern. There is another "branch" in the center and there may be more tourists at that one. I do like this newer part of the city, you will be eating with locals, and I recommend this restaurant. read more

See all

October 12, 2023. Thursday. Dinner. Our first night in Porto and we decided to visit this joint. It was directly across from our hotel and seemed to be packed with locals. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated and every table looked to be full. Even the dining counters were full. This place reminded me of an American diner. Every waiter bustled to and fro and I think all of them were guys. Our waiter recommended a red wine blend (17 euros) called Quinta Crasto which turned out to be exceptionally delicious. The only problem was that the wine did NOT pair well with the heavy food. I ate a caldo verde (5 euros) a hearty, thick Portuguese soup with kale, chorizo, and potatoes. The soup tasted good, though I wished they included more chorizo. My wife ordered with the traditional Francesinha with egg and fries (14 euros). It looked like most people in the restaurant were ordering this. Her dish had lots of fries and was piled high. They are very generous with the food here and she left a few fries on her plate. I couldn't help her because I barely finished my bacalhau braga (23 euros). My dish came with fried cod buried in brown gravy, carrots and cauliflower, and lots of potato chips on the side. Basically a Portuguese take on fish and chips. The cod tasted light and amazing but the very filling, heavy food and wine didn't go well. I think a light, carbonated drink would go well with this food. Service was fast, food piled high and very generous, and the other diners were very comforting to see. Prices were low, so we visited here once more before leaving Porto. read more

See all

The Francesinha sandwich was very good. Very attentive wait staff with excellent service. It was a bit crowded but this is to be expected at the good restaurants. read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - Franceshina - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

Eat here! Locals eat here, especially late in the evening. A diner feel, but amazing food. read more

See all

If you do want to try the Francesinha while you're in Port, this is where you'd want to go. The sandwich was derived from the Croque Monsieur except that it's heavier and has a tangy Gravy and comes with fries. Made with bread, beef, sausage and topped with heavy cheese and usually an egg with sunny side up and surrounded by fries and gravy this sandwich feels like hang over food. You can specify if you don't want the sausage or the fries or the egg etc. Don't think I'd want to have it again ever but definitely worth a try once. We went to this place around 8:30 on a Saturday and for a party of four we waited fifteen minutes tops. Large family friendly place with good turn over. There are other things on the menu but everyone there was ordering this sandwich. And this please seems to be popular with the locals for sure. For four sandwiches two beers and three lemonades our bill was €56. read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - Francesinha with fries and egg - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

See all

After two weeks of walking, running, driving around Spain and Portugal, we made it to our last night in Porto before starting our journey back to the US and we thought to ourselves "NO WAY WE ARE STAYING IN BED ON OHR LAST NIGHT". And so we looked for the famous FRANCESINHA which is commonly served in Porto. We had two options which supposedly were the best in the city and this was one of them. Amazing choice to have our last traditional meal in Porto and we could tell the locals also liked this spot because it was full at 11:00 pm and everyone was ordering the same dishes in each table. It was truly delicious and the service was great! read more

It's just steps away from Hotel Tuela and this was a great choice for hungry travellers. Our first time in Porto, Portugal and first thing we did was search for good restaurants in the area. Google has over 3000 reviews of this restaurant. Thought will give it a try on our first lunch in the city. First thing I noticed was all empty tables have baskets of different buns and little packets of cheese spread and butter. Guess it is a very busy place that they have the bread baskets ready while you wait for your order. The waiter was very helpful and suggested grilled corvina fish. Also we had grilled calamari with sides of boiled potatoes and a plate of steamed green kale. I have never seen so much potatoes served in every dish. It was a total waste that we didn't finish all the potatoes. I'm not sure if locals actually finish them all. Both dishes are very good. Seasoned only with salt then grilled. They're simple dishes. But I'll make sure that I tell them not to give us so much potatoes in our next order. Will definitely come back here. Yes we did come back again! This time putting 5 stars instead of 4! read more

See all

Serving up some classics here. Had the francesinha batat or something like that, was filling and delightful! The wifey had the Esparguete a Bolanhesa & liked it, not her favesies but she's prego so she wanted to play it safe. We both enjoyed the beer, wifey took a sip and was tasty too for less than 3 euros, felt like I robbed them! LOL read more

See all

A Francesinha (a.k.a. Little Frenchie) is an amazing and brilliant creation. We're talking about a sandwich filled with wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage and steak, smothered with cheese on top plus an optional sunny side up fried egg and soaked in a hot thick tomato beer sauce surrounded with an army of fries. Right?! To me, this is the perfect sandwich. After experiencing the glory that this fork and knife sandwich is, I'm genuinely dumbfounded as to why the concept hasn't been exported worldwide. Then again, I also like that Porto (its birthplace) and some near by towns are apparently the only places to find one. Within Porto, it is well known that many locals are highly passionate and strongly opinionated about which place does the "best" Francesinha. After you've had a few, you can tell there is a clear difference in craft and quality from one place to another. I both went to a place that was highly reviewed and considered one of the top as well as another which I'd heard nothing about good or bad. Both were great, but for different reasons. Capa Negra II has the distinction of being the place where I tried my first Francesinha. I found them listed time and time again when seeking the creme de la creme. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. Freshness is vital with this sandwich. There is so much going on that the last thing you'd want is a Francesinha that's been sitting around for a few minutes before it gets to you. Capa Negra II does a great job in this regard as it was piping hot upon delivery and the bread still had some crunch to it. The layers of flavors and textures around and within the bread slices work together in exceptional unison. As far as the rest of the experience goes, the service lacks much to be desired, but ultimately you don't come here for the service. The atmosphere is not much to rave about either. There's not much personality to it, but it didn't really matter once the food arrived. I mean literally, the moment the sandwich arrived, I can't remember anything else other than eating it and my long, but blissful, walk home after. I hear the Portuense refrain from having more than one Francesinha a month. Considering the behemoth that it is, I think that's a sound plan and Capa Negra II, despite its drawbacks, is definitely one spot to find a great one. read more

See all

Definitely recommend this spot for an authentic Portuguese meal. The restaurant was recommended to me by two locals and I'm so glad I walked that extra mile to make it out here. It was near their closing time so it was fairly empty, but we were seated immediately and service was rather quick. Got their speciality - Francesinha, which is basically the best hangover food in town. Two slices of bread layered with pork, sausage, bacon and topped with beef- it's covered with a cheesy gravy and a fried egg. Seriously can't get more heavy than that, but totally worth it! read more

See all

Large, family restaurants are usually in short supply in Europe, but Capa fits that mold. Which made it perfect for our 2 young children. It reminded me of a diner, comfortable with friendly service and minimal decor. The restaurant is huge but fills up quickly and the waiting area is usually put to good use. In 2 visits we did not see a fellow tourist which is always a good sign, as was the crowd that included all walks of life. The Francesinha was the best we had in Porto out dueling O Alfonso in this reviewers eyes. The steaks are simple cuts seasoned and cooked to perfection. Every soup we had was delicious. The highlight however is a large bread bowl, filled with bread puree and loaded with shrimp. By loaded I mean LOADED, good luck taking a bite without getting one, or two. I'd consider it a must order, unless you can't wait for the 40 minute cooking time. read more

Yep, for foreigners in Portugal, Francesinha is a must try. I went for it and I don't regret. The place was very crowded, so expect huge lines if you're not alone to get a spot on the "bar". Good food, super bock and reasonable prices read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

Working during diner time. With dust and debris flying all around near the dining tables... What a disapointment... Clients diserve better treatment. The food is regular and honest. With average quality. read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

See all

I'm so happy to see that this place is still alive and well - but then again I'm not surprised. If you want a francesinha (traditional big a$$ meat sandwich, with a special sauce only made in Porto), this is where you want to go! I am happily counting down the days (a bit over a month, yay!) until I eat one of these delicacies again and I am so, so, so looking forward to it! Portugues uma vez, portugues a vida inteira - e bibó Porto! read more

This is a fantastic place to go for some real traditional Portuguese food, especially the famous Francesinha. Service is good but can take some time as it gets very busy! The Francesinha is quite big and delicious. read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - The famous Francesinha - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

The best francesinha in town, definitely can't miss it when in Porto. Their secret recipe sauce is to die for! read more

Restaurante Capa Negra II - Portuguese Near Me - Porto, 13

Love it with family or friends. Need to go early or plan to wait to get a seat. My favourite is the 'rosbife' and then 'quente e frio'.

This place was recommended to us by a local as THE place to go for an authentic Francesinha. We ordered the classic with egg on top, served on fries and covered in gravy along with the bacalao com natas. Again... neither dish is for the faint of heart but both were well worth the walk and the calories. I see the Frencesinha as a cuban sandwich meets crock monsieur meets canadian putin. The fish was lovely and creamy and perfectly baked. My mouth still waters thinking about this dish. Looking around, most tables ordered one or both of these dishes so, even though I have no point of comparison, I think we came to the right place! read more