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Porto Vore... Where it all started

I always wondered why Porto never really had an honest Blog written in English. I hate websites that regurgitate information, addresses, phone numbers and fuzzy user pictures about food/bars/events. There is a great need for an un-obnoxious local guide to the city of Porto, as well as other cities.

This blog includes a personal account of my favourite places. Prerequisites include local spots that will make your mouth water and that truly express the culture of this city, as well as making you feel infantile that you didn’t know they existed. I believe in freedom of information so all the resources are here if you need them, please donate on the button on your right below if you have found them useful. But remember that if you book a tour with me you will get all the juicy secrets.

Porto is a magical place that has captured my attention and my heart. This seems to be a recurring sensation for people that pass through this wonderful city. There is something about it, a particular sensation that is uncommon to find in most parts of the world. I think that this defining aspect is similar to the Bermuda’s Triangle, you normally arrive in Porto by mistake not knowing anything about it, it ends up being almost impossible to leave and for some reason you always end up coming back.

There has been a strong influx of tourism to this city in the last couple of years and as well as this guide being a homage to the city, it is also a way to foster local traditional businesses that need to be incentivized and fostered to continue their battle against lazy Ikea furnished replicas that are slowly taking over the heart of all cities. This disease is not only common to Porto, but many other places, and I wish to do my part to stop this unwanted cultural regression. Hopefully with this Blog I can instigate within you a new love for Porto´s culture, which every local here knows about, but that many foreigners only scratch the surface of. When you visit places like these and realize that you never want to travel/eat/drink/experience these moments in a different way again, I have fulfilled my mission as a proud local.

This Blog not only encompasses the true identity of Porto but the journey you need to go through to realize that franchising is a bastardization of culture and that all places that foster local traditional values should be incentivized to continue their mission. If you decide that these places are too traditional for you I promise that you won’t go to hell, but most likely you will just be an unhappy person with terrible taste.

Happy Hunting.

Explore Porto

Adega Vila Meã

“Adega Vila Meã” a family run restaurant that is considered one of the few “Casas Centenarias” Century houses (open for more than a century)…

A Tasquinha

Tasquinha meaning small tavern was the name given by the original owners of the restaurant, it has been open since 1949. After several ownerships…

Restaurante Casa Nanda

“Restaurante Casa Nanda” has been open for 37 years, during all this period the owners have been the same. Dona Fernanda and Jose Canelas,…

Conga

“Conga” Was started in 1976 and has always been in the same family. Sr. Manuel Oliveira spent 30 years in Angola (ex-Portuguese colony) and…

Casa Aleixo

“Casa Aleixo” is one of the oldest restaurants in Porto, it has been open for more than 100 years. The current owners are not…

Restaurante Antunes

Antunes Restaurant is a traditional Portuguese diner that was inaugurated in 1965. It has always been kept in the same family. It was originally…

Catraio

“Catraio” is the first craft beer shop in the centre of Porto with the largest selection of Portuguese and foreign beers. Bia and Ricardo…

BOP

BOP is a relatively new bar that opened in December of 2015. Filipe and João the owners have created a well thought-out environment outside…

A Cantarinha Cafe

A Cantarinha Café is a modest café/restaurant close to the art district of the centre of town. It has been owned for the last…

Sanatorio de Valongo

“Sanatorio de Valongo” is a remote abandoned Sanatorium situated in the “Santa Justa” forest in “Valongo”. It was the last sanatorium constructed in Portugal…

Se7e Saias

“Se7e Saias” Se7en Skirts is a store that was started by 6 cousins, 3 pairs of sisters to be exact. They focus in bringing…

Confeitaria do Bolhão

“Confeitaria do Bolhão” Bolhão Bakery is a traditional pastry shop that has been open since 1896. The owner Jose Rodrigues bought the place through…

Comme Ça

“Comme Ça” is a French expression that means “like this”, but it is also a play on words in Portuguese, if you take the…