10 Best Food Tours of Porto

Gastronomic tours are considered one of the best things to do in Porto, due to the wide range of traditional food available in the city.

You will eat as if you were a local and you will be surprised by the flavours, colours and textures present in each preparation. Also, if you are vegetarian, vegan or celiac, you will find restaurants and bakeries where recipes are modified to suit your needs.

If you want to make the most of your visit to Porto in 3 days, join a guided tour of the old town, which combines history and delicious food. You will discover a varied gastronomic offer.

You will meet your guide at an agreed place and go to the first destination, which may vary according to the tour you connect with. While you walk, he will tell you some interesting facts about the old town, the history of the restaurants, bakeries and sausage shops.

You will taste the famous cream cake with cinnamon sprinkles, accompanied by a delicious coffee. You will also eat the spicy pork sandwich (Bifana), codfish pie, olives, smoked meat, cheeses, and other sausages. In addition, you will taste some desserts and drink a glass of wine and a craft beer.

Interesting details

• Price: from 64€ per person.
• Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to taste delicious local food and learn about the detailed history behind each preparation.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tour is not suitable for pregnant women.

Porto' s markets are places with a particular charm, thanks to their architectural style and the authenticity of the local people. You can also taste the unique flavour of the city's traditional food and products.

The Bolhão market is a must on any gastronomic tour, as it is a place with more than 100 years of history. You will see colourful shop windows, smell the aroma of fresh food and be in direct contact with it. You will also taste sausages, preserves, typical preparations such as codfish cakes, francesinha, among others.

You will also visit the São Sebastião market, whose speciality is fish. You will find a variety of seafood stalls. Afterwards, the guide will take you to the Bom Sucesso market, where you will find gourmet food tastings and traditional recipes.

Interesting details

• Price: from 70€ per person.
• Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the true essence of Porto's gastronomy on a tour of the city's traditional markets.
• Disadvantages of this option: the activity is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Porto' s bars and tascas also have a lot to offer when it comes to gastronomy. Join a guided tourof the city and discover the main traditional menus available.

Once you meet the guide and the rest of the group in the city centre, you will immediately go to the destinations set for the tour. Among them you will be able to visit: Tasca da Badalhoca, Adega Rio Douro, Tapas Bar 24, Venham Mais 5, bar Aduela and others.

You will taste the typical meat with fried egg called prego, hamburgers, hot dogs, bifanas, green broth and potatoes with shredded pork in blood sauce. Also, ham sandwiches, sirloin steak, roast beef, sausages, among others. All accompanied by a glass of port wine or a craft beer.

Interesting details

• Price: from €85 per person.
• Duration: 3 to 4 hours.
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the main bars and taverns of the city while discovering the aperitif culture in Porto.
• Disadvantages of this option: this tour is not usually accessible for wheelchair users.

If you are a dessert enthusiast, you can't miss the variety of cakes that exist in Porto. All you have to do is take part in a tour of the city's confeitaria (patisseries) to start tasting leite creme, rabanadas, aletria, the popular Belém cream cake, among other delicacies.

Depending on the tour you connect with, the guide will take you to three or more pastry shops: Padaria Ribeiro, Confeitaria Aliança, Padeirinha Doce, among others, where you will live a real taste experience. You will taste preparations based on egg cream and other secret ingredients. All of them decorated with cinnamon, snow sugar, caramel, shredded coconut, among other toppings.

Also, while walking through the streets of the city centre and tasting a maximum of 10 desserts, you will learn about the historical context of each of the preparations and some curious facts about the pastry shops.

Undoubtedly, an activity that you can include in the things to do in Oporto with children. The little ones will have fun and learn about the city' s gastronomic culture. Afterwards, you can continue with other activities to share with the family, such as buying tickets to World of Discoveries in Porto, which is a well-known museum and theme park.

Interesting details

• Price: from 60€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: this tour only focuses on the variety of traditional sweets of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: drinks are not included.

A gastronomic tour where you can learn how to prepare some traditional recipes is a good idea when visiting Porto in 2 days. You will walk through the streets in search of the ingredients, cook and taste each meal.

During this experience the guide will propose you a series of traditional meals: tripas à moda do Porto, caldo verde, papas de sarrabulho, bacalao fritters, pudim, arroz doce, rabanadas, among others. You will be able to select what you want and immediately go shopping at the supermarket and a local garden to pick some fresh vegetables.

You will then head to the guide's home to cook. You will prepare some starters with smoked cheeses and olives. You will also make a main course, salad and a delicious dessert. Afterwards, you will enjoy your meal with a glass of wine.

Afterwards, you can continue with other activities: shopping, joining one of the Oport river cruises, attending a Fado show in the city, among others.

Details of interest

• Price: from €47 per person.
• Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: the tour does not include pick-up and drop-off at the hotel, so you will have to do it on your own.
• Disadvantages of this option: you will only learn how to cook traditional recipes.

In Porto you will find vegetarian and vegan restaurants, which you can visit on a free tour. This is ideal if you are not a carnivore or just fancy trying something different during your visit to Porto in 4 days or more.

You will connect with a local guide, who will take you to a selection of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, usually including Galeria de Paris, O Oriente no Porto, Da Terra, Duas de Letras, etc. He will also tell you about the history of some of the monuments, streets and squares as you pass by.

You will try salads, vegetable or legume soup, rice, tofu, seitan, vegetables, cous-cous and much more. There are also desserts such as coconut, banana or chocolate pudding, pine nut and almond cakes, which you can accompany with coffee or tea. And if you want to try Japanese gastronomy in Porto, a must-visit destination is Lapa Maki, with vegetarian and vegan sushi.

Interesting details

• Price: from 25€ per person.
• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (Approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the city's vegetarian and vegan restaurants and their main recipes.
• Disadvantages of this option: tips are not included.

A guided visit to the Afurada neighbourhood to taste the variety of fish and seafood of the region is a good option to incorporate among the things to do in Porto in summer or any other season of the year. You will enjoy the flavours of the sea and contemplate the scenery.

The tour starts with a pick-up in the centre of Porto or directly at the hotel. Afterwards, you will go with a specialised gastronomic guide to Afurada, which is located just a few minutes from the city centre.

Upon arrival in the coastal town, you will walk along its cobbled streets, while heading to the restaurants specialising in seafood. You'll see sardines and seafood, cod and other fish cooked on the grill at the foot of the street, which you'll be able to taste. You can also eat the emblematic bolinhos or codfish cakes.

Interesting details

• Price: from 70€ per person.
• Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: bus and walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will taste seafood delicacies, see beautiful scenery and learn about the colourful village of Afurada.
• Disadvantages of this option: This tour is not suitable for vegetarians.

If you have coeliac disease, you should know that in Porto there are restaurants and cafés where preparations are gluten-free. You can enjoy sweet and savoury foods and even drink a beer without fear.

This tour is usually available all year round, so you can incorporate it into your itinerary when visiting Porto in any month. You will have a local guide, who will provide you with interesting historical facts about the city, while taking you to the scheduled destinations:

• With a wide selection of gluten-free meals, the Com Cuore cafeteria offers bifanas, tarts, among others.
• Delicious homemade burgers at Tasquinha Do Caco. You can also accompany your meal with a beer. Both specialities are gluten-free.
• Seafood, desserts and a privileged view of the Douro River, in the Celtic-themed restaurant Terra Nova, located in the Ribeira.
• All kinds of preparations made with mushroom and buckwheat flour at Endovélico.

Interesting details

• Price: from 30€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will enjoy the gastronomy of Oporto without worrying about affecting your health due to the gluten present in some ingredients.
• Disadvantages of this option: pets are not allowed unless they are assistance animals.

If your visit to Porto coincides with the month of April, then the Easter gastronomic tour is a good option for you to get to know the preparations that the people of Porto have been eating for years during this worldwide celebration, typical of Christianity.

The activity usually takes place in several restaurants in the city, either in the historic centre, in the Ribeira or in nearby villages. Therefore, when you connect with the tour you can select the area that suits you best.

Whatever the case, you will meet the local guide at a pre-arranged location. This way, you will start visiting the established destinations: Adega do Conde, A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves, Oporto Bakery, A Sandeira, Mercearia das Flores, among others.

During the tour you will taste:

• Bacalhau mantecatom, this is a preparation of cod with onion, milk and butter.
• Bacalhau dos solteiros, prepared with garlic, milk cream, onion and parmesan cheese.
• Delicacies of the sea, such as shrimp paulista or luanda and stuffed squid, which are recipes with a marked colonial influence.
• Folar da Páscoa, this is a delicious sweet bread roll.

Details of interest

• Price: from 25€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will be introduced to the culinary traditions of the Easter season during your visit to Porto in April.
• Disadvantages of this option: no hotel pick-up and drop-off service.

This tour will show you which are the restaurants and pastry shops in the city where you can taste the must-try meals for any local, but with a reduced budget from 7€. You'll be surprised by the huge range of specialities on offer.

As you connect with the guide assigned to you for this culinary adventure, you'll wander the main streets of Porto together in search of all kinds of tastings:

• Variety of preparations with tripe, at A cozinha do Manel.
• Desserts and local cuisine, at Taberna Santo Antonio.
• Francesinhas, at Café Santiago.
• Octopus and fish, at A tasquinha restaurant.
• Charcuterie platters, at A Lareira.

There are also other restaurants, patisseries and cafés that you can visit during the tour, depending on the area of the city you are in.

Interesting details

• Price: from 65€ per person.
• Duration: 3 hours (approx.)
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the cheapest restaurant options with an excellent traditional menu.
• Disadvantages of this option: wine, beer or coffee tastings are generally not included.

Gastronomic tours are very popular tourist activities in the city of Porto, which you can do any day of the week in the morning, afternoon and even at sunset. It all depends on the company you connect with. Whatever the case, you will need to put into practice some tips for a successful tour.

• Wear comfortable shoes, as this type of tour is usually done on foot around the city.
• Don't say no to any tasting and discover different flavours, aromas and textures. You'll be surprised by the variety of gastronomic variety in the city.
• Eat small bites, as you will be trying new flavours (spicy, salty, sweet) and some might be too strong for your palate. You should try to get used to the seasoning of the preparations, in order to enjoy each tasting.
• Take note of the preparations, maybe when you return home you will want to recreate a sweet or savoury recipe.

The gastronomic tours of Oporto offer a tour of the different restaurants, pastry shops, bakeries and cafés of the city, allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of traditional foods, desserts and even wines.

By doing this type of activity you have the opportunity to discover the history behind each of the preparations. You'll also learn anecdotes about the restaurants and the city in general. All this, thanks to the guidance of a specialised culinary guide.