Cooking Workshops

Oporto Gastronomy

There are a lot of restaurants in Porto where you can find the typical and traditional dishes from this city. Portugal is a country near the sea, and usually, the people from Oporto eat the fresh fish from Matosinhos.

Usually during the summer, namely in June, is the season of “sardinha”. This is a very cheap and popular dish. During “São João” popular fests, from 23rd to 24th of June, the citizens from Oporto eat grilled “sardinhas” with potatoes, salad, and peppers. If someone would want to visit Oporto during this day, for sure that will feel the smell of “sardinhas” on the air. On this day, for the people who don’t like fish, they usually eat grilled pork steak. If you want to taste the fresh fish from Oporto go to Matosinhos and taste it.

The “Francesinha” is a very known and traditional offer of Oporto past gastronomy, for the inhabitants and visitors. There a lot of restaurants that are specialists on this recipe, and usually we can find the difference between them on its sauce and the quality of its ingredients. Some of these restaurants are “Cafe Santiago” near of Coliseum, “Canal 3” on the “5 de Outubro” street, and the “Convivio” restaurant, on the “Bom Sucesso”. Actually, you already can find a lot of restaurants outside of Oporto where you also can eat a good “Francesinha”, but if you ask advice to some citizens of Oporto is possible that they inform you that the great Francesinha is from Oporto.

Another important dish from Oporto it is “Tripas à moda do Porto”.  The history is related with the departure from the Portuguese army on the XV century from Oporto to Ceuta. The inhabitants of Oporto gave to the navigators the best meat and they kept for themselves the “Tripas”. Usually, the people from Oporto eat this traditional dish on Sundays during the families lunch because is a very strong meal. There are a lot of restaurants where you can find this typical dish. Don’t miss the opportunity to taste it! Anthony Bourdain did it when he visited Oporto!