What to eat Porto? culinary specialties and gastronomy

The traditional restaurants are rather open for lunch and dinner with a break in the middle. Here you don't eat too late and usually the kitchens close around 2pm for lunch and 10pm in the evening. Recently opened restaurants are often open continuously from 12 to 10 or even 11 pm. Monday is the closing day for most of them. Luckily there are still a few establishments open on that day. In August, most Portuguese people go on holiday and you will find many establishments closed. It is sometimes a bit frustrating.

To eat cheaply, you will have to go to small local restaurants where you can have lunch for about 15 € per person. Restaurants such as tapas, wine bars and international cuisine are often more expensive. With a drink, you will have to count about 20 euros per person.

In each restaurant, you will be charged for the food, i.e. the bread often accompanied by olives and cheese. If you don't touch it, you won't be charged. You can say from the start that you don't want it and it will be taken off the table. Tipping is not automatic in Portugal, but it is of course always welcome.

Even if this tends to disappear, there are still restaurants where the menu mentions "dose" and "half-dose". Unless you want to share the dish, we strongly advise you to take half a dose, otherwise you will end up with a giant portion.

Here we don't ask for decanters of water in restaurants. You will be looked at strangely or a bottle of water will be brought directly to you (for a fee). In the cafeterias, you should know that at the counter there are usually glasses and a carafe at everyone's disposal.

The legislation is the same as in France, normally smoking is not allowed in restaurants, although some areas may still be equipped for smokers.

In some places there are tourist restaurants. They have a terrace or a nice view but the quality is not there, especially in relation to the price. They usually have a rebate. Without being a total scam, it is not really worth it because good and trustworthy restaurants do not need reps.

On the whole, the timetables are fairly similar to those in France. For cafés and bars open during the day, they operate continuously from 8am to 8pm or even 9pm to 10pm. Opening and closing times can be modified according to the time of year, for example at Christmas.

It may be complicated to use your credit card in traditional places, especially for small amounts. Make sure you have cash on hand. To drink cheaply, choose the most typical places that don't look like much. It is also possible to buy a drink at the supermarket and drink it quietly in a square, in a park, or on the banks of the Douro.

For all alcoholic beverages, you must be at least 18 years of age. The bars are open to everyone.

Taking your coffee in the morning at a pastelaria counter is very common. Drinking a beer sitting on the terrace of a kiosk is also common.