Top Restaurants in Northern Portugal
Northern Portugal Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Northern Portugal
Brimming with both history and natural wonder, Northern Portugal is home to Porto, the city that gave the country its name, as well as the important ancient town of Braga. Also here is Peneda-Gerês, Portugal’s only national park, a gorgeous wilderness area of mountains, gorges, water features and wildlife. Many picturesque villages and manor houses dot the countryside. Two areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Alto Douro Wine Region, and the Paleolithic rock art in the Côa Valley.
Things to do in Northern Portugal
1. O Paparico
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By IsabelMNSS
„O PAPARICO“ Restaurant is a hidden gem in Porto. It is absolutely amazing in everyway from its interior décor and charming rustic stone walls, to its furniture and tableware design. Superb elegance and taste! For starters we chose oysters and steamed seasoned bivalve molluscs but dinner began with a warm tasty broth, followed by a set of appetizers which included a black eyed beans vinagrette, a type of codfish pasty, 40 years cured smoked ham and olive fois gras. All delicious and amazingly presented. Then came our starters’ order. The bivalve molluscs were well seasoned and the algae gave it a pleasant sea taste. In between came a “home” baked bread and “bôla” - absolutely divine... For main course we had the baked sea bream with a mixed tomato salad. Very light and tasty. For dessert we shared an egg designed dessert which was splendidly presented and tasted heavenly! Accompanying coffee we were presented with a sculpture that had three types of mini macarrons, all delicious (my favorite was the passion fruit flavoured one). The staff are very profissional and attentive throughout dinner. It was a very pleasant dinner with friends that turned out to be superbly amazing and exceeded our expectations! Very highlly recommend it for an amazing gourmet experience!
2. BA Wine Bar do Bairro Alto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
More than 150 wines by the glass. Port wine flights. One of the best selections of portuguese cheeses, and charcuterie, combined in mixed boards. Handmade canned fish delights. Rare and old Port and Madeira wines collection, also by the glass.<br><br>Please note: this is a small and informal traditional wine bar with tapas of cheese and charcuterie that does NOT have any cooked meals; opens around 6pm and starts closing at 11pm, therefore the options breakfast/brunch and late night do not apply; closes on Mondays. Thank you.
Reviewed By mart58Uk - UK
Advance booking essential - if you are a walk in customer, you are likely to be disappointed!
If you've made your booking, then prepare to experience a truly original and enjoyable evening with superb hosts who are knowledgeable and friendly, with a great selection of wines and a tasty selection of small plates to compliment the wine.
The hosts are at pains to point out that this is a wine bar primarily, not a restaurant, so please don't judge it on the basis of your food experience (but what is served is more than acceptable!) - but as an experience for lovers of wine it is unmatched!
3. Nannarella Gelati alla Romana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 642 reviews
Reviewed By Ana G - Portugal
Nannarella was a good surprise. The gelatos aren't expensive and they taste really good, with real flavors. There's usually a line, however, the employees are fast and eficiente. The upside is that they don't offer sitting spots. Some of the flavors are specific to some week days. The location is also very good, next to Assembleia da República (São Bento) and Príncipe Real
4. Casa Mateus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
5. Nau Palatina
Overall Ratings
5 based on 394 reviews
A cosy tapas bar with ambient music, where one can taste and share portuguese traditional home made snacks and dishes. Mediterranean, also vegetarian and spice routes cuisine, not forgetting the Moorish influence in Sintra. Slow food. We only serve fresh quality products, wine, beer, natural juices or refreshments and fine loose leaf teas. Free WIFI.
Reviewed By RosemaryE - Crewkerne, United Kingdom
An enthusiastic welcome that did not wear out as the evening progressed. Lovely attention, deliciously different dishes a joy to enjoy. Our hosts could not have been more friendly and all the pasticos were wonderful. A little out of town but well worth the journey. Book!
6. Restaurante Alentejano O Canseras
Overall Ratings
5 based on 473 reviews
Portuguese Kitchen
Reviewed By gdoppler - Figueira da Foz, Portugal
All four: restaurant, staff, food and wine transport a very intensive "Alentejo" feeling. What the "Alentejo" feeling is? A little bit like "hakuna matata", enjoy life, let the daily worries aside, relax.
A perfect place for having very good food and not a list - a book of wines.
The chef recommended the house wine to the bacalhao - and I really enjoyed it!
Definitely a place to visit!
7. Tapabento
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
We have no other option to announce our holidays: Closed for holidays from 23th December 2017 until the 8th January 2018. Wishes of a great year 2018!
Reviewed By Timothy D - Woodstock, New York
OK, we got in without one, but it was luck. Well worth it. Tuna Tataki was superb, peanut foam dessert excellent. This is modern food, very well done. Service is very good. Not inexpensive, but a better grade of food, so reasonable (to us). Every...MoreDear Timothy, what a pleasure it was for us to read your review and share of experience! Thank you for your very nice and kind words! We do hope do have the pleasure of your visit again very soon :)
8. Mercearia do Seculo
Overall Ratings
5 based on 302 reviews
A cosy little restaurant where you can eat portuguese dishes with a twist and petiscos (tapas). Open at lunch (12h30 - 15h) and dinner (19h30 - 23h)
Reviewed By Ekatherina P
Very pleasant and comfortable place. The owner is friendly and taklative and runs this place together with her husband who is outgoing as well. Food was amazing, tasty and nicely served.Just a pity they don´t take cards, but anyway, this place makes you feel like home so we didn´t mind such a detail.
9. Bodeguita do Bom Retiro
Overall Ratings
5 based on 189 reviews
Reviewed By jpms1984 - Maia, Portugal
OK. The waiters can be symphatic but it wasnt a good experience. With the restaurant half full the waiting time was a disaster. Almost 10 minutes, in a small place to someone came to us to give us a table. The food isnt the best. Not a fan.
10. Manteigaria
Overall Ratings
5 based on 3 reviews
Custard cream bakery. Portuguese custard tarts. Pasteis de Nata
Reviewed By Don P - Dallas, Texas, United States
You can order your tarts (Pasteis de Belem) and move deeper into the narrow store to eat them and watch them being made. They ring a bell outside the door whenever a fresh batch is ready from the oven. The tarts are very tasty when hot out of the oven. Sprinkle some cinnamon and powdered sugar on them like the natives. What is exceptional at this store is that you can watch every step of the making of the tarts through a glass window. These tarts have a thicker crust than those at the more famous Pasteis de Belem but are just as tasty.
