PORTUGAL: PORTO FOOD TOUR WITH TASTE PORTO

I visited Porto Portugal in September 2018 solo during my nine day trip to Portugal and only had two full days to make the most of the beautiful city. As a foodie, I knew I had to indulge in some traditional Porto food and I love a good food tour so I found the best Porto Food Tour with Taste Porto to help.

Disclosure: This Food Tour in Porto Portugal guide may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As always, all opinions are my own and I would never post about something I have not personally used/verified.

After a short amount of research, I learned that Taste Porto was the best of the best in Porto food tours and I had to take part. Taste Porto is one of the most popular and well-known food tours in Porto and I can highly recommend. I’ll talk about a full travel guide to Porto in another guide, but this one is all Porto food related. Taste Porto food tour will allow you to try all of the best food in Porto in an efficient way. Keep reading to see all of the details that you will get on a Taste Porto food tour, including how to book the tour, each of the foods (and wines) you will try (and there are a lot), as well as the pros and cons to this food tour in Porto.

Taste Porto Food Tour Tips

• Taste Porto has two different tours: Downtown food tour and Vintage food tour. I chose the Downtown tour due to my food restrictions but both are highly suggested and amazing. I loved the downtown one and the different types of foods (and wines) native to Porto we were able to try.
• I chose the afternoon session and I’m glad I did because a lot of the food was heavy and not really what I would want in the morning. Also, Taste Porto is basically a Porto food AND wine tour, so be ready to drink (but it’s not mandatory!).
• DO NOT EAT BEFORE THE TOUR!!!! Like within two hours of the tour. You are going to eat so much and so many different flavors. You want to be able to experience it all!!!! Definitely come with an empty stomach.
• Dietary Restrictions: Taste Porto will accommodate all of your food and dietary restrictions, as they did for me (since I don’t eat shellfish or pork), just make sure you tell them far before the tour. They had special meals waiting for me and it was perfect. Don’t not go on this tour just because you can’t eat some of the foods because they will accommodate you!
• My one and ONLY negative of the Taste Porto food tour was that it was all 50+ year olds. Honestly not a big deal at all, but as a 27 year old, it would have been nice to have someone younger to converse with similarly! My tour guide, Maria, was about my age so I talked to her most of the time. I did love that everyone was from different countries (we had some Aussies and Canadians on our tour), I just wish they were a little closer to my age!
• Maria was an amazing tour guide so if you have any possibility of requesting a tour guide or can switch tours to be with her – go!!! She is so knowledgable and insanely passionate about the Porto food scene and will also give you recommendations on nightlife, things to do, day trips and more after your tour.

FULL PORTO FOOD TOUR WITH TASTE PORTO

Our tour began at a meeting spot smack in the center of the city, which was perfect because I got to hit some of the spots I wanted to see in Porto on the way to the tour. In addition, we walked by a ton of the main things to see in Porto while on the tour so it was like a double tour in one 🙂

Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #1: Loja Dos Pastéis de Chaves

Our first stop is known for their amazing sweet and savory pastries. These come from the city of Chaves in Northern Portugal (hence the name) and are different than your average pastry. We tried some meat pastries, and while I’m used to sweet pastries, these were amazing! They were so flaky and light that it was the perfect intro snack into this tour.

Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #2: Bolhao Market

Our second tour brought us to the *temporary* famous Mercado do Bolhāo in Porto (also know as Bolhao Market Porto and the main food market in Porto). They are currently re-doing the original and will be open in 2019, hopefully. It was unfortunate we couldn’t see the real market, as it is supposed to be a true Porto experience, but they set up the temporary market to look like it, but it just doesn’t have the same feel. It still displays how much the Portuguese workers love what they do and the produce they are selling. Each of the stand owners have their own story and their produce has been in their family for generations.

We went to Store #9: Bolhao Wine House and had traditional Portuguese sardines with Moscatel do Douro wine and then a sweet treat made by the Grandma of the stand. This was my first time trying sardines and I was so nervous but they were SO good and now I am obsessed with sardines. The wine was INSANELY sweet, almost too sweet to drink. I think this was my favorite stop on the tour as I love visiting local markets in every city.

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Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #3: Flor Dos Congregados

The third stop was to a fancy Porto restaurant that actually looked like a hole in the wall. It only opened for us and they don’t accept reservations at night time. There are maybe 6 tables in the whole restaurant but fills up with lines out the door. This restaurant is family owned and one of the best known secrets in Porto. I loved the vibes inside with the underground walls. While I couldn’t have their famous pork loin or cured ham sandwich like the rest of the group, I can attest for the veggie soup I had as well as the sparkling Portuguese wine! The other guests said it was some of the best pork they ever had so I can confidently say this was THEIR favorite stop on the tour. It was my favorite for restaurant vibes.

Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #4: Café Guarany

Cafe Guarany was my least favorite stop on this tour. Not because it wasn’t a beautiful, old cafe that served amazing coffee (it did), it just wasn’t food and I really wanted to enjoy six food options. However, the coffee was amazing and Cafe Guarany is one of the oldest cafes in the city and most well-known for serving some of the best coffee in all of Porto, or as they call it, cimbalino.

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Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #5: Leitaria da Quinta do Paco

The fifth stop on the Porto food tour was at Leitaria da Quinta do Paco and was my FAVORITE food of the tour! This spot is known for their delicious éclairs that were really out of this world. I have never had such fluffy, light amazing desserts and I don’t even like cream or frosting. These were so good and the whipped cream on top was 100% necessary. Definitely add this place to your list if you don’t make it on a tour.

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Taste Porto Food Tour Stop #6: All In Porto

Our last stop was the most fun, I’ll admit, and was full of wines, cheeses and meats. Since I couldn’t eat the meats they also gave me Mackerel which was also delicious! They went into detail about which cheese, jam and wine to pair together and the combinations were amazing! I love cheese especially with homemade wine and I loved tasting these Portuguese pairings. All of the meats, cheeses and wines at All In Porto are from different producers around Portugal.

Find out more about all of these Porto food spots by clicking their names!

Final notes on Taste Porto Food Tour: Highly recommend! The tour was completely organized and provided a deep look into the special cuisines of Porto, not just what you see in the tourist spots. They took us to real, local spots so you can get the true traditional Porto food experience. I would recommend Taste Porto to anyone visiting Porto Portugal! You can book your tour right here!

*Thanks to Taste Porto for inviting me on their Downtown tour to learn about all that the Porto food scene has to offer and making this blog post possible! While I did receive this tour as a gift, my review and experience with Taste Porto is, as always, 100% personal and honest*

Other Porto Travel Tips

 

How To Get To Porto

Porto is the next biggest city to Lisbon and Porto and they have plenty of international flights (though not as many as Lisbon). You can fly direct from NYC and to many other cities around Europe. You can also take a quick 2.5 hour train from Lisbon to get here. I was in Lisbon first so I took the train there and then flew directly back to NYC from Porto. The train was insanely easy, clean and honestly a pleasure to take and travel through the Portugal countryside. You can book your train tickets here: Portugal Train Tickets. I went from Lisbon Santa Apolónia station to Porto Campanhã station, so that it was a direct train with no transfers. Book online ahead of time to get a cheaper price than booking at the station. The train only cost 25 euros. For the airport, the Porto International Airport is only a 15 minute drive from the center of Porto. You can learn more about visiting Portugal and getting around the country in my Portugal country travel guide here.

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Where To Stay in Porto Portugal

There are a TON of hostels and hotels in Porto for any budget – take your pick! I LOVED the area I stayed in and I definitely recommend staying right near Livraria Lello, it’s the best nightlife area and right in the center of the city so it is walking distance to every single imaginable spot that is on your list of things to do in Porto! You will not need Ubers at all if you stay in this area. 

Search Porto hotels on Booking.com by clicking here or searching below. Find more hotel reviews on TripAdvisor here!

AIRBNB Porto: Many people also choose to stay in Airbnb in Porto because it is insanely affordable! I personally chose the hotel route for safety precautions since I was solo, but I would definitely recommend Airbnb if I were with friends! They’re definitely cheaper than the hotels around the city. Also, if you use my Airbnb link you get $40 off your first stay!

Porto Travel Tips

• PACKING FOR PORTO: Porto’s weather is beyond amazing. I went in the beginning of September and it was a nice high 70s. It was very sunny so don’t forget sunscreen. For all of my travel/packing essentials I bring on any trip compiled together, head to my influencer page on Amazon for a complete list or my descriptive carry-on packing guide here!
• TRAVEL INSURANCE: Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world. We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance. 
• UBER: Uber is insanely cheap in Portugal around the entire country. I’m still not over it. Sure, I come from NYC with astronomical prices, but I have used Uber in plenty of countries and nothing compares to the prices in Portugal. You could go on a 20 minute drive and it would be 2 euros. It’s insane. Take Uber in Portugal!

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Don’t you want to do a food tour in Porto now!? Let me know in the comments! Looking for what to expect before visiting Portugal? Check out my Visit Portugal Travel Blog guide for more tips and my Douro Valley from Porto Tour guide here.