Eating and Dining

Two revered dishes in Porto are the Francesinha and Tripas à Moda do Porto.

francesinha2
tripas4

The Francesinha, literally Frenchy, or more accurately little French (female) - is the most famous popular native snack food in Porto. It is a kind of sandwich with several meats covered with cheese and a special spicy sauce made with beer and other ingredients.

Tripas, in the form of Tripas à moda do Porto (tripe with white beans) is considered the traditional dish of the city of Porto, whose inhabitants are informally known as tripeiros. This traditional dish is said to date back to the early 15th century, when Prince Henrique (known as Henry the Navigator, needing to supply the Portuguese fleet heading to Ceuta, asked the inhabitants of Porto to load into the ships all kinds of food, particularly meat. After the fleet left, the only food available was the bowels (tripas), which were cooked together with beans.

For these and other dishes, here's a sample of the city's best restaurants and eateries:

Nightlife

planob

At night everyone gravitates towards Rua Galeria de Paris and Rua Cândido dos Reis, two parallel streets downtown. Others descend to the Ribeira district for more bars and cafés, many of which have outdoor seating. Directly across the river in Cais de Gaia is also a number of pleasant cafés for a post-dinner drink, with the added bonus of floodlit city views and of the river bathed in the moonlight. Some of the city's most popular night spots include: