It may be better known for its port wine production, but the Portuguese coastal city of Porto also has a thriving food scene to pair with it.
(Photo: Detours Porto / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Situated in northwest Portugal, the city is well-established as a tourist destination along with its national counterparts of Lisbon and the sun-kissed Algarve region. Visitors flock here to explore the stately bridges and narrow cobbled streets, as well as to sample its famous fortified wine. If you’d like to delve even deeper into the city’s gastronomy, we’ve picked out three of the best Porto food tours currently on offer.
City Guided Food Tour with Tastings
This four-hour guided food tour offers a deep dive into Porto’s vibrant culinary culture. Led by local experts, you’ll explore hidden eateries and learn the stories behind the city’s traditional flavours. The experience includes a visit to the newly restored Bolhão Market, where fresh produce and regional specialties create a lively, sensory backdrop. Across four tasting stops, you’ll sample cheeses, hams, bread, wine, sardine tapas, classic Portuguese petiscos, and finish with a pastel de nata and coffee. From €74 per person.
“From the Sea to your Plate” Food Tour
(Photo: InsighTours / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Like most coastal cities, much of Porto’s food is gleaned from the sea. This three-hour tour invites you to discover and taste its marine-based bounty, while learning about the city’s long maritime and fishing heritage, and how it has helped the city evolve into the thriving commercial centre it is today. Over the course of the tour, you’ll step into the vibrant atmosphere of Matosinhos, a bustling fishing community, where you’ll look around the local fish market and even hand-select your own freshly caught fish straight from the ocean. Your catches will then be prepared and served up as a delectable meal to round-off your tour. From €68 per person.
Vintage and Port Wine Food Tour
(Photo: TastePorto.com)
Keen to embark on a Porto food tour, but don’t want to miss out on the city’s eponymous wine? Why not combine them both on this small-group, 3.5-hour walking tour of the city’s downtown district. Along the way, and accompanied by a wine-expert guide, you’ll visit a total of six unique family-run locations for an assortment of tastings, all paired with vintage and port wine. There’ll also be a quick stop at the famed Bolhão Market, the epicentre of Portugal’s canned fish industry. As well as all tastings, the tour price includes a complimentary e-book highlighting the best places to eat, drink in Porto. From €85 per person.