Restaurants

Like Lisbon, Porto is establishing itself as something of a destination for foodies. But while there's plenty of opportunity to enjoy the best of modern cooking techniques, traditional cooking in Porto is rich and heavy. It's typified by the city's favorite dishes, tripas à moda do Porto (Porto-style tripe), a concoction involving beans, chicken, sausage, vegetables, and spices, and Francesinha, a carb-and-protein bomb involving several types of meat sandwiched between slabs of bread and smothered with a rich sauce, some cheese, and sometimes a fried egg. Caldo verde ("green soup") is also ubiquitous; it's made of potato and shredded kale in a broth and is usually served with a slice or two of chouriço sausage.

Porto also does a wonderful version of traditional bolinho de bacalhau(fried cod and potato patties that are crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy inside) and you're never too far away from a good, strong coffee and a pastel de nata (custard tart). Near the riverfront, the focus turns to fish and seafood, with any number of restaurants vying for your attention and most offering a good range of grilled fresh fish which can be washed down with a jug of house wine if you need a break from all that port.