Top
Taste Porto Food Tours

Taste PORTO Food Tours: flavor is culture!

With the premise “food is a cultural expression”, André and the team behind Taste Porto Food Tours organize one of the best intros to food and beverage you are likely to come across in the North of Portugal.

As someone from this part of Portugal myself, I was curious as to what I’d explore, taste and learn in a tour such as this. Before we go into more details, I can say the balance was extremely positive. Not only this was one entertaining morning, it included great samples of things one should try when traveling in my country and a lot of cultural tidbits to go along with it all.

The 3.5 hours tour in the heart of Porto includes 6 stops: you go on a voyage that embraces savory, sweet, drinks and a lot friendly talk!

 

A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves

Pastries at Loja dos Pasteis de Chaves, Porto

Pastries at A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves, Porto

Although this is a tour of the food from Porto, we started off at a shop that specializes in Chaves pastries (Chaves being another city in Norther Portugal) and am I glad it did!

Chaves pastries are made with the flakiest of doughs, traditionally filled with minced veal. At A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves, in a modern and cosmopolitan environment, they have taken this popular snack to the next level, introducing new flavors such as cod fish (this is Portugal after all!), vegetarian, different chicken fillings and even sweet ones. We had the pleasure of trying the original pastries and also chocolate with hazelnut.

 

Bolhão Wine House

Bolhao Wine House at Bolhao Market, Porto

Bolhão Wine House at Bolhão Market, Porto

As a lover of Portuguese food, it gives me immense joy to meet newer generations of fellow Portuguese people who have embraced our culture and flavors and, in a revamped way, want to present to the rest of the world some of the things that or country does best!

That’s the case with the team behind Bolhão Wine House, a wine shop nestled inside the happening Bolhão Market – this is a perfect location, as there is nothing like visiting a local market to understand the food culture of a given place. Here we had traditional canned sardines, sweet Moscatel wine and home-made queijadinha pastries during the mid morning. Nothing like a good snack while our guide André and the owners of the store would explain us how they want to keep Bolhão Market alive, introducing new concepts of stores such as this one, that aim at introducing typical goods to a larger audience.

 

Café Christina

Café Christina in Porto

Café Christina in Porto

If there is something Portuguese people are very particular about, that is a good cup of coffee. We dug into the history of coffee making in Portugal, through the tales behind the historical Café Christina, where we also got to enjoy a cimbalino (that is an expresso, as people in Porto would call it).

 

A Flor dos Congregados

Talking about Portuguese food at Flor dos Congregados, Porto

Talking about Portuguese food at A Flor dos Congregados, Porto

A Flor dos Congregados restaurant was, hands down, one of our my favorite stops during the entire food tour – and Ashray agrees! It wasn’t later than 12pm and we had already had Chaves pastries, sardines, wine, sweets and coffee. Could our sense of taste become even more awake after this? The answer is YES!

This charming restaurant at an alley in Porto’s city center serves the most tender, flavorful, succulent pork sandwich I have ever had the pleasure to bite on. The chef explained us how the meat is marinated, but the recipe is a well kept family secret. He also chatted with us about the sparkling red wine we drank as we ate and many other goodies they serve at this restaurant.

Restaurante A Flor dos Congregados, Porto

Restaurante A Flor dos Congregados, Porto

When I go back to Porto, I am surely going to make A Flor dos Congregados one of my stops for lunch of dinner. They serve good down-to-earth food as it’s meant to be!

 

Walking with Andre near Torre dos Clerigos, understanding Porto's history and culture

Walking with André near Clérigos Tower, understanding Porto's history and culture

Overview of Porto

Overview of Porto

This tour is about more than food: it is an ode to Porto, its sights, its people, its traditions and how it all blends together.

There is quite a lot of walking around the city, but it all happens at a leisurely pace. Thanks to our guide André, we got to listen to anecdotes of the city’s past and present, notice architectural details we probably wouldn’t have come across otherwise and stop at different look-out points to enjoy some of the best views over Porto’s buildings and the river. All of that and a lot of restaurant recommendations, of course!

One of the details André called our attention to

One of the details André called our attention to

André’s love for his city (and its food!) is more than obvious from the very start, and it is that passion that makes the tour so enjoyable, beyond all the tasty food.

 

Leitaria da Quinta do Paço

Saturday morning at Leitaria da Quinta do Paço, Porto

Saturday morning at Leitaria da Quinta do Paço, Porto

Leitaria da Quinta do Paço: "the best eclairs in the world!"

Leitaria da Quinta do Paço: "the best eclairs in the world!"

When I told my brother-in-law who lived in Porto most of his life that I had gone to Leitaria Quinta do Paço he quickly said with enthusiasm “that means you got to try the best eclairs in the world!”. With that said, there isn’t many more words one could use to describe the creamy treats we enjoyed under Porto’s shy sun on that fine Saturday morning.

 

Taberna do Lago

Portuguese cheese

Portuguese cheese

Moxama: dried tuna meat with crushed nuts

Moxama: dried tuna meat with crushed nuts

This was the place where we had the chance to try several wines, such as varieties of white, red and rosé. It’s important for visitors to understand that Portugal produces a great variety of wine beyond the obvious Port Wine that everyone ends up tasting when visiting the Douro Valley.

At Taberna do Lago we had the grand finale of this greatly satisfying tour, delecting our taste buds with some of my favorite Portuguese treats: cheeses, cured meats and “petiscos” (small snacks, similar to tapas in Spain). The highlight was given to small producers from all over the country, who are the sole suppliers of this restaurant and gourmet shop that sells and serve a lot of popular items, but only from selected sources that the owners have hand picked themselves at source.

 

Ashray and our guide Andre, during the Downtown Porto food tour

Ashray and our guide André, during the Downtown Porto food tour

 

More info:
Taste Porto Food Tours
Porto, Portugal
www.tasteportofoodtours.com
info@tasteportofoodtours.com
Phone: +351 920 270 136
Downtown Porto Food Tour costs €55 – 5% is donated to a local charity!


Subscribe to the Backpack ME Newsletter

Tips, fun stuff, and TONS of inspiration! Straight to your inbox!

24 Comments

  • Heather Says

    I want to try it all! I spent two weeks in Portugal but sadly never made it up to Porto. That will be my first stop on my return visit to the country!

    • Zara Says

      Yeah Heather… make sure you head to Porto next time you visit Portugal. It’s such a great city!!

  • David Says

    Ah NO! am sorry..but for the coffee..Italy is the best..(though not everywhere!!!) Ask fr a “ristretto” when u come over!

    • Zara Says

      Well, I can’t really argue that.. yet!
      Will have to go to Italy myself, try a ristretto and then we’ll talk! ;)

  • Bringing Porto Food Porn to a new level!! Sounds like a great way to learn a little about cuisine and culture. Will try it the next time I visit!

  • Pingback: Porto: let the sun shine! | Backpack Me

  • I have never done a food tour before , what a great way to explore some new restaurants in your home town. I’m going to look into this today, but first all your pictures have made me incredibly hungry so I must go eat now! :)

    • Zara Says

      I love food tours!
      Specially in new places – it is a great intro to the local cuisine and you get a lot of ideas of things to try during the rest of your stay! :)

  • The eclairs look super yummy! Wish I could have some right now! What is the yellow topping?

    • Zara Says

      It WAS super yummy!
      The eclair with yellow topping was lemon.. with fluffy cream on the inside! :)

  • Aubrey Says

    This looks like a wonderful way to spend a day! I visited Lisbon last spring and loved it, I can’t wait to return to Portugal and see more of the country, especially Porto!

    • Zara Says

      I love Lisbon (it is one of my favorite cities in the world!) but I’ve gotta say that there is indeed more to Portugal than just our capital city.
      I hope you are back soon and have the chance to explore some more! :)

  • Agness Says

    If everything goes well, I am taking my mom to Fatima this summer, most likely in late July. We would fly from Dusseldorf to Lisbon first and maybe visit Porto on the way back to Poland. Fingers crossed my mom will book her holiday on time.

    Speaking of food, you guys are real food lovers! To me, Portugal is one of the most delicious countries in Europe when it comes to a great combo of ingredients. Chaves pastries look so delicious so I am not surprised you started your food journey with having some of them. Do they taste like croissants maybe? If so, I would have one or two!

    One more thing, I am literally licking my screen right now seeing these delicious and creamy Leitaria da Quinta do Paço!!!

    • Zara Says

      Hi Agness,

      Nice to read about your plans to visit Portugal. I am sure you’re going to like it and, as a foodie, do dig in our local cuisine as much as possible! :)

      Chaves pastries are not really like croissants. The original is savory, more like a puff pastry but even more flaky and delicate (it’s gotta be fresh and good like the ones at the shop included in this Porto food tour). You’ve gotta try it to understand..

      Enjoy Portugal!! :D

  • Aggy Says

    So happy you met Andre! He is one cool dude! I was so happy going around Porto with him and tasting all those amazing food. I was also in love with A Flor dos Congregados, hmmm just thinking about it is making me hungry. This food tour is one of the reasons why I am so madly in love with Porto!

    • Zara Says

      Andre is one cool dude indeed! :)
      Once again.. I am SO HAPPY you are in love with my country. It makes me proud is a sort of irrational way.. I wish many more travelers would come to visit as I am sure they will also leave with a good feeling!

  • Brianna Says

    I love taking food tours when I’m visiting an area for a short time . These pictures have me drooling!

    • Zara Says

      We love it too, Brianna! :)
      Food tours tend to be a great intro to the local food and, overall, culture!

  • Jules Says

    Reading this post before eating breakfast was a bad idea haha. Now my plain oats and banana just aren’t going to cut it. Would love to go on this food tour! Bookmarked for when we finally get to Portugal :)

    • Zara Says

      Portuguese food is yummy.. I hope you get to travel to Portugal and enjoy these and other great things from my country sometime soon! :)

  • Pingback: Most popular Instagram TRAVEL photos of 2014 | Backpack Me

  • Pingback: Most Read TRAVEL Articles of 2014 | Backpack Me

  • Pingback: Eating around BANGKOK with Taste of Thailand Food Tours | Backpack Me

Comments are closed for this post.

Subscribe to Backpack ME