Returning to Porto after seven years was a good feeling. The familiarity brought about a sense of nostalgia, while the apparent changes in recent years brewed a sense of keenness to explore the city further.

We started our visit off with a 10 Tastings tour through WithLocals. Our guide Helena walked us through Bolhão Market – a contemporary structure that has a very traditional layout and feel to it. Reopened in 2022 after being closed for renovations in 2018, the market attracts locals and tourists alike with its fresh produce, traditional vendors, and local specialities. As we navigated through crowds of visitors seated on the stairs leading to the market and enjoying rounds of wine and cheese, it became clear that people didn’t come here just to get their marketing done, but also to unwind and bask in the atmosphere.

Here, we tried Serra da Estrela cheese, a variety made from the raw milk of Bordaleira sheep. It was very good! Taste-wise, it felt like an in-between of cow milk and goat milk cheeses (skewing slightly more towards cow milk), and texture-wise, it had a bit of a tender Camembert feel to it.

As we headed out, we stopped at Leitaria Quinta do Paço, a company that has been producing milk and dairy products since 1920. Lately, their sweet treats have been enjoying unwavering popularity, with their classic éclair being the star of the show. The soft choux, smooth chocolate glaze, and airy cream filling were divine – so satisfying, but not too sweet.

Next, we stopped at Gazela, whose cachorro had made culinary headlines following a mention on one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows. To date, little queues build up outside the resto-pub for their celebrity hotdog and, to be fair, it’s not hard to see why. The spicy sausage in combination with toasted bread and oozy molten cheese are delicious, and the fact that they’re cut into bite-sized pieces makes them all the more enticing.

On to Porto’s famous São Bento Railway Station, which we remembered vividly for its interior walls – essentially a canvas of tile art, depicting the history of Porto from its horse carriage days to the introduction of the rail system. Tucked away inside the station is a small food market of sorts, and Helena got us a couple of sweet treats that are local favourites from Padaria Ribeiro (since 1878). One was bola de berlim, Portuguese custard doughnuts which are apparently a summertime favourite among beach-goers. These were soft and had a delightful, light custard. The other was pão de deus, which translates to “bread of gods”. This comprised of a brioche bun with a desiccated coconut and egg topping.

Our next stop was Arcádia, an artisanal confectioner that first opened as a tea house in Porto in 1933. With the family’s fourth generation entering the business in 2018, Arcádia now operates over 45 stores around Portugal, having made a name for itself as a premium chocolatier. We particularly remembered the place for their divine port wine chocolates – the first of its kind to be created, which we enjoyed very much on our previous visit. On this tour, we got to taste some Cálem Fine Ruby Port from the port wine producer that Arcádia collaborates with to make its novel port wine chocolates. To pair with the wine’s vibrant colour and fruity notes, we were offered a dark chocolate with berry number from Arcádia’s collection.

On a separate note, we visited Arcádia’s outlet on Via Santa Catarina on another day and came across their artisanal ice creams. Of course, I opted for chocolate, and it was divine – so good that we went back the following day for another serving.

Back to the tastings tour. Our final stop was Lareira Baixa, where we tried sandes de pernil, a popular local roast pork sandwich, which provided a delicious finish to the tour.

The following day, we did a trip to Douro Valley during which we made a lunch stop at Taberna da Ponte in Pinhão, and I mention this spot for two of its specials. The first was their bacalhau à Ponte, which I believe is their absolutely scrumptious (and more vibrant) take on bacalhau à brás, the popular salt cod with potato and egg Portuguese dish. It was seasoned perfectly, and everyone loved it unequivocally.

The second was their bolo borrachão (or as our jolly guide Eduardo put it, “drunk cake”), a traditional cake made with port wine reduction, that originated in the Douro region. Drunk, it certainly was, and make us happy, it certainly did!

For reference, below is an image of what would typically be a bacalhau à brás, which we had at Pestana A Brasileira Hotel’s restaurant. The dish is on the drier side, when compared to what we had at Taberna da Ponte, but is good and does make for a hefty meal.

It wouldn’t make sense to visit the Douro valley and not partake in a wine tasting – which is what we did at Vieira de Sousa winery. Apart from a tour of the premises where we were given a picture of how the local port wine was is traditionally made, we were also able to taste the three varieties of port wine that are produced (for context – this was part of the Douro Valley day tour that we were on). I’m no wine connoisseur, so I’m not going to get into details that I know little about, but below is a glimpse of the white, ruby, and tawny port wines that we tasted. I’d say my favourite was the white, for its lighter, less potent feel. The other two were comparatively stronger, with ruby having fruity notes and tawny a little more on the nutty, caramelised side.

A visit to Porto would be incomplete without having some pastel de nata, the much-loved Portuguese egg tart. On our previous visit, we were advised that Manteigaria did the best nata, and we had no reason to doubt it. Hence, we indulged a couple of times on this visit as well, bringing back mouth-watering old memories and creating new ones.

If you do visit Porto, a visit to The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine (yes, that’s the name of the shop) is very worth it just for the whimsical experience of the place. You don’t have to be a fan of sardine fish to enjoy it, but if you do like sardine, there is a (huge) added bonus of being spoilt for choice by the plethora of preparation varieties that they offer. Good luck, in advance!

Another spot that is worth a visit is Meia Dúzia, a local gourmet brand that produces tubes of artisanal, small-batch chutneys, jams, spreads, and pastes using Portuguese produce that are combined in the most unique recipes to create novel flavours. There are both sweet and savoury flavours that can be enjoyed in multiple creative combinations from toast to grazing platters, sandwiches and canapés.

Finally, I thought it would make our culinary journey in Porto complete to have a francesinha before we left, and so we had one by the Douro river, at Taverna Esplanada. Originating in Porto, it is essentially a sandwich with toast and a combination of proteins that include ham, steak, egg, and cheese, topped with a special sauce and often served with fries. Filling, to say the least.

As you can probably tell from this long and detailed post, I do have a bit of a soft spot for the lovely city of Porto. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I did reminiscing.