What To Eat In Porto, Portugal: A Family-Friendly Food Guide

Coming from Korea, we’re all about focusing on food when we travel. We crave the well-rounded tastes, balanced and colorful arrays of dishes and Porto provided quite the feast. Known globally for its enchanting Port Wine cellars by the Douro River, Porto offers much more than just wine and since we were traveling with our daughter, we were really interested in eating more than drinking.

Traveling with kids, who may be focusing on different foods at different times in their culinary journey can cause quite the conundrum when ordering, but we found plenty to eat and so will you. Get ready to learn about the family-friendly food in Porto, Portugal, and if you’re interested, check out our family-friendly Porto itinerary to get around to the sites in between the bites.

Let’s dive into some must-try dishes and tips for making dining out with kids a breeze.. well easier.

• Kid-Friendly Dining Tips in Porto
• Food In Porto
  • Petiscos
  • Sandwiches
    • Francesinha: The Signature Porto Sandwich
    • Bifana: A Pork Steak Sandwich
    • Pernil com Queijo: A Pork and Cheese Sandwich
    • Cachorrinho: A Porto Hot Dog
  • Seafood Dishes
    • Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: Salted Cod
    • Polvo com Molho Verde: Octopus Salad
    • Peixe Grelhado: Portuguese-style Grilled Fish
    • Sardinhas: Sardines
  • Meat Dishes
    • Pica Pau: Pickles and Pork
    • Frango Assado: Roasted Chicken
    • Chouriço à Bombeiro: Flaming Portuguese Sausage
  • Soups
    • Caldo Verde: Kale Soup

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Kid-Friendly Dining Tips in Porto

Porto’s culinary scene is wonderfully accommodating for families. Here are some tips for enjoying these and other local delights with your little ones:

• Share the Love: Many Porto dishes, like the Francesinha and Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, are perfect for sharing. It’s a great way to introduce kids to new flavors without committing to a full portion. My daughter usually likes things that she can separate or see the parts of so I was surprised when she tasted the Francesinha and loved it. Let them try what they’re willing to try and you might be surprised too.
• Order Small, Order Plenty: Petiscos, Portugal’s answer to tapas, are ideal for picky eaters. From Bolinhos de Bacalhau (codfish fritters) to Peixinhos da Horta (fried green beans), these small plates are both delicious and fun to eat. We also opted to get the board of breads, cheeses, and meats which was easy for our little one to eat as well as ordering some other dishes to fill the table.
• Sweet Treats: There are plenty of sweet treats to end a meal with so even if the dishes on the table weren’t a major hit, you can end with a smile.

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Food In Porto

Petiscos

If you’re a fan of tapas in Spain, then you’ll like petiscos in Portugal, which is basically the same concept but with different dishes. We ate at Tasquinha Rebelo three times because they had great petiscos and we wanted to try all of the dishes they made.

Generally smaller portions meant to be shared, petiscos can fill the table much like Korean side dishes which meant both my daughter and husband were very pleased. It’s also a great way to make sure everyone gets a bit of everything and finds something on the table they’ll like.

With kids: Petiscos are a great option if you’re not sure what your kids will like and want to order a variety of things that they can pick at and try. We had petiscos for three meals during our time in Porto as it allowed us to try various things and our daughter to get her fill too.

Sandwiches

Being an American, I’m quite the sandwich fiend and we found plenty of good sandwiches in Porto.

Francesinha: The Signature Porto Sandwich

The most popular in the sandwich scene and the item that tops many a Porto food guide, the Francesinha really does hit the spot like they say. Originating from Porto, this is not your ordinary pick-it-up-and-go sandwich. It’s much more involved.

Layered with steak, ham, sausage, and covered in melted cheese and a rich tomato-beef gravy, and then topped off with a fried egg, you’ll need a trusty fork and knife to get it all into your mouth. Often served alongside a heap of fries, it’s a dish that will fill you up.

With kids: Not spicy, this dish has a very kid-friendly cheesy and tomato taste. I was surprised our daughter liked this because she usually likes the deconstructed versions of dishes, but she devoured this.

Bifana: A Pork Steak Sandwich

In Porto, the Bifana takes a simple concept – a stewed pork sandwich – and turns it into a flavor-packed meal. I read it is more saucy and savory than its counterparts in other areas of Portugal. When they’re dishing it up, they literally dip it in a pot of sauce to really get it all soaked. They’re delicious but more of a quick bite. You should order two if you’re really hungry.

With kids: Our daughter wasn’t super impressed with this sandwich, but isn’t a huge pork fan. At Conga they also have a plate of plain rice which we ordered, baguettes, croquettes, etc. so if you have kids, you can order some other bits and bobs to create a meal for them while you enjoy this sandwich.

Pernil com Queijo: A Pork and Cheese Sandwich

Crispy rolls filled with tender, slow-cooked pork leg slices and the creamy Serra da Estrela cheese. This sandwich hit the spot a bit more with me than the bifana though that one seems to be a bit more popular.

Cachorrinho: A Porto Hot Dog

The Cachorrinho, translating to “little dog,” might look familiar but tastes a bit different than you might expect. These are toasted rolls stuffed with grilled sausage, melted cheese, and a spicy sauce, chopped into bite-sized delights. A favorite since 1962 from Gazela Cachorrinhos da Batalha, you’ll find them all over and they’re a great quick bite.

Seafood Dishes

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: Salted Cod

Bacalhau, or salted cod, is a staple in Portuguese cuisine, and Porto offers its own take with Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá. This comforting casserole combines salted cod with potatoes, onions, eggs, and olives, creating a dish that’s both familiar and uniquely Portuguese.

We ate this up in Braga where bacalhau is the dish to eat. If you have the time, definitely take a day trip up to that area, but if not, look out for all of the various bacalhau dishes in Porto.

With kids: If your kids like fish, they will probably like this dish. Once we cut this apart and my daughter could recognize it as fish, she quite liked the saltiness of this dish.

Peixe Grelhado: Portuguese-style Grilled Fish

There are a lot of fish options in Porto which isn’t surprising. If peixe grelhado is on the menu, it’s referring to a lightly seasoned grilled fish which can be everything from sardinhas (sardines), linguado (sole), dourada (bream), robalo (sea bass), and salmonetes (red mullet), among others. The fish is usually served with potatoes and vegetables to complete the meal. If you love seafood like us, then this is a great option for you. You’ll just want to ask what kind of fish they’re currently serving.

Sardinhas: Sardines

Floured and fried in the autumn, you can find a lot of cod in Porto, but there are plenty of sardines too. In the summer, they enjoyed grilled more often so I read, you can get them with rice or potatoes and if you’re really brave, eat them head and all. Since we visited in October, we had them breaded. Sardines have a pretty strong taste so if you don’t like sardines, don’t get them. If you do, go for it!

Meat Dishes

Frango Assado: Roasted Chicken

Who doesn’t like roasted chicken? We got some frango assado with rice and potatoes one night and it hit the spot. The cook asked if we wanted the piri piri sauce to make it spicier so I said let’s go half and half so we had some kid-friendly chicken and some Korean husband-friendly chicken. It was the right choice for us. If you have some unadventurous eaters in your group, this is a great option for them.

With kids: If you need a meal that is approachable and easily recognizable, this is a great option. In between some of the more adventurous meals you’re planning on having, try to have some frango assado so your kids aren’t overwhelmed by all of the “new” food they’re trying.

Chouriço à Bombeiro: Flaming Portuguese Sausage

Served to your table on a special ceramic dish and then lit on fire, Portuguese chouriço is a sure-fire (pun intended) table pleaser. A show and a delicious treat in one dish? Yes, please. Once the flame dies down, take the sausage off, cut it up and enjoy. You can find this at a lot of restaurants, especially those with the petiscos. Definitely get it at least once on your trip, your kids will love the show… and hopefully a bite of the sausage after the fire dies down.

Soups

Caldo Verde: Kale Soup

Translating to “green soup”, this kale soup is a nourishing blend of potatoes, kale, and olive oil, often enhanced with slices of chouriço for a hint of smokiness. It’s said to be a good start to a meal or a light dinner on its own. We found it a bit salty so definitely needed to eat something else with it to balance out the tastes. We tried it at Conga but was available on a lot of menus.

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Dining out in Porto with your family is not just about satisfying hunger; it’s an adventure for the taste buds. So much about a culture is food based and we loved our food adventure in Porto and think you will too!

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