Things to do in Porto, splurging
Livraria Lello and the Bolhão market, fire cooking at Elemento, sunset at Praia da Luz.
This is Porto for people who eat and drink with intention: mornings with great espresso, afternoons in bookshops and market halls, evenings at the tables everyone in the city is talking about. It moves between the historic centre, the waterfront and the windswept mouth of the Douro, so you get the full shape of the city without rushing. If you are happy spending real money to eat and drink very well, this is your three days.
Day 1: Bolhão, Lello and a big dinner
The day opens with espresso at Época, winds through one of the world's great bookshops and Porto's restored market, and closes with a fire-cooked dinner and a glass of natural wine.
- 9:30 AM
Época Porto
Bright brunch café on Rua do Rosário; seasonal plates, good granola and a properly pulled espresso.
Map - 10:15 AM
Livraria Lello & Irmão
Iconic neo-Gothic bookshop, one of the most beautiful in the world, worth the queue for.
Map - 12:30 PM
Almeja
Chef João Cura's contemporary Portuguese cooking a few minutes from Bolhão; book ahead and take the tasting menu.
Map - 2:30 PM
- 7:30 PM
Elemento
Everything cooked over fire in an open kitchen; sit at the counter and take the chef's menu.
Map - 9:30 PM
Genuíno - Vinho Natural e Boa Comida
Natural wine bar with good small plates; ask for a Portuguese skin-contact white by the glass.
Map
Day 2: Cathedral hill to the Ribeira waterfront
A strong café start at Piolho, a climb to the Romanesque cathedral, a polished lunch on Rua das Flores, and cocktails on the water after dinner at Cantinho do Avillez.
- 9:30 AM
Café Piolho
Students' café since 1909 opposite the old university; order a galão and toast at the counter.
Map - 10:15 AM
Sé do Porto
Porto's iconic Romanesque-Baroque cathedral with sweeping views over the Douro, the most storied landmark.
Map - 12:30 PM
Cozinha das Flores
Acclaimed modern cuisine on Flores, one of the most talked-about lunch tables in Ribeira.
Map - 2:30 PM
Hard Club
The 1880s Ferreira Borges iron market hall, now a concert venue; step inside and up to the café terrace.
Map - 7:30 PM
Cantinho do Avillez - Porto
José Avillez's relaxed Porto room on Mouzinho da Silveira; share the petiscos and finish with the hazelnut dessert.
Map - 9:30 PM
Café do Cais - Restaurante & Cocktails
Glass-walled bar on the Ribeira quay; order a white port and tonic and watch the lights come on in Gaia.
Map
Day 3: Foz do Douro: coast, fortress and Japanese
The day slows down at the mouth of the Douro: a neighbourhood café in Foz, a riverside park, an acclaimed lunch at Cafeína, a coastal fortress, and Terra's Japanese menu to close.
- 9:30 AM
Chalé Suiço
Charming neighbourhood café right in the Foz area, the perfect unhurried morning coffee to start the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
Jardim do Passeio Alegre
Palm-lined garden where the Douro meets the sea; walk out along the pier to the Felgueiras lighthouse.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Forte de São Francisco Xavier
Castelo do Queijo, a 17th-century fort on the rocks where Foz meets Matosinhos; climb the walls for the ocean view.
Map - 7:30 PM
Terra Restaurant
Sushi and Japanese plates in a Foz house on Rua do Padrão; sit at the sushi counter if you can.
Map - 9:30 PM
Restaurante Praia da Luz
Praia da Luz overlooks the ocean, a relaxed post-dinner drink with a great sea view to close the night.
Map
Where to stay
InterContinental Porto-Palacio das Cardosas
A grand palatial address right on Praça da Liberdade, central to days one and two and a match for the spending level of this trip.
The One Monumental Palace
The One Monumental Palace sits steps from Livraria Lello and Bolhão, keeping you at the heart of the first two days with the kind of fit and finish this itinerary calls for.
Make Porto your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Graham's Port Lodge: weeks ahead
- Taylor's Port: weeks ahead
- Palácio da Bolsa: a few days ahead
- Torre dos Clérigos: a few days ahead
- Casa da Música: weeks ahead
- Douro Valley: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Livraria Lello: paid timed entry, overrun queues and shoulder to shoulder crowds. Photograph the façade instead.
- Ribeira riverfront restaurants: picture menus and view pricing. Climb one street to Caldeireiros or eat fish in Matosinhos.
- The Six Bridges cruise is a 50 minute city boat ride, not the Douro Valley.
- The food hall inside São Bento station charges market hall markups; Bolhão nearby does the real thing.
The full Porto travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around