5 places for exceptional Portuguese cooking in Porto

Set in a beautiful old town house with a rustic atmosphere, O Paparico is the place to go for exceptional Portuguese fine dining. The selection of wines is equally impressive. Brace yourself for a journey of taste sensations that’s likely to take around three hours.

Chef Rui Paula was born and bred in Porto and he’s one of the few chefs in the country to hold two Michelin stars (for Casa de Chá da Boa Nova). DOP is his creative take on Portuguese traditional cuisine. The restaurant is elegant, and the dishes look like works of art. If you go to the Douro, check out their other restaurant, DOC.

If you’re looking for a cosy restaurant in Ribeira serving hearty rustic food, then Taberna dos Mercadores is the place for you. There are only eight tables, which means you better book ahead. The crispy cod croquettes, salt-baked fish and alheira (Portuguese sausage) are some of the tasty dishes that come out of the open kitchen.

There’s a good reason why Rogério do Redondo has served meals to most of Portugal’s presidents. This restaurant is famous for its purist approach to northern Portuguese cuisine, with great care placed on sourcing excellent produce.

You can often tell how good a traditional Portuguese restaurant is by the number of businessmen that have lunch there, and O António is a prime example. The restaurant is a bit out of the way, but specialities such as the roasted octopus or the lamb make the trip worthwhile. The Abade de Priscos (caramel pudding) is yummy.