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The best francesinha Porto can offer is easier to find with numbers than with opinions. Diners mention the sandwich at 107 of the city's reviewed restaurants, some 7,000 times in all, and a handful of places account for most of it. The names mentioned most come first, each with where it is, when it opens and what it charges where a band is published, then the best-reviewed stops for a bifana. For what the francesinha is, see local dishes.
Two guided food walks that include the city's classic dishes, for tasting several in one outing.
MorningPorto: 3-Hour Food Tour
A small-group morning of 10 to 12 portions with drink pairings
EveningPorto: Evening Local Food Crawl with Drink Pairings
Four places and 10 to 12 petiscos in an evening
Where diners talk about it most
The best francesinha Porto restaurants by mentions are not in the old town. Yuko Tavern, on Rua de Costa Cabral 3.7 km north-east of the centre, stands far ahead with 1,625 mentions and a 4.5 rating from 5,210 reviews; it serves lunch and dinner until midnight, Sundays and Mondays included. Restaurante CUFRA, on the Avenida da Boavista, follows with 676, rated 4.2, and is closed on Mondays.
Closer in, the two Casa Guedes houses near the Aliados come next, both open from noon to midnight, Sundays and Mondays included, in the 10 to 20 euro band. Barcarola on Costa Cabral, 4.4 from 3,132, and Restaurante Madureira in Bonfim, 4.2, both open from noon to 11 PM, even on Sundays and Mondays.
Further out, Santa Francesinha by Cufra in Senhora da Hora is rated 4.7 from 1,381 and opens from 10 AM, and My Palace on the Boavista avenue sits in the 15 to 20 euro band.
For the best bifana in Porto, the place diners name most is Restaurante Lameiras on Rua do Bonjardim, 280 m from the centre, rated 4.5 from 3,236 and closed on Sundays. Casa Expresso on Praça de Carlos Alberto, 4.7, is closed on Sundays and Mondays; Tasca da Corujeira, 4.8, is a 5 to 10 euro lunch stop.
The most talked-about kitchens are not in the old town.Choosing and ordering
The common mistake is to treat the francesinha as a snack. It is bread with ham, sausages and steak under melted cheese and a tomato-and-beer sauce, usually with chips and often an egg, so one is a full meal.
The best francesinha sandwich in Porto for you depends as much on where you are as on the recipe. For a meal near the sights, the Casa Guedes houses are 300 to 400 m from the Aliados and open late, Sundays included. For the most talked-about version, Yuko Tavern and CUFRA are a metro or taxi ride away, and CUFRA closes on Mondays.
Opening hours shape the plan. Several places close between lunch and dinner, while Barcarola, Madureira and Santa Francesinha serve through the afternoon, which suits a late lunch.
Two more names are well up the list. Café Cifrão on the Avenida de Rodrigues de Freitas, 4.4 from 842, opens from 7:30 AM and closes on Sundays, and Majára in Matosinhos, 4.4 from 2,124, serves lunch and dinner and suits a day on the coast. Your Palace, near the Praça do Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, and Ribatejo in Senhora da Hora publish bands of 15 to 20 and 15 to 25 euros (what a meal costs in Portugal).
The other sandwiches
The francesinha is not the only sandwich the city argues over. For the sandes de pernil, roast pork leg in a roll, the Casa Guedes Progresso on Rua do Actor João Guedes is the name diners mention. For the cachorrinho, the pressed sausage-and-cheese sandwich, Central dos Cachorros on the Estrada da Circunvalação, 4.5 from 262 in the 10 to 15 euro band, is mentioned; it closes on Sundays and Mondays. For bifanas on a budget, Casa do Povo, 4.8, and Tasca da Corujeira sit in the 5 to 10 euro band on the east side of the city.
Francesinha and bifana in numbers
- Restaurants where diners mention the francesinha
- 107
- Most mentions, one restaurant
- Yuko Tavern, 1,625
- Created in Porto
- 1953, by tradition
- Restaurants where diners mention the bifana
- 25
- Most mentioned for bifana
- Restaurante Lameiras
- Casa Guedes, open
- Noon to midnight, Sun and Mon too
Common questions
Where is the best francesinha in Porto?
Diners mention it most at Yuko Tavern on Rua de Costa Cabral, followed by CUFRA on the Avenida da Boavista and the two Casa Guedes houses near the Aliados.
Can I get a francesinha near the old town?
Yes. Casa Guedes Progresso and Casa Guedes Oliveiras are about 300 to 400 m from the Aliados and open from noon to midnight, Sundays and Mondays included.
Where can I eat a bifana in Porto?
Restaurante Lameiras on Rua do Bonjardim is the place diners mention most. It is closed on Sundays.