The best seafood restaurants in and around Porto
Porto faces the Atlantic, and eats accordingly. The city’s seafood heart is Matosinhos, the old fishing port just to the north, where the lota lands the morning’s catch and the grills smoke right there on the street. But the best tables aren’t all in one place. They run up the coast to Viana do Castelo and south across the river to the beaches of Gaia. These are the houses we send travellers to.
One local habit worth adopting: at the coast, order by what came in that morning rather than by the menu, and remember that shellfish is sold by weight. So trust the waiter, and don’t be alarmed by the scales.
In Matosinhos: the seafood quarter
O Gaveto. A Matosinhos classic, and proof that the small houses of this country deserve a second look. For more than thirty years the window displays and the great tank of lobsters have set the tone; a meal here can. And should. Take in coastal prawns and the local barnacles, gathered at nearby Angeiras. (More on those in our piece on percebes.) Rua Roberto Ivens 826, Matosinhos
Toupeirinho. Smaller and far less showy than some of its neighbours on the street, but few people understand fish and shellfish in this part of the world as well as its manager, José Silva. What it lacks in size it more than makes up in knowing. Rua do Godinho 27, Matosinhos
Up the coast, north of Porto
Praia Mar. In Caxinas, a fishing community near Vila do Conde, set inside a striking glass-fronted building designed by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. The shellfish is reliably good whatever the day has brought, but so is the fresh fish. And even, for the curious, a fine cut of black Angus. Avenida Infante Dom Henrique 58, Vila do Conde
A Cabana. Not for those who want a quiet table or who can’t abide a queue: the noise and the bustle are as much a part of A Cabana as the raw material. The name fits. It is a converted fisherman’s hut, snug and unpretentious, where the fish and shellfish are the whole point. Worth the wait. Avenida Marginal, Lugar de Cedovém, Apúlia (Esposende)
Tasquinha da Linda. In an old fishermen’s warehouse beside the Forte de Santiago da Barra, and far grander than the humble name suggests. It became a reference for seafood in Viana do Castelo quickly, and for the simplest reasons: the freshness of the product, and the quality of the service. Doca das Marés A-10, Viana do Castelo
South of the river
Zizi. Across the Douro in Gaia, on the sand of Praia da Aguda. The seafood stew and the seafood rice are what made its name, but there’s always shellfish to order by the plate. And in summer, the terrace right on the beach is the place to be. Rua do Mar, Praia da Aguda (Vila Nova de Gaia)
Porto is also the gateway to the Douro Valley, and a seafood lunch on the coast pairs beautifully with a few days up the river. If you’d like the same care for the table in Lisbon and its coast, see our companion guide to the best seafood in and around Lisbon. And when a food-led journey through the north appeals, start a conversation. We’ll have the right table booked and the timing handled.