Porto

PORTO MUG’S Tip: Accommodation

If you want a classy joint to stay in Sweet Porto by Bloom in the Bolhao area of Porto (Rua de Santa Catarina, nº 504 /512). They give you a complimentary mobile to travel around the city with plus a small bottle of port. Lovely. We had an apartment out the back – nice and quite. Can be up to and above €120 a night at certain times. It’s on the Rua de Santa Catarina. A bustling pedestrian mall with everything from low to high class tat, a Nutella joint and sundry tourist traps. Avoid ANYTHING to do with food in this area.

Try AirB&B – we also stayed at Ana’s joint (Rua do Almada 295, 4000 Porto, Portugal) it was €85 a night in October 2019 and a great location and a newly built apartment in a secure block. Great value.

PORTO MUG’S Tip: Coffee

Bird of Passage (Rua do Duque de Loulé 185). Friendly staff with a roaster out the back. The coffee was creamy and a tad under strength but possibly the third best we’d come across. They didn’t miss you at €3 a cup. Make sure you get a double shot – at least.

Also a decent coffee at Moustache (Praça de Carlos Alberto 104, 4050-159 Porto). A Yank living in Paris said the breakfast was good too. He thought Trunp was a …… so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.

7G – across the river – funky joint down an ally way. (Rua Franca 52, 4400-174 Vila Nova de Gaia). Very good coffee.

PORTO MUG’S Tip: Free tour

Quickest way to discover a city – forget those stupid open decked buses – they are for loons. Pancho Tours – Leaving Libratore Square (down the bottom end – near McDonalds). Look for the orange umbrellas. https://www.panchotours.com/porto-tours

PORTO MUG’S Tip: Food

You have to have a Porto Sandwich – A Francesinha – (means ‘Frenchie’ in Portuguese) – we tried one at Vime (R. Nova da Alfândega 12, 4050-253 Porto) – it was fine. A local told me this joint was the best – Bufete Fase – (Rua Sta. Catarina, 1147 Porto). Try them all.

Highly recommended grilled chicken joint – Pedro dos Frangos (Rua do Bonjardim 223 312, 4000-124 Porto). Just order the chicken and chips with a salad. Enough for two. The grilled chicken with fries is €10.50.

Conga (Rua do Bonjardim 318, 4000-115 Porto – opposite the chicken joint) for a bifano & chips.

PORTO MUG’S Tip – Take Tram 1 out to the Atlantic.

Head down to the river and get on the Tram 1 out to the sea at Foz. The lineups for this baby get long on weekends and in summer. Get there early in the morning. It’s €3.5 one-way or €5 return. It’s a good trip along the river and we got off a stop before the end of the line and walked. Small fishing boats along the way with old salts talking about the ones that got away.