The 5 Best Family Restaurants in Porto

Porto is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe, drawing families from all over the world to explore Portuguese cuisine and culture. This also means that Porto has an abundance of family restaurants to suit just about any taste.

Finding the right ones to fit into your Porto food tour can feel understandably challenging at first. Especially if you have young children, who might be picky eaters or a slightly older child who’s ready to join you on your next Porto food tour.

Majestic Café

Photo credit: Majestic Café

The Majestic Café in Porto’s Bolhão neighborhood is a great family restaurant steeped in history and elegant ambiance. There’s a lot of “Wow Factor” to it that a young child will find stunning, and an older child might find engaging.

The historic Belle Époque ambiance with all the gilded accents and ornate details gives you the sense that you’re in for a fine-dining experience. Yet the décor isn’t so overdone that it feels touristy. It’s a great place to give a kid a brief history lesson while waiting for your meal.

The Majestic Café features a lot of traditional Portuguese dishes like the world-famous francesinha sandwich, along with a selection of pastries, elegant entrees, and warm beverages.

The breakfast and pastry menus are very accessible, for times when you just want a quick bite or an improvised brunch. We stopped here several times for breakfast and coffee. I let my daughter explore the pastries, finding a few she liked for an easy breakfast.

The rich custard and flaky pastry crust of pastel de nata were perfect for us both. It was a great way to start the day and the Belle Époque décor got us inspired to tour Porto.

Majestic Café (€€€) – Rua de Santa Catarina 112, 4000-442 Porto, Portugal – Open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. 

Cantinho do Avillez

Photo credit: Cantinho do Avillez

Located in Porto’s historic Baxia district Cantinho do Avillez is a great restaurant for a family in search of comfort foods and traditional Portuguese cuisine. Even the most adventurous-eating child will have times when they want a little taste of the familiar. In a moment like this Cantinho do Avillez is a great place to restore family harmony.

The ambiance is warm and semi-casual, which gives it a natural family feel. There’s also seating available for large groups, which is handy if you have a big family, or you’re on a reunion vacation. The staff also has a reputation for being very attentive, which is handy if you have young kids.

The adult menu has a wide range of Portuguese classics including bacalhau codfish, tapas, sardines, tripe, and seafood. Not to mention family-friendly casual desserts like Mango Sorbet and Chocolate Fondant.

While they’re not technically a wine bar, Cantinho do Avillez does have a nice wine list. It features great wines from the Douro and Dao regions of Portugal. Including a nice selection of port wines for a casual after-dinner libation.

The children’s menu is full of comfort foods such as pasta dishes and a variety of grilled meats. My daughter had a simple tagliatelle ragout pasta dish and a grilled chicken leg that was fall-off-the-bone tender. It was exactly the comfort food she needed to settle down after a long day walking the streets of Porto.

Cantinho do Avillez (€€€) – Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira 166, 4050-416 Porto, Portugal – Open every day from 12:30 PM to 11:00 PM.

Tapabento

Photo credit: Tapabento

Tapabento, in the city center of Porto, is conveniently close to Sao Bento train station. They have a well-earned reputation for having a family-friendly atmosphere and menu. Many dishes can be shared just like a traditional at-home family-style meal.

The atmosphere of Tapabento is set up to make families feel perfectly at home. The interior is vibrant enough to appeal to younger children, yet cozy enough to support a sense of family togetherness.

Tapabento’s menu has a comfortable blend of traditional Portuguese food and international flavors. This includes dishes like tuna tartare, sardines, sea bass, and seafood risotto as well as a few vegetarian options.

There are also a lot of kid-friendly foods on the menu, including a dish very similar to spaghetti in tomato sauce and simple grilled chicken. They even have chicken nuggets with French fries which will appease a picky eater in need of a little comfort food.

I ordered the duck magret, which was the special of the day, and a double order of chicken nuggets for my daughter. The duck was perfectly tender and lightly perfumed with vanilla, served with lightly grilled carrots and broccoli. The familiar look of the duck magret was even enough to get my daughter to try some.

Tapabento (€€) – Estação de S. Bento, ao lado da Linha 1, R. da Madeira 221, 4000-330 Porto, Portugal – Open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch from 12:00 to 3:00 PM with dinner service from 7:00 to 10:00 PM

Casa de Pasto da Palmeira

Photo credit: Casa de Pasto da Palmeira

Located near the Douro River, Casa de Pasto da Palmeira offers a picturesque setting with views of the riverfront that will enthrall children of all ages. Especially if you can score a table at the special outdoor seating area.

The interior décor is a careful blend of rustic and contemporary, with warm wooden furniture, combined with vintage elements, and minimalist touches. It’s admittedly a small interior dining space, but I think that gives it the kind of intimate appeal that you might need to settle the family down after a long day.  

I would also note that the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. This can come in handy if your kids need a little extra attention to get settled into their comfort zone.  

The adult menu at Casa de Pasto da Palmeira offers a creative take on traditional Portuguese cuisine. With an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and seafood. Many of the items like grilled fish are simply seasoned in a way that makes it approachable for kids who want to try something new.

They also have a kid’s menu with simple comfort classics like mini hamburgers with hand-cut fries. Not to mention grilled chicken with vegetables for kids needing lighter, healthier fare.

The last time I was at Casa de Pasto da Palmeira, the daily special was a braised pork cheeks dish. It was perfectly tender with a flavor reminiscent of Italian guanciale. Then served over a bed of arroz de ervas, herb-infused short grain rice.

Casa de Pasto da Palmeira (€€) – Rua do Passeio Alegre 450, Porto, Portugal – Open every day from noon to 10:30 PM.

Puro 4050

Photo credit: Puro 4050

Located in Porto’s vibrant Ribeira district, Puro 4050 is a modern Italian-inspired restaurant loved by locals and tourists alike. This is the place to go if your kids are demanding pizza, but you don’t can’t bring yourself to get a pie from a pizzeria chain on vacation.

I think Puro 4050’s ambiance and décor do a good job of blending the feel of an Italian restaurant with the organic feel of a Portuguese eatery. There’s also a great outdoor seating area to let you dine alfresco or push some tables together to accommodate a large family gathering.

The menu at Puro 4050 is largely Italian with great food made from high-quality ingredients. Many of which are sourced locally. This also helps seamlessly blend Italian and Portuguese cuisine.

However, the brightest star on the menu remains their Neapolitan-style pizzas. It has a slightly chewy crust, and the sauce is even made with world-famous San Marzano tomatoes.

Yet I think the secret gem at Puro 4050 is the burrata on the appetizer’s menu. It’s drizzled with olive oil and has all the richness and saltiness you expect from an authentic Italian burrata. There were also some paper-thin presunto slices, the Portuguese equivalent of Italian prosciutto, for a perfect salty and lightly smoky accent.

Puro 4050 (€€) – Largo São Domingos 84, Porto, Portugal – Open Monday through Saturday for lunch from 12:30 to 3:00 PM with dinner service from 7:00 to 10:30 PM.

Conclusion

There are a lot of great family restaurants in Porto and surrounding communities like Vila Nova de Gaia, that didn’t make this list. Yet they’re still worthy of including in your next Porto food tour.

This includes Michelin-starred restaurants to older kids to a fine-dining experience. Not to mention tons of family-friendly restaurants like Casa de Pasto da Palmeira and Puro 4050 with comfort foods on the menu younger kids will recognize.

Whether you’re traveling with your close family, or need to host a larger reunion, Porto has the kind of family-friendly restaurants that bring people together.