5 Must-Try Sandwiches in Porto

When people go on a Porto food tour for the first time, they’re often blown away by the delicious sandwiches the city has to offer. From iconic bifana to layered meats of Francesinha, and secret gems like the prego sandwich at O Prego da Peixaria Porto is festooned with mouthwatering options.

To prevent you from missing out on some must-try Portuguese classics, I decided to take a closer look at some of Porto’s best sandwiches and the restaurants that make them. 

Francesinha

Francesinha is a hearty multi-layered sandwich of cured meats, fresh sausage, and thinly sliced steak. It’s topped with rich melted cheese and then bathed in a spicy beer and tomato sauce. Many consider this to be the signature Portuguese sandwich, with the strongest representation coming from the city of Porto.

Most restaurants serve a francesinha sandwich with hand-cut French fries or rice. While it makes culinary sense to pair it with a bright wine like Vinho Verde, I think it is best with a cold beer to accent the beer sauce.

There are a lot of staple francesinha sandwiches worth trying in Porto. However, I think they do it best at Bufete Fase. The Portuguese linguiça sausage they use is slightly spicy and smoky, which creates a distinct flavor contrast with the other meats.

Then the sauce they ladle over the francesinha is thicker than most and imparts bolder tomato flavor. I also appreciate that they give you the option of having it topped with a fried egg, which takes the richness to another level.

Bufete Fase (€€) – Rua de Santa Catarina 1147, 4000-457 Porto, Portugal – Open Monday to Friday from Noon to 4:00 PM.

Bifana

Bifana is another classic sandwich much beloved throughout Porto. It’s typically made from strips of pork that are marinated in a tangy, spicy, garlic-forward sauce.

The pork is cooked in the marinade sauce which helps embed the flavor, and can even create some extra-flavorful caramelized spots. Then it’s usually served on bread with a soft interior to soak up some of the sauce, and a crispy exterior that’s firm in your hand.

If you ask the locals, they’ll tell you that Conga – Casa das Bifanas is the perfect place to try this pork sandwich. They’ve been in business since 1976, and with the sandwich in the name of the restaurant, you know they’re doing it right.

Now I could tell you that it’s the powerful garlic presence in the sauce or the extra-tender pork that makes them the best, and that’s certainly valid. However, I think it’s the roll that makes Conga – Casa das Bifanas the best place to get a bifana.

It gives the sandwich the perfect meat-to-bread ratio, which isn’t easy to get right with a loose sandwich like this. The interior is perfectly porous, which creates more surface area to absorb the sauce. It also reduces the amount of sauce that squeezes out when you grip or bite into it. You end up tasting the sauce and the meat without wearing it.

It’s the perfection in little details like this that tell you Conga – Casa das Bifanas has honed their craft for the best bifana sandwich in Porto, or anywhere else in Portugal.

Conga – Casa das Bifanas (€€) – Rua do Bonjardim 318, 4000-115 Porto, Portugal – Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. 

Prego

In Porto, a prego sandwich is loaded with thinly sliced beef and sauteed onions on a sandwich roll. Sometimes the bun is toasted, and other times it’s painted or served with garlic butter.

Prego rolls are typically long and might even remind you a little of an oversized hot dog bun or a small amoroso roll. Restaurants that use a smaller roll will sometimes chop it into small pieces which makes it easy to pick up like finger food.

I prefer it this way, as the small pieces make it easier to avoid dripping anything on my clothes. However, there’s something to be said for wrapping your hands around the larger roll. You just have to be mindful to hunch over it and roll up your sleeves!

Cervejaria Gazela is one of my favorite places to get a prego sandwich. They use a slightly smaller roll, and keep it whole, which makes it feel a little bit like a Chicago steak sandwich. It’s also a little bit spicy, which I really enjoy.

Cervejaria Gazela (€€) – Tv. do Cimo de Vila 4, 4000-434 Porto, Portugal – Open Monday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM. 

Sandes de Chouriço

The sandes de chouriço sandwiches you find in Porto are a great mouth watering snack. The spicy chorizo sausage in them is usually grilled or smoked and then served in a crusty roll.

On its own, the sandwich is simple, which makes it inexpensive, while letting the flavor of the chorizo sausage stand out. Of course, just like an American hot dog you’d find on the streets of Chicago, it’s also a great vehicle for creative toppings.

My favorite place for sandes de chouriço is A Sandeira do Porto. They’re known for a wide range of creative Portuguese sandwiches, which means they have a lot of different toppings on hand to let you experiment. They often have some great soups that accent their sandes de chouriço and other sandwiches on their menu.

The combination I fell in love with starts with a generous goat cheese topping, which is a nice counterpoint to the smoky flavors of the chorizo. Then I like to add a little arugula, to keep my palate fresh. A little spicy mustard gives it a little bit of a hot dog feel, which comes in handy if I’m itching for a little bit of comfort food flavor from back home.

A Sandeira do Porto (€) – Rua dos Caldeireiros 85, Porto, Portugal – Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Sandes de Pernil

Photo credit: Sandes de Pernil

Sandes de pernil is a simple sandwich of roast pork that’s much beloved by the people of Porto. The slow roasting gives it a comfort food umami that’s heartwarming. It’s typically served on a roll with a crusty exterior and a pillowy soft interior, which makes it easy to eat out of hand.

It’s also a little bit of a blank canvas for a wide range of toppings. Many restaurants will dress the sandes de pernil with basic condiments such as mustard, pickled vegetables, or local cheese that complement the flavors of the slow-roasted pork.

Casa Guedes is my go-to place for sandes de pernil as they offer an impressive array of optional toppings. I like to add pickled vegetables to the sandwich to cut the richness of the roasted pork. Then I ask them to top it with Serra da Estrela cheese. It melts easily over the pork with a creamy texture and a touch of decadence.

Casa Guedes (€€) – Praça dos Poveiros 130, 4000-393 Porto, Portugal – Open every day from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM.

Conclusion

No Porto food tour is complete without sampling a few of their must-try sandwiches like Bufete Fase’s francesinha or the bifana at Conga – Casa das Bifanas. Both feature high-quality meats and sauces that showcase authentic Portuguese flavors.

I also recommend the sandes de pernil at Casa Guedes or the sandes de chouriço at Sandeira do Porto. Both can be a blank canvas that you can customize with creative toppings to let you try the flavors of Porto with a little taste of home.