We’ve loved our seafood meals in Matosinhos, a Porto suburb to the north, easily reachable by the double decker bus 500 or the metro from Porto.
Some of the seafood restaurants are lined up in a row on the Rua Heróis de França, directly across from the fish market. And they have outdoor charcoal grills where the grill the freshest fish imaginable.
Our favorite on this street is O Valentim, but Salta o Muro is also popular with locals.
For shellfish (scarlet prawns, lobster and the like), there are restaurants, or Marisqueiras, that specialize in them–Bourdain filmed at the Esplanada A Antigua, but there’s also O Gaveto, Toupeirinho, A Marisqueira de Matosinhos, Os Luisadas.
For Guimarães, you have plenty from which to choose: the Kool restaurant of the Hotel da Oliveira,
le Babachris (a Michelin Bib Gourmand), A Cozinha (Michelin star), Histórico by Papaboba or for ver traditional, the Solar do Arco.
In Caminha, at the border, there’s Solar do Pescado with vaulted ceilings and blue/white tiles.
Also at the border in Vila Nova de Cerveira, there’s Froneira Gastro Bar.
In Ponte de Lima, Taberna Alfonso
In Viana do Castelo, Tasquinha da Linda and Louro
In Barcelos, Turismo (chef driven)
