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Welcome to Portocityguide.com! Here you will find an insider's guide to all things Porto -- plus tips on what to visit in the Douro wine region and Northern Portugal more generally. Our goal is to be the most comprehensive, selective, reliable, and independent source of online information on what Porto has to offer! If you enjoy what you find here, you may want to consider subscribing to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Taylor’s Fladgate (or just Taylor’s) is one of the greatest names in port, with over 300 years of history. The company was founded by Job Bearsley, a bacalhau (salted cod) trader in 1692. In 1744, his son Bartholomew became the first Englishman to buy a vineyard in the Douro valley, where port is produced. Except for a brief interregnum during the Napoleonic invasions (in which the farmhouse served as a field hospital for Wellington’s troops), Taylor’s has been producing port there every year. In 1836, the company gained a new partner, John Fladgate, a London wine merchant. In the 1920s, Taylor’s produced the first varietal ports. In the 1930s, it introduced the first white port, Taylor’s Chip Dry, an excellent aperitif, solo or with tonic (called a “Splash”). In 1958, Taylor’s became the first company to sell single estate ports, under their Quinta de Vargellas brand, named after the estate in Douro. That same year (which, by the way, yielded one of the very best vintages ever), the company merged with Fonseca, another established name in port. In 1970s, Taylor’s pioneered the LBVs (or late bottled vintages) a vintage port that requires no decanting, enabling the market for ruby ports (aged in the bottle) to expand considerably. In 2002, Taylor’s and Fonseca purchased Croft and Delaforce, two other well-respected port companies. You get the point — Taylor’s is a company with a lot of achievements under its belt.

Taylor’s wine lodge in Gaia is one of the best to visit and the only to possess an excellent restaurant with a great view of Porto. As soon as you step through the gates, you’ll find a secluded surrounding of immaculate gardens, stunning terraces with wonderful views across the river, and damp cellars where barrels age for decades, if not more. During your (free) tour, the guide will summarize the history of port and of the company itself in a lively and concise way. The tour is not limited to the wine cellars, covering also the craftsmanship involved in building the barrels, the vine growing process (which takes place up the Douro river), environmental concerns, and, of course, some off-the barrel tasting!

Afterwards, you can taste two wines for free — the white Chip Dry and a late bottled vintage (LBV). You can hang out in the library or, if the weather is pleasant, on the terrace, which oversees Porto and the river. There is, of course, a large wine store (to which no one will push you) where you will find all wines produced by the Taylor’s group at unbeatable prices. The staff is attentive but not pushy. They also have an ear for how knowledgeable you are in port and are willing to adjust their spiel to your level of interest, not the other way around. All in all, Taylor’s produces some of the finest vintage ports, and that same quality is reflected in the level of service you will find.

If you have time — and you should — have lunch at the Baron of Fladgate Restaurant in the premises. The dining room has a stunning view of Porto, and you can indulge in good Portuguese food accompanied by good table wines and followed by excellent ports. Your lunch will start with a chilled white dry port and an assortment of appetizers, including a few Portuguese cheeses. We love the traditional clam soup, as well as the several bacalhau dishes and other fish courses — black grouper broiled with onion and tomato and a grilled sea bass with lemon sauce. Desserts include all the major Portuguese staples, with lots of traditional conventual egg sweets. The table wines are up to the job but, of course, the stars are the ports that await you at the end. Make sure you book your table the moment you arrive for the tour. Service is attentive and the ambiance is great.

Price point: tastings of basic wines are free; more sophisticated wines by the glass from 3 euros; bottles from 10 euros. Lunch at the restaurant will cost you around 20 euros plus drinks.

Address: Rua do Choupelo 250, Gaia.

Website: http://www.taylor.pt/

Opening hours: open Monday through Friday from 10:00am till 6:00pm; same schedule on weekends during July and August.

Reservations: not required; call (+351) 22.374.2800.

Getting there: taxi highly recommended, should take 10-15 minutes from downtown Porto and cost you less than 5 euros. The section of Gaia where port lodges are located is made of narrow, steep, and winding streets — a nightmare for the typical American driver on any occasion — and for everyone else after the wine tasting.

D. Tonho (DON TO-gno) is the best place to eat traditional Portuguese food in a contemporary setting. Owned by singer-songwriter Rui Veloso, it consistently attracts a lively crowd across ages and walks of life. It is located right next to the river in the heart of the Ribeira (riverfront) medieval neighborhood. There is also a smaller outpost right across the river in Gaia, which is equally good, especially for lunch. The chef prepare most of the top dishes in Portuguese traditional cuisine consistently well.

The main D. Tonho restaurant is in a lovely XVI-XVIII centuries stone building. The dining room features a sober contemporary decor and has a view of the river and the exquisite nearby D. Luiz I bridge. The Gaia outpost is a glass and metal stand-alone structure right next to the river, making the most of the magnificent views.

You can’t miss the ameijoas a Bulhao Pato (clams in a garlic, white wine, and parsley light sauce) as an appetizer. Try also the roupa velha (old clothes), which consists in a mix of bacalhau (salted cod) with vegetables slowly sauteed in olive oil — what most families have as a first course on Christmas Day, prepared with the left-overs from the traditional cod dish that features prominently on the Christmas Eve supper menu. If you still have room, go for the pataniscas de bacalhau (salted cod fritters), a staple of Portuguese XVIII century fast food.

As for main courses, try the lamprey (a seasonal large eel that is much appreciated in Northern Portugal) either cooked in wine (a bordalesa) or with rice (similar to a risotto). The menu also includes several great bacalhau (salted cod) dishes, including bacalhau assado nas brasas com batata a murro (char-grilled cod with greens and baked potatoes, which are punched half-way through baking so as to acquire a softer texture). Among the fresh fish, we highly recommend the robalo ao sal, a whole sea bass baked in a salt crust. The seafood section also includes polvo (octopus), masterfully grilled or baked. But our favorite is undoubtedly the cataplana de bacalhau com ameijoas (salted cod and clams steamed with herbs and white wine in a cataplana, which is a large clam-shaped copper pot that looks like two woks on top of each other and that can be hermetically closed, allowing the food to slowly cook in its own juices; used in many fishermen villages to prepare fresh fish). Among the land-based dished, the arroz de pato is a terrific rice with duck, smoked sausages, and cheese, drier than a risotto but equally delicious. Highlights must also include the tripas a moda do Porto, which is the flagship of Porto’s culinary tradition. It is a bean stew similar to a cassoulet, featuring different kinds of smoked sausage besides the tripe (tripa) after which the dish is named.

The Gaia outpost (check out the view on the bottom picture) also includes several francesinhas on the menu. These are hot sandwiches unique to Porto, stuffed with coarse fresh sausage, wet-cured ham, linguiça (known in New England and Hawaii as “Portuguese sausage”), steak or roast meat and then covered with thin slices of a Portuguese Gouda-style cheese called flamengo and baked until the cheese melts. Before coming to the table, a hot thick sauce with beer, brandy, tomato, and hot peppers is poured over them. You will not forget these. In fact, you may well feel the need to come back to Porto for more!

Short dessert menu, featuring a few local specialties. Rabanadas is something all Portuguese have for Christmas, and could be described as a more sophisticated version of French toast, with a sauce that includes Port wine, tea, honey, spices, etc. The pera borrachona (drunken pear, cooked in red wine) is also well worth a try. Member of a family that was popularized world-wide, the leite creme caseiro is the Portuguese version of the crema catalana.

The wine list is very good, having won the prize for best Port wine offerings in 2005. It features around 250 table wines and 150 Ports. Ask the sommelier for suggestions among the many great Portuguese wines and don’t pass the opportunity to have a good Port for dessert.

Service is professional but friendly.

Price point: around 30 euros plus drinks.

Address: Cais da Ribeira 13-15, Porto; Esplanada do Calem, Gaia.

Website: http://www.dtonho.com/

Opening hours: open daily for lunch (12:00pm-3:00pm) and dinner (8:00pm-12:00am).

Reservations: recommended, especially for dinner and during the weekends; call (+351) 22.200.4307 (Porto; main dining room); or (+351) 22.374.4875 (Gaia outpost).

Getting there: difficult access by car; taxi recommended. If your driving from downtown Oporto, take Rua Mouzinho da Silveira down to Praca do Infante, turn left, go through the tunnel and turn sharp right as you exit the tunnel before crossing the bridge. The restaurant is 100ft down the street on your right side — on your left side is the river. Parking is difficult, so it is better to leave the car in the underground parking at Praca do Infante and walk down Rua do Infante until you get to the river. Turn left and follow the river; the restaurant will be on your left just before you reach the D. Luiz I bridge. If you’re not driving, you can walk from downtown (around 30 minutes downhill) or take a taxi (5 minutes). In order to get to the Gaia outpost, you must cross the lower level bridge and turn sharp right as soon as you are on the other side, in order to stay on the riverfront. Park and look for a long glass pavilion about 1/4 mile from the bridge.

Bogani Cafe (boh-GAH-nee) has the best view of Porto. The coffeeshop is located in Gaia (GUY-ya), the town across the Douro river from Porto, right in front of Ribeira (ree-BAY-rah), the medieval neighborhood. This means it has a spectacular view of Porto, instead of the less picturesque view of Gaia you get from places in Porto. The view is so good that it has been used in several ad campaigns, including for the 2004 European soccer cup staged by Portugal. For a sense of the view you’ll get at sunset, look at the panoramic picture on the top.

The coffeeshop is located a mere ten-minute walk from Porto, across the lower level of the D. Luiz I bridge, a rather unique two-level bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel’s associate, Theophile Seyrig. If you’re visiting Ribeira, head there for a pause. Ditto if your touring the Port wine cellars in Gaia.

You will find many other coffeeshops and restaurants around Bogani but none compares in terms of quality and, more importantly, in its privileged view of Porto.

Bogani is the flagship store for the eponymous coffee brand that the main Portuguese beer brewing company launched a couple of years ago, so they saved no expenses on this place, from Bubble Club armchairs (designed by Philip Starck and produced by Kartell) to panoramic cameras feeding the view to plasma screens facing those seating with their backs to the river. They also have outdoor heating in the covered terrace, so the place is comfortable even in the Winter.

We recommend going there at least once during the day and once at nighttime. They do serve dinner, but the menu, thought suitable for a lighter lunch, is not as good for a full meal. If you feel comfortable with a light dinner, then by all means head there late in the afternoon and watch the city changing color as the sun sets.

Their coffee is very good, so Bogani is the best place in town for a macchiato or a latte. They also have great coffee-based drinks for Winter — such as Irish coffee or cafe brulot (with brandy, orange, and cinnamon) — and Summer — several iced coffees.

Their food menu, which makes for a light lunch (although slightly pricey — you pay for the view as well as the food) includes a fish soup served in puff pastry, several good quiches, and an excellent salad of octopus marinated in paprika.

We prefer the place for a long dessert — the mascarpone mousse with chocolate, caramel, and coffee is our favorite. The menu also includes an assortment of Italian gelatos from Farggi.

Price point: coffee 2.50 euros and up; light meals around 20 euros.

Address: Cais de Gaia, Gaia.

Website: http://www.boganicafe.com/

Opening hours: Sunday through Thursday from 10:00am to midnight; Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 1:00am.

Reservations: only recommended for lunch during the high season; call (+351) 22.374.7400.

Getting there: easy access by car; otherwise, take a taxi. From Porto, take the lower level of the D. Luiz I bridge across the river to Gaia. Turn sharp right immediately after the bridge. After about half a mile you will find three relatively large modern buildings on your right (next to the river), followed by a paid parking lot. Bogani is on the top floor of the last building. If you park on the upper level, you can access the coffeeshop directly from the parking lot. Walking from Porto takes around 10 minutes. If you’re taking a taxi, ask the driver to drop you at the Cais de Gaia (KAH-eesh deh GAH-ya).