Porto, from a Matosinhos local
Six places in Porto that Tiago, who lives in Matosinhos, sends people to: Café Santiago for what he calls the best francesinha in the city, BH Foz and Treze % for lunch, the Mercado da Foz for Friday-afternoon drinks, and — for a rainy day with children — World of Discoveries and the SEA LIFE aquarium.
Curated by Tiago Martins · Last updated 11 September 2026
This isn't a complete guide to Porto, and it doesn't try to be. It is the six places Tiago, who lives in Matosinhos, actually sends people to — which is why there isn't a port-wine cellar in it, and why three of the six are about children.
The francesinha
Tiago's pick for the best one in the city: Café Santiago, on Rua de Passos Manuel. Bread layered with mortadela, sausage, linguiça, steak and ham, under cheese, an egg and a sauce the family will not explain.
Two lunches
BH Foz, on Avenida do Brasil by the sea, in a 1945 Modernist building that was once a service station and a ballroom — Mediterranean, with sushi and a children's menu. And Treze %, on Rua da Cerca, where two brothers have cooked traditional Portuguese food since 2013. Tiago calls both of them great lunch spots: at BH Foz he orders the sushi or the entrecôte risotto, at Treze % the cabrito.
Friday afternoon
The Mercado da Foz, on Rua de Diu: fruit and vegetable stalls, florists and places to eat under one roof. Tiago's pick for a drink and something light at the end of the week, with the family along — his order is the pizza at Péco, one of the stalls inside. It stays open until 23h from Tuesday to Saturday.
When it rains, with children
Two places, and Tiago names both. World of Discoveries, on Rua de Miragaia by the Douro, is an interactive museum about the Portuguese navigators with a boat ride along a water channel. SEA LIFE Porto, at Castelo do Queijo where the seafront walk from Matosinhos ends, is an aquarium with Humboldt penguins, an underwater tunnel and feeding talks every day. Tiago's own time for World of Discoveries is a Sunday morning.
Every place in this guide
In the order we’d do them.
Walking and driving times are from Beach Family House, on Rua Brito Capelo in Matosinhos.
Café SantiagorestaurantOwner recommendation
Tiago's pick for the best francesinha in Porto — his words, not a critic's. Café Santiago, on Rua de Passos Manuel, was founded in 1959 and builds its francesinha from mortadela, fresh sausage, linguiça, steak and ham, under cheese, an egg and a sauce the family keeps to itself.
BH FozrestaurantOwner recommendation
Tiago's pick for lunch in Foz. BH Foz sits on Avenida do Brasil, by the sea, in a 1945 Modernist building by the architect Amoroso Lopes — once a service station, bar and ballroom, restored after thirty years empty. The kitchen is Mediterranean, with a children's menu; Tiago orders the sushi or the entrecôte on porcini and truffle risotto.
Treze %restaurantOwner recommendation
Tiago's other pick for lunch, near the Mercado da Foz. Treze %, on Rua da Cerca, has been run since 2013 by the brothers Miguel and Filipe, and cooks traditional Portuguese food; Tiago's order is the cabrito (kid goat).
Mercado da FozmarketOwner recommendation
Tiago's pick for Friday-afternoon drinks and something light to eat, with the family — his order is the pizza at Péco no Mercado. The Mercado da Foz, on Rua de Diu, is a local market of fruit and vegetable stalls, florists and casual places to eat.
World of DiscoveriesattractionOwner recommendation
Tiago's pick for a rainy morning or afternoon with children in Porto — his is a Sunday morning. World of Discoveries, on Rua de Miragaia a few metres from the Douro, is an interactive museum about the Portuguese navigators, with a boat ride along a water channel through the routes they sailed.
SEA LIFE PortoattractionOwner recommendation
Tiago's other pick for a rainy day with children. SEA LIFE Porto is an aquarium at Castelo do Queijo, at the end of the seafront walk from Matosinhos, with Humboldt penguins, an underwater tunnel, daily feeding talks and a play area inside.
Sources
- The host's own list of Porto recommendationsTiago Martins · Beach Family House · 2026 · Told to us directly, 11 September 2026
“Cafe Santiago. Best francesinha IMO. World of Discoveries. Fun morning or afternoon programme with kids. When raining. Sea Life. If its raining, great programme for kids as well.”
The selection is his: six places in Porto he recommends first-hand, as someone who lives next to it rather than visits it. What he vouches for is that these are the places he sends people. Each place page carries its own sources for hours, prices and what the business says about itself.