Porto

Portugal

Things to do in Porto:

View the Gallery Douro Valley

Porto Restaurants

Cheap (21)

Cervejaria Galiza

A good place to sample one of Porto's specialities: francesinha. This Portuguese-style meat sandwich makes a great lunchtime dish. read more
Affordable (24)

Casa Agr�cola

A friendly atmosphere is generated in this wonderfully restored building. Try the smoked duck breast with blackberry sauce. read more
Good quality (25)

O Cacula

A modern Portuguese fusion restaurant offering a Euro-Asian combination. The lamb steak with Thai sauce is absolutely delicious. read more

Porto Nightlife

Chilled (18)

Caf� Majestic

This local institution is one of Europe's most historic coffee houses. Enjoy indulgent chocolate cake, served by friendly staff in a pleasant atmosphere - this is said to be where JK Rowling found... read more
Live Music (17)

Casa do Livro

Located in a former book store, this interesting wine bar offers a wide variety of live music, including jazz, funk, soul and retro. read more
Clubbing (19)

Era Uma Vez No Porto

This caf�-bar and art gallery also boasts regular and guest DJs playing a wide variety of music.�Located in a renovated 19th-century house in the Foz district, "Once Upon a Time" offers both calm... read more

This Month in Porto (March):

By Joseph Guerra

Shopping: Ol� Tia! offers a wide selection of accessories, gifts and home decorating items with a distinctly 21st-century Portuguese touch (447 Rua de Gondarem, tel: 22 616 8359).

Sightseeing: The coastal town of Vila do Conde - accessible via the Metro's red line - celebrates its 1,057th birthday this month (26 March), and will also be hosting an impressive "carpet of flowers" associated with a religious feast day on 26-31 March.

Key areas: The area around Rua da Bolsa is a good location for a wide variety of restaurants and bars, or simply to walk around the historic Old Town.

Day trips: Ponte de Lima is about 145km north-east of Porto and well worth a visit. The town dates from Roman times and is home to a wide variety of medieval churches and monasteries, as well as a Roman bridge. The easiest way to get there is by bus from Porto, with at least four buses leaving every day.

Porto News & Gossip

Joss Stone in Porto

14 FEB
PORTO

This British-born singer was flung into the spotlight in 2003 with her debut album The Soul Sessions, a collection of classic covers. Joss' strong, husky voice belied her age - she was just 16 when she was given a record deal. Her unusual sound received acclaim from a number of high-profile celebrities, Tom Cruise and Elton John to mention just two, which only thrust her further into the spotlight. Bohemian Joss is to perform at a number of large venues throughout Europe until March - including the Coliseum in Porto on 14 February - to coincide with the recent release of her album Colour Me Free. www.jossstone.com

Porto Trivia

March: The "palace" overlooking the town of Vila do Conde is not a palace, but a centuries-old convent. The building used to be supplied with water by a 999-arch aquaduct - not 1,000 since that was considered by the builders to be offensive to God.
February: JK Rowling was working as an English teacher in Porto when she created boy-wizard Harry Potter and his friends.
January: The original name of Porto was Cale. The name was changed to Portus Cale, after the Romans captured the city in the Second Punic War, around the year 200BC. Today, Porto takes its name from Portus, while Gaia, on the south bank, takes its name from Cale.