The Douro is history; it moulds life styles and traditions. At its mouth, where it runs into the Atlantic, the Douro River has produced sediments of richness upon which a city has arisen, full of charm and melancholy. The influence of the river is so great that it has in fact created two cities. On the right bank, Oporto is alive with bustling business activity; here are the luxury boutiques and the big names in shops. On the left bank, departure point for the shipping companies, are grouped together the wineries which have given world-wide fame to the city as the cradle of one of its best-known products: port wine.
Along the length of the river bank, the Ribeira, the ‘rabelos’ (typical boats used in this area to transport the wine by river) nowadays are a means of advertising for the major brands of wine. From here the winding streets, reminiscent of the Middle Ages, ramble along to open up into the historical heart of the city with its unique personality: monuments in granite and scrambled, scattered façades, the Romanesque Cathedral, the Gothic convent of St. Francis, 18th century palaces, Romanesque, Baroque, Rococo… every single architectural style is impregnated with the taste and tradition of the wine industry.
At nightfall, a gurgle of water and music runs through Oporto. The city makes contact, over and over again, from one side of the river to the other through its innumerable bridges; those as original as the San Luiz, the work of Gustav Eiffel. So much history, melted into the sediments of the Douro flows out into an equally profuse present: the Serralves Foundation Contemporary Art Museum, by the Portuguese architect, Álvaro Siza, or the House of Music are nowadays buildings as representative as the ‘rabelos’ anchored on the riverbank.

Churrasco do Mar:
This is one of Oporto’s best restaurants and, by extension, surely one of the best restaurants in Portugal. Here you can taste the best Portuguese seafood and the country’s typical dishes.
Rua Joao Grave 134

Escondido:
One of the restaurants in Oporto that has been offering Portuguese dishes for the longest time. Excellent cooking and a good wine list.
Passos Manuel 144

Don Toño:
Located right in the heart of the historical centre of Oporto, near the city’s Medieval Wall, in an old cod warehouse, it has a view of the Duero River. This restaurant has the best wine list in Oporto. It specialises in regional cooking.
Cais de Ribeira 13-15

Capa Negra II:
Inaugurated in 1972, this legendary restaurant is specialised in traditional Portuguese cooking.
Campo Alegre 191

Cufra:
Opened in 1974, this restaurant is one of the region’s finest establishments, specialising in Francesinhas, the typical dish of the city, offered in a familiar, informal atmosphere.
Boavista 2504

Cafeína:
Located in a century-old building, the restaurant opened to the public in 1995. The atmosphere is quiet and pleasant, thanks to the meticulous decoration and service. The menu is made up of Portuguese, French, and Italian dishes.
Rua do Padrão 100

Alcantara Café:
This is an almost obligatory place to visit, for its location and decoration. It offers international cooking with Portuguese touches, in a post-modern atmosphere. Large portions and good seafood.
Rua Maria Luisa Holstein 1

Chez Lapin:
Specialised in cod, fish, and seafood.  Its antiques and stone walls create a pleasant, rustic atmosphere.
Rua dos Canastreiros 42

Infante de Sagres
This luxurious restaurant has a nostalgic elegance and exquisite decoration, as well as an extraordinary menu based on traditional recipes and innovative creations.
Praça D. Filipa de Lencastre 62

O Almada:
This smart restaurant, O Almada, offers a fantastic menu with a homemade flavour.
Rua do Almada 131

Bar 31 Trintaeum:
This Oporto bar offers the best musical concerts, which can be enjoyed along with the city’s best cocktails.
Edificio Rivolo, 5 Praça D. João I

Café Guarany:
This café, founded in 1933, is known as a musicians’ café. It stands out for its commitment to tradition, the quality of its services, and the artistic spirit that characterises it. This is a place to enjoy the city’s culture.
Av dos Aliados 89/85

Hard Club:
All sorts of large recitals of music are given here, to a great deal of praise from the audience. This club is very committed to its clients.
Cais de Gaia, 1158

Carlu’s Caffe:
This establishment provides a space for well-being and pleasure, where a pleasant disposition and family atmosphere are the characteristics that clients who come here have been enjoying since it opened.
Travessa Francisco Sá Carneiro 87

Loja dos Mercadores:
This is a tapa bar where the best, most splendid nights of diversion are offered in the city of Oporto.
Largo da Ribeira 11-12 

Bar Hiva-Oa :
This establishment has Polynesian decoration and offers a wide range of cocktails, along with the best music and the best atmosphere.
Boavista 2514

Majestic Café:
Magnificent interior design. They say that you don’t know Oporto if you don’t visit this café, which reminds one of Belle Epoque Paris. Created in 1921, it was the first in Oporto to allow women to enter.
Rua Sta. Catarina 112

Hot Five.
A spot with jazz concerts, double bass rhythm, and the best whisky. A real achievement.
Largo Actor Días

Bodega Sandeman
This spot offers wine-tasting and interesting samples. Sandeman was the first company to stamp its barrels with its seal, giving its wines and brandies a name that guaranteed quality.  Today its products are appreciated all over the world.
Largo Miguel Bombarda 3

Porto Calém:
This establishment leads the market with its famous range of port wines. Recognised all over the city, this shop founded in 1859 is very highly recognised in the world of wines.  It offers tasting of the best products.

In the many restaurants of Oporto, on the banks of the Duero, one can taste the traditional Portuguese dishes that originated in the city. Some of the best-known, most popular dishes are:
Francesinha:
This, among recent culinary developments, is the most famous dish, consisting of a sandwich of various meats, covered with cheese and a special sauce (molho de francesinha). Delicious.

El Caldo verde:
This is one of Portugal’s national dishes, highly considered in Portuguese cooking . This is a soup made of mashed potatoes with strips of cabbage, garlic, and olive oil.  The combination of these ingredients creates the aroma typical of some of the streets of Oporto.

Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá:
The famous bacalhau is a traditional dish named after its creator. This is a dish in Portuguese cooking, where one of the main ingredients is baked cod.

Vinho do Porto:
The wine of Oporto, also known simply as port, is one of a type of wines known as constitutional wines.  These wines were created in the 16th and 17th century as a product of adding brandy to the wine during the fermentation process. This wine is an undeniable symbol of the city to which it owes its expansion.

Tripe à moda do Porto:
During the preparation of the conquest of Ceuta in 1415, the citizens of Oporto gave those who went on the expedition all of the meat available in the city, keeping only the intestines. Since then, the city people have had the nickname "tripeiros," and for this reason the city’s traditional dish is "tripas à moda do Porto" (Oporto-style tripe), which is an obligatory dish in any restaurant.

Fernando S. Dias dos Santos:
Regional items from the country. This establishment was created in the 70s and sells regional costumes and items and city antiques.
Rua dos Clérigos 45/47

Feira das Moedas
This antique, arts, and crafts fair is held on Sunday mornings.  It is the best opportunity to discover the city’s customs.
Praça D. João I

Casa Margaridense
It sells the best traditional products, the city’s best baked goods, sweets, and typical Oporto cakes.
Travessa de Cedofeita, 20ª

Loja da Praça:
The Praça Gourmet shop offers high-quality food products imported from every corner of the world, especially from Portugal, so that you can make very special homemade recipes.
Praça Dom Alfonso V, 55E Cristo Rei

Terraquente:
Travellers can buy the best, most traditional food products in this establishment, located in the city centre.
Padre Luis Cabral 1124-1126 

Arcádia:
Traditional products particularly specialised in chocolates and almonds.
Rua do Almada 63

Vinho e Coisas:
Located in Matosinhos, this is a modern shop, with a wide number of red, white, and constitutional wines from the region.
Rua de Sousa Aroso 540-544

Garraferia do Carmo
This is a tiny shop located near the Museum of Natural History. But the size is deceiving, as this establishment offers a wide selection of mainly port wines, especially Vintage and LBV.
Rua do Carmo 17-18

Garrafeira Clériporto
A real museum of Vintage and Colheita wines, even wines from previous years.
Rua Assunção

Cathedral
Built in the 12th century, following in the footprints of the Romanesque style, it shows influences of the French region. The sacristy and cloisters date from the Gothic period. On the outer wall of the north tower, there is a bas relief of a 14th-century sailing ship, an element that shows the importance of sea trades to Oporto. During the Baroque period, this site underwent numerous alterations.

Church and Tower of the Priests:
This group of buildings was built between 1732 and 1773. Different artists worked on the construction of the church, Nicolau Nasoni and Antonio Pereira standing out among them. The Tower that separates the building from others is one of these artists’ masterpieces, and is considered an identifying feature of the city.

Praça da Ribeira:
Originally a medieval square, in the 18th century it was transformed, but work was interrupted and the only visible signs of it are the arch of the façade and the imposing fountain; vestiges also remain in the upper landscape and the surrounding houses. The square was finally built in the 19th century, inspired in the old port district of London.

Ponte Dom Luís I:
The city of Oporto is also known for the imposing quality, innovation, and beauty of its bridges, dating from different periods and built in different architectural styles.  This bridge has the characteristic feature of two levels.  The yellow line of the Oporto underground runs on the top, and the bottom level is open to traffic.

Ponte das Barcas:
This was the first bridge to be built over the Duero. It was built out of the need to establish a way to reach the southern bank of the river for the traffic of people and goods. Ponte das Barcas was inaugurated on the 15th of August of 1806.

Church of São Francisco:
This 16th-century church is the most important one built during the Gothic period. Its interior is decorated with golden statues dating from the 17th and 18th century, and is a great example of Baroque architecture.  The interior decoration and the richness of the 18th-century furnishings stand out.

Casa da Música:
This is a city concert hall that holds the institution of the same name and its three orchestras (Orchestar Nacional do Porto, Orchestra Barroca and Remix Ensemble). Its construction took place within the Oporto 2001- European Capital of Culture project, immediately becoming a city icon.

Fernandina Wall:
This wall was built to replace the old high-medieval wall, which was too small for the city’s development in the 14th century. The new wall was 3000 steps long and 30 feet high. Now, remains of it can only be found in the sections of Sta. Clara and S. João Novo.

Public Municipal Library of Oporto:
The library was founded on the 9th of July of 1833 and inaugurated on the 4th of April of 1842, in the former convent of Santo Antonio de Cidade.