Beyond the Barrel: From Decadent to Down-home in the Heart of Porto
5
Beyond the Barrel: From Decadent to Down-home in the Heart of Porto
By Culinary Backstreets Porto
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-100, max of 7 per group
Duration: 5h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Snacks
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Lunch
- Breakfast
- Start:
- Rua de Fernandes Tomás 775, 4200-025 Porto, PortugalThe meeting point is at Praceta da Palestina, at the red vintage phone booth just across from Pastelaria Imperio located at Rua Fernandes Tomás, 775.
End:- Porto São Bento, Praça de Almeida Garrett, 4000-069 Porto, PortugalOur tour ends near Porto's historic train station.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 203526P17- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 203526P17
From
$140.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Rua de Fernandes Tomás 775, 4200-025 Porto, PortugalThe meeting point is at Praceta da Palestina, at the red vintage phone booth just across from Pastelaria Imperio located at Rua Fernandes Tomás, 775.
- 1
- 2
- 3Pass byChurch of Saint Ildefonso
- 4
- 5
- 6
- Praça de Almeida Garrett, 4000-069 Porto, PortugalOur tour ends near Porto's historic train station.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- lizak7100 contributionsSardine City is not to be missedOur first culinary backstreets tour (Sardine City) won’t be our last. Bruno was a fabulous guide through the streets of Matosinhos, showing us a side of Porto we would have missed without an experienced local. We learned a lot about the people and history of the region as we sampled delicious foods. A can’t miss for lovers of seafood and culture.Written January 7, 2025
- V9724ZUemilym0 contributionsDelicious and thoughtful local tourWe had an amazing time on our food tour through Matosinhos with Bruno. Not only was the food amazing but we got to learn about the history of the city and the day to day operations as it relates to the fishing industry. The tour was perfectly outlined where we always felt satisfied but never over-stuffed. Delicious drink pairings too. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Porto!Written November 7, 2024
- 128aliceg0 contributionsMatosinhos With BRUNO!Loved our special brioche croissant and coffee at our first meeting place. Delicious Octopus salad made fresh every day with red cayenne pepper, parsley and onion at Tasca da Badalhoca. Wonderful charcoal, grilled sardine lunch at family own business: Tasquinha Porto de Lexões. We tasted from the market: Tremoços LUPIN beans - never had before. Delicious lunch in the market with fresh shrimp at Mercado. Love seeing all the women fish sellers. Loved seeing the working fishing industry, the giant containers of ice, the fisherman and all the seagulls. Loved the Conservas Pinhais Factory tour, history and sardine tasting. Love the giant billboard of all the women in the canning business. We had many delicious wines at our many stops.Written November 4, 2024
- siamsacarey0 contributionsHappy to spend the day in Matosinhos! Great fish, beautiful beach, bountiful markets, and of course, the history...We took the Sardine City tour in Matosinhos with Bruno, at the end of September. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire day, and Bruno was a great guide! Wonderful variety, well-timed stops, and brilliant insights and tips on navigating the foods of Portugal. It was such a gorgeous area, we stayed until dark, walked the boardwalk and enjoyed the sunset.Written October 10, 2024
- GATS8Y0 contributionsCulinary Backstreets - loved it !!!Culinary Backstreets was recommended to me by a friend who had previously enjoyed a tour in Mexico city, and I in turn will be passing on a similar recommendation! Bruno was our guide, and we found him to be friendly, knowledgeable and his English was superb! We visited some amazing eateries (one of which we had ironically walked straight past the day before without giving it a second glance!) offering a broad selection of local food and drink specialities - all proved to be extremely tasty & throughly enjoyable. I also shared a love of football with Bruno and ironically our teams (Botafogo & Crystal Palace) have shared ownership!Written August 23, 2024
- Melissa L0 contributionsA local’s tour for curious visitorsCarine was a wonderful guide! We hit a lot of great spots loved by the locals as well as some made famous by TV shows. It was a bit slower paced than the tour I had in Lisbon, but it was also a slightly larger group. I would recommend CB tours in any cities where they operate.Written January 4, 2024
- gr8mumnz0 contributionsWelcome to Porto!We always choose to do a food tour when we first arrive in a new city, as it’s a great way to explore and eat the local food. This was our first experience with Backstreet and it was AMAZING!! We did an afternoon tour which included dinner . We are still SOOO full 24 hours on 😉 Marta was fabulous .. ( we hope she will come stay with us in NZ ) and gave us so much information and history on the city and Portugual. She took us to places we would never have gone to and away from the tourist traps. We loved meeting local hospitality and eating their food felt like eating either family. We loved every single minute of our time. Thank you MartaWritten December 29, 2023
- Getaway3679970 contributionsPorto is a tasty city!We ate traditional foods in places frequented by locals. We never would have chosen those spots on our own. Carine was a friendly and knowledgeable guide who helped my husband speak Portuguese and accommodated my injured foot. We ate entirely too much but had an authentic experience.Written December 20, 2023
- KarrieXX0 contributionsExcellent tour and guide.Our guide Carine was excellent. She was fun and upbeat and made walking around Porto a joy. We had great food and plenty of it. Would highly recommend.Written October 24, 2023
- C9713RAwilliamb0 contributionsCulinary extravaganzaWonderful tour with great stops. Watch out so you don't eat too much. It's easy to overdo it on this tour. Our guide was a pleasure to be with. Highly recommendedWritten April 26, 2023
- Dreamer8261450 contributionsGreat culinary tourCorine is the best guide I have ever had. I have had hundreds! Terrific lady; knowledgeable and fun.Written April 25, 2023
- S5364VZgingerh0 contributionsBest way to experience PortoMarta was incredible -- from the history and stories she shared to the sweet treats she pulled out of her bag. She took us to the best spots to experience Porto through the food and drinks-- hidden spots, city favorites to wonderful neighborhood stores and the most divine food market you've ever seen. This tour was the best way to get to know Porto and Marta was a delightful guide.Written October 28, 2022
- beththomsen0 contributionsLet’s do it again!Carine was so warm and welcoming, full of special and important information about Porto, it’s people, and traditional food. We can’t say enough and only wished for more time!!! The restaurant hosts all respect and enjoy Carine too, and made us all feel like part of A large family!Written October 18, 2022
- 993petrar0 contributionsSix hour walking tour with about 10. Food stopsA wonderful day spent walking through the streets of Porto and eating amazing food. Karina was a very knowledgeable and fun tour guideWritten July 22, 2022
- Kate C0 contributionsSomething differentGetting the best tips on foodie delights as well as the history of a fantastic city our tour guide Celine was really lovelyWritten April 13, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
163 reviews
Excellent
151
Very good
6
Average
2
Poor
3
Terrible
1
Nick E
1 contribution
May 2024 • Friends
This was a fantastic tour and we (party of 5, adults in our 30s, morning tour slot) had a great time. Knowledgeable and friendly guide, great food stops, and a lovely blend of feeling very "guided" and being gently left alone to enjoy a bite and a drink. The stops were well balanced and paced with a nice variety of food and types of establishment. Our tour included bakeries, delis, markets, bars, and a restaurant for a main sit-down lunch. I enjoyed it all very much.
The major downside is the lack of vegetarian options. Porto, as a whole, does not have the greatest vegetarian selection in mainstream eateries, but at this price point with an international company (and our flagging dietary needs in advance through the system) I'd expect a bit more consideration. What should have been a lovely sit down set-piece moment for lunch was spoiled somewhat by having to explain that fish wasn't a suitable option for veggies.
This said, one of our party was lactose intolerant and our guide did a wonderful job of liaising with chefs and servers to get diary-free options.
If you're considering a food tour of Porto, this is in your budget, and you all eat meat, then this is a great option and I think you'll have a lovely time.
The major downside is the lack of vegetarian options. Porto, as a whole, does not have the greatest vegetarian selection in mainstream eateries, but at this price point with an international company (and our flagging dietary needs in advance through the system) I'd expect a bit more consideration. What should have been a lovely sit down set-piece moment for lunch was spoiled somewhat by having to explain that fish wasn't a suitable option for veggies.
This said, one of our party was lactose intolerant and our guide did a wonderful job of liaising with chefs and servers to get diary-free options.
If you're considering a food tour of Porto, this is in your budget, and you all eat meat, then this is a great option and I think you'll have a lovely time.
Written May 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the walk! Please reach out to us directly if you think we can do anything better as your feedback is very important to us and we take it very seriously. We look forward to hearing from you, and having you with us again soon.You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected.
Written August 1, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ann C
Madison, WI2 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Our culinary backstreets tour in Porto with Bruno last summer was unforgettable. Bruno, a passionate and knowledgeable guide, introduced us to hidden gems and local favorites that we would have never found on our own. From traditional Portuguese pastries to savory seafood dishes, each stop was an authentic taste of Porto’s rich food culture. Bruno’s storytelling and insights into the city’s history added depth to the experience. The small group setting made it intimate and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to explore Porto’s culinary scene beyond the usual tourist spots!
Written September 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and for leaving us a 5-star review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour with the amazing Bruno. We take great pride in working with guides like him, who are not only incredibly knowledgeable but also passionate about the cities they call home. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure in one of our cities soon! Don’t forget to check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you’ve collected so far.
All the best and hope to see you again soon!
Written October 6, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RGP1956
Chicago, IL36 contributions
My husband and I loved Culinary Backstreets’ tour of Porto that we did with Marcel, a fantastic guide. He was so engaging and knowledgeable, sustaining our five-person group’s interest over six fascinating and delicious hours! Every one of the stops on our tour was great. We loved especially Oficina dos Rissóis, where we sampled this splendid restaurant’s faaabulous empanada-like rissóis, along with equally delicious tomato rice and a really exceptional green salad. We started the tour with some pastries that will live in my memory. We had great wine and port along the way, too. The whole tour was a huge treat, and really a must for anyone visiting Porto, especially if Marcel is your guide!
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your great feedback and for leaving us a 5-star review, this is exactly what we're going for! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our tour with the amazing Marcel! We take pride in working with great people like him who are very knowledgeable and extremely fond of the cities they live in. We hope to see you again soon in one of our cities. You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected. All the best!
Written September 7, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ryan
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This was our first go with Culinary Backstreets, but after this tour, we're absolutely hooked. The whole experience felt both incredibly polished yet genuine, and left us with a warm and memorable impression of the city and people. Carine, our guide for the morning, couldn't have been a better host. She provided both insightful commentary on the culinary aspects of the experience as well as broader historical context relevant to Porto itself. If you're headed to Porto, make sure you get booked on one of these tours. It was a wonderful way to warm up to the city and get a "feel" for it prior to exploring on our own later in the week. These tours are small, which ensures you get a truly authentic and engaging experience, but ensure you book sooner than later so you get the time slot and day you want!
Written November 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your great feedback and for leaving us a 5-star review, this is exactly what we're going for! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our tour with the amazing Carine! We take pride in working with great people like her who are very knowledgeable and extremely fond of the cities they live in. We hope to see you again soon in one of our cities. You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected. All the best!
Written November 19, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
cyborys
Silver Spring, MD127 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
A "veteran" of many Culinary Backstreet tours, I can easily rank the Porto tour a "best." The guide, engagingly personable, did an outstanding job of not only breaking down the essentials of the foods sampled, but also in providing a cultural and historical context to the foods we tasted and to the culinary traditions of Porto-- and by extension to the country at large. The well-paced, five-hour tour was replete with a variety of food types--cheeses, meats, wines, ciders, beers,delectable snacks, desserts--and finished off with a full seafood rice lunch. We visited traditional locales that would have been near impossible to identify on our own. The guide knowledgeably fielded every question that the group members asked, and she was sensitive to the needs of individual participants, and masterful at keeping the interest and momentum of the tour at a high level throughout. I would take the tour a second time just for enjoying the quality of foods sampled and the all-around great time the guide created.
Written October 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the outstanding review! It's always a pleasure to welcome back familiar faces on our walks. We’re thrilled to hear that the Porto tour ranks among the best of your Culinary Backstreets experiences. It’s fantastic that our guide was able to provide not only delicious food but also valuable cultural and historical context. We take great pride in working with guides who are knowledgeable and passionate about their cities, ensuring that every tour is engaging and memorable. We’re delighted you enjoyed the variety of local specialties and that the tour met your needs. We look forward to welcoming you back in one of our cities for more culinary adventures. Don't forget to check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see all the stamps you’ve collected!
adventure!
Written October 28, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Barrie K
3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
The tour was outstanding, as was Marta. I don't eat pork, beef, or lamb and I still wanted to go everywhere no matter what, but Marta always found other things for me to taste (my husband eats everything so he tried everything everywhere). Marta revealed that Porto is a great food city, and she has all the qualities of an excellent guide: welcoming, smart, funny, passionate about her city and her country, and able to discuss topics other than food (politics, religion, history, etc.). I was already familiar with Culinary Backstreets and I will recommend it enthusiastically whenever I have the opportunity.
Written November 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are always glad to have guests back on our walks. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed the walk, and hope that you will join us again soon in one of our cities. You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected.
Written November 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
quincy875
Fayetteville, NY2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
Carine was a wonderful tour guide. She was knowledgeable about Porto culinary history, interesting, and most of all had a great sense of humor. She created a camaraderie among her guests and shared her personal perspective on the food and culture of Porto. The places we went to sample the foods of Porto were iconic, charming, and interesting. From the first pastry to the port and cheese, soup, fish, Portuguese meats and “hot dogs”, everything was delicious and authentic. We would highly recommend this tour and Carine for a great 6 hour intro to Porto food.
Written February 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your great feedback and for leaving us a 5-star review, this is exactly what we're going for! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our tour with the amazing Corine! We take pride in working with great people like her who are very knowledgeable and extremely fond of the cities they live in. We hope to see you again soon in one of our cities. You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected. All the best!
Written February 18, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ric R
Santa Ana, CA6 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We had not been in Porto since 2016 when we fell in love with the city and we had some concerns that the tremendous growth in tourism since then might have spoiled the city somewhat. Besides the beautiful architecture and fantastic food our fondest memories were of all the friendly people.
We decided to book a food tour rather than trying to just revisit old haunts, and we are so very glad we did. Our guide, Carine, was the living embodiment of all the warmth we recalled from our last trip, and a fully engaged lover of food and wine with great local knowledge. Every stop on the tour was rewarding in its own way, and a special nod to Paulo, an exceptional third generation publican, for giving us a great taste of local flavors.
Carine, thank you for your warmth and generosity of spirit. We can’t imagine a better guide than you nor a better representative for all that is beautiful about Porto!
Ric & Wendy Rhinehart
We decided to book a food tour rather than trying to just revisit old haunts, and we are so very glad we did. Our guide, Carine, was the living embodiment of all the warmth we recalled from our last trip, and a fully engaged lover of food and wine with great local knowledge. Every stop on the tour was rewarding in its own way, and a special nod to Paulo, an exceptional third generation publican, for giving us a great taste of local flavors.
Carine, thank you for your warmth and generosity of spirit. We can’t imagine a better guide than you nor a better representative for all that is beautiful about Porto!
Ric & Wendy Rhinehart
Written June 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for a wonderful review! We are really happy to hear that you enjoyed the walk. We take pride in working with people like Carine who are very knowledgeable and extremely fond of the cities that they live in. You can check out your Culinary Backstreets Passport on our website to see the stamps you have collected. We hope to see you again soon in one of our cities.
Written June 14, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kasia P
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Friends
I am a huge fan, but this was by far my worst experience with Culinary Backstreets
1. We know not to eat before CB your. The tour started at 2, I had had no lunch. Then we weren’t offered anything substantial to eat until 4. I was starving and communicated this to the guide several times to no avail. We were walking through the market given two nuts at a time. I literally held myself back from stopping to buy some food for myself. I wish I had.
2. The tour was in the afternoon and the iteinary was very different to what is on the website. We missed several interesting stops. I think overall the tour is just poorly planned.
3. Food was not that interesting.
4. The tour guide was from Brazil, not local. He had learned about the facts but didnt have the relationships with the vendors like other guides. Overall he seemed to be out of his comfort zone. He was not very attentive to the guests, like other guides we met. He would talk and talk and not realise that everyone was waiting for “permission” to try the food. Then he gave pork to my friend even though we told him just before ordering that she doesn’t eat pork. And completely blanked me when I kept telling him I’m starving.
Overall, I would not recommend this tour and the guide. If you must, go in the morning, it might be better.
1. We know not to eat before CB your. The tour started at 2, I had had no lunch. Then we weren’t offered anything substantial to eat until 4. I was starving and communicated this to the guide several times to no avail. We were walking through the market given two nuts at a time. I literally held myself back from stopping to buy some food for myself. I wish I had.
2. The tour was in the afternoon and the iteinary was very different to what is on the website. We missed several interesting stops. I think overall the tour is just poorly planned.
3. Food was not that interesting.
4. The tour guide was from Brazil, not local. He had learned about the facts but didnt have the relationships with the vendors like other guides. Overall he seemed to be out of his comfort zone. He was not very attentive to the guests, like other guides we met. He would talk and talk and not realise that everyone was waiting for “permission” to try the food. Then he gave pork to my friend even though we told him just before ordering that she doesn’t eat pork. And completely blanked me when I kept telling him I’m starving.
Overall, I would not recommend this tour and the guide. If you must, go in the morning, it might be better.
Written May 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James F
8 contributions
Apr 2022
Culinary Backstreets Porto -- The guide was very knowledgeable about Porto. However for a food tour, the overall experience was underwhelming. The tour included two stops each at pastry shops and cheese/charcuterie, that were ok, but two stops each were too much. Porto is know for its Francesinha, trip dishes and caldo-verde. We had none of them. We had bacalhau (dried cod), which is available throughout Portugal, and for lunch, deep fried hake, which although good, not unusual for anywhere. For individuals paying a premium price for a food tour, although some individuals might find the unusual difficult, introduction to new and different dishes should be part of the experience. If nothing else, that would be a story to take home. The guide was late to the meeting point, that left us to wonder if we were at the wrong place or time. We were left rather abruptly at the end of the tour, at a location different from the start, without any reference to how to get back to our start point, where we are staying, or a know location. Although we believe that tour has potential, we did enjoy the Lisbon version, we cannot wholeheartedly recommend the Porto tour, for the price it commands.
Written April 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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