Porto’s food is bold, messy, and full of personality — just like the city itself. From sandwiches dripping in gravy to hot dogs smothered in cheese sauce, this northern capital doesn’t hold back. It’s famous for meat-heavy classics like the francesinha and bifana à moda do Porto, but that doesn’t mean vegans are left out.
Across Porto, cafés and creative kitchens are rethinking the region’s most iconic dishes with plants, pulses, and plenty of spice. If you’re vegan and hungry in Porto, you can still taste the city’s signature flavours — no meat, no dairy, no problem.
Snacks
Bifana à Moda do Porto
Unlike its southern cousin, the Porto-style bifana is all about the sauce — spicy, garlicky, and ladled generously over thin-sliced meat in a soft roll. It’s messy, warming, and usually eaten standing up.
Vegan version: Uses seitan or soy-based strips, slow-simmered in wine, paprika, garlic, and chilli. Served dripping in sauce on a fresh papo seco.
Try it at:
- Kind Kitchen does a proper bifana with housemade seitan.
- Apuro Vegan Bar occasionally features it on the specials board, often with a northern twist.
- Black Mamba has served versions during food pop-ups and festivals.
Cachorrinho
Porto’s take on the hot dog: mini sausage, cheese, and often francesinha sauce, all tucked inside a toasted baguette. It’s street food perfection.
Vegan version: Plant-based sausage with vegan cheese, mustard, and spicy sauce, grilled until crisp. Sometimes finished with francesinha sauce for extra decadence.
Try it at:
- O Porto dos Gatos serves a cachorrinho with melty vegan cheese and optional spicy sauce.
- DaTerra’s rotating buffet sometimes includes a cachorrinho-inspired snack.
Eclair
Not a French import — in Porto, the eclair is a local icon. Made famous by Leitaria da Quinta do Paço, these cream-filled pastries are the city’s most beloved sweet treat.
Vegan version: The original shop doesn’t offer a vegan version yet, but several bakeries do. Look for whipped coconut or soy cream in a choux-style pastry.
Try it at:
- Vegana by Tentúgal and Do Norte Café offer vegan eclairs seasonally.
- Moko Veggie Café often features cream-filled pastries that capture the same feel.
Mains
Francesinha
The infamous Porto sandwich: layers of steak, ham, sausage, and cheese, drenched in beer-tomato sauce and often topped with an egg. It’s big, bold, and beloved.
Vegan version: Seitan or soy meats layered in toasted bread, topped with melty vegan cheese and smothered in housemade francesinha sauce. Served with fries, of course.
Try it at:
- Kind Kitchen does a knockout vegan francesinha with everything included.
- O Porto dos Gatos offers a more classic take — perfect for sharing.
- DaTerra sometimes features mini francesinhas on their hot buffet.
Tripas à Moda do Porto
Porto’s true traditional dish. A white bean and tripe stew, often made with chorizo and other meats. Earthy, peppery, and deeply regional.
Vegan version: Replaces tripe with jackfruit or mushrooms, paired with white beans, garlic, bay leaf, and smoked paprika.
Try it at:
- Vegana by Tentúgal has offered a vegan tripas-style stew during colder months.
- Black Mamba sometimes includes tripas-inspired dishes during regional specials.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
A Porto-specific cod dish made with shredded bacalhau, potatoes, onions, olives, and hard-boiled egg. It’s baked, not fried, and deeply comforting.
Vegan version: Hearts of palm or jackfruit stand in for salt cod, layered with sliced potatoes, onions, and black olives, then baked until golden.
Try it at:
- Ao 26 in Lisbon does a version, and it’s occasionally spotted at Porto food festivals or as a house special at Vegana by Tentúgal.
Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo
A layered dish of bacalhau, mashed potatoes, onions, and mayonnaise — baked in the oven. Polarising, but distinctly northern.
Vegan version: Uses jackfruit or tofu in place of cod, mashed potato with oat milk, and a tangy vegan mayo topping.
Try it at:
- Rare, but Moko Veggie Café and Vegana by Tentúgal have both experimented with versions during seasonal menus.
Dobrada
Another tripe-based dish, similar to tripas but with a broader northern identity. Usually made with white beans and slow-cooked tripe.
Vegan version: Like tripas, but often with a tomato base and a slightly smokier, heavier seasoning.
Try it at:
- Vegana by Tentúgal offers dobrada-style bean stews on cold-weather days.
Other Dishes You’ll Find in Porto
While not originally from Porto, these dishes are common across the city — especially in vegan-friendly cafés.
Piri-Piri Chicken
Spicy grilled chicken, typically from the Algarve, but available across Portugal.
Vegan version: Seitan or tofu skewers marinated in piri-piri oil and grilled until charred.
Try it at:
- The Green Affair (Lisbon and Cascais) — worth the trip if heading south.
- Kind Kitchen or O Porto dos Gatos often feature spicy grilled plates that nod to piri-piri flavour profiles.
Feijoada
Bean stew made with various meats — originally Brazilian but now a Portuguese comfort classic.
Vegan version: Rich tomato and paprika broth with kidney beans, smoked tofu, and mushrooms.
Try it at:
- DaTerra features vegan feijoada regularly.
- Terra Restaurante Natural in Lisbon has a great version as well.
Sweets
Pastel de Nata
Lisbon may have invented it, but Porto has adopted it — and you’ll find vegan natas in bakeries and cafés across the city.
Try it at:
- Moko Veggie Café
- DaTerra’s bakery counters
- Vegana by Tentúgal
Jesuita
A sweet puff pastry slice topped with crunchy meringue and filled with eggy custard. Originally from Santo Tirso, just outside Porto.
Vegan version: Meringue made from aquafaba, with custard-style filling using soy milk and turmeric.
Try it at:
- Confeitaria Moura’s Porto branches — not yet vegan, but keep an eye on independent bakeries for specials.
Broa de Avintes
Dense, dark cornbread from Vila Nova de Gaia. Traditionally served with soup or fried at Christmas.
Vegan version: Usually naturally vegan — made with cornmeal, rye, and water.
Try it at:
- Local bakeries throughout Gaia and Porto, including traditional markets.
- Often served alongside caldo verde.
Drinks
Port Wine
Fortified wine aged in oak barrels across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. Available in styles like Ruby, Tawny, LBV, and Vintage.
Vegan version: Most quality Ports are vegan-friendly, but check labels — some use fining agents.
Try it at:
- Graham’s, Sandeman, Cockburn’s, and Kopke all offer tastings.
- For by-the-glass options, visit Prova, Wine Quay Bar, or Capela Incomum.
Final Thoughts
Porto is one of the most meat-forward cities in Portugal — but that’s exactly what makes eating vegan here so satisfying. Across the city, traditional dishes like francesinha, bifana à moda do Porto, and even tripe stew are being reinvented with creativity and care.
You don’t have to skip the city’s best-known foods. You just have to know where to look — and now you do. Come hungry, bring napkins, and don’t leave without ordering the vegan francesinha. Or the cachorrinho. Or both.