BOAVISTA
Avenida da Boavista, lined with office buildings, hotels and apartment blocks, is the main artery of this modern neighbourhood north of the city centre. From Praça da Republica, the avenue runs westward to Praça de Mouzinho de Albuquerque. To the south, upmarket boutiques line wide, leafy avenues, while fine works of modern religious architecture and an outstanding museum of contemporary art set in the beautiful landscaped gardens at Serralves add colour and character. The best of the area’s restaurants and watering holes cater to wellheeled locals with sophisticated tastes.
1. Serralves
This aristocratic garden and arts complex has much to offer lovers of both contemporary art and modern architecture – and it is also a very pleasant green haven (see Serralves). The hub of the gardens is a striking Art Deco edifice, designed for the estate’s former owner, Count Carlos Alberto Cabral, by French architect Charles Siclis. With its pink paintwork and swooping curves, it would not look out of place on Miami Beach. Nearby, the boxy minimalist Museu de Serralves. houses a permanent collection of modern art as well as visiting exhibitions.
2. Jardim Botânico do Porto
Rua do Campo Alegre 1191 • Open 9am–6pm Mon–Fri, 10am– 6pm Sat–Sun • mhnc.up.pt/jardim-botanico-do-porto/
The botanical gardens are a fabulous place to get away from the bustle of the city. Exotic and native Portuguese trees, shrubs and flowering plants flourish in the verdant setting of the historic Casa Andresen estate, while subtropical and desert flora are protected from the cooler climate in heated glasshouses.
Sculpture, Jardim Botânico do Porto
3. Casa da Música
This futuristic complex in the heart of Boavista is Porto’s prime venue for classical, opera, jazz and contemporary music (see Casa da Música). Home of the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, Porto’s national symphony orchestra, it also hosts visiting ensembles who come from far and wide to perform in its 1,300-seat concert hall. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the building opened in 2005. Inside, the VIP Room is adorned with specially commissioned vivid blue azulejo tiles, which pay homage to the 16th-century heyday of these typically Portuguese ceramics and the skilled artists who made them.
Modern glass interior, Casa da Música
4. Igreja de São Martinho de Cadofeita
Largo do Priorado • 222 000 635 • Open 5–7pm Tue–Fri and for services Sat & Sun
Although much less ornate than the grander places of worship in the historic centre, this modest church is a fascinating blend of ancient and modern styles. A church reportedly stood here as early as the 9th century AD. It was replaced in the late 11th century by a sturdy Romanesque edifice, retaining its original dome until modern times. The baptismal chapel and nave were destroyed by a fire in 2017 and have been rebuilt in a somewhat plain but light and airy modern manner that complements the original building.
5. Synagoge Kadoorie Mekor Haim and Jewish Museum
Rua de Guerra Junqueiro 328/340 • Synagogue: open for tours by appointment only; museum: open 9:30am–12:30pm & 2:30–5:30pm Sun–Fri • Adm • www.comunidade-israelita-porto.org/
The hidden history of Porto’s Jewish community is revealed in the small museum attached to this unique Jewish place of worship. The largest synagogue in Portugal and Spain, it opened in 1938 and was the life’s work of Artur Carlos de Barros Basto, a Portuguese military officer who rediscovered his Jewish roots and raised the funds for its construction.
6. Mercado Bom Sucesso
Praça Bom Sucesso 3 • Market: open 9am–8pm Mon–Sat; restaurants and bars: open 10am–11pm Sun–Thu, 10am–midnight Fri & Sat • www.mercadobomsucesso.pt
The food court in this hip neighbourhood social hub is the place to go for the best of gourmet snacking, with street food offerings from Porto and around the world. First built in the 1940s as a produce market, it is still packed with vendors selling fresh seafood, local fruit and vegetables, cured meats, cheeses and more.
Food stalls at the popular Mercado Bom Sucesso
7. Igreja Paroquial do Carvalhido
Praça do Exercito Libertador 52 • 964 428 375 • Open daily
The Carvalhido neighbourhood’s original parish church is a little gem despite its rather unassuming street-corner setting. Its twin towers frame the dazzling azulejo façade behind which is the vaulted interior.
8. Igreja de São Martinho de Lordelo
Rua das Condominhas 739 • 226 170 671 • Open daily
This simple church was begun in 1764 and stands on the site of a smaller 13th century chapel. Its left tower was not completed until 1867. and the azulejos which grace the lower walls of its Neo-Classical interior were added in 1888.
9. Cemitério de Agramonte
Rua de Agramonte • Open 8:30am–5pm daily • www.cm-porto.pt/cemiterios/cemiterio-de-agramonte
Ornate mausoleums erected for Porto’s plutocrats testify to the extraordinary wealth – and some might say vanity – of the city’s 19th-century elites. Leading sculptors of the time, including the great António Soares dos Reis, were commissioned to create some of these elaborate memorials. Unlike those of their wealthy counterparts, the coffins of the less prosperous were stacked in the warehouse-like Jazigo Municipal, a communal catacomb located near the main entrance to the cemetery.
Graves at Cemetitério de Agramonte
10. Rotunda da Boavista
Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque
This square, officially named after Portuguese soldier Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque (1855-1902), is more commonly known as Rotunda Boavista due to its round shape and the avenue of the same name that begins here. It is a busy little spot, and a popular meeting place for locals. A massive lion trampling an eagle surmounts the triumphal column in the centre of the circular park, symbolizing the expulsion of the French from Portugal and the final Anglo-Portuguese defeat of Napoleon’s invading armies during the Peninsular War (1808–14). The 45-m- (150-ft-) tall column, designed by the celebrated Porto architect José Marques da Silva and the Portuguese sculptor Alves de Sousa, took a total 42 years to build.
A DAY IN BOAVISTA
MORNING
Start the day with a one-hour guided tour of the Casa da Música to learn more about the inspiration for its cutting-edge architecture, the techniques used in its design and a demonstration of the fine acoustics of its auditorium. Pause for a coffee break at Bar Casa de Musica to enjoy a fine view over the city. Do not miss the azulejo tiles in the VIP Room. Then stroll down to the Mercado Bom Sucesso, where you can admire rainbow-coloured stacks of fruit and veg and glittering trays of fresh seafood in the produce market, and graze the food court for gourmet petiscos, sushi, salads, sandwiches and a glass or two of local vinho verde.
AFTERNOON
Head to Serralves to spend a couple of hours wandering around the complex’s lush landscaped gardens, admiring the quirky Art Deco style of the Casa de Serralves and taking in some of the modern sculptures dotted around the grounds, such as Angela Bulloch’s Heavy Metal Stack of Six, and Oldenburg and Van Bruggen’s witty Plantoir, a bright red copy of a gardener’s trowel. For dinner, Avenue da Boavista offers a wide choice of options, ranging from old-school grill taverns to contemporary restaurants. Churrasqueria São Francisco delights carnivores with a menu dominated by meat platters. Wind up the evening with a drink at the New Yorker Bar.
Bars and Cafés
1. Boémia Caffé
Ave da França 32 • 226 099 816 • Closed Sun
Fresh fruit salads, sticky chocolate mousse, rich hot chocolate and a choice of ten different teas and herbal tisanes are offered here.
2. The Dog
Rua de 5 Outobro 11 • 220 144 433 • Open noon–11pm Mon–Sat
Cachorros (puppies) – baguettes stuffed with sausage meat and melted cheese – are the signature snack at this cheerful café.
3. Arco-da-Velha
Travessa da Figueirôa 52 • 933 681 474 • Closed Sun
There is an extensive list of bottles at this affordable, and very popular, wine bar and bistro. A delicious variety of petiscos, cheese and charcuterie platters are also on the menu.
Arco-da-Velha bistro and wine bar
4. Casinha
Ave da Boavista 854 • 934 021 001
Billed as a boutique café, Casinha peddles delicious salads, sandwiches, pancakes, smoothies and indulgent puddings. There’s also a garden area.
5. New Yorker Bar
Sheraton Porto Hotel, Rue do Tenente Valadim 146 • 220 404 000
Fine wines and artisan ales are complemented by fancy nibbles in this hotel bar. Diners can sit in the pleasant garden terrace in the summer or lounge in the lobby bar if the weather isn’t pleasant.
6. Bar Casa da Música
Casa da Musica, Ave da Boavista 604 • 220 120 220
This bar atop the city’s ultramodern concert hall, with its rooftop terrace, is at its best as evening falls – it is a fabulous place to watch the sunset.
7. Urban Cicle Café
Praça do Bom Sucesso 18 • 220 981 308 • Open 8:30am–8pm Mon–Fri, 10am–8pm Sat
Man buns, hipster beards and Lycra shorts abound at this bike-centric café, but there is more: tasty artisan beers, fresh mixed salads, indulgent cakes and smoothies.
8. Bar Labirintho
Rua de Nossa Senhora de Fátima 334 • 919 701 490
This aptly named bar and arts centre is indeed a three-dimensional maze of quirkily-themed rooms over many floors. Head for the patio in summer.
9. Ponto Dois
Ave da França 202 • 919 257 911 • Closed Sun
The homely smell of fresh baking and warm dough wafts through this smartly Cubist space, where sweet and savoury sandwiches are on offer.
10. Dickens
Ave da Boavista 901 • 221 107 805 • Open noon–2am daily
There is nothing very English (or Portuguese) about this brew-pub. That said, it serves a great range of craft beers.
Restaurants
1. Churrasqueria São Francisco
Ave da Boavista 1044 • 226 007 367 • Closed Mon • €
For meat-eaters, there is nothing not to love about this restaurant, which caters to local tastes, with grilled chicken, pork and meat platters.
2. Rosa do Porto
Rua 15 de Novembre 23 • 222 421 209 • Closed Sun • €
The menu here is firmly traditional, featuring well-liked dishes such as bolinhos de bacalhau (cod fishcakes)and caldo verde (vegetable soup).
3. Grelhador da Boavista
Rua da Meditação 39 • 226 091 440 • €
Barbecue-grilled pork, alheira sausages, squid and prawns are the signature dishes on the well-priced menu at this unpretentious eatery.
4. Restaurante Universal
Rua de Anibal Cunha 252 • 962 818 424 • Closed Sun • €
This plain and simple restaurant is renowned for its filling francesinha sandwiches and generous portions.
5. Restaurante Casa da Música
Ave da Boavista 604 • 220 107 160 • Closed Sun • €€
The bright modern setting of the Casa da Música’s restaurant is matched by a contemporary menu.
6. Casa Agrícola
Rua Bom Sucesso 241 • 226 053 350 • €€
White linen, glittering glassware and polished dark wood provide a grand setting for a sophisticated Portuguese menu at this upscale restaurant, which features seafood dishes such as monkfish tournedos, grilled octopus and tiger prawns flambé.
Exterior of Casa Agrícola
7. Mendi
Ave da Boavista 1430 • 226 091 200 • Closed Sun • €
Meat and vegetable pakoras, and tandoori and kebab dishes dominate the menu at this vegetarian-friendly South Asian eatery.
8. Em Carne Viva
Ave da Boavista 868 • 932 353 722 • Closed Sun • €€
The gourmet meat-free menu here is a blessing for vegetarians in a city (and country) where they are not always well catered for.
9. Restaurante Essencia
Rua de Pedro Hispano 1190 • 228 301 813 • Closed Sun • €
Catering for all tastes, Essencia offers a menu that ranges from meat-free curries to baked cod and prawn risottos, all served in a sleek modern setting.
10. Somos Restaurante & Lounge
Ave da Boavista 1466 • 226 072 552 • €€€
This smart contemporary restaurant serves meat dishes, including huge ribeye and entrecôte steaks from rare-breed Portuguese cattle.