Barcarola - Costa Cabral | Francesinha Restaurant - Porto — Restaurant in Porto

I decided to visit this restaurant during the week, following a recommendation from some colleagues, to try a good francesinha. I didn’t make a reservation and arrived before 8 PM, so luckily it was easy to get a table just for myself. That said, I’d definitely recommend booking ahead on weekends, as it’s likely to get much busier around dinner time.

I went with the "Francesinha Clássica com Ovo", although the house special - the "Francesinha à Barcarola" - caught my eye (I’ll save that one for next time). I placed my order with one of the waiters, all of whom were extremely friendly and helpful, and within five minutes, it was already on the table.

The portion size is standard, but it’s honestly the most well-filled francesinha I’ve ever had. It had all the essential elements that make this dish what it is: tender steak, mortadella, cured pork, ham, fresh sausage, linguiça, cheese, and of course - a fried egg on top.

The fries seemed homemade - crispy and just the right portion for one person. They’re not included in the dish price and cost an extra €1.95.

The sauce ties everything together beautifully. It’s rich, spicy, slightly thick, with a brownish tone, and makes you crave a drink alongside. One of the waiters even brought me more sauce without me asking - and didn’t charge for it. A great touch!

To go with the francesinha, I naturally chose a beer - a Belgian draft beer (Cuvée des Trolls, 25 cl). They also offer German Paulaner on tap, and of course, Super Bock, including the Stout version.

To end the meal, I picked a "Cheesecake de Frutos Vermelhos" from their dessert selection - and it was really good!

For the price of the francesinha (€12.60, plus the fries), this is a very solid and tasty option. If you're a fan of francesinhas, I definitely recommend...

Mixed feelings about this place - waiter was very friendly and their Franceshina was good. Except the bread was mouldy at the corner which I only realised halfway through eating. The waiter apologised, and the meal was free (which in fairness I wouldn’t have expected less). A real shame as the taste was good but it was of course, ruined. Locals seem to eat here (of course as it’s not a tourist area) and to be honest I’m less bothered by the mould and more about how fresh their ingredients are and general hygiene standards. The only reason it’s not 1 star is because of the service. Restaurants need to have impeccable standards and unfortunately...

A great place and a great atmosphere to try local dishes. We ended up here through a recommendation from the hotel staff. We tried the chef's specialities as well as a traditional Portuguese cuisine item. Very clean and comfortable, service at a good level. One, very big minus from the general assessment is serving us at the entrance (before we managed to take seats at the indicated table) two starters, which we thought we got "from the kitchen" to kill the first hunger, then when paying for everything it turned out that it is paid - we were not informed about it at all, very poor and unpleasant behaviour looking from the side...