Coming in all shapes and forms, with hundreds of different recipes you can use (pomodoro, bolognese or pesto, just to name a few) pasta has to be one of the most eclectic and well-loved ingredients in the World. As such, our beautiful city wouldn’t be complete without its very own extensive array of restaurants that serve pasta. We might not be renowned for cooking it but we sure love eating it, so you can trust us on this one!
HERE ARE 5 RESTAURANTS THAT SERVE DELICIOUS PASTA IN PORTO
PORTAROSSA
Photo courtesy of: Grupo Cafeina
Cooking pasta is a form of art, but doing so while creating a sophisticated ambiance that transports you to Little Italy: that’s a whole new ball game! Portarossa is a classical Italian restaurant with a Portuguese twist, located in one of Porto’s most elegant and premium residential areas – the Foz district. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, why not give it a go at their delicious ravioli stuffed with alheira (a local sausage very much appreciated in Portugal), mushrooms and tomatoes? It’s a way to keep it local! With a very respectable wine list and all the spaghetti, tagliatelle, linguini and gnocchi options one hopes to find, this restaurant is a must for any visitor looking for an Italian experience in Porto. Portarossa is open every day during lunch (12h30pm – 3h30pm) and dinner times (7h30pm – 00h30am).
READ ALSO: 10 Must Go To Restaurants in Foz (Porto)
MAZA PASTA BAR
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
If you want to eat delicious pasta in a healthy and guilt free manner, we recommend a visit to Maza Pasta Bar at Porto’s Food Corner: a restaurant gallery located next to Santa Catarina and close to Bolhão – two of the city’s main tourist attractions. With prices starting at 5,20€ and several different pasta dishes to choose from, this has to be part of the gastro itinerary of any budget-oriented visitor! Their daily pasta menu, which includes coffee and a drink, will set you back only 5,95€ and is available from Sunday to Thursday both at lunch and dinner times. What are you waiting for? Maza Pasta Bar is open every day and serves between noon and midnight.
Rua do Ateneu Comercial do Porto
READ ALSO: 5 Places To Grab Some Delicious Cheap Pizza In Porto
LA FONTANA
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
You can’t go wrong with an Italian chef – who is also a doctor btw – and uses nothing but the freshest ingredients straight from Italy! Yep, at La Fontana the management makes every effort to ensure your experience is as authentic as it can be! Their executive lunch menu has a different dish every day and costs only 9,5€. Better yet? This accessible menu includes an appetizer, the main dish (well, duh!), dessert and purified water. What’s not to love about their cucina tipica italiana? (Insert Italian hand gesture). La Fontana is open from Wednesday to Monday, during meal times (noon-3pm at lunch; and 7pm-11:30pm at dinner).
READ ALSO: Here are the Absolute Best Cheese and Presunto Platters in Porto
IL FORNAIO 178
Photo courtesy of: Il Fornaio 178
Someone said “people who love to eat are always the best people” and we couldn’t agree more. At Il Fornaio 178, your foodie experience will certainly be enhanced by the elegant and sophisticated atmosphere around you. The restaurant is illuminated with soft dim lights and the dining room is absolutely charming (they even managed to have a tree inside – yes, a tree!), oozing so much romance that you’ll want to recreate the iconic Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene! Intimate cozy atmosphere and some damn good pasta – here’s a good way to impress your better half! Il Fornaio 178 is open from Tuesday to Sunday during lunch (noon-3pm) and dinner (8pm-11pm) times.
READ ALSO: 3 Best Pizza Places in Porto
A DESPENSA
Photo courtesy of: A Despensa
Now for our last pasta-bility on this list! Wanna see globalization in full swing? Picture an Italian chef that used to live in Madrid, before marrying a Portuguese lady and living in Saudi Arabia. That’s right – this is just a very summarized sample of the history behind A Despensa. A mix of cultures and influences, A Despensa presents itself as (well, probably) the only Italian restaurant in Porto that doesn’t serve pizza! Instead, their menu offers customers a rich and mouth watering experience with fusion dishes and plenty of pastas. If you have a refined palate, don’t miss out on the beautiful Penne Brecciolino – served with black truffle (15€). A Despensa is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm.
Rua Conde de Vizela, 141, Porto
And that’s a wrap-up! Are there other restaurants in Porto serving amazing pasta?
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Pasta la vista baby!
