3 Best Restaurants in Northern Portugal, Portugal

Founded in 1954, this oceanfront restaurant is one of the most traditional in Espinho. There's an enormous variety of fresh seafood ready to be grilled, boiled, or roasted in the oven, as well as bacalhau and various fish stews and rice dishes. Many are large enough to be split between two diners. Customers who want meat can choose between dishes such as roast veal or kid—or there's tripe and bean stew, in case you didn't get enough of that in Porto.

In a renovated mansion near the waterfront, this eatery is a prime destination for seafood: start with fish soup or sapateira recheada (stuffed crab) and continue with main dishes such as polvo com azeite e alho (octopus with olive oil and garlic) or the unusual house bacalhau, which is fried and stuffed with bacon. Desserts include a pudim de Abade de Priscos (an especially rich crème caramel pudding) that some say is the best in the country.

In a former railroad warehouse by Régua station, Castas e Pratos is the first and best of a row of eateries to move into the long, timber structure. Snack on the first floor at a high table or climb the wooden stairs to the large mezzanine for a sit-down meal; the sophisticated flavors and presentation are sure to delight you. You could start with a ceviche of tuna, shrimp and sea bass, or a seared scallop with pea purée, then move on to delicately flavored brill with cockle rice, or one of the delicious slow-cooked meat dishes, such as veal cheeks. There are always tasty vegan options, too. For dessert, "O Ovo" (The Egg) hatches a sweet surprise. There are some 650 wines to choose from, the vast majority from the Douro, including local bubbly.