Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Previous issues for Porto

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Portugal : Porto - November 2009

Country Code: Dial 1 for Portugal

Late autumn is a good time to visit Porto, as chestnut roasters do a brisk trade on the streets and shop windows fill with festive bargains. And for those visiting between 16 and 22 November, Frame Research (fabricademovimentos.pt) brings contemporary dance and dance videos to various venues around the city. Paul Blaney investigates

Getting around

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport

Bus: The 601 bus runs to the city centre every half hour, the 602 runs every 15 minutes. The journey takes about an hour and tickets cost €1.30.
Train: The metro runs into the airport terminal and takes 25 minutes to reach the city centre. Tickets cost €1.35. Trains run from 6.00am to 1.00am.
Taxi: A taxi to the town centre costs about €20 and will take approximately 20 minutes.
Tourist information: 25 Rua Clube dos Fenianos (tel.//, www.visitportugal.com).

RIBEIRA (PORTO & GAIA)

This district of cobbled alleys, bars and restaurants runs along both the north (Porto) and south (Gaia) banks of the River Douro.

Culture vultures – The Museu do Carro Eléctrico (Alameda Basilio Teles), based in an old switching house, has a nostalgic collection of old trams and memorabilia. Admission includes an Andante Transport card, which can be charged up and used for tram, bus, metro and funicular railway journeys.

Must eat – The pair of cosy dining rooms at Restaurante Fish Fixe (9 Cais da Ribeira, tel. ) open right onto the river. Anything that ever made its home in the Atlantic is guaranteed fresh here, plus there’s a top local wine list.

Must drink – Bar Ribeira Negra (66-68 Rua Fonte Taurina) is right in the hectic heart of Ribeira and open till 2am every night of the week. A party atmosphere is stoked by live (mostly rock) music.

BAIXA

Downtown Porto is made for exploring on foot, with art deco cafés, cheap eats and many of the city’s architectural highlights.

Sleep soundly – Go on, indulge yourself with an opulent evening at the boutique Hotel Infante Sagres (62 Praça D. Filipa de Lencastre, tel. , hotelinfantesagres. pt, rooms from €200).

Must eat – Itamae (216 Rua Miguel Bombarda) is the city’s best Japanese restaurant, with superb sushi. Now you can dine alfresco too, surrounded by trees, sculptures and paintings in a landscaped garden.

Must drink – Breyner85 (85 Rua do Breiner) is a creative concept: a bar, an art gallery, a music school and a recording studio, all under one roof.

Shop til you drop – Retrato do que Vejo (415 Rua do Almada) has stylish, affordable clothes and urban craft pieces, as well as an atelier where you can have an outfit tailor-made to your personal design.

BOAVISTA

This high-end commercial district is home to the state-ofthe- art Casa da Música, as well as to Porto’s “second” football team.

Culture vultures – The Serralves art gallery and gardens (210 Rua D. João de Castro) has just unveiled a novel attraction in the shape of Claes Oldenburg’s big red trowel.

Must eat – Costume Villa (383 Rua São João de Brito, tel. ) is one very chic restaurant together with a wine bar for pre-dinner drinks.

Must drink – Another stylish Porto hybrid, Labirinto (334 Rua Nossa Senhora da Fátima) is a barcum- art gallery with a lively, diverse crowd: old and young, straight and gay.

Shop til you drop – Oito em Ponto (1378 Rua de Tânger) is a temple to the latest in interior design, a place to find stylish Christmas gifts.

FOZ/MATOSINHOS

Watch the Atlantic waves roll in from the safety of beachside bars and industrial-cool clubs.

Sleep soundly – When it comes to getting some sea air, you won’t do better than the venerable Hotel Boa Vista (58 Esplanada do Castelo, tel. , hotelboavista.com, rooms from €100) at the mouth of the River Douro.

Must eat – Open all hours, Supless (484 Avenida Serpa Pinto, tel. ) ticks just about every box for healthy eating. The grocery section boasts a traditional bakery, while the café and restaurant are good for a hearty breakfast or organic snack.

Must drink – Curious that Bonaparte (128 Avenida do Brasil), a warm and cosy, English-style bar, should be so famous for its caipirinhas and mojitos – still, mustn’t grumble!

Shop til you drop – Stop in at 66 Avenida Brasil (66 Avenida Brasil) for haute couture and French perfumes, CDs and coffeetable books. You can sip a coffee while you browse.

Compiled by Paul Blaney