Beyond the Barrel Was Beyond Fantastic For This Solo Traveler! - What a great value and an unforgettable experience! Magalie was so very warm and charming. By the end of the tour, Magalie had us feeling like old friends. During the entire tour she explained everything we were eating, gave us choices, explained local history, and helped us with a map to show the sources of our foods. We started at 2pm meeting at a town square next to a vintage red phone booth. The instructions were very clear and precise for the meeting point. We went across the street to taste olive oil, then cheeses and a spicy pumpkin jam with port in a locals market. It was filled with local atmosphere and fascinating aromas and a feast for the eyes with all the antique cabinets filled with dry goods and cases of enormous hanging dried cod and baskets of fruits and sundries in the narrow space. It was very welcoming. Next we went to a restaurant that appeared to be closed and entered a plain basement dining room packed with locals celebrating together. A table was set aside for us and there were a few others there. We had scrumptious fried sardines, hearty stew with beans, tripe, sausages, and lord knows what else. It was delicious, but I realized that I am still not a fan of tripe. Magalie asked us up front if we wanted to try it. She would have ordered something else if we had not. There was also a flavorful soupy rice and some fish that went on that, I think. It was a very lively atmosphere! Again, it felt authentically local. Next we went to a large bakery. We had three small pastries. One had a very interesting filling of some sort of candied squash or something. It was delicious. The atmosphere there was a little commercial but the coffee was excellent. Then we went to the large market in Porto and tasted canned sardines. She asked the group how we wanted them prepared. We chose spicy with tomato and olive oil. They were beautifully plated before us by the merchant who clearly took pride in her work. They were heavenly. Please leave any preconceived notions of canned fish or sardines in general at home. The market was vibrant even on a rainy day. I'm so glad it was on the stop. Then to a narrow alley which felt very mysterious. And suddenly we were in a locals' establishment overrun with the FC Porto colors. We had a hearty, perfect for the weather slices of cured meat, a dark bread, and cod fritters that were a million times better than the ones I had a fancy hotel restaurant the night before. Filled with cod, not filled with filler! Then we went to a bustling restaurant for the Cachorrinho (a sort of Portuguese hot dog, but so much better). This is the second location of a place made famous by Anthony Bourdain in one of his shows. I had watched the episode, so I was thrilled this was on the list. This is the second location and, despite their fame, they charge incredibly modest prices for exceptional food. I went back the next day!!! The fries and Super Bock beer are also a must to go with it. Finally, we went to a Brazilian cafe for dessert and some wine, port, lemon water. The choice of dessert and beverage were up to us. It was so brilliant I didn't want it to end. It takes a special person to bring a group of strangers together and Magalie did that exceptionally well. The restaurants/markets were varied and thoughtfully chosen. I would recommend this tour for beginners as some of the tours in Porto can be very challenging with the hills and walking distances. This would be a solid choice for those with mobility issues, though there are stairs. (I think with sufficient notice, this tour company could accommodate any needs, physical or dietary. But some things are just the way Portugal is: old streets, not a lot of vegetarian options.) This was compact, but lacked nothing even though everything was very close together. I felt we had been in many different neighborhoods of different cultures and traditions within Porto. This was my second trip with Culinary Backstreets and I am going to plan future trips around where their tours are located. They are just that good. My gracious thanks to Magalie and the entire Culinary Backstreets team for the rare experience of making this solo traveler feel deeply welcomed.

Wonderful Food Tour in Porto - Our food tour was absolutely wonderful, thanks to our guide, Carine. She was incredibly knowledgeable about Porto’s food culture and brought the city’s culinary scene to life. Her recommendations were delicious, and she was engaging, approachable, and a pleasure to talk with. We learned so much about Porto—its food, history, and traditions—while sampling a wide variety of foods and drinks. Best of all, the tour was not only informative but also great fun. My husband especially loved Gazela, while Salmo was my favorite, though every stop offered something special. We were truly delighted with the experience and would wholeheartedly recommend this tour to others.

Fantastic food tour with Mariana - What a great day out and about in Porto with Mariana. Really enjoyed the small group atmosphere across the day. Mariana was a fantastic guide and I enjoyed the mix of information from historical, to cultural to personal food stories about food and wine and how that all interweaves. Mariana is extremely personable and gets to know everyone on the tour would highly recommend

Excellent food and wine tour of Porto - A great tour. We got a lot of different types of experiences, from an old-fashioned shop selling wine, cheese and other foods, through a restaurant, a workers' bar and a cafe, ending in a very trendy bar/cafe/. I really apprecated that range. We also got to taste a lot of interesting food and drinks. Our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable about the food and wine, the city of Porto, including some of the more unusual aspects of its history in the tour, which we would never have experienced otherwise. I cannot recommend it more highly.

Perfect Start to our Trip to Porto! - We booked the Beyond the Barrel: From Decadent to Down-home in the Heart of Porto tour for our first full day in the city and couldn’t have chosen better. It was the perfect introduction to Porto’s food culture and history. We loved the mix of traditional venues and newer spots that truly showcased the city. One thing we appreciated most is that Culinary Backstreets clearly builds real relationships with the owners and teams at each stop. The restaurants and shops featured felt thoughtfully chosen through their own research rather than popularity or social media trends. Our guide, Marcel, was fantastic—knowledgeable, passionate about food and travel, and genuinely enjoyable to spend several hours with. The experience felt personal, immersive, and incredibly delicious. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to understand Porto through its food.

Outstanding Porto walk - Loved this tour. A great way to get to know Porto a little bit and try some of the local specialties. Our guide was superb and continued to give us recommendations and advice even after the tour was over. I even got tours on the best places to find Porto’s 4 essential sandwiches on my own. I highly recommend this tour and this company in general.

Open your palette and enjoy!! So Yummy! - Absolutely an amazing experience! Our tour guide was the best. She was very knowledgeable and very helpful. At the end I could not fit one more bite. Totally worth it!

Great intro to Porto - This was an amazing tour, I am thrilled I booked it. More than great food, we got a bit of history and great insider tips. Highly recommend it.

Insights into Porto - The perfect introduction to Porto! Our guide enthusiastically introduced us to a variety of amazing food whilst also sharing information about this beautiful city. Each destination on the tour was superb with fantastic food and a unique setting. As always, a Culinary Backstreet tour is the perfect introduction to a city - we highly recommend.

Highly recommend - Bruno was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable- we had the chance to explore some very different neighbourhoods off the tourist areas.