The 13 best Italian restaurants in Porto

There’s nothing like a real Neapolitan pizza. Antonio Mezzero is the pizzaiolo in charge of the masterpieces coming out of the wood-burning oven in this Matosinhos joint, which was previously known as Pulcinella. It’s tiny and traditional, even down to the red-and-white check tablecloths. And then there are the great pizzas, made according to Neapolitan rules: thin crust, thicker rim, quality toppings. Take our advice and order the Generale, with mozzarella di bufala. If you want some good Parma ham, order the Zíngara. You’ll need to book, btw.

Take one of Porto’s most beautiful views, then add the area’s best pizzas and the result has to be a success story, right? Italian-born Maria Paola Porru’s Casa D’Oro includes a restaurant and a pizzeria. The upstairs pizzeria is a lot more relaxed than the more formal restaurant. There are plenty of Italian specialities to enjoy here, from the popular diavola pizza to the ossobuco alla milanese. And that river view is perfect for date night!

This is yet another project by brothers Tiago and Hélio Sequeira, owners of Taxca e Travesso, in Baixa. Bonifacio's menu is developed by chef Pedro Braga, where fresh pastas and wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas are in the spotlight. Just don't miss the tiramisù, plated right in front of you at your table (a TikTok favourite). 

Il Basilico got a big ol' refurbishment after the pandemic, and now shines with light wood, cushions, neutral colours and greenery. Start with focaccia, bruschetta, minestrone or steak tartare, before moving onto pasta, pizza and meat. Oh, and don't forget pudding; the tiramisù, the panacotta and the hazelnut ice-cream are to die for. 

Pasta and risotto shines on the menu at Il Ristorantino, an Italian restaurant in the centre of Matosinhos. Gaetano Barone, the owner, has worked in the kitchens of Pulcini, Il Pizzaiolo and La Fontana since he arrived in Portugal (that's a very, very good sign, by the way). 

This Italian-inspired restaurant is found in Foz do Douro, next to Portarossa. With an open-plan kitchen and terrace, Lucrécia's main focus is on stuffed artisan pastas, cheeses and charcuterie from small, local producers, but you'll find delicious wood-fired pizza and classic dishes too. 

Portugal’s first mozzarella bar was opened in Porto’s city centre by chef Luís Américo. There are several varieties of the cheese on offer: fresh, bocconcini (ball-shaped, with a little more texture) and affumicata (smoked). You’re encouraged to mix and match mozzarella varieties with vegetables such as purple leaf lettuce, Italian chicory or green lollo lettuce, and Italian deli stuff like Parma ham. If that sounds like a lot of hard work, there are also set dishes, such as chilled tomato cream with burrata, olive oil and basil, or the layered courgette with affumicata mozzarella, pepper jam and boiled pear. Cheese! Sorry, cheers!

Okra, the latest venture from the people behind Flow and Mistu, focuses mainly on wood-fired pizzas. Which means there's a good variety to try, such as the Pato & Radicchio with smoked duck, radicchio, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and parmesan, and the Cogumelos & Queijo de Cabra with mushrooms, goat's cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, roasted cauliflower, thyme and truffle powder. Before the pizza, order the roast pumpkin salad with burrata, honey, rosemary and romaine lettuce or the baked egg with ricotta, nduja, mushrooms and gorgonzola foam. If you still have room, try the ricotta semifreddo with figs, orange and crunchy spices or the 70% chocolate mousse with Frangelico cream, biscuit and hazelnut fudge. To drink, grab a signature cocktails or a sangria. 

At the Italian chef's restaurant in Matosinhos, you can devour pizzas without guilt. Ingredients at Sergio Crivelli are fresh and organic, and there's great gluten-free options too. But be warned: you'll have a tough time deciding between pasta and pizza. 

This is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, no doubt. From pizzas to antipasti, there's something for everyone at Portarossa, where you should start your meal with smoked tomato cream and then move on to the pizzas. Our favourite is the rustic one, made in a wood-fired oven with tomatoes, mozzarella, sprouts, sausage and an egg. If you still have room for dessert, go wild and get the  nutella calzone with banana, or a classic panna cotta and choose one of the four sauces available.

From Muti's 400º oven, Neapolitan pizzas are born with a thick edge and a thinner centre, full of ingredients straight from Italy. Get the classic Margherita or Marinara, and some of their own creations, such as the Muti, with fior di latte, basil, olive oil, burrata, organic Parma ham and pink pepper, and the Picaria, with buffalo mozzarella, asparagus, spicy salami, basil, olive tapenade and olive oil.

There's not a lot of Neopolitan pizza in Porto, but it's beginning to make a name for itself. A cracking example is Il Pizzaiolo, which has opened in one of the busiest streets in the city centre, in the place of the old 3C. We recommend the Diavolina, with tomato sauce, mozzarella and spicy salami, the Il Pizzaiolo, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, burrata, speck and chilli, and the Napoli with anchovies and capers. 

Tartar di manzo and buffalo burrata, nduja and ricotta pasta, risotto carbonara, and many, many Neapolitan pizzas (the house speciality) make Il Fornaio 178 what it is. Go for the Nduja e Burrata, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, nduja, caramelised red onion, rocket and burrata, or the Stracciatella e Quattro Pomodori, with buffalo stracciatella, tomatoes, Parma ham, basil and olive oil.