Give this a try
Check out Porto nightlife – the fantastic bar and club scene in the city’s happening old town in the central areas of Rua Candido dos Reis, Aliados and Clérigos. And don’t forget the beach area at Foz, fantastic for a warm summer evening of drinks with a sea breeze.
For nightlife and drinking you could hardly find a better candidate for “Europe’s Most Awesome” than Porto. (You might say “Oporto” – the anglicized version. “Porto” it is to the “Portuenses” themselves, though you’ll find that either works fine and – what’s an “o” between friends!) .
Porto is second to none for its tradition of wine-drinking and wine-exporting(that’s what all those wine barges are about). Remember Porto pretty much single-handedly kept UK wine-moppers noses red for centuries, and many say that’s what fed the Enlightenment. They really knew how to shift it in the 18th century.
But, if you prefer to leave Port drinking to your aunty at Christmas, don’t worry, Porto is not all about Port. There is, in fact, no more unfair a cliché, as most of the local barflies would attest. They, bless ’em, hardly ever sip those fortified port wines, instead preferring one of the other fantastic wines that come from this region (or beer or cocktails).
In the hub of Porto’s nightlife you’ll find plenty of craft beers, splendid and reasonably-priced red and white wines, and creative cocktails like the Brazilian-Portuguese fruity favela fave Caipirinha. And why not participate in the Portuguese beer derby? Well, as you are no doubt aware, the rivalry between the cities of Porto and capital Lisbon (boo, hiss, pish…) is nowhere livelier than…well, first and foremost on the football pitch, when FC Porto play Benfica or Sporting Lisbon. But, and we are assured this is not just in our livelier guides’ most fertile (and tipsiest) imagination Super Bock is the Porto beer and Sagres that of the southern softies.
Book an organised Porto bar crawl here with The Spain Event
Bars, nightlife, clubbing all happens late in Porto and often out on the streets (which we think is fab, and IS fab except if you live on the balcony above!). We recommend nightclubs suck as Plano B (at Candido Dos reis), Boulevard (on Aliados) or Eskada. It all happens late in those clubs and it’s a laid back and friendly atmosphere. Dress the part, because you won’t get in with flip flops and shorts!
The Portuguese beer derby rivalry: Super Bock is the Porto beer and Sagres that of the southern softies.
