Must-see nightlife in The Douro & Trás-os-Montes

  • Prova

    Ribeira

    Diogo, the passionate owner, explains the finer nuances of Portuguese wine at this chic, stone-walled bar, where relaxed jazz plays. Stop by for a two…

  • Terraplana garden

    Terraplana

    Porto

    Totally relaxed and boho-cool without trying, Terraplana is the bar of the moment in this neck of Porto. Murals adorn the artsy, stone-walled interior,…

  • 7G Roaster

    Vila Nova de Gaia

    The baristas really know their stuff at this speciality coffee roasters. In the cool, monochrome, wood-floored space, you can sip a perfectly made…

  • Aduela

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Retro and hip but not self-consciously so, chilled Aduela bathes in the nostalgic orange glow of its glass lights, which illuminate the green walls and…

  • Capela Incomum

    Capela Incomum

    Miragaia

    Tucked down a backstreet off the shopping street Rua de Cedofeita, this 19th-century chapel was reborn as a classy two-storey wine bar in 2016 when owner…

  • Letraria beer portrait

    Letraria

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Craft beer bars are springing up all over Porto, but Letraria is a standout for its uber-chilled beer garden. Around half of the 20 or so beers on tap are…

  • Moustache exterior portrait

    Moustache

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Ease into the day gently or wind it out over drinks and mellow beats at this urban-cool cafe with cultural edge. The armchairs are perfect for dawdling…

  • 360º Terrace Lounge

    Vila Nova de Gaia

    From its perch atop the Espaço Porto Cruz, this decked terrace affords expansive views over both sides of the Douro and the city, fading into a hazy…

  • Era uma Vez em Paris

    Aliados & Bolhão

    A little flicker of bohemian Parisian flair in the heart of Porto, Era uma Vez em Paris time warps you back to the more decadent 1920s. Its ruby-red walls…

  • Wine Quay Bar

    Ribeira

    Sunset is prime-time viewing on the terrace of this terrific wine bar by the Rio Douro. As you gaze across to the graceful arc of the Ponte Dom Luís I and…

  • Pinguim Café

    Miragaia

    A little bubble of bohemian warmth in the heart of Porto, Pinguim attracts an alternative crowd. Stone walls and dim lighting create a cosy, intimate…

  • Mirajazz

    Miragaia

    Up the steep flight of steps from the river is one of the finest roof terraces in Porto: Mirajazz. Sunset is prime time for sipping a porto tónico or a…

  • Armazém da Cerveja

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Riding the craft beer wave that is currently so big in Porto, this new bar has 70 brews on offer (tripping the globe from Belgium to the States). A house…

  • Portologia

    Ribeira

    This cosy wine bar is an excellent place to sample the fine quaffs of Porto, with over 200 different ports on offer. If you fall in love with a certain…

  • Praia da Luz

    Foz do Douro

    A worthwhile stop when out exploring Porto’s coastline. It rambles over tiered wooden decks to its own private rocky cove, and while you could probably…

  • La Bohème

    Aliados & Bolhão

    With a high-ceilinged, Scandi-style pine interior, La Bohème is one of the most stylish, intimate bars on Rua Galeria de Paris. It’s a nicely chilled…

  • Bonaparte Downtown

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Lanterns cast a warm glow across the cosy, knick-knack-crammed, wood-heavy interior at this pleasingly relaxed number, which morphs from a low-key spot to…

  • Cervejaria do Carmo exterior

    Cervejaria do Carmo

    Aliados & Bolhão

    With around 100 types of beer sourced from Portuguese and international producers, you won’t go thirsty at this boutique watering hole. Better still, it’s…

  • ARCA exterior 2

    ARCA Pub

    Aliados & Bolhão

    ARCA is a groovy pub on the fringe of Porto’s tourist centre that’s well worth a venture. In contrast to Porto’s many artisanal bars offering Portuguese…

  • Wanderlust exterior

    Wanderlust Coffee Lab

    Porto

    A glass façade creates a bright and airy space that leads a blended existence as a cafe and bookshop with an art gallery downstairs. Choose from…

  • Bali-Hai interior

    Bali-Hai Polynesian Bar

    Porto

    This wacky Polynesian bar is a backstreet treasure tucked away from the main tourist drag near the Lapa metro station. Portuguese tradition is left at the…

  • BOP interior

    BOP

    Aliados & Bolhão

    This cosy cafe and bar gets its groove on by spinning records from the 2500-strong collection lined up behind the bar. Serving up single-origin pour-over…

  • Espiga

    Espiga

    Miragaia

    Espiga is a cultural hub in Porto that blends food and drink with art and education. As a space to fuel the imagination, the cafe/bar/gallery hosts…

  • Museu d’Avó

    Aliados & Bolhão

    The name translates as 'Grandmother's Museum' and indeed it's a gorgeous rambling attic of a bar, crammed with cabinets, old clocks, azulejos and…

  • Bar do Hostel

    The Douro

    Attached to the Hostel des Arts, this vibrantly decorated bar serves a full lineup of coffee, local wines and mixed drinks to a young and artsy crowd…

  • Café Majestic

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Yes, we know, it's pricey and rammed with tourists brandishing selfie sticks, but you should at least have a drink at Café Majestic just so you can gawp…

  • Dick's Bar

    Vila Nova de Gaia

    With a private-member's-club feel, Dick's is a class act at the Yeatman, with plush sofas for conversing, live music between 9.30pm and midnight from…

  • Wine Box

    Ribeira

    Wine crates turn the interior into quite a feature at this uber-hip, black-walled wine bar, with a good buzz and some 450 (at the last count) wines on the…

  • Forte São João Baptista

    The Douro

    The best party spot in Vila do Conde: think mighty, seasonal, blinged-out electronica throw-downs with international DJs, Bedouin tents, spinning disco…

  • Base

    Aliados & Bolhão

    On sunny days and warm nights, beeline to Base – one of Porto’s coolest open-air bars, perched amid the olive trees of the Passeio dos Clérigos urban park…

  • The Wall

    Aliados & Bolhão

    With backlit walls featuring a 3D cubist artwork of spirit bottles, high ceilings and a funky world map of names, the Wall has a dash of the urban…

  • Gulden Draak – BierHuis Porto

    Aliados & Bolhão

    A long polished wooden bar, backlit walls lined with bottles, and intimate booths for quaffing and conversing await at this new Belgian-style beerhouse…

  • Esplanada do Teleférico

    Vila Nova de Gaia

    From its hilltop perch just above the Teleférico, this glass-fronted bar makes the most of the sensational views of Ponte de Dom Luís I and Ribeira across…

  • Baixa Bar

    Aliados & Bolhão

    With its curving walls and mirrored room, this retro-chic bar is decadent and daring when it comes to its zesty craft cocktails, such as the palate…

  • Duas de Letra

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Artsy cafe overlooking a leafy square, with a low-key vibe, wooden ceilings, an exhibition space upstairs with rotating exhibits, and two patios. The…

  • Café au Lait

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Housed in a former textile warehouse, this narrow, intimate bar now stitches together a lively and unpretentious artistic crowd. Besides cocktails, there…

  • Galeria de Paris

    Aliados & Bolhão

    The original on the strip that's now synonymous with the Porto party scene, this whimsically decorated spot has toys, thermos flasks, old phones and other…

  • Café Candelabro

    Aliados & Bolhão

    Cool cafe-bar in a former bookstore, with a boho crowd and a retro vibe featuring black-and-white mosaic tile floors, bookcases with old books and…

  • Indústria

    Foz do Douro

    This basement club – owned by Antonio Pereira (aka DJ Vibe) and his girlfriend, Portugal celebrity Merche Romero – was re-modelled and still serves up…

  • Piolho D'ouro

    Miragaia

    Old school, still cool, and crazy popular on weekends when college kids pack the communal tables, lean against thick columns, and sip cold, cheap draughts…