Whenever I write a whole bunch of review drafts while I'm on vacation, the last couple are always the hardest to get around to finishing... so this is now a review from almost half a year ago. But given they opened in 1896, I have a feeling they haven't changed *too* much since late January... Anyway, I got here a little after 11 AM, for lunch - it was already pretty busy, even that early. When you walk in, there's a bakery side with an astonishing array of grab and go pastries, both savory and sweet. I wished I could have tried way more of them than I had the chance to, only having so much room, and only being in Porto long enough to visit here once, and mainly for a sit-down meal, specifically, to try their francesinha (though I did get some to-go stuff for me and my wife to try later in the day as a snack, and for breakfast the following morning). I was a little nervous when I saw a sign that said the "restaurant" didn't open until noon, but it turns out while they have a slightly less chaotic upstairs for sit-down service that opens at noon, they also have sit-down service in the back half of the main downstairs space. Despite being quite busy, I had no issues ordering quickly after sitting down, nor getting said orders quickly after ordering. I also liked that, rather than having to wait for a check at the end, when you order, they hand you a card with your check balance, then you pay at the front before leaving, after adding any pastries you're getting from the bakery side. So the francesinha I was most specifically there for, was... a gold standard drowned sandwich. The one I had here was the first version I'd tried, but having subsequently tried a couple others, I can say, at least of those I tried, this was definitely the most decadent, just oozing egg and cheesy goodness. Wonderful sauce, wonderfully perfectly over-medium egg, great meat and a ton of it... came with a bunch of great fries, too, which were great for dipping in the leftover francesinha sauce (especially after I added some tabasco to it.) While I was eating, I also had several drinks to go with it - as seems much more common in Portugal than in the US, they had very fresh, delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice for not very much money. The OJ was great. Their house port was also quite cheap, and would also have been solid, but at least the day I was there, they really needed to have chilled it properly (yes, I did have port with my before-noon brunch... I was on vacation, and no other city is overflowing with such good, cheap port everywhere :p.) Their espresso was... just ok. Better than Starbucks, and again, like most places in Porto, much cheaper, but it was a bit light. I'd had a lot of amazing espresso around the city, less so here. For later, I also left with: a pile of the typical seafood empanadas (the cod was a bit too salty, but the shrimp was *perfect*), a baked chorizo and cheese roll (omg excellent), a slice of fudge-y, rich chocolate (wonderful - got it specifically to bring with me to the next port tasting room I visited, as the absolutely perfect pairing, which it was), and a couple pastel de nata (I'd made it a goal to try as many different versions as I could. The one here, the custard was the perfect texture, and perfectly balanced sweetness, with a hint of baking spices I also enjoyed; their crust was a little crunchy to be perfect, though. Still, solid.) For all of that, including a whole *pile* of the little empanadas and an extra to-go small container of the fresh OJ, at least as of now a few months ago, I paid under 40 euro. I would definitely make sure to be back here at *least* once if I ever made it back to Porto. read more

Super quaint traditional Portuguese confeitaria (bakery) with an old and classic charm. You can buy croissants, apple tarts, fresh sandwiches and Francesinha. The " Francesinha is a type of sandwich from Porto made with thick slices of white loaf bread, Portuguese ham, sausage, cheese, and steak. And 40 different type of alcohol! The service is fast and efficient. Solid value for your money. This is a place where locals and many Euro tourists mixed. Just facing the entry to the Mercado do Bolhão. read more

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Delicious spot for pastel de nata, probably my fave in the city! They are only $1.20 euros each which so far seems like the cheaper end. Service is kind - they do speak some English. Lots of tables inside it seems but always crowded so we got take away. Their pastel de nata is on the larger side with a full, thick, delicious custard. Crust perfectly flaky. We got another pastry I didn't like so much but the nata made up for it. For payment, they give you a card with a barcode then you bring it to the cashier for them to scan and then you pay. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

Had breakfast here and enjoyed the atmosphere. A lot of options including amazing bakery selections. Coffee was great , too. Service was fast despite being very busy. It is also directly across the street from a very cool market. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Store front - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

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We stopped by to take a quick look at their offerings after we went to the Mercado de Bolhao. Everything looked so good but it was too close to dinnertime, so we decided to come back the next morning for breakfast. The ordering system works similar to other cafes in Porto (not sure if it's all of Portugal) but you get a card, pick what you want at the counter and they will bring it to your table. They add everything you order to the card, then you pay at the end. We ordered some bread, and pastries to share, and I had a ham and cheese toastie. Everything was great. The coffee was great too (and super cheap). I also ordered a pizza-looking item to go for later (which was massive) and it was still good even cold. If we had more time in Porto, I probably would have came here every morning for breakfast. read more

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There were a lot of locals there, very busy, so you know it's good. But as a tourist I struggled with the ordering process. I would have liked to sit down but I ended up just getting this cinnamon roll type pastry and taking it to go. It was so decadent and delicious though! read more

This was my favorite bakery during my stay in Puerto. It is very popular, so it tends to be very crowded. It is worth braving the crowds. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

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Quick. Easy. Inexpensive. Service was nice despite the place being packed. Also easy to pay and they accept cc.

Great bakery right in the middle of everything! Lots of options in the bakery with sweets and savories. Even pizza! We tried the mashed potatoes and cod (special) and split a bottle of wine. Even locals come. Their Pasteis de nata was average, but really appreciated their variety. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

This cafe was recommended by our Airbnb host as a classic Portuguese bakery with "Portuguese" prices. The food we had here was delicious. You can either order at the counter in the front to-go or you can walk to the back and be seated to have access to their full food menu. We loved this place so much we went twice during our 5 day stay in Porto. The cafe was bustling each time we went, and the interior is so cute. The place is mostly filled with locals, and they only have a Portuguese menu and 1 or 2 servers who speak much English it seems. It seems like a great place to go for a more authentic and delicious experience. We had to get the rissol each time we went, and we tried the 3 pepper steak, the pork cheek, bacalhau with cheese fritters, the tuna pizza, pastel de nata, hot chocolate, and the orange juice. The pork cheek was amazing, if you're in the mood for a filling and delicious full meal, get that. We also saw a few tables order slices of what looked like a typical Pizza Hut pizza slice, and when we asked what it was, that was exactly it--a slice of pizza loaded with cheese, but stuffed with tuna and topped with pineapple. Despite how it sounds, boy was it delicious. I tasted like exactly what you'd expect and it was really good, sometimes you just need that simplicity. The hot chocolate was also surprisingly delicious, it was thick and creamy. For a really simple, no frills breakfast or lunch, I would recommend going here. read more

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Best nata pastis in Porto, but my favorite was their cachitos- I brought two home! The coffee is also amazing, but I don't think there is anything behind the glass that is not worth trying. Incredible! read more

Old school interior and they serve the items out if you dine in. Nata and espresso ordered up. Seemingly feels like you're outdoors because of the green decor and mirrors all around making it look bigger. Pleasant spot. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

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Don't you love it when an establishment places the year it was founded? While I understand it's not always the "best" or the "tastiest", but perhaps the nostalgia or familiarity is well worth the trip. In terms of Pasteis da Nata, it was just about average. There are tons of good looking pastries that unfortunately we did not try. It does get a lot of foot traffic here at times. There is places to sit at the back. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Exterior - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

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This cafe has been serving breakfasts and pick-me-ups to customers since 1896, and is still bustling today, for a good reason. It's a big place with sit down area inside, but we only stood near the front to sample some of the offerings in their pastry cases. They have croquettes with different fillings, pao de lo (sponge cake), pasteis de natas (egg tarts), castanhas de ovos (little balls of sugared egg yolks baked to look like chestnuts), macarons, and even ovos moles, the Aveiro specialty that I had come to love. There are so many varieties of delicious-looking delicacies tempting me behind the display cases, but without signage, and with the place being so busy, not to mention the language issue, I ended up randomly pointing to a few things. I was given a plastic card after my order, which I had to pay at the register first before picking up my stuff. Anyway, I got hooked on the little castanhas de ovos, and the ovos moles definitely taste better than the boxed ones I pick up for souvenirs. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhao looked like one of the bigger bakeries I've seen in Porto. Very busy with many customers throughout the day. It's probably quite authentic, but the pastries were just okay. Perhaps they didn't fit my taste buds as much as the natas, which were pretty good. read more

This is a large local bakery and cafe in central-eastern Porto. It's mostly locals and they don't speak as much English here. The pastries were good but not remarkable. Overall a fine stop but not worth going out of your way for. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Some sort of pastry which was tasty - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

Really good spot for coffee, classic interior brought you right bk to the old Portugal... I tried theirs prago which is pretty much a steak sandwich... had that with egg... so good Must try, and this place opens at 6am Perfect to catch a breakkie before your flight ;) read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Pragos - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

The service with quite slow with two people but efficient the atmosphere was quite crowded but everything was great and authentic

Super old school bakery directly across from the Mercado de Bolhao. I came at the end of the day and the shop was bustling with local ladies trying to get their purchases in before closing. Chaotic but fun! The salesperson was so nice and happy to help me out with picking up a variety of baked goods and cookies to bring home. Huge variety of pastries, breads, and cookies and everything I bought was delicious. read more

All I can say is don't come here for the egg tarts! The whole bakery has a classic, old school feel which I love. But the food was not the best. They have an ASSORTMENT of baked goods - sweet and savory. We got 2 egg tarts and 2 americanos to eat in the back. They have a good system going, where if you will be dining in, then they give you a card to be scanned at the end to pay at the cashier. Our egg tarts were cold :(( and the crust was not crispy.. Two girls in front of us got croissants and when cut in half, the bread did not look very fresh. Not sure if most of their items have been sitting out, but we came around 10:30am so we didnt think we were too late for the fresh goods! If you're looking for good egg tarts, I'd go across the street to Manteigaria! read more

We needed a quick, on-the-go lunch, after a day speed walking Porto after a, large and wonderful, Port wine tasting at Taylor's, and this historic bakery fit the bill. When walking in, it was like walking into the Willy Wonka's if bakeries - wall to wall pastries and grab and go sandwiches. We were hungry, so we basically ordered one of everything (of their sandwiches), which we ate cold on the way back to the ship. And later that night after a bottle of wine (or two). Unfortunately, we sampled so much that I can't remember each thing individually, but each and every thing we ate was wonderful and just walking in the place was a memorable experience. read more

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Great service and excellent coffee and pastries. Miss being able to pop in for a galão and nata.

Easily the best pastries we had in Porto. Light, flaky and delicious. Prices are very reasonable. Best early in the morning as the crowds are a lot smaller then but the workers do a great job moving the line. They were also very kind, spoke pretty good English and were patient with my terrible Portuguese. read more

Very good deserts. Probably the best pastries in central Porto. I recommend this to anybody visiting the area. read more

Confeitaria do Bolhão - Cafes Near Me - Porto, 13

I know my baked goods and this bakery was the best I ate at in Portugal. I lived in Germany for two years. Have been all over Europe. I love Italian, French, German, ... baked goods. This bakery for Portuguese baked items is amazing. read more

This is a heritage place, always with lots of people. There is a lot to choose in sweets, bread and full meals. The price is ok and it's worth the visit! read more

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Absolutely incredible spot for breakfast! Friendly staff, amazing food, and authentic vintage decor -- and not to mention quite cheap! You must try the Tarta de Nata which was fabulous! One of the best breakfast joints in Porto! read more

Classic, old school place with a lot of character. I tried two items - pastel de nata and jesuita da maca. Both delicious. I preferred their pastel da nata over Manteigaria's because it's much less sweet. read more

Favorite pastry shop in this neighborhood! We walked here every morning for bread and pastries, but stopped across the street for nata and coffee. read more