Now why would I bother to review a McDonald's in a foreign country that offers far more satisfying…read moreculinary pleasures? It was because this one was identified as "the world's most beautiful McDonald's". Just by whom, I was not clear, but it certainly piqued Jamie W's and my interest. Luckily, it was on the route between the tourist-centric Ribeira riverfront and our hotel. In other words, it was unavoidable. Opened in 1995, the so-called Imperial McDonald's is located in a renovated space previously occupied by Cafe Imperial, a famous Art Deco-style coffee shop since the 1930s. For no practical reason, McDonald's retained most of the main architectural features when it took over the location. This included crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows, and a giant bronze eagle above the entrance. Despite the historical decor, the ordering process reflects the current touch-activated menu process (Photo 7). While there are some Portuguese-specific items and even Sagres beer, the rest is typical McDonald's with American-styled fast food like the Miami Burger. Since we were between meals, we ended up getting the 2,3€ McFlurry Oreo and the 1,9€ Caramel Sundae (Photo 10). Nothing special. FOOD - 3 stars...familiar American-style fast food despite the Portuguese touches AMBIANCE - 3 stars...not really that spectacular and quite crowded SERVICE - 2.5 stars...typical McDonald's TOTAL - 3 stars...go if you're curious RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/HO0S-1BP1x

Truly one of the most beautiful McDonald's in the world…read more Imperial McDonald's has dramatic art deco flair, having been converted from Imperial Cafe back in 1995 in Porto's central Avenida dos Aliados. You can't miss the giant bronze eagle above the entrance or the ornate glass panes & chandelier above the main counter that harkens back to the past. The restaurant is spacious with kiosks leading to the counter and seating along both sides along with a lower level. This spot was obviously packed when we first visited in the mid-day for photos, but were pleasantly surprised by the quiet vibes at the morning opening hour. We ordered several of McDonald's terrific local breakfast sets. The set included either espresso or juice to go with chocolate pancake or ham & cheese toast. I can't say enough about how fresh the orange juice tastes in this sun-kissed region! Skip it or hit it? We only discovered its morning charm on our last day in Porto, but it's definitely worth an early visit.

The best bifana sandwich in town…read more Conga in Porto is renowned for their bifana sandwich. This is a classic pork sandwich with thin slices of marinated pork served in warm Portuguese roll bread. This introductory dine-in meal was coincidentally the most memorable meal of our trip. We came on a weekday for lunch and was seated shortly on their busy 2nd floor interior. The shredded pork slices were so tender and flavorful having been simmered to soak up all of the spice seasoning the marinade in the large pan for staff to pose with at the storefront. You can watch as the staff skewer out the meat in between the bread. The soft pillowy papo seco bread melted with the meat and was dunked in the spicy pork sauce for extra flavour. We paired this bifana sandwich (3.60 EUR) with their refreshing iced tea and a classic papas stew (3.50 EUR). The stew mixed minced pork & chicken in cornmeal thickened with pork blood. The seasoning made this surprisingly appetizing without much gamey flavour. Our only regret was not ordering more bifana sandwich instead while assuming other shops could be comparable. Simply put, this bifana sandwich was so savoury and none of the other famous shops we visited later ended up coming close. In fact even a Porto local whom we bumped into at a famous bifana sandwich spot in Lisbon flat out said Conga was better and she was right. You're not here for the service but a quick tasty bite. Skip it or hit it? Conga is worth the hype and you have to dine-in or takeout this sandwich!

Nothing can beat the juicy pork sandwich with their super bock beer!! Oh, and their piri piri sauce…read morefor extra spicy fans was amazing!!

what a great casual cafe/restaurant where you can eat tasty food and have good drink for just a few…read moreeuro. Most items here are under 5 euro and you will be full. As I wasn't too hungry, I only ordered one grilled squid and it came with a full plate of potato and squid and salad, which only cost 4.10 euro! It's very casual here and crowded with locals. Try lunch or breakfast here. English menu available.

Delicious food! I got the tuna sandwich and it was the best tuna sandwich I have ever had. Has…read moreeggs, lettuce, tomato and some nice sauce. The service is really good, even considering how busy they are. Prices are great, food comes out pretty fast. I really loved the food here and would definitely come back.

This cozy little bar / restaurant serves the most delicious sandwiches (pregos in Portuguese)…read more We had the best red wine we ever tasted (Quinta dos Carvalhais) together with wonderful Portuguese sandwiches. Service was attentive and prompt, starting with the seating. We arrived without a reservation at peak lunchtime, and had to wait about ten minutes for a table.

Friendly, attentive waitstaff, and great food at a reasonable price. We had the nachos with…read moreguacamole, garlic steak, red onion steak, and fries. Everything was outstanding. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the rolls were soft and fresh. The guacamole had just a hint of spice but tasted fresh and delicious. And the sangria was refreshing and potent. I would definitely come back here and recommend this restaurant.

I didn't know what to expect when coming here, but the food was good. The steak sandwich was solid…read moreand the steak wasn't overcooked. My only request would have been more sauce. The hot dog was flavorful and had good cheese. Beware of the toasted bread though; don't want to scratch your mouth. The Special Hot Dog was good. I enjoyed the enchilada-style cheese and sauce overlay. The one thing that's not pictured is the FRIES. They give you a good shareable portion and they're simply great. No tricks or extreme seasonings. Just some quality fried potatoes. The service was friendly, accommodating, and speedy.

What they do here is as it good as it can get. Simple…read moreingredients that are recognizable, nothing fancy served simple but oh boy Oh boy,It was Fantastic. I can eat a lot of these and be happy with a beer . A must try when in Porto.

Located across from the main train station (Sao Bento) in downtown Porto, the average tourist might…read moregive this little place a miss based on looks and location. That would be a mistake, for it's truly a rough gem, like so much of Porto itself. We stopped here regularly during our stay because of quality and price, surprisingly good on both counts. The hamburger lovers in my group came back for more, and there are a number of deals with burgers and bevvies, as pictured on the facade of the cafe. I stuck mostly to salads and an amazingly simple but delicious side of black eyed peas. Get the black eyed peas - if you're a legume lover like me, you'll be in heaven! Totally decent food, efficient and conscientious service without attitude, the setting is simple with mainly outdoor seating. Inside the cafe it is cramped and I would not recommend the washroom - use the one at the train station instead! Location is central to many tourist sites including the tourist office, very convenient for those with limited mobility, or those who are simply tired of walking uphill. Recommended!

Best McDonald's I ever been to damn it. Felt like I was walking into a museum with extravagant Art…read moreDeco entrance. The CBO is *chef's kiss.*

This was hands down the boujeest McDonald's I've ever seen in my life. The chandeliers, stained…read moreglass artwork, high ceilings...it was insane. I'm not used to European fast food but the quality is far better than that in America and I enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger with some fries and a McFlurry.

The way you DO want your dinner to go while in the Porto area - 2 of 2…read more - - - - - I had already picked out the restaurant for this dinner, the scruffy and crowded O Triunfante 2 that I remember being near the Campo 24 de Agosto Metro station. It had closed. I then walked over to O Campo, since it looked like the same formula, but they didn't take plastic. On the street, I spotted one of those food delivery guys on a Vespa. He was from Venezuela, so I was able to more easily get some insights from him. I walked a ways further and arrived at Madureira's. I went in and explained that I wanted to use the restroom before settling in. The apparent owner or manager told me where to go - I mean actual directions to the restroom! After coming back into the dining room, I was seated and, while one waiter was the principal one, there were two of them helping out. They, too, had the standard white shirts and black slacks. And, much like the owner, they were patient and detailed as I tried to decide what I wanted, providing good explanations. Madureira's is a medium-sized locale, with a woodsy interior. They were busy. It is a popular eatery and many customers are locals. They had a lot of fish options, but I wanted meat or chicken. They had this small cut of beef presented with potatoes on top of it. When it arrived, it was fairly pink and I was worried. There was nothing to worry about. It was very easy to work with and it was delicious. I asked him about the color and if it could be cooked in other ways - for future reference. We arrived at the verbiage "mais cocido/a." I usually order meat medium-well. I was in a good mood owing to this pleasant experience. I thus summoned some opinions for dessert and settled on a slice of chocolate cake that incorporated Nutella. I devoured it. It was excellent. It goes without saying that the service at Madureira's was very good across the board. I asked for the bill and the P.O.S. (point of sale) arrived. When the credit card was tapped on top of it, I looked at the display screen and it ran in Euro. It didn't even require that I push any buttons. There is a lot to try here, as is the case at so many good traditional Portuguese restaurants. I would return. It's about a 5 minute walk from the Campo 24 de Agosto Metro station, heading east of the central Trindade hub toward the main train station at Campanha.

We came here on our second night in town. It's a busy and popular place (among locals and…read morevisitors), so we made a reservation a few days before. We had our Bulldog with us and took a table outside. The menu is pretty big, has lots of typical portuguese food and lots of fish and seafood. Really a lot of tasty items. We ordered a bottle of white wine, the popular meat sandwich, clams mediterranean style and a crab with shrimps on the side. The sandwich was excellent. It's a simple, but popular dish. Simple, but great. The clams were nice and fresh. The crab had a nice size, but we've had some better crabs before. Solid, but not great. The White Wine - while pretty moderately priced - was excellent (Planalto - Douro). Staff/Service was very friendly and helpful. Had some tips on what to see and visit for ur. All in all a pleasant evening with good food. Not the very best dinner we've had in Portugal, but enjoyable.

A local tour guide recommended this area to purchase the famous francesinha sandwich. There were…read moreseveral cafes/restaurants all around this circular block. I chose this one by random. I had just completed a 3 hours waking tour in thr hot sun and was tired and hungry. lol There were a few empty tables and chairs inside because most customers were sitting outside enjoying the views. I ordered the "very special francesinha" which includes ham, sliced ham, mortadella, sausage, veal steak, smoked bacon, sliced bread with cheese, egg and a sauce on top of the sandwich. When i first looked at my sandwich i said omg will I eat this huge thing. I wa wearing braces so I couldn't just open wide and bite which i what I wanted to do. However, I took a knife and went to town. That everything sandwich was so Flavorful and delicious. It was huge too and cane with fries and some type of soup I didn't like. I was able to save some of the sandwich the following day and it tasted even better. I definitely recommend this spot. The staff were sweet and helped me with directions back to my Airbnb.

I had to find vegetarian francesinha and oh did we find options! They had a vegan version and a…read morevegetarian version with cheese and egg. After a short wait, our number was called. We dinned upstairs in the air conditioning with a great view of the street. It was pretty good, but definitely come hungry and share the fries.