Where to try a francesinha in Porto: on a cruise, at a restaurant or in a workshop?
5 min read
To eat a francesinha as part of something you can book, the safest value is the Six Bridges Cruise with Francesinha Lunch. It costs €35 for 2 hours, with a starter, house dessert and one drink included, and has 4.6 from 28 reviews. Every francesinha experience here has few reviews, so treat the ratings as early signals, not proof.
| Experience | Duration | From, per person | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Bridges Cruise with Francesinha Lunch | 2 hours | €35 | 4.6 (28 reviews) | sightseeing and a meal in one slot |
| Douro Cruise + Bacalhau or Francesinha at a Restaurant | 3 hours | €84.90 | 5.0 (10 reviews) | a restaurant meal after the boat |
| Francesinha Workshop with Jorge and Isabel | 3h 30m | €100 | 5.0 (5 reviews) | learning to make it yourself |
| Matosinhos: Francesinha Tour | 2 hours | €25 | 1.0 (1 review) | a meal in Matosinhos |
Eating it on the river: the cruise lunch
The listing promises a complete francesinha lunch on board during the Six Bridges cruise, plus a starter, house dessert and one drink. Think of it as a boat trip that happens to include the meal: the timing is set by a 2-hour cruise, not by how long you want to sit. It departs from Marina do Freixo. Children aged 0–3 travel free, but their lunch is not included; request meal changes by email at least 72 hours before departure.
Check dates and prices for the cruise with francesinha lunch
Cruise plus a restaurant table
This one lasts 3 hours and combines a Douro cruise with a tasting on board and then a lunch or dinner at the restaurant Enche o Bandulho, where you choose a francesinha or codfish. It costs €84.90, and 10 reviews give it 5.0. Pick it if you want a proper sit-down meal and bacalhau is an alternative for someone in your group. The meeting point is Restaurante Marina do Freixo; guides speak Portuguese, English or Spanish.
See times for the cruise and restaurant meal
Cooking it: the workshop
The workshop lasts 3h 30m and costs €100 per person. You learn the dish from the sauce to the oven and end with a pastel de nata and a drink of your choice. It is for people who want to reproduce the dish at home; for everyone else, €100 is a lot for one sandwich. It has 5 reviews. Teaching is in English, outdoors under shelter from rain; bring a warm layer.
View availability for the francesinha workshop
The Matosinhos restaurant option
The Matosinhos tour costs €25 per person and promises starters, a francesinha da casa, a dessert and drinks of your choice. The meal is at Churra da Biquinha in Matosinhos, so plan your journey there before booking.
See details of the Matosinhos francesinha tour
Who should skip these
If you only want to taste the dish, you can choose a restaurant separately; these experiences pay off when the cruise or the cooking is part of what you want. More meals and tastings are in the Porto food tours category.
Our recommendation
Book the cruise with francesinha lunch for a meal and sightseeing in one booking. Take the restaurant combination if you want to eat at a restaurant after the cruise, and the workshop only if cooking is the goal.
