Ever since I lived in The Netherlands I started to really appreciate craft beer. Therefore, it’s with great enthusiasm that I wrote this Guide of the best craft beer pubs in Porto.
This is not a list of ALL craft beer pubs in Porto because this is not the yellow pages. But trust me, as a fellow craft beer lover, this is indeed a list of the best places in town – and it’s not worth wasting time in bad places, is it? 😛 So, let’s dive in!
(By the way, you might also like my guide on what to do on a party weekend in Porto. Just saying).
Drums please. The best craft beer pubs in Porto are…
Armazém da Cerveja
Rua Formosa, 130 | Porto
Once in a while, among all the touristic & gourmet places that open every. single. day. in the city, one gets really into my heart. Such is the case with Armazém da Cerveja, for me the best craft beer pub in Porto at the moment.
This very cozy and unpretentious beer pub serves over 90 internacional beers and over 30 Portuguese ones.
Moreover, if you are not quite sure about your beer preferences, the friendly owners, Rúben and Pedro, will do their best to learn your preferences and advise you accordingly. This is how I discovered some of the nicest IPA I’ve ever tasted, as well as the amazing sour beers.
But the cherry on top is that you can BRING your own food, or order from a local restaurant and eat there for free – how cool is that?
How to get there: the subway station 24 Agosto is a 3 minutes walking distance.
Musa das Virtudes
Passeio das Virtudes, 28 | Porto
I recently fell in love – and I think it’s a passion to last – with the new bar that Musa, an already famous Lisbon beer brand, opened at the viewpoint of Virtudes. And what a bar!
The bar itself is nothing special – it’s a corridor that leads to a terrace on the street, overlooking the viewpoint. But what’s really spectacular about this new craft beer pub in Porto, besides the beers, is the food. We ordered paratha bread with hummus (7€) and a fresh cod sandwich (9€) and I swear I’m still salivating for both. On top of that, they’re not afraid to serve real Portuguese snacks, and I’ll go back for them: the fried pork’s ear and the smoked sardines made me curious.
The beers also go down in history, and that’s why you have 8 beers available on tap. My only regret is that they are all from Musa – not because I don’t like the brand (I really like its beers, especially the Born in The IPA), but because I like to try different things every week.
How to get there: Aliados and São Bento subway stations are a 10-minute walk away.
Letraria Craft Beer Garden
Rua da Alegria, 101 | Porto
Letra, one of my favourite Portuguese craft beers’ brand, opened a craft beer garden in Porto a few years ago. The
concept is unique and it revolves around a beautiful (and quiet) garden and two small craft beer pubs. Therefore, all of a sudden there’s a new champion on the list of the craft beer pubs in Porto 🙂
At Letraria – Craft beer garden you’ll find over 50 varieties of beer – 30 come in glass or can and 20 on tap. There is a clear focus on Portuguese craft beers, but you can also find international brand such as the Danish Mikkeller.
Something great about this place is that it serves both snacks – such as burgers (they have a vegetarian one too) and sandwiches – as well as proper main dishes, such as steaks. As much as they can, they try to use beer on the recipes, which I find great!
How to get there: the subway station 24 Agosto is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Catraio – Craft Beer pub in Porto
Rua de Cedofeita, 256 | Porto
Catraio was the first craft beer pub in Porto, opened in 2015. Since then a few other places opened, but Catraio remains as the main meeting spot for beer lovers in Porto.
Catraio has over 130 beer varieties – true story! Over its stronghold lies on Portuguese craft beers, such as Sovina, Burguesa, Letra and Passarola. It also serves dried fruits and tremoços (lupin beans) as snacks.
This craft beer pub in Porto is also a great place to get to know people as the space is very cozy and there are few places to sit down. On sunny days, you can enjoy your beer on the terraces – there is one inside and another one indoors.
How to get there: the subway station Lapa is a 10 minutes walking distance.
HopTrip Craft Beer pub
Rua Heróis de França, 617 | Matosinhos
Another recent addition to this list of the best craft beer pubs in Porto is HopTrip, in Matosinhos. A few minutes from the bar and sandwiched between the best seafood restaurants in town, you will find a small but super cute bar, with the typical beer hall atmosphere: a dark room, with the walls lined with funky posters and rock music to go along. I really like the vibe!
There are always 15 beers available at the taps, which vary every week (something I love). But, if they are not enough for your discerning palate, ask the owners (a friendly Brazilian couple) to help you choose one of the numerous options of beer bottles and cans.
HopTrip also has food available, although it doesn’t have the quality of food at Musa das Virtudes or Letraria. Think snack bar options: fried onion rings, codfish balls and patties, french fries and chicken wings.
All and all, a cool place to spend a night with friends.
How to get there: Matosinhos Sul subway station is a 5-minute walk away.
Cervejaria do Carmo
Praça de Carlos Alberto, 124 | Porto
Cervejaria do Carmo is the most unpretentious craft beer pubs in Porto, and I like to go there precisely because of that. It has a few tables on the ground floor, a few more on the first floor and a esplanade on the outside, right at the heart of the nightlife of Porto.
It has around 50 different types of craft beers, giving more visibility to craft beers from Porto than to internacional brands.
Bear in mind that at Cervejaria do Carmo there are almost no options for people who do not like beer. On the other hand, it has a Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm – 2 beers for the price of 1! 🙂
Cervejaria do Carmo also has a lot of snacks, such as cheese and ham boards, francesinhas, etc.
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados or São Bento are a 10 minutes walking distance.
Gulden Draak Bierhuis
Rua de José Falcão, 82 | Porto
I have conflicting views about Gulden Draak Bierhuis – it used to be one of my favourite craft beer pubs in Porto, called Pausa, but it was acquired by the Belgian beer brand. They change the decor and now instead of a classy bar, one has to live with a monotone, camel like decor, as you see in the pictures =/
Nonetheless, I have to recognise some merits in Gulden Draak Bierhuis in Porto, like the fact that it serves 12 references of craft beer (ranging from 2,50€ to 6,50€) and 65 in bottles (from 4,50€ to 7,50€). The majority of the beers is of Belgian origin (such a pity, because we DO have great beer in Portugal), but it also features German, English, American and a couple of Portuguese beers.
At this craft beer pub in Porto you can also get wine by the glass (3€) and some liquors and whiskeys (5€ to 9€).
How to get there: the subway station Aliados is a 5 minutes walking distance.
Bonaparte Baixa
Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, 40 | Porto
I am not sure if craft beer shop in Porto is the best classification for Bonaparte Downtown, but there you can certainly find a good selection of beers (over 25 varieties, mostly coming from Germany and Belgium).
You can also find a good variety of whiskies (Scottish, American and Irish), Port wines and rum.
Something quite unique about this craft beer shop in Porto is that here you can not only have a drink but also enjoy a proper meal. Therefore, it is a great place to watch football matches or to go on a romantic date, in my opinion 🙂
How to get there: the subway station Aliados is a 5 minutes walking distance.
A Fábrica da Picaria
Rua da Picaria, 72 | Porto
I had quite high expectations regarding A Fábrica da Picaria, since it has its own craft beer being brewed on the spot. But to be fairly honest I wasn’t very impressed with this craft beer pub in Porto – it has one kind of craft beer and only 5 references of beers, which given little choice to regular customers.
It is a good space for groups of friends though, as it has two large tables facing a big TV screen, and some snack options like burgers and french fries 🙂
How to get there: the subway stations Aliados or São Bento are a 10 minutes walking distance.
Save this article for later:
