The Best Food Markets in Porto

Porto’s food markets are a great way to taste the north: fresh fish, cheeses, smoked sausages, bread, fruit and flowers, plus stalls where you can eat on the spot. Here are the best food markets in and around Porto.

Quick answer: start at the renovated Mercado do Bolhão in the city centre, for traditional stalls and places to eat. Try Mercado Bom Sucesso in Boavista for a modern food hall, and the Matosinhos market for fresh fish. Go in the morning for the best produce.

Why visit a market

Markets are where Porto still shops. You’ll hear stallholders calling out prices, see what’s in season and find food you won’t see in restaurants. They are also an easy, cheap lunch stop, and a good place to buy edible souvenirs to take home.

They are also a good way to understand northern Portuguese cooking. The north eats more pork, cabbage, beans and cornbread than the south, and the Atlantic supplies sardines, hake, octopus and shellfish. A walk round a market shows you all of it in one place.

The best markets

Mercado do Bolhão

Porto’s historic market hall reopened in September 2022 after a major renovation of more than four years. The grand early 20th-century building is set around an open courtyard on two levels. The ground floor has around 80 fresh food stalls: fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, flowers and delis. The upper floor has small restaurants and bars, and shops face the streets outside. It’s the essential stop. Allow an hour, more if you stay for lunch.

• Getting there: Bolhão metro station has a direct entrance into the market.
• Opening hours: in 2026 usually 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays and public holidays. Some upper-floor restaurants stay open later.
• What to try: a sandwich of roast pork or cured ham from a deli counter, fresh fruit, and a glass of wine or port at one of the bars.

See the Baixa.

Mercado Bom Sucesso

A market building in Boavista, now a modern food hall with stalls and shared tables. It’s more about eating than shopping: think petiscos (Portuguese small plates), roast suckling pig sandwiches, seafood, pizza, sushi and wine bars. In 2026 it usually opens every day from 10am, until about 11pm from Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, which makes it handy on a Sunday. Individual stalls set their own hours. It also hosts free music and cultural events. See Boavista.

Matosinhos Market

A big fish market in the fishing town north of Porto, near the famous grill restaurants. The building dates from the first half of the 20th century and is listed as a property of public interest. Come early to see the morning’s catch: sardines, hake, octopus, clams and much more. It usually opens from early morning Monday to Saturday. Recent listed hours are about 7am to 2pm on Monday, about 6:30am to 6pm Tuesday to Friday and about 6am to 4:30pm on Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays. Take the metro (blue line A) from the centre. See Matosinhos.

Farmers’ and craft markets

Weekend markets and pop-ups sell organic produce, crafts and vintage finds around the city. Days and places change, so ask at your hotel or the tourist office for this week’s markets.

What to buy and taste

• Cheese: Serra da Estrela and other regional cheeses. See Portuguese cheese.
• Charcuterie: smoked sausages and presunto (cured ham).
• Bread: broa (cornbread) and regional loaves.
• Tinned fish: see Portuguese tinned fish.
• Port and wine. See the port wine guide.
• Seasonal fruit: cherries in late spring, figs and grapes in late summer, chestnuts in autumn.
• Olive oil and honey: easy to pack and good value.
• Fresh fish to cook: if your apartment has a kitchen, fish stalls will usually clean and scale your fish for you. Just ask.

Seasonal highlights

In June, sardines are at their best and stalls are full of them around the São João festival on 23 June. See the São João festival. In autumn you’ll see roasted chestnuts on street corners and new-season wine. In winter, look for oranges, cabbages for caldo verde and smoked sausages for stews.

A morning market route

Start at Bolhão at around 9am, when the fish and vegetable stalls are at their busiest. Have a coffee and a pastry there, then walk down Rua de Santa Catarina to see the shops and the blue-tiled Capela das Almas. Take the metro out to Matosinhos for a grilled fish lunch near the market. On a Sunday, swap Bolhão for Mercado Bom Sucesso. See Porto in one day.

The metro ride from the centre to Matosinhos takes roughly half an hour. After lunch, walk to the beach at Matosinhos or along the seafront towards Foz before heading back. See Foz do Douro.

Market etiquette

• Ask before touching: at fruit and vegetable stalls, the seller often picks for you.
• Prices: are usually shown per kilo. Small amounts are fine, so don’t feel you need to buy a lot.
• Photos: ask stallholders before taking close-up pictures, and buy something if you’ve taken up their time.
• Useful words: “quanto custa?” (how much?), “meio quilo” (half a kilo) and “obrigado” or “obrigada” (thank you). See Portuguese phrases.

Tips

• Mornings are best for fresh produce. Many fish stalls sell out or pack up by early afternoon.
• Sundays: Bolhão and Matosinhos are closed, so check opening hours. Bom Sucesso is usually open.
• Cash: most stalls take cards, but carry some cash for small buys.
• Flying home: buy vacuum-packed cheese and ham, and check your airline’s rules for liquids like wine and olive oil.
• Food tours often include market visits. See Porto food tours.

FAQ

Is the Bolhão market open on Sundays?

No. The Bolhão market is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Mercado Bom Sucesso in Boavista is usually open every day.

What time does the Bolhão market open?

It usually opens at 8am Monday to Saturday, closing at about 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturdays. Check current times before you go.

Can you eat at the Bolhão market?

Yes. The upper floor has small restaurants and bars, and many deli stalls sell sandwiches, cheese, ham and drinks to enjoy on the spot.

Is the Matosinhos market worth the trip?

Yes, if you like seafood. Go in the morning to see the fish stalls, then have grilled fish for lunch in one of the nearby restaurants.

More: what to eat in Porto and Lisbon food markets.

See also: Bolhão Market.

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