Francesinha, the 5 best in the Porto area

The Francesinha is a Portuguese dish with alternating layers of different types of meat (steak, ham, sausage ...), encased by bread on the bottom and top, egg on top of the bread, melted cheese covering the entire sandwich, fries served on the side, everything covered with a delicious sauce (made from beer, port wine, tomato sauce, milk, etc...), and cooked to perfection, all flavors being absorbed into an entire Francesinha experience.

Porto is the home of the Francesinha. Below are my Top 5 places to get a Francesinha in it's home.

1. Requinte

Requinte is synonymous with francesinha. You go there to get a francesinha, and to get a francesinha you go there. The melted cheese is served right to you, directly from the oven, and makes your mouth water between bites. Despite not being extremely spicy while served (as younger kids/Abbey may not like it as much), for an extra € 0.80, you can get one of the tastiest spicy sauces, ideal for bringing out even more flavor. When the waiter takes your order, he doesn't ask "what do you want;" he asks "how many francesinhas do you want?" Do they serve anything other than francesinha at this place? No idea.

Flavor: 10
Wait: 10 (1 minute, tops)
Atmosphere: 7 (small, but fun atmosphere)
Location: 5 (Matosinhos, far away, in a small building)
Price/Value: (€8) / 10

2. Capa Negra

A chique restaurant, it's prices are high, but for good reason; this is a delicious Francesinha. Some people regard this as the best, however, I feel the atmosphere is slightly edged out by Requinte since, given the pricier menu, it's more chique and thus more serious; however, large groups of families all dine together here. The wait is average for a restaurant of this caliber (15 minutes).

Flavor: 10
Wait: 7 (15 minutes)
Atmosphere: 6 (serious, but families eat together)
Location: 9 (Not too far away from downtown)
Price/Value: (€10) / 9

3. Piolho

A student bar, this has the most my preferred atmosphere for a good Francesinha. It's loud and busy, up to 2 football matches being watched at all times on the 2 huge flat screen TVs, but always prompt service with a smile. This is a pretty good francesinha, and the sauce is spicier than the average. The meat selection could be better, but with competitive prices and good times, this is a good francesinha experience.

Flavor: 8
Wait: 7 (15 minutes)
Atmosphere: 10
Location: 10 (Very central!)
Price/Value: (€7) / 8

4. Verso em Pedra (trans: "Other side is rock" ...kinda...)

This restaurant has a big sign in front: "FRANCESINHA." This is a nice place and also has a great atmosphere. Everything is extremely positive about this location, but I found the sauce to be quite weak.

Flavor: 7
Wait: 7 (15 minutes)
Atmosphere: 8 (Fun, loud, well-lived, birthday party-friendly)
Location: 10 (Right next to downtown)
Price/Value: (€10) / 7

5. Art's Kafé

I have an extremely partial opinion of Art's Kafé, as it's directly next to my house. I know all the waiters, it's pretty tasty, always hot with great fries, and I go with my roommates.

Flavor: 7
Wait: 5 (20 minutes)
Atmosphere: 4 (Too new to have a fun atmosphere)
Location: 8 (Pretty close to downtown)
Price/Value: (€7) / 7

Enjoy!