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Porto, Eating out

Porto menu decoder: what the words mean and what you can be charged

The Portuguese words on a Porto menu in plain English, and the law on price lists and the couvert (bread and olives) that shows up before you order.

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Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

Draft. Not reviewed by a person yet and not published.

Before you order: what the law says about price lists

Portuguese law sets three rules that matter to a visitor. They sit in article 135 of Decreto-Lei 10/2015, which the Diário da República marks as in force.

  1. Every restaurant and bar must show a price list at the entrance and another inside. It must be written in Portuguese. It must name every dish, food and drink with its price, and the couvert price if the place serves one. The list must also print the rule from paragraph 3 (paragraph 1).
  2. The law defines the couvert as the foods or appetisers the price list marks as couvert, served “a pedido do cliente” (at the customer’s request) before the meal starts (paragraph 2).
  3. No dish, food or drink, couvert included, may be charged if the customer did not ask for it (paragraph 3). The same sentence adds a second case with the word “inutilizado”. Portuguese news outlets report different readings of what it covers.

A careful approach, and not legal advice: if you do not want the bread and olives, say so when they land and do not touch them. If you eat them, expect them on the bill.

Words you will see on the menu

Portuguese In English Note
couvert bread, butter, olives, cheese or paste brought before the meal Its price must be on the price list.
prato do dia dish of the day A set plate that changes every day.
sopa do dia soup of the day
dose / meia dose full portion / half portion Ask for a meia dose if a full portion is too much.
francesinha sandwich of steak, sausage and ham under melted cheese and a spicy beer-and-tomato sauce The Porto dish. Eaten with a knife and fork.
tripas à moda do Porto tripe stewed with white beans and sausage The dish that gave Porto people the nickname tripeiros.
bacalhau salted cod Cooked in many ways. Ask which.
alheira smoked sausage made with bread and meat
polvo à lagareiro octopus roasted with olive oil and potatoes
caldo verde kale and potato soup, often with a slice of chouriço
prego steak sandwich
cimbalino espresso The Porto word. Lisbon says bica.
galão tall coffee with milk, served in a glass
fino small draught beer The Porto word. Lisbon says imperial.
vinho verde young wine from the north, often lightly sparkling Verde means young here, not green.
porto tónico white port with tonic water A local long drink.

Phrases that help

  • “Quanto custa o couvert?” means “How much is the couvert?”
  • “Pode levar o couvert, obrigado.” means “You can take the couvert away, thank you.”
  • “Meia dose, por favor.” means “A half portion, please.”
  • “A conta, por favor.” means “The bill, please.”

How we made this page

The legal rules were read from the Diário da República on the fetch date, in the act and in its current consolidated version. Article 135 reads the same in both. The word meanings are our own plain-English notes. This is not legal advice.

Research and first drafts are AI-assisted. Every figure comes from open data listed on the page with its source and date, and a person reviews each page before it goes live.