The Traditional Holiday Portuguese Cuisine

All major Portuguese holidays have their own unique dishes and sweets, but Christmas is by far the most plentiful among them.
The list of sweets is extensive, but each has their own texture and flavor that is worthy of your attention.

To begin with, there are two kinds of Christmas cakes: Bolo Rei (King Cake) and Bolo Rainha (Queen Cake).

So, if you’re visiting Porto on Christmas time, this is extensive list of all the must try sweets and typical foods of the season.

BOLO REI

Generally described as the Portuguese version of fruit cake (but so much better), it’s bread like in consistency and filled with dried fruits, nuts and topped with candied fruit and powdered sugar.

The Queen cake, which is very similar to the king, but filled with considerably more nuts and raisins and sans candied fruit

RABANADAS

Rabanadas (golden slices) is Portuguese French toast, for all practical purposes, but covered in cinnamon and sugar.

There are many versions of this sweet: Wine Rabanadas, with Port wine sauce, with dried fruits.

SONHOS DE ABÓBORA

Sonhos de Abóbora are Portuguese Fried Pumpkin Cakes, that are a favorite dessert over the Holiday Season.

This unbelievably delicious dessert is encased in a crunchy fried dough with a creamy sweet pumpkin center and coated in sugar and cinnamon.

PÃO DE LÓ

Even though is considered a traditional sweet for Easter, it’s quite common to find it in every home for Christmas.
Being the dry version, sponge cake. Or the version with egg sauce.

FILHOSES

Basic fried dough made into a thin, rectangular shape with flared edges and covered in cinnamon and sugar.

THE BEST PLACES TO TRY THE SWEETS IN PORTO

CONFEITARIA NOVA REAL

With a generous amount of dried and crystallized fruits, the traditional king cake of the New Royal is made all year round.
At Christmas time they also make the version with only dried fruits, much sought after, the king cake of chila and the chocolate.
Here you can also find various types of bread, savory and homemade chocolates.

R. da Prelada 132, Porto | T. +351 228 303 935

Mon to Sun: 7AM – 8:30PM
Prices: EUR 15/kg

TAVI

For many “only” the best pastry in Porto, now in a space that harmoniously combines tradition and modernity.

Rua Senhora da Luz 363 – Porto | +351 226 189 593

Mon – Sun: 07:30AM – 8PM (summer 12AM)
Prices: EUR 10

CONFEITARIA DO BOLHÃO

One of the most visited pastries in Porto, this centenary house it’s highly recommended during Christmas time to try the typical sweets of the season.

Rua Formosa, 339, Porto

Mon to Fri: 6AM – 8PM Sat: 7AM – 7PM
Prices: EUR 10

CONFEITARIA PETÚLIA

Since 1972 Petulia is one of the references in the level of confectionery and pastry in the city.

Here is one of the city’s hottest cakes and fame means long queues at Christmas time, when hundreds of copies are sold.

But there is cake-king throughout the year, made with high-jig products, which you can ask to accompany the coffee.

Rua de Júlio Dinis, 775 Porto | T. +351 226 066 181

Mon to Sun: 08AM – 11PM
Prices: EUR 17

CONFEITARIA CUNHA

Confeitaria Cunha, born in 1906, is among the spaces under the Port of Tradition that protects the historic shops of the city.

But what makes this space so special? There are several reasons. Among them was the fact that it was here that the fashion of eating at the counter appeared.

Another reason is to be responsible for the production of one of the most coveted buns-kings of Porto at Christmas time. If you want it at another time of year, you’ll have to order it.

R. de Sá da Bandeira 676, Porto | T. +351 223 393 070

Mon to Sat: 12PM – 02AM
Prices: EUR 14

PADARIA RIBEIRO

The good ingredients – yes, we speak especially of the dried and crystallized fruits – are at the base of the cake-king of Bakery Ribeiro, a reference in the city.

It is available all year round by order, but at Christmas time it leaves no hot buns (pardon, cookies).

Praça de Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, 21

Mon to Sat: 7AM – 8PM
Prices: EUR 5 – 10

The Traditional Holiday Portuguese Cuisine

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