5 Places to Eat Vegan & Vegetarian Francesinha in Porto

You don’t have to eat meat to try one of Porto’s most iconic dishes. Traditionally made with layers of steak, sausage and ham, covered with melted cheese and a rich, slightly spicy beer-based sauce, the francesinha has been reimagined by several restaurants around the city. Today, you’ll find everything from versions filled with seitan and vegan sausage to more creative takes with tofu, tempeh and mushrooms.

Here are five places in Porto where you can try a vegetarian or completely vegan francesinha.

Kind Kitchen

Kind Kitchen is one of Porto’s best-known vegan restaurants and a great choice if you want to try a francesinha in a completely plant-based setting. Its menu takes familiar comfort foods and gives them a modern vegan twist, and the francesinha is one of its Portuguese-inspired dishes.

The Kind Francesinha is made with bread, shredded seitan, vegan sausage, Portobello mushrooms, tomato and plant-based cheese, all covered in homemade francesinha sauce and served with fries. You can even add a vegan “fried egg” on top for the full francesinha experience. Unlike the more traditional cafés on this list, Kind Kitchen has a contemporary, casual atmosphere and an entirely vegan menu.

It is also one of the few places in the city that serves vegan pastéis de nata.

Address: Rua de Ceuta 80, Porto
Opening hours: Daily, 12:00–23:00.

Lupin Snack Bar

Hidden inside the Centro Comercial de Cedofeita, Lupin Snack Bar – Vegan à Moda do Porto is a small vegan spot dedicated to giving classic Portuguese comfort food a plant-based makeover. It feels much more like a neighbourhood snack bar than a polished vegan restaurant, which is part of its charm.

The menu focuses on the kind of hearty food traditionally found in Portuguese cafés and snack bars, with the francesinha naturally taking centre stage. It’s a particularly interesting stop for vegan travellers who want to experience a Porto classic in a casual, entirely plant-based environment rather than simply ordering the vegan option at a conventional restaurant.

Address: Centro Comercial de Cedofeita, Rua de Cedofeita 451, Loja 24, Porto
Opening hours: Wed–Fri, 12:00–16:00; Sat, 12:00–19:00. Closed Sun–Tue.

Francesinhas Al Forno da Baixa

If choice is what you’re after, Francesinhas Al Forno da Baixa is hard to overlook. Located just off Avenida dos Aliados, this is a restaurant specialising in francesinhas rather than a vegan restaurant, but it has a surprisingly extensive separate vegan menu. That makes it an especially useful option when travelling with a mixed group of vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.

Instead of offering a single plant-based alternative, Al Forno lets you choose between several fillings. Current options include francesinhas made with tofu, seitan and tempeh, plus a curry version with seitan, vegan chouriço and sausage. There’s even a puff-pastry tofu francesinha for anyone who wants to move further away from the traditional recipe.

Address: Rua do Almada 160, Porto
Opening hours: Daily, approximately 12:00–22:30; until 23:00 on Fri and Sat.

Casanova

Away from the busiest tourist streets, Casanova is a good excuse to venture towards the Marquês area in search of a more local francesinha experience. This unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant serves traditional Portuguese food alongside a selection of vegan dishes, so it works particularly well when not everyone at the table follows the same diet.

Its plant-based francesinha is designed as a vegan interpretation of the original rather than an entirely different dish. The restaurant describes it as containing no animal-derived ingredients, making this one to consider if you want the atmosphere of a traditional Porto restaurant while still being able to order a fully vegan francesinha. There’s also a pleasant back patio, a welcome bonus on sunny days.

Address: Rua da Constituição 691, Porto
Opening hours: Mon–Fri, 12:00–15:00 and 19:00–22:30; Sat, 12:00–15:00; closed Sun.

Santa Francesinha

Right in the heart of downtown Porto, close to the Coliseu, Santa Francesinha is perhaps the most traditional francesinha experience on this list. It belongs to the same group as Cufra, a longstanding Porto name associated with the dish, and the menu includes classic meat versions alongside both vegetarian and fully vegan francesinhas.

The 100% vegan version doesn’t hold back on the fillings: Portobello mushrooms, grilled tomato, onion, seitan, plant-based cheese, soy chouriço, courgette and vegan sausage are layered between the bread and covered with a completely vegan sauce. There’s also a vegetarian version with egg. It’s a particularly good option if you’re travelling with someone who wants the traditional francesinha while you want the plant-based equivalent at the same table.

Address: Praça dos Poveiros 72, Porto
Opening hours: Wed–Mon, 12:00–23:00; closed Tue.

Take a look at our list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Porto.