Tip #1: Make seafood your primary strategy.
Porto's coastal location means the fish is fresh and the preparations are deeply traditional. Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa (salt cod with potatoes and olives) is the local classic. Polvo a lagareiro (roasted octopus in olive oil) is simple and memorable. Grilled sardines in June are a citywide institution. A fish plate costs 10 to 16 euros.
Tip #2: Know your halal restaurants.
The halal scene is small but serviceable. Zafferano Porto is an Indian restaurant with halal-certified meals and high ratings. Taj Mahal serves Pakistani and Bangladeshi food with generous portions. Bombay Grill does Indian-Bangladeshi grills and biryanis. None serve Portuguese cuisine, but they cover your halal meat needs.
Tip #3: Skip the francesinha.
Porto's signature dish is layers of ham and sausage under melted cheese with a beer sauce. It is a monument to pork and alcohol. Admire the engineering from a distance and order the fish.
Tip #4: Pray at Masjid Hamza.
Masjid Hamza (Porto Muslim Cultural Center) is the most central mosque, within walking distance of the main tourist area. Daily prayers and Jumu'ah. The Centro Cultural Islamico do Porto near Campanha station is the largest prayer space, with a men's hall upstairs and a women's section below.
Tip #5: Self-cater from Bolhao Market.
Mercado do Bolhao is Porto's grand food market, beautifully renovated, with fresh fish counters, cheese, fruit, and bread. If you book an apartment with a kitchen, buying fresh fish here and cooking it yourself is the best way to eat in Porto for a longer stay.
Tip #6: Eat pasteis de nata daily.
The egg custard tarts (eggs, cream, sugar, puff pastry) are halal and available everywhere. Natas D'Ouro on Rua de Santa Catarina does excellent ones. You will eat several a day. This is correct behaviour.
Tip #7: Take the Douro Valley train.
The train from Sao Bento to Regua or Pinhao follows the river through terraced vineyards and is one of the most beautiful railway journeys in Europe. You do not need to drink wine to appreciate the landscape. UNESCO designated this valley for good reason.
Tip #8: Cross the Dom Luis I Bridge at sunset.
Walk the upper deck of the iron bridge for panoramic views of Porto on one side and Gaia on the other. The views when the light turns golden are worth timing your walk for. Designed by a collaborator of Gustave Eiffel.
Tip #9: Use Uber for the hills.
Porto is built on steep terrain. Walking is beautiful but brutal. Uber and Bolt cost 4 to 8 euros for most city trips. The metro (1.60 euros per ride) covers longer distances, with Line E running directly from the airport to the centre.
Tip #10: Stand in Sao Bento station.
The entrance hall is covered in 20,000 hand-painted azulejo tiles depicting Portuguese history. It is free, public, and genuinely stunning. This is a train station. Porto does not undersell itself.
Porto does not make it easy for Muslim travellers, but the seafood, the tiles, and the Douro Valley reward those who plan ahead.