Carmo Beer Bar

Right across from the churches. You can't miss it.

Imagine you've spent a long afternoon visiting Porto's historic churches: the reverential silence, the extraordinary azulejo tiles, the weight of centuries in every room. At some point your feet start to ache and your thoughts drift, perhaps involuntarily, toward a cold beer. Carmo Beer Bar is placed as if someone anticipated exactly this moment.

The bar sits on Praça de Carlos Alberto, directly across from the twin churches of Carmo and Carmelitas, two of Porto's most visited religious sites. The beer selection isn't enormous, but it's thoughtful enough that you'll find something you want. There's also a small food menu: the ham and cheese toast is exactly what it sounds like, and it is perfectly adequate for keeping you in your seat for another round.

The inside: wood panels, breweriana, no pretense.

The interior is warm and welcoming, with wood paneling and the kind of brewery ephemera on the walls that accumulates naturally in a bar run by people who actually like beer. The real draw on a good day is the streetside patio, where you can sit and watch a steady procession of tourists making their way toward the churches while you remain in the comfortable position of having already done your sightseeing.

Wall detail inside Carmo Beer Bar.

Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelitas are right across the street and worth your attention even if Gothic architecture isn't your usual interest: the Carmo church exterior side wall is covered in one of Porto's largest azulejo tile panels, painted in blue and white. Livraria Lello, the extraordinarily beautiful bookshop that has become one of Porto's most photographed interiors, is about five minutes away on foot. If you're in this part of the city, O Caçula Cervejaria is also a short walk, offering local beer and free fado on Tuesday afternoons.