Prost Haus Porto

Prost Haus Porto: small, unassuming, and easy to walk past. Look for the red doors.

When we first arrived in Porto, my wife made a beeline for Livraria Lello, the famously beautiful bookshop that draws long queues of tourists to its art nouveau interior. I made a more unstructured plan: wander the neighborhood with no map and see what I found. I found some interesting graffiti, a half-hidden dead-end alley with an improbable view over the riverfront, and a couple of guys who looked like they were up to no good. I survived them, somehow, and went looking for my way back to my wife. On the way, I found Prost Haus Porto.

The bar is run by a Brazilian-German family who bring an easy warmth to the place that doesn't feel performed. They seem to genuinely enjoy what they're doing, and it shows in everything from the way the space is set up to the way they talk to customers they've never met.

Inside Prost Haus: find the hand-painted family portrait on the wall.

The menu is a mix of German and Portuguese: a small selection of German beers, some Portuguese options, and food that draws from both traditions. The pretzel with cheese became a fixture of our Porto visits. The cheese in particular was something else, three months later, I still bring it up unprompted.

The patio across the street is the centerpiece. It's a small thing: a handful of tables on the opposite side of a narrow road from the bar. Those tables offer a view of the São Bento station area without the feeling of being part of the crowd below. The owner told me once that sitting out there makes him feel like the king of his little corner of Porto. After visiting several times, I understand exactly what he means.

The patio view. It earns the word peaceful.

Before you leave: look for the hand-painted family portrait inside the bar, and add a pin to the world map on the wall.

Prost Haus is just up the hill from São Bento station, one of Porto's busiest transit hubs and home to one of the most celebrated azulejo tile interiors in the country. Look for the red doors, they're the easiest way to spot the place from the street. The historic Barredo district and the Ribeira riverfront are a short walk downhill from the station, making this a natural first stop before an evening along the river.