Café Restaurante O Afonso

Came here to try the famous sandwich. Was seated right away and the waiters were very friendly. My husband and I told them we would be sharing and they served us the sandwich already cut in half on separate dishes which was really nice!

The food was incredible and the service was just as good. We were kindly brought additional gravy for our francesinhas without having to ask for it. Our waiter even brought us a glass of port wine on the house to finish the meal. Can't say enough good things. If you're looking for the one place to try a Francesinha in Porto, this is it!

I’m so shocked to read the glowing reviews of this place. We were of course going off that Anthony Bourdain recommendation but, wow how things must have changed since then. First, our waiter was so rude to us it was ridiculous. His obvious disdain was palpable. In between ignoring us and dropping 5 peanuts on the table with dirty plates, the waiter would snatch our glasses off our table that still had a quarter full of beer in them. The service was dreadful and they should be ashamed. All the waiters were storming around with glares on their faces. And as it was our first meal in Porto, so it was not a great feeling. The francesinha took an hour, and it wasn’t great. The sauce was so bitter with an off flavor. The accompanying fries were completely soggy and limp, no salt, no flavor. There are a million other places to go, don’t come here.

Holy sweet lord! Wow! It’s our first Francesinha but we did our research. It was everything we wanted and more. Amazing flavours. 100% recommend and really good service. Go there and experience it! Fantastic! Need to sleep now….

The kind of restaurant that is worth the hike. Amazing energy in there with lots of locals and an awesome shrine to Senna, which I got to sit next to. The Francesinha hit the spot, and was brought out promptly with adequate attention towards me the entire time. It was my first one, but it set the bar high. As I was finishing my meal, the staff were kind enough to pour me a cup of port on the house, a kind welcoming to their city and culture. Will easily be one of those places I recommend to anyone visiting Porto. Wishing the owners the best, but it is clear they already have it figured out.

My wife and I went there after getting a recommendation to try the best Francesinha in Porto. And it was really very good, especially the sauce which added full flavor to the meal. The meat was tender and the ham tasty, add melted cheese and an egg on top - a delicious meal combined with a full plate of French fries. Good domestic white wine, a bit sparkling… We also got a glass of porto wine on the house - very nice gesture. The service was fast even though the place was full. Nice atmosphere…

We had seen Anthony Bourdains review of this place years ago and decided that if we ever got the chance, we wanted to try this Francesinha as well. And let me just say, it was well worth the wait. By far the best Francesinha we'd tried in Portugal. The sauce was rich with a slight spiciness to it that really upped the flavor profile, and the service was delightful. The atmosphere of the interior was very warm and inviting. I would recommend arriving right when they open, as it filled up quickly for dinner. The wait staff went above and beyond and were very friendly.

One of the best Francesinha we’ve had! We had to wait outside for about 20 minutes. Once seated, the service was fast and the staff was excellent. Our table of four only had Francesinhas and that is all I saw other tables ordering as this is what they are known for. Our food came fast and hot. The meats in the Francesinha had the perfect combination flavors and the steak was tender. This has the best sauce I’ve had as it was slightly spicy and was perfect for dipping the French fries. They even brought more sauce half way through the meal to warm things back up. We ordered it the traditional way with french fries, egg on top, and a Super Bock. For dessert, have a coffee and try the chocolate mousse, it nicely compliments all the flavors. The meal finishes with a complementary glass of tawny port, the perfect end to a great meal. The interior of this cafe is simple with interesting decor including photos of past visitors and a shrine to Ayrton Senna of Formula 1 fame. The Francesinha is probably not the healthiest meal but if you are going to have one, make sure you go to a place like this to have it. We are definitely looking forward to going back!