There are still parts of Europe where you can enjoy authentic, homemade food, but they’re often away from tourist hotspots. For a taste of real, traditional dishes passed down through generations, you’ll need to venture off the beaten path. This is where the true adventure begins.
Join us on a food journey to Bragança in northeastern Portugal.
When you step into a restaurant full of locals speaking a language you don’t understand, you’re in the right spot. Pull out your Google Translator to ask for recommendations, then simply say yes to the dish offered!
Adventure isn’t just about extreme sports. It can start right on your plate, by trying a dish you’ve never heard of in a place few tourists visit. We traveled to Bragança searching for authenticity and found it in the local villages and their artisan craftsmanship, especially in the food.
Bragança has previously been isolated, but now it’s just a two-hour drive from Porto. Its distance has helped preserve its unique heritage, making this region – known as Trás-os-Montes or “behind the mountains” – a perfect spot to experience true Portuguese culture.
Having local guides helped us discover exceptional traditional and reinterpreted Portuguese dishes. One restaurant, housed in a typical Transmontana home decorated with regional hunting and sausage artifacts, set the stage with its wooden beams and hanging smoked hams.
We started with thin slices of native Portuguese Bísaro pig, homemade bread, and dark red wine. This was followed by succulent meat served with chestnuts and rich rice, perfectly paired with red Douro wine. This restaurant, about 7 kilometers outside Bragança, is a local favorite specializing in open barbeque and grilled meat.
We savoured local sausages and were pleasantly surprised by the Alheira, a smoked sausage with bread and poultry originating from the Jewish community in Portugal. We also tried Galo no Pote, a chicken dish simmered for hours in a three-legged cast iron pot, resulting in tender, flavorful meat that melts in your mouth.
For meat lovers, Bragança is a dream. Veal chops cooked over an open fire were huge and delicious. This rustic, traditional fare reflects the honest gastronomy of the region, best enjoyed after exploring the surrounding nature.
Another rural restaurant, just 5 kilometers north of Bragança, offers generous portions of meat and game. We began with a snack plate of local meats and cheeses, then enjoyed a crepe with wild mushrooms, boar with chestnuts, and finished with homemade pie. This authentic and sumptuous meal is even mentioned in the Michelin Guide, though it doesn’t require a big budget, just a big appetite.
The highlight of our culinary adventure was a meal that exceeded our expectations, held at a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurant headed by Portuguese Masterchef of 2018, Luís Portugal. Chef Portugal has revolutionized traditional Transmontana cuisine, presenting traditional recipes in exciting new ways.
Our meal started with muffin-shaped bread rolls with ham, paired with pepperoni butter and local cheeses. Next was Escabeche of Trout on Rye, a creative take on “fish in a can,” followed by Butelo e Casulas reinterpreted into a ball, served with a pink coulis of red onion mayonnaise. We continued with Cannelloni Alheira with five tomato sauces and Trás-os-Montes Couscous in pork sauce with pork neck and Rapini.
Almost too full to continue, we nevertheless enjoyed tender beef with a baked mashed-potato dumpling, wild asparagus, and local mushrooms, all wonderfully complemented by red Douro Reserva wine. Dessert was an almond, apple, and honey pie with celery ice cream, an unexpectedly delightful combination.
The city of Bragança itself is charming, with a pedestrian-friendly center, medieval castle, numerous museums, art galleries, churches, and monasteries. Another draw is the craftsmanship of local artisans, a rare sight in Europe today. Their presence in Bragança is a testament to the preservation of tradition, offering travelers a chance to purchase authentic Portuguese souvenirs.
Our trip was arranged by the Association of Commercial, Industrial and Services of Bragança through their + Bragança project, which aims to showcase the beauty and heritage of the region to travelers.
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