Visit Viana do Castelo

What to see and do in VdC, Portugal

Eat

All the options you'd want for a few days

Kamy Restaurante & Snack-bar

Our ‘second kitchen’ is in the alleyway of our apartment. We are here at least once a week to visit this family-run Colombian restaurant. The mom, Vanessa, and her children, Sara (front of house) and Andres (chef), are a joy to know. We love the salmon (the only place in town that does filet style, and the accompanying veggies are some of the best we have had in Portugal. Some other favorites are Patacon con tudo, and the quiche de peixe (fish quiche, lunch only). We’ve always had a great experience here. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Closed Mondays and Sundays for dinner.

M&F 21

Miguel is the proprietor here and always has a smile on his face. We go here fairly often and pretty much always order the mustard pork. They are open on Mondays!

Restaurante Bota d'Água

This is our ‘place that does the fish’ and they do it really, really well. Wonderful staff and a lovely place to celebrate.

Maria Petisca

Really fun place for tapas. They are super friendly and have a great wine list. We typically get a steak plate and share it. Everything here is awesome. They are closed on Mondays.

Manuel Natário

Stop at Manuel Natário bakery right off the Praça da República, just past the costume museum, any day it’s open, starting after lunch, there’s a line for its famous Bolo de Belem. The line moves fast, and it’s totally worth it. Then walk around more to burn off a bit of those calories.

Casa D’Armas - restaurante

A lovely place to go anytime of year, they serve lovely meat dishes and traditional Portuguese food. A bit of a place to celebrate. Gorgeous interior on colder evenings, or for holiday dinners.

Restaurante Asturias

We go here fairly often. It’s family-owned with two brothers and a mother. It feels very much like being in someone’s home. We recommend the fried chicken here - it’s awesome and the best in town. We’ve also been here for lunch and had amazing lamb dishes, but we walk in and they pretty much fire up the chicken.

LUMA Brunch Restaurant

Awesome brunch food! There aren’t many brunch-y places in town, so we highly recommend this one.

Explore

Santa Luzia

Take the Santa Luzia Elevator to the top of Santa Luzia, see the view from there (rated as one of the world’s finest views), and visit the ancient city, Santa Luzia Citania, behind it.

Jardim Público de Viana do Castelo

Praça da República

Sit by the fountain, grab a coffee or a wine at the cafe on the corner. This is where a lot of festivals, concerts, and cultural events happen.

Museu do Traje de Viana do Castelo

A great little break to see the historic costumes of the region and get a sense of what the August festivals might look like if you aren’t here during that time.

Parque Ecológico Urbano

Jardim da Marina

Praia Fluvial Barracão dos Touros

Nightlife

Clássico by Cerqueira’s

Looks like a small window with some bookcases, but it’s a hidden door into an intimate space that serves some of the best cocktails in town. Highly recommend the charcuterie board.

Amalia en Viana

They have Fado Wednesdays and sometimes Thursdays. We’ve been for dinner, but would also recommend them for a later night Fado experience if they have it available.

Poço - Bar & Petiscos

This is a great happy hour and/or later evening spot. Owned by George and frequented by a fair amount of our coworking crew, they have a great selection for mixed drinks, beer on tap, and some nice snacks (we get the sandwiches a lot)

Ribeiro's Brewers

A ton of beers from all over, and really good burgers. This can be for dinner or late at night. We tend to go for burgers because Jenn finds the seating (wooden stools) not as comfortable for lounging for a while.