Catraio Craft Beer Shop & Bar

Here's the honest version: I didn't spend nearly enough time at Catraio during our month in Porto, and I regret it every time I think about it. Catraio is generally credited as the original driving force behind Porto's craft beer scene, the place that proved the city had an appetite for something beyond Super Bock, and that reputation has not gone unearned.

The beer selection is excellent. The staff are knowledgeable without being the kind of knowledgeable that makes you feel like you've failed an exam. The space has three levels of seating, a covered terrace, and a garden bar, which puts it in a different class from a typical street-level tap room. The vibe is inclusive and relaxed, welcoming to regulars and tourists in equal measure.

So why didn't we spend more time here? Catraio is on the other side of Porto from where we were staying, and the city's craft beer scene is dense enough that we kept stopping somewhere else first and running out of evening. Both times we visited we were glad to be there. Both times we left wishing we'd arrived earlier. I don't have photos to share, which tells its own story.

If you're in Porto and you want to understand where the craft beer culture came from, Catraio belongs near the top of your list. I'm going back, and I'm going to get there early.

Catraio sits on Rua de Cedofeita in the Cedofeita neighborhood, one of Porto's long shopping streets. O Caçula Cervejaria is on the same street about eight minutes further along toward the old town. Jardim de João Chagas, a pleasant public garden, is close by.