Francesinhas Al Forno da Baixa Porto – Spicing it all up!

The specialty of this place is "Francesinha". I'm not kidding, they offer more than 20 types and combinations. Never heard of it? So you have to try it because it's the traditional dish around here.

Francesinha is based on the French "croque-monsieur" and it's a mix of a sandwich and a lasagna - that's my attempt to explain a Francesinha to foreigners. The sandwich is layered with lots and lots of different meats and typical Portuguese sausages, topped with slices of cheese and drenched in a spicy sauce. The "spiciness" of the sauce, as tradition has it, is supposed to have reminded its creator of French girls... Hot!

Some places serve lots of fries on the side but here, if you want some, you'll have to order them (€1.50); otherwise, they'll only serve you the sandwich. As with the fried egg, if you want to add one on top of your francesinha (it's the traditional way of eating it), you'll have to order one too (€1). This happens because they also serve vegan francesinhas that can become vegetarian if you add an egg on top of it or if you want the regular cheese on it. If you can't eat pepper, you can order the sauce separately.

If you're not into Francesinhas in a Francesinha place, they also serve hotdogs, steaks, salads and crepes. For the dessert, they offer vegan and non-vegan options too.