The wait is over: Time Out Market Porto has opened its doors.
The 2,000-square-metre space, which houses 11 restaurants (with one more still to open), a bar, a tasting room and the A Vida Portuguesa shop, opened to the public at 12.30pm today. It’s located in a city icon: São Bento station. As well as breathtaking azulejo tiles and train lines linking Portugal’s second city to the Douro Valley, São Bento is now home to a string of the city’s best restaurants and chefs.
Time Out Market has taken up residence in the station’s south wing – formerly a warehouse and car park. ‘We’re in a century-old space that locals couldn’t access before,’ explained general manager Inês Santos Almeida. ‘It was a storage area that wasn’t active. The idea is to revitalise this entire area, giving it back to the people of Porto.’
Besides the restaurants – which showcase the best of Porto’s food scene – there’s a new addition to Porto’s long list of landmarks. The soon-to-be-iconic Time Out Market tower, designed by local hero Eduardo Souto de Moura, will play a key role in the city’s cultural life. At the top, with a privileged view of the Clérigos Tower and the city skyline, is the Tasting Room, which will focus on port and other local wines under the guidance of winemaker Bento Amaral, with a menu designed by chef Luís Américo.
In the middle of the tower, there’s a stage for concerts and other events. And on the ground floor is A Vida Portuguesa: Catarina Portas’s famous store featuring historic Portuguese brands, from stationery to perfume, food to textiles and crafts to toys. After shutting its only Porto location in 2020, A Vida Portuguesa is officially back in town.
From this weekend, Time Out Porto will be open every day from 10am to midnight, so you can drop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner – or maybe all three. It’s the perfect excuse to start planning a trip to Porto. We’ll see you there!
Read more: Time Out Market Porto: Opening hours, chefs, FAQs and more
ICYMI: these are all the restaurants you’ll find at Time Out Market Porto
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