Canto de Luz invited me to experience their boutique hotel and food experiences as part of this sponsored collaboration. Reflections remain independent.
Beyond azulejo-covered churches and cobbled lanes that wind down to the Douro River, at its core, Porto is a city connected to food and wine.
I’ve visited Porto a dozen times, and on a recent summer weekend, I checked into Canto de Luz, a once-abandoned merchant’s townhouse that has been thoughtfully transformed into a boutique hotel with unique light-filled spaces and smart design. It’s located in one of my favourite neighbourhoods to stay in Porto, on a street famous for its historic hardware shops (look for the vintage signage!). But the cherry on top? Food and wine experiences.
Over two nights, a friend and I sampled the hotel’s in-house experiences – from market tours to a cooking class, to a Douro wine tasting. Beyond that, we used Canto de Luz as our calm retreat when we weren’t exploring the city. Let’s dive into all the fun…
Day 1: Train to Porto, join a wine tasting masterclass
Arriving by train from Lisbon, we were met at Campanhã Station by a private driver and whisked straight to Canto de Luz. The warm and friendly manager Gaia was waiting upstairs – but, to be honest, I’m not sure we heard everything she said thanks to a very distracting, very shiny self-serve wine machine sitting pretty at the entrance… It’s quickly clear this is a place designed for food and wine lovers.
Just beyond the reception desk, we passed through an open kitchen that spills into a glasshouse dining room, known as The Orangerie, and then the garden. Porto’s old town has such tall skinny façades that it’s surprising to step through the front door and see how deep each block goes – and Canto de Luz is making the most of this space.
Checking into the Minho Suite at Canto de Luz
Gaia led us through the garden and checked us into the Minho Suite, a beautifully designed, light-filled apartment split over two floors. Downstairs, we had a petite, open-plan living room – with two sofas that could be converted into beds for kids – and a kitchen, fully equipped with an oven, hob, dishwasher and more. Upstairs, the mezzanine had a superking bed and a bathroom with lush soaps and smart lights. The beautiful space was super modern and clean, yet cosy.
What I loved most might be that the suite – a ‘Garden Duplex Villa’ – shared a wall with just one other, and the two sit in the middle of the garden. City noise? Basically non-existent. Add blackout blinds and a massive luxe bed for a perfect night’s sleep in a bustling European city – the dream.
I asked Gaia if we could sneak a peek at any other rooms before guests checked in, and so we got to see the stunning two-bedroom villa with private pool tucked right at the back of the block and the ground-floor apartments, which are still bathed in light thanks to smart architectural design.
➡️ Check your dates at Canto de Luz
Late lunch and exploring Cedofeita neighbourhood
One of the things I loved most about this Porto boutique hotel is the location. It’s set in one of my favourite downtown areas of Porto, on a pretty, yet quiet street close to Bolhão Market, cool cafés and some top restaurants. When I book stays in Porto, I usually choose somewhere around this area as it’s easy to walk anywhere, plus you have quick access to Trindade metro station to zip you across town.
After checking in, we prioritised food before our afternoon wine tasting. Protest Kitchen, a café I’ve had on my Porto ‘to-eat’ list for some time, is just on the next block. The owners – a Brazilian, Russian and Cypriot trio – bring something different to Porto’s specialty coffee and café scene, with a menu that includes everything from sweet syrniki to kchachapuri flatbread. I went for the Cypriotic eggs, with labneh and a toasted, sesame-crusted simit bread.
From here we carved a quick loop west through the hip Cedofeita neighbourhood, popping into vintage stores, historic shops and a gallery along Rua de Cedofeita.
Canto Cooking’s wine tasting masterclass
It was time to taste the best of the Douro Valley – but not like most visitors to Porto do. The city is famous for port wine, a fortified drink that is cellared on the southern bank of the river. But our 90-minute tasting was focused on table wines.
Gemny, our host and a veritable pocket of sunshine, struck the perfect balance between education and fun. She kicked off with an overview of the Douro Valley, using a photo book to show the wine region through the seasons, explaining how the area’s rocky terroir shapes its wines. One at a time, we were slowly introduced to five table wines and a white port from Quinta do Vallado, one of the oldest and best-known estates that was once run by the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira (to this day it remains in the same family!)
What made this tasting memorable was its unpretentious approach. Instead of overwhelming us with vintages, years, labels and wine waffle, Gemny encouraged us to focus on the characteristics of each wine – how they tasted, how they compared, and, importantly, what we actually liked. The tasting mat doubled as a comparison chart and a notepad, allowing us to make notes and judge each wine by colour, aroma, taste, body and balance.
Once all six wines were sitting pretty on our tasting mat, we received a cheese and charcuterie board and were encouraged to play around with flavour pairings. Gemny shared helpful hints and anecdotes that kept it light and fun, yet informative without ever being intimidating.
➡️ Book this wine tasting for yourself
Day 2: Bolhão Market tour and cooking class, visiting a Port wine cellar
Each morning at Canto de Luz begins with a filling breakfast in the light-filled Orangerie. We’d heard great things, and it didn’t disappoint. Each day expect bread and a little treat from Porto’s oldest bakery, Padaria Ribeiro, open since 1878. Snack on a daily fruit plate while building your own breakfast from the menu, which includes items such as fresh orange juice, yogurt and granola, cheese and eggs cooked to order.
To market, to market with Canto Cooking School
Visiting Porto’s Bolhão Market is a must-do on any Porto foodie itinerary. The historic market hall, which occupies a whole downtown block, reopened after five years of renovations in 2022. We spotted our guide, Mackenzie, in a chef’s hat outside the hall and were joined by an American mother-daughter duo.
The five of us set off to explore the market, with plenty of time to browse stalls, talk to vendors and sample produce. A spice-identification game set the tone, an oyster made for a morning pick-me-up, and Sofia, the olive oil vendor, shared tips while we tasted.
Back at Canto de Luz, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on our petiscos menu (Portuguese tapas). The class continued at a fun and relaxed pace, and it was a social experience where the four of us took turns chopping, stirring, mixing and frying until we had a feast ready. The recipes were quite simple and would be easy to recreate at home.
We didn’t receive the recipes during the cooking class, which allowed us to be fully immersed in the cooking experience. However, once we sat down for lunch, I would have liked a printed copy to make notes or check that the written recipes lined up with the class. Canto de Luz is 98% carbon neutral, so to avoid printing they instead send a follow-up PDF of recipes via email.
With lunch came more wine, the spectacle of a flaming chorizo on the table, and the chance to dig into our pataniscas de bacalhau (cod fritters), peixinhos da horta (tempura green beans), amêijoas à bulhão pato (clams) and salada de polvo (octopus salad).
➡️ Join this market tour and cooking class
Touring a port wine cellar
Why is Porto so closely tied to wine? The answer lies in port, the city’s namesake fortified wine that has been produced and shipped around the world for centuries. It starts with young wine, grown in the Douro Valley, that is then shipped downstream to mature in huge wooden barrels by the humid seaside.
Almost two dozen port wine cellars are located on the southern bank in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto. If you have the time, I recommend visiting one for the full experience – but if not, Canto Cooking also offers a “Best of the Best” port wine tasting, where it pairs four styles of port from top-tier producers with artisan chocolates and cheese.
We managed to catch the last daily tour at Graham’s Port Lodge, which was built in 1890. During the hour-long tour, we explored the cellar, passing the oversized barrels and learning about the difference between ruby, tawny and white ports.
Sunset at Jardim do Morro
For sunset in Porto, I think there’s no better spot than Jardim do Morro. From here, on the southern bank, you’ll soak in an iconic view of Porto’s downtown, with its layers of colourful, narrow townhouses, as the city glows golden. Yes, it’s super touristic and always very busy, but find a spot on the grass, buy a beer from a vendor and enjoy the live music while thinking life is good.
From here it’s super easy to return to Canto de Luz via the metro, or make like we did and walk across the top level of the Dom Luís I bridge and seek out dinner – we went to Lado B, one of my favourite spots for a francesinha in Porto.
Day 3: Trekking the city on a food tour, lazy pool time
Another day, another legendary breakfast in The Orangerie. But today we ordered half serves… it’s food tour day!
Eating across Porto – a food tour with Canto Cooking
In any new city, I think a food tour is a great way to connect with the history and food culture of a place. Canto Cooking’s food tour kicked off at the Bolhão Market at 11am, where we met with Mackenzie again to explore – this time joined by both a Scottish and an American couple. We spent about 90 minutes at the market, starting with a freshly squeezed juice before receiving a huge glass of vinho verde. Walking around a fresh food market with a glass of wine in hand? Elite, honestly.
At Sofia’s olive oil stall, we tried two popular beer snacks – Portuguese olives and tremoços (lupin beans). And we passed by a butcher for a small plate of local charcuterie. Then it was time to switch to the TimeOut Market, where we received a delicious Douro wine paired with a tasting plate that had a bolinho de bacalau (cod croquette), octopus salad and a bean salad.
Things kicked up a notch with a francesinha – the legendary Porto sandwich with its many, many meaty layers – before we visited a wine bar and bottle shop to taste a Douro white paired with local cheese, finishing with a shot of gijinha (sour cherry liqueur).
Overall, I really loved the interactions we had with the stallholders and the stories they shared. I’d hoped for a bit more history and storytelling as we passed through different parts of the city along with more contextual notes. Still, it was an easy, relaxed introduction to Porto’s culinary scene, without too much walking and plenty of opportunities to sit down.
Pool time – and a sad farewell
I like to cram lots into a city trip, but with a mini heatwave gripping Porto, there was nowhere I wanted to be more than poolside at Canto de Luz that afternoon. We’d checked out but kept our pool towels so we could spend our final hours in Porto (before our train to Lisbon) kicking back on a lounger with a book in hand.
Sitting there, staring at the blue water, verdant garden and Canto de Luz townhouse, I reflected on how nice it is to experience the contrast of city life and then retreat to a central, private oasis like this.
Visiting Porto soon? ➡️ Check your dates at Canto de Luz and lock in food experiences
How to get there
From Porto’s Campanhã station, it’s a 15-minute drive. From the airport, it’s about 25 minutes by car or metro. Canto de Luz can also arrange private transfers on request.
This feature was created in collaboration with Canto de Luz. Experiences and reflections remain entirely my own.
