• Private Experience
• Carbon Neutral

¡Llévate una receta única de la clásica 'francesnha' a casa y trae contigo el sabor local de Oporto! Únase a mí en mi cocina para un taller de cocina privado donde compartiré con ustedes la receta de francesinha de mi familia. ¡Come lo que creaste y compartamos un buen rato juntos!

Destination

Porto, Portugal

Category

Cooking Classes

Duration

3 horas

Cuisine

Portuguese

Available languages

English, Português, Français, Español

Included

• Meals
• wellcome Porto wine
• coffe or tea
• dessert

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Helena.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at approximately Praceta Engenheiro José Adriano Moreira dos Santos, Porto to start your culinary journey.

   View on Maps

2. Example menu

   This is what our dinner could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Bocados pequeños

   Aperitivos locales y vino de Oporto

4. Primer Curso

   Cocina y disfruta de la típica Francesinha

5. Segundo curso

   Sabroso postre local

6. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the menu? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Dime la fecha de tu viaje y el tamaño del grupo
• Dime tus preferencias y deseos para que pueda personalizar el tour para ti.
• Espera mi oferta personal en tu bandeja de entrada!

Contáctame

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Sara🇨🇦 Canada

7 agosto 2025

Helena is a lovely woman and I have hesitated before writing this less than positive review, because we liked her and we wish her well. She speaks very fluent English and was happy to tell us about Portugal. But, we were anticipating a bit more in the realm of the food experience. It was expensive for us, costing 250 Euro for two people. Together, we made a dried cod dish casserole. Then right at the last moment, she asked if we might also like a salad, and then dug out of the fridge some half-bags of lettuce and spinach and tomatoes and tossed on a bit of oil and vinegar. Otherwise, it seemed there was no plan for a vegetable or side dish. For the high cost of this dinner, we thought menu and food might be just a bit more gourmet, local, fresh— created with more planning. We don’t drink wine and had let her know ahead of time thinking she might instead provide an interesting Portuguese sparkling juice or other beverages, but she just provided a bottle of regular pop (like Fanta). We did enjoy making Crème Brûlée with her and browning the sugar on top with flame. I wish I could recommend this experience because she is a very nice woman. But I personally would not choose this experience again given the high cost of it. Helena is lovely, but meal underwhelming

Unknown

24 mayo 2025

Joanne🇺🇸 United States

17 diciembre 2024

Helena was wonderful. She was very accommodating to our food preferences. She is a warm and welcoming person and was very easy to communicate with to set up the class. It was lovely to experience the cooking class in a local home. It is an experience you will enjoy while you are there and remember for a long time after. Wonderful Experience

Oana🇺🇸 United States

3 julio 2023

We truly enjoyed our evening with Helena. First of all we would like to thank her for being so flexible. We had to change the date and time plus we don't eat meat!! We cooked together a very delicious rice with seafood. Helena shared with us some of her cooking secrets plus we enjoyed different appetizers, wines, deserts, fruits. We have no idea how the time flew so fast! Highly recommend her!Great cooking class and dinner with Helena

Dave🇫🇷 France

28 abril 2023

We had an excellent time with Helena. She is an extremely warm and gracious host. She showed us all the steps and let us help out too. Being welcomed into someone’s home was a great experience. Highly recommend an evening with Helena!Wonderful time

Niek🇳🇱 Netherlands

12 abril 2022

We hebben een hele leuke en gezellige middag gehad bij Helena thuis; we hebben heerlijk gekookt en zijn ook heel veel te weten gekomen over Portugal en de stad Porto! En uiteraard port geproefd :) Super leuk!Een hele toffe en leuke middag gehad!

isa🇳🇱 Netherlands

5 enero 2022

We had a very pleasant evening with Helena. Everything was top notch and our wishes were taken into account. The contact in advance was also very good and pleasant. Helena is a very nice hostess and we definitely recommend a visit with her!Wonderful

Kelly🇺🇸 United States

14 septiembre 2021

Helena is a good teacher! Very kind and charming lady. We made seafood rice that was delicious. The evening felt as though you lived in her home, complete with family members joining you for dinner and her dog, Xingu, is awesome. :)Cooking Class with Helena

Louis-David🇨🇦 Canada

17 julio 2019

Helena nous a reçu chez elle avec beaucoup de gentillesse. Nous avons appris à faire un plat typique dans la simplicité et le partage. Une belle expérience et une hôte très généreuse! Merci Très belle expérience

Celine

6 julio 2019

I loved to learn how to make the famous Francesinha! Helena welcomed us in her home as if we had been friends since childhood, so we spent a truly lovely evening, drinking some amazing wine and eating great portuguese apetizers. Highly recommend if ever in Porto!Friend in Porto

Clara

5 julio 2019

What an amazing experience! Right as we arrived to Helena house, she received us with lots of amazing apeteziers and delicious Portuguese wine. As we started preparing the ingredients for the francesinha, Helena offered us more and more snacks and wine and everything was absolutely delicious. I loved that we got to get our "hands dirty" and cook the dish ourselves. It is a super known dish that you can find in a lot of restaurants in Porto so knowing how to make it, made me feel very special and a true portuense. Would totally recommend it to pass by Helena's place if you are ever in Porto because she is truly an amazing host and a lovely person :) One of the best experiences ever!

Deniz

4 julio 2019

The francesinha is undoubtly the most known dish in Porto (you can find it in most restaurants downtown) and leaving the city knowing that we can make our own, makes me feel as if I was a try Portuense! Helena is such an inspiring, independent woman and a nice host!Francesinha cooking class

Maria

3 julio 2019

What a fantastic night! We cooked, drank some exceptional wine, talked for hours and, of course, had the delicious francesinha! We were very happy to have chosen Helena’s cooking class for our last night in Porto. It was the best night of our vacation and an incredible way to say goodbye to this awesome city. Thank you so much, Helena!Thank you Helena!

Maxine

2 julio 2019

Once we got to her home, she welcomed us with amazing apetizers and wine, while she told us all about the city she’s so clearly so passionate about! After Helena taught us all about the francesinha, how to prepare all the ingredients and assemble it, we had a lovely meal that truly felt like home. What a wonderful trip thanks to our host! Home away from home

Marion 🇩🇪 Germany

28 marzo 2019

Wir hatten einen schönen und geselligen Abend zuhause bei Helena. Die Franceshina sind gut gelungen und haben sehr lecker geschmeckt. Vielen Dank Helena, du bist eine tolle Gastgeberin, wir haben uns sehr wohl bei dir gefühlt :-)Classic Francesinha Cooking Class with Secret Recipe

Nadine 🇺🇸 United States

27 marzo 2019

Helena welcomed me and my family into her home for a delightful evening. She is a warm and friendly woman who puts you at ease as soon as you come into her home. The famous Franchesinha sandwich/dinner was a true gastronomic feast of meats , sausage and cheese. I would recommend an evening with Helena!Warm and welcoming!

John🇺🇸 United States

1 enero 2019

We just left the above booking without being able to eat. It was a private cooking demonstration and dinner with the host. Her idea of kitchen and personal hygiene leaves much to be desired. It was downright disturbing. Our host was eating olives and licking off her fingers in her mouth and then continuing to cook. She never washed her hands from the very beginning, repeatedly touched her mouth, was scratching her hair through out talking, and scratched her stomach under her shirt while handling food. Her utensils and pans were filthy. She scraped stuff off the pan and then put in sausages. The final straw was when she pulled out her sandwich press and it was crusted with old burnt cheese. We had to point it out to her that it was dirty and she grabbed a dirty dish rag and started scrubbing it. We simply could not eat there. Her kitchen wasn’t even clean nor was the house. Her sister was in the other room watching television who was apparently going to join us for dinner. I would like a full refund of the down payment I made. This woman should not be doing cooking classes in her home. John TurnbullAvoid unless you love germs

Richard

13 noviembre 2018

Lovely evening unlocking the secret of a great Francesinha. Thanks also for your kind support when Uber let us down. Hope to see you if you make it to BrightonA taste of Porto

Angel🇬🇧 United Kingdom

23 octubre 2018

Helena was such a wonderful host. Both me and my husband had a great night in her wonderful kitchen. He was jolly pleased to finally learn the secret about the sauce of Francesinha! finally learn how to cook Francesinha

Melanie🇺🇸 United States

11 octubre 2018

Our evening with Helena was awesome. We had a wonderful meal, great wine and learned allot. She is a lovely hostess and fun to be with. Anyone who enjoys cooking will appreciate this experience! MelanieArroz de Marisco

Gail🇨🇦 Canada

10 octubre 2018

Helena is a lovely lady that welcomed us to her home & prepared Portugal’s classic Francesinha‼️ We thoroughly enjoyed the evening & of course the meal Warmest regards Guy & Gail Canada 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦Enjoyable

Nina🇺🇸 United States

5 octubre 2018

We began cooking our seafood Marisca and the power went out in the entire neighborhood ! We lit candles and used our cell phone lights and made a most delicious dish! Only at dessert, Helena’s homemade jams and fresh cheese, did the power come back on! We are US Southern Belles and extremely resourceful! Helena is a great cook and we were honored to be guests in her home!Lovely evening !

Melanie

4 octubre 2018

A most wondweful experience! Helena is awesome! We made the most wondderful homemade dish! Helena is an amazing host, we had a great experience in her kitchen!Classic Francesinha Cooking Class with Secret Recipe

Suzanna🇭🇺 Hungary

27 julio 2018

We had a great time and delicious eats with Helena! We felt at home and like part of her family. It was very interesting to see her neighborhood and not just the touristy areas of Porto and she lives just a short bus ride from the City Hall. The meal was delicious and we learned some great tricks to make the perfect francesinha and the perfect sauce for it! Her home made jams with fresh cheese for dessert were the best! We highly recommend her!Helena’s Francesinha

Patricia🇪🇸 Spain

26 julio 2018

A wonderful evening with Helena in her kitchen making Francesinha. Enjoyed getting my "hands dirty" and making the dish myself. Helena was personable and answered many questions about Portugal and her life. I recommend taking her cooking class!Classic Francesinha Cooking Class with Secret Recipe

Marie-Andrée🇨🇦 Canada

10 julio 2018

Nous avons eu la chance avec nos enfants de cuisiner un repas typique de Porto avec Helena. Helena est une personne vraiment accueillante et qui sait nous mettre à l’aise. Elle a été très compréhensive avec nos enfants en « jet-lag » et nous a fait sentir comme des membres de sa famille. Nos échanges nous ont permis de mieux connaître la culture portugaise et nous garderons un excellent souvenir de cette soirée. Obridaga!Une magnifique soirée en bonne compagnie

Sylvana🇨🇭 Switzerland

27 mayo 2018

Wir haben das erste mal über withlocals etwas gebucht. Helena war hat uns überzeugt dies mehr zu machen! Sie war sehr freundlich und hat sich wirklich Zeit genommen um uns die Portugisische Kultur etwas näher zu bringen. Das Esser war toll & auch die Weinauswahl die sie getroffen hat! Ich kann Helena nur weiter empfehlen und wünsche Ihr alles Gute! Tolle Erfahrung!

Marc🇺🇸 United States

8 septiembre 2025

We had the pleasure of spending half a day in Porto with Helena as our guide, and she was absolutely fantastic. From the moment we met her, Helena’s warmth and enthusiasm made us feel welcome. She was incredibly knowledgeable, weaving together Porto’s history, culture, and hidden gems in a way that was both engaging and easy to enjoy. She brought us through highlights, always sharing stories that gave each stop more meaning. Her pacing was perfect, balancing sightseeing with time to relax and take it all in. Helena also introduced us to Time Out Market Porto, where we had one of our favorite meals of the trip, trying the famous francesinha sandwich, fresh seafood with octopus, and of course a Port tasting. If you’re visiting Porto and want a guide who combines professionalism, passion, and a true love for her city, Helena is the one to book. She turned our short time in Porto into an unforgettable experience.So much to see + a great tour!

Susanne🇩🇪 Germany

27 agosto 2025

Helena sent us a message that she was ill and Clara would do the tour with us instead. This was by far not the first food tour we did, but extremely expensive (we paid € 233 for the 2 of us) for what was presented. According to the description we were to expect 10 tastings within 3 hours together with insider informations about Porto. Instead we were presented with stuff, every tourist stumbles over immediately, i. e. canned sardines, pasteis de nata and half a roll with pork. Nothing about Porto and after 5 tastings and 2 hours Clara said we were very quick and the tour ended.Total disappointment

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

11 agosto 2025

Helena was a wonderful host! From the very first chat on line to the details of dinner, giving us a true local experience. Helena met us when our bolt driver dropped us off. She then showed us to her home. We listened to Fado music as she entertained us with a 3 course local family meal. This experience was exactly what we were looking for. She also gave us some local "dont,miss" places to see for the next few days. After about 2.5 hours she walked us out and waited until our ride came. Highly recommend! Thank you again Helena for letting us be apart of life. Jen and Steve Diving in to a local experience !

Yulia🇺🇸 United States

23 julio 2025

Helena is definitely very knowledgeable, however, the way the facts were presented were not very interesting to half of our group. My 10 year old, who has been on other tours (and was engaged in those) kept asking when the tour will end. As a result, I can’t really recommend this tour for anyone with (around) teen age kids.Knowledgeable guide, but not for teens

Maddie & Alec🇺🇸 United States

22 julio 2025

Touring with Helena was a wonderful experience. She makes sure to take you to meaningful hidden gems, while explaining the city’s history. She is sweet, and takes the time to get to know you outside of being just clients. Helena loves what she does and you can tell! Take her recommendations for the best restaurants :) Best first day in Portugal!!!

Frédérick🇨🇦 Canada

12 julio 2025

Helena a été vraiment gentille. Elle nous a fait découvrir de supers endroits. Pis recommandons vivement!Nous avons adoré

Stacey

8 julio 2025

Although Sundays are not the best days for a food tour since many places are closed, we only had a small window to do a tour of Porto. Helena made it happen! We were introduced to the local sites and tried local treats with our favorite being the famous Pastel de nata, but we enjoyed all the tastes. Although the Mercado was closed on Sunday, Helena provided suggestions, and the next day, we returned to buy treats and eat at one of the restaurants where we had an authentic Portuguese meal, including the Francesinha, which is a must try. Helena was lovely, friendly and made the tour most pleasant. She is the kind of person you would just love to have as a neighbor! She shared tidbits about the city, and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Helena Made It Happen

Emily🇯🇵 Japan

24 junio 2025

Our tour guide Helene was fantastic. She contacted us before the tour, coordinated the time and was there promptly at the appointed time. She understood our interests and worked with our pace. She was very knowledgeable on the history and shared stories and anecdotes. We also got to know how the locals lived, the places that locals frequent etc. we had a great time.Our tour guide Helene was fantastic!

Joseph

22 junio 2025

Walking through Porto with Helena means you get to taste the best of what the city has to offer. Not only did she help us try wonderful foods from the market, shops, and restaurants, but she gave us wonderful tips and suggestions for places to visit and foods to try during the rest of our stay. Touring with Helena is perfect way to start your visit to Porto! Start your trip to Porto right!

Matthew🇬🇧 United Kingdom

22 junio 2025

Helena arrived at our hotel on time to pick us up, we were immediately at ease with her friendly personality. The drive to the Douro Valley was both scenic and very interesting, we stopped for coffee and scenic photo opportunities. The boat trip in Peniche was relaxing and the scenery beautiful followed by a very enjoyable lunch. The highlight was then the visit to the small family wine estate Quinta Seara d’Ordens, a beautiful winery, off the beaten track, stunning wines and a very entertaining tour. This topped off a perfect day out. Thank you Helena!!Great day out in the Douro Valley

Seraphina🇩🇪 Germany

21 junio 2025

Helena is the most loving friendly open and caring person that we ever had the pleasure to enjoy a tour with. She took care of our big group and made sure all our needs and wishes in the tour were fulfilled! She is a true local expert with a lot of knowledge and I could’ve not asked for a better guide 100% would recommend Helena and would love to have another experience with her. The only small improvement which has nothing to do with her as a guide but more the agenda of the tour would be to maybe go inside less shops and more restaurants and bar style locations.also I think the price is a little bit high for what you get in food value in the end.The most lovely guide I ever had

Nikki

4 junio 2025

We really enjoyed our food tour with Helena. She was a super nice lady who we enjoyed spending the afternoon with. She was knowledgeable and easily answered all questions. She knows a lot about the local history and shared it with us. She even accommodated my super picky niece, who doesn't like to try new things by finding a chocolate muffin she would eat. If I ever go back to Porto, I will look up Helena again. Highly recommend! Great afternoon with Helena!

Susan

18 mayo 2025

Our evening with Helena was a lovely retreat from touring and eating out. Helena was a gracious host and warmly shared stories of herself, her family, and the history of Porto. We enjoyed appetizers that included Chourico Assado prepared at the table, lovely bread including Broa, olive oil, olives, and light gold port wine. The main course was Arros con Marisco served with white wine from the Douro Valley. Without a doubt, it was the best dinner I had in Porto! I could have eaten the whole pot! Helena checked in with us before deciding on the menu which we appreciated and assisted us with figuring out transportation. Don't miss your opportunity to dine with Helena and enjoy her company. What a Lovely Evening!

MICHELE🇺🇸 United States

6 mayo 2025

My friends and I found Helena to be knowledgeable, friendly, and intelligent with an easy-going, approachable manner. And we were very pleased with our tastings.A Tasty Taste of Porto With Helena

Maiko🇲🇾 Malaysia

5 mayo 2025

I had a great time with Helena! She is very warm, open and friendly. I joined her experience with my early teens. We went to the local butcher shop and supermarket together and then enjoyed chatting and appetizers while cooking together. I especially loved a glass of vinho verde with requeijão de ovelha! I liked this cheese so much that I ended up buying it several times during the rest of my stay in Portugal. For the main course, she asked me in advance what we wanted, and although it was hard to choose as they were all appealing, we decided on the bacalhau dish. It was nice to see how to prepare bacalhau, a traditional ingredient that is an essential part of Portuguese cuisine. Also, since it was right around Easter time, she prepared Easter cookie baking for my daughter and she had fun cutting up the cookies and decorating them with chocolate. Thank you for a lovely relaxing evening!A Warm Welcome into a Local Home

Brian🇺🇸 United States

4 mayo 2025

Porto is a fantastic city and Helena is was a terrific guide! As a lifelong resident, Helena provided many personal stories along with a thorough overview of the history of Porto and Portugal. We learned so much about the architecture, the tiles, and the people as we walked through the neighborhoods. We're very happy that we chose her as our guide!So worth it!

Kompanio🇧🇪 Belgium

27 abril 2025

Een top bezoek aan Porto, vriendelijke, behulpzame, interessante gids. Gezellige eetadresjes, kortom een fijne ontdekking op een originele manierboek zeker deze gids

Jeanne🇺🇸 United States

25 abril 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our food tour with Helena. She took us to so many interesting and varied places including the oldest grocery store in Porto and a traditional Futbol club bar, very local! She also shared alot of Porto and Portuguese history with us. She was very personable and has a wealth of knowledge about food and she offers cooking classes in her home as well. We would love to do that on our next visit to Porto. Thank you Helena. So many wonderful tastes

Frances🇺🇸 United States

18 abril 2025

Helena was a delightful guide. She is cheerful and knowledgeable about Porto and all of Portugal. We had a lovely day and it was a great introduction to Porto. She had many suggestions about restaurants and places to visit on our following day. Highly recommend Helena for a tour.Fun in Porto

Sophie

14 abril 2025

The experience with Helena was amazing! We had a great time and enjoyed our day so much. Thanks a lot! Would recommend it to anyone who would like to taste lovely things and get a tour through Porto ☺️Perfect day in Porto

Jancy

10 abril 2025

Helena is very friendly and amicable. She brought us to places known by the locals and explained the history of the buildings. It has been a good experience with her.

Barbara

10 abril 2025

Helena was so lovely! She gave a great tour of the market and other places we would not have found or gone to ourselves. She shared lots of local knowledge and history, and was full of enthusiasm for Porto and its food. Would totally recommend booking, especially on your first day in town to get lots of advice on what to do and where to visit. A highlight of our trip! Fabulous!

Sophie🇳🇱 Netherlands

6 abril 2025

We had the absolute pleasure of spending time with Helene, our local guide in Porto, and we couldn't have asked for a more wonderful experience. Helene is not only incredibly kind and warm-hearted, but her passion for food and her love for the beautiful city of Porto truly shine through in everything she does. She introduced us to hidden culinary gems we would have never found on our own—authentic, local places full of soul and flavor. Every stop was a story, every bite an experience, and Helene made it all feel personal and special. We're so grateful for her generosity, her knowledge, and the heartfelt way she shared her city with us. Thank you, Helene, for giving us such unforgettable memories. Porto will always taste a little sweeter because of you! Wonderful experience