• Private Experience
• Carbon Neutral

Welcome to my house! You are invited for an authentic home dinner where you'll try the authentic flavors of Porto. Enjoy delicious Portuguese dishes like a delicious "Arroz de Marisco", "Feijoada à Transmontana" or a tasty "Bacalhau"! Drinks are included, so let's have a good time!

Destination

Maia, Portugal

Category

Home Dinners

Duration

3 hours

Cuisine

Portuguese

Available languages

English, Português, Français, Español

Included

• Meals
• Welcome 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 Eng. José Adriano Moreira dos Santos 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. First course

   Bread, sausage and olives

4. Second course

   Arroz de Marisco, Bacalhau, Feijoada, Arroz de Vinha de Alhos

5. Third course

   Homemade jams & local cheese

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

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Brent🇺🇸 United States

2 August 2024

We were super apprehensive about having dinner with a stranger…in their home….as I think most ‘normal’ people would be. It was such an enjoyable experience and I feel like we made a friend in the process! The meal was amazing (I am also a chef in the US) and it was pleasant to have local cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Our 10 year old daughter is still speaking about the food and the experience!Amazing Dinner!

b9ycfbp2pm🇺🇸 United States

10 July 2024

If you are in search of a truly authentic, local dining experience just outside the center of Porto, book a home dinner experience with Helena. Helena was simply delightful and a pleasure to meet. We were a group of four, two of whom had a variety of dietary restrictions including gluten allergy and lactose intolerance. Helena went out of her way to provide gluten-free options such as gluten-free bread and chorizo, and altered the recipe of her fantastic crème brûlée to ensure it was lactose free. We enjoyed a variety of port wines. Her appetizers included two cheeses, olives and bread and traditional Portuguese comfort food for dinner. Helena was born and raised in Porto and offers a genuine local experience. Authentic Local Dining

Brian🇺🇸 United States

9 July 2024

We had the nicest evening with our very welcoming hostess Helena. We started with engaging conversation over a variety of appetizers including cheese, olives, breads, and ham.. along with a very nice white port! Dinner focused on the best arroz de marisco either of us had ever had.. accompanied by a nice Vinho Verde! A very unique experience.. highly recommended!. Wonderful evening with Helena!

Ruth🇺🇸 United States

30 June 2024

Love the experience. Helena was a great host and food was delish. Great dining experience

Tony🇺🇸 United States

29 June 2024

We felt so welcomed by Helena and thoroughly enjoyed the show experience of cooking a traditional meal with her in her home! Worth every minute!Helena is fantastic!

Julia🇺🇸 United States

19 May 2024

We met Helena at the Porto public market, enjoyed some wine together, and shopped for dinner. She brought us to her apartment and we cooked together, learning more about food, Portugal, Porto, and sharing stories. Helena is a wonderful hostess and cooking teacher. We learned how to make bacalhau stew and crème brûlée on a platter (with blowtorch!). And then we enjoyed our dinner together. I can't imagine a better way to begin our first visit to Portugal.DInner with Helena is like coming home

Travis🇺🇸 United States

4 May 2024

We had a lovely time with Helena and the home cooked meal was delicious!

Gill🇬🇧 United Kingdom

28 April 2024

Helena very kindly and warmly welcomed us into her home. A few days before we arrived, she gave us some food options to choose from, with prompt replies to all of our messages. On arrival at her home, she offered us a Portuguese aperitif. We opted for white port, which was accompanied by delicious starters of sardines, two types of bread, tapenade, the juiciest olives you’ll ever taste and fresh local cheeses and cured meat. Helena had purchased everything fresh from a local market that day. We obviously ate too much of these lovely appetisers (we challenge you to resist!) but soldiered on to savouring the delicious dinner she had prepared. We opted for a traditional pork and rice dish, which was one of a variety of options she’d suggested a few days beforehand. Helena offered us a range of drinks to accompany dinner, with us opting for a lovely local red wine. We were treated to a homemade crème caramel for dessert, which Helena blow torched at the table, optimising the yummy fresh crunch and taste. Helena offered us fresh fruit afterwards, which we reluctantly declined as we were pleasantly and pleasingly stuffed. Dinner chez Helena was an absolute treat and makes a welcome change to restaurant dining. The dishes were well prepared, home cooked and ingredients locally sourced, as were the the range of drinks. Helena offered us more of everything. We highly recommend dining with Helena. She’s easy to chat with, friendly, interesting and interested, she’s a lovely host and provided lots of delicious local, fresh and plentiful, home cooked traditional food. We would definitely opt to dine with Helena again. Thank you, Helena! Hospitable Helena

Cassidy🇺🇸 United States

10 September 2023

We had such a lovely evening spent having a home cooked dinner with Helena. She was full of knowledge on the city, super warm & welcoming, and her cooking is wonderful. Her home is lovely and she was such a kind lady that made our family feel so welcomed. This was a great local experience.

Kathleen🇺🇸 United States

26 August 2023

Meeting Helena was such a pleasure. She is really a great cook and we were delighted to taste an authentic Portugal meal. Local dinner

Lisha🇺🇸 United States

6 July 2023

Helena welcomed us into her home for a fantastic evening with a beautiful charcuterie spread, a tasty dinner and lots of great conversation (and wine!) She was a very gracious and generous host and we had a really fun evening getting to know her; we learned so much about Portugal, portuguese history, local culture & food, as well as Helena 's family. She gave us excellent suggestions for the remainder of our trip and went out of her way to help us with an unexpected trip issue that we needed a local's help and experience to resolve. If you are looking for a truly "local" experience we highly recommend booking time with Helena, or having her cook an exclusive meal for your group!Our Best Night in Porto

yw8kzyy2fw🇺🇸 United States

29 June 2023

Unique experience with Helena, who invited us into her home and cooked a delicious meal with appetizers, plenty of wine and dessert. Enjoyed the conversation and the Bacalhau was amazing, we are still craving it!

Daniela🇺🇸 United States

7 June 2023

The dinner with Helena was incredible. While we sat together at the table and ate the extremely delicious dishes of Helena, we talked and laughed together as if we knew each other for a long time. She told us many things about Portuguese cuisine and culture during our time together. Helena also noticed my husband eats more on the spicy side and she offered him spicy piri piri sauce which he loved! Her hospitality and warmth was much appreciated. This is a must do if visiting Porto!!! A must do in Porto !!!

Paul🇨🇦 Canada

12 April 2023

Four of us spent a wonderful evening with Helena. We were greeted with hugs upon arrival, and we felt immediately relaxed. Shared stories about our respective families, life experiences and cultural traditions, especially her passion for being Portuguese. A wonderful time was had by all. Fantastic Experience!

Gayna🇺🇸 United States

7 April 2023

Visiting Porto with my 3 adult grandchildren. Scheduled an in home dinner with Helena and couldn’t have had a better experience. Food was delicious, company delightful, and Helena felt like a welcome addition to our family by the end of our evening together. Family Joy

Drew🇺🇸 United States

21 March 2023

Having a home cooked meal with Helena has been one of our favorite travel experiences. Helena was so warm, inviting and energetic. Her food was delicious, and we had the most pleasant evening - it really was such a treat. We even got to meet her family members. Especially if you are looking for an authentic, cultural experience, we highly recommend this tour!A MUST Travel Experience

Laura🇺🇸 United States

19 March 2023

What a perfect evening cooking with Helena in Porto! We weren’t entirely certain what to expect, but she made us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived in her lovely home. It was fun experience to learn how to make a Portuguese dish, and then share it with her, all while having great conversations. This is an evening that we will not soon forget. High recommend Helena and Thai experience. Fantastic Evening!

Diane🇺🇸 United States

7 March 2023

While traveling in Porto I decided to book a home cooked dinner at Helena’s home with my husband and our two friends. Helena welcomed us into her home and we immediately felt so relaxed and comfortable.She served us appetizers and Port Wine while we listened to Fado music and chatted. Per our request, Helena cooked us the most delicious traditional Portuguese fish dish with fresh vegetables. We enjoyed everything about this special evening and we highly recommend booking a dinner with Helena!The highlight of our trip to Porto

Tracie🇺🇸 United States

23 September 2022

Helena was amazing! She was incredibly kind and thoughtful. The perfect host! There were 6 of us and every single person in our group left her home saying what a wonderful evening we had getting to know Helena and hearing about food of Porto. She made the most amazing seafood rice dish for us! Thank you Helena!Best dinner in Porto - home cooking

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

15 September 2022

Having dinner with Helena at her home was a highlight of our trip to Porto. She was warm, welcoming and interested in us as well as telling us about Portugal. Her seafood rice was delicious! I would highly recommend this experience.Helena, Helena!

Jane🇺🇸 United States

26 May 2022

We had a delightful evening with Helena. Good food and lively conversation. Looking forward to getting recipes for the local dishes Helena served! Thanks for a great evening. Helena even helped with getting an Uber ride back to our hotel.Dinner with Helena

John Gary🇬🇧 United Kingdom

21 May 2022

Helena was a lovely and generous host. She made us feel very welcome and her food was delicious. I would recommend this activity when you visit Porto. Janet & Gary

Unknown

14 April 2022

Helena was a a great host - we instantly felt relaxed and welcome in her home - the menu had been prepared to suit all tastes using local produce wine and port - an excellent evening - we hope to meet Helena again True portuguese family evening

paul🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 April 2022

Helena was a great host. We enjoyed a lovely Portuguese meal and had a very nice evening talking with Helena and her son. Would recommend for a nice Portuguese experience! Good evening in home of Helena

Sally 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 April 2022

We had an excellent evening with Helena. The Portuguese food was delicious and very plentiful. Helena was so easy to chat with and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Thank you so much. Dinner with a Local Experience

Campbell🇺🇸 United States

9 March 2022

Our group had an amazing dinner with Helena. We had a group of 10 and were accommodated very well. Helena cooked some amazing seafood for all of us and we all had a great time chatting with her and learning about Portuguese culture. The wine was great too! I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone coming to Porto. It was the best dinner we had in Portugal. Amazing dinner—would book again

Katie🇺🇸 United States

10 February 2022

Helena is so kind and welcoming and a delicious cook! It felt like we were at an old friends house. The food was delicious and gave us the opportunity to enjoy a home cooked Portuguese meal on our trip. She also suggested things to do and see while we are here. Definitely don't go to Porto without seeing Helena!Helena is amazing!

Patti🇺🇸 United States

5 October 2021

Helena welcomed us into her home as if we were family! We started with a delicious local port, yummy appetizers and delightful fado music. Dinner was spectacular and Helena was so fun to talk with. She gave us all kinds of tips and recommendations to make our visit to Porto even more enjoyable. It was a perfect introduction to Portugal! Highly recommend! Patti and Morgan Delicious food and great conversation!

Irina🇩🇪 Germany

4 April 2021

As we spontaneously booked our flight tickets to Porto we have not realized that Portugal and Porto are still under strict quarantine, so we tried to do the best out of it and finding "withlocals" and Helena was definitely the best what could happen. I originally asked Helena if a "tasting tour" is possible, but as the restaurants were closed, she offered us a dinner at her home. We thankfully accepted the offer. Helena picked us up at the hotel and we have immediately "connected". Helena is a very friendly, open and heartwarming person. She is also clients oriented: she was very cautious about our son (12 y.o.) who eats like most of the kids at this age - pizza :). The food at Helena's home was really good and local. We had a lot of fun by frying the chorizo and drinking Porto. As main course we had rice with seafood - simple Porto food. It was also interesting to taste pumpkin jam (as part of dessert). The best part was to talk about the recipes and the traditions in our countries. Helena has a big family and 2 dogs and she has place for each of them in her heart. It was an amazing experience of meeting such a wonderful person accompanied by a great food. Thank you, Helena!

Hakim

24 February 2020

I love the homemade food Helena Cooked for us, it’s freshly made, we had a nice long chat, we felt like visiting a friend and the house is very cozy with lovely dogs to top off, all in all we would definitely recommend this experience to feel the local dinner experience.Excellent home food

Rod🇨🇦 Canada

14 February 2020

What an absolute pleasure to have our first experience with withlocals be with Helena in Porto. From beginning to end a fabulous time was had by our entire group of 6 people. We had an issue with transportation at our hotel but one call to Helena and she took care of us. Once at her home we were treated very well, great company, great conversation and a great dinner. We would without hesitation recommend spending an evening with Helena and enjoy her wonderful hospitality.Fun in Porto

Obaid🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

10 January 2020

Really enjoyed my food tour with Helena, the quality of food was premium, the taste is unforgettable.. The Feijoada is what I really loved (MUST try it) , surely will try Helena's food again in my next visit to Porto. Unforgettable food experience

Janet🇺🇸 United States

13 September 2019

My sister and I had a wonderful dinner with Helena and her sister. The meal was typical Arroz de Marisco. I had waited to try this dish and was not disappointed. And, she gave me the recipe! Helena was very welcoming and was a wonderful host. The dinner conversation was enjoyable. We learned a lot about Portuguese food and the culture around eating. I encourage travelers to experience this rare opportunity to have dinner in a Portuguese home and especially with Helena. Yummy experience

Joshua🇺🇸 United States

15 July 2019

Really enjoyed getting to experience the local flair for an evening. Helena picked us up right on time from our air bnb and brought us to her house. She provided a meal of our choice (from three traditional Portuguese options she provided ahead of time). She had port wine, and opened two bottles of local wine as well. Dinner included an appetizer and dessert. We enjoyed getting to meet her son as well. Overall, I appreciated being pushed out of my typical zone, eating traditional food I wouldn’t have probably ordered on a menu.Great local experience

Lize🇿🇦 South Africa

29 June 2019

Helena was very friendly and the food was delicious. Helena picked us up at the trainstation and took us back as our apartment in Porto was a bit far away.

Charlotte🇬🇧 United Kingdom

4 June 2019

Wonderful

Annette🇺🇸 United States

25 October 2018

Our party of four enjoyed our dinner with Helena. The food was authentic and tasty. Helena is a warm and gracious host. Highly recommend!Awesome Evening With Helena

Joanna

12 October 2018

Helena, you are an amazing, amazing cook and human being. Gracious, kind, thoughtful and just a great host. She is attentive to your needs, thoughtful to what may make your trip better (even if it takes her more time) and the food was AMAZINGGG we kept eating and eating second and third helpings... the seafood rice was bursting with more prawns than I have ever seen in a dish like that, while the wine was pouring freely as we chatted the night away. Loved every minute of it and we are all so honored to have u welcome us into ur home and meet ur family (and of course xingu!!) :) Lots of Love, Joanna CanadaWonderful, Delicious and Personal

Denis🇺🇸 United States

26 September 2018

Hello Helena, Thank you so much for the wonderful dinner last night! The Arroz de Marisco was very special - a really good sauce that had me licking my fingers! - recipe please? The cheeses, ham and fruits with the white port before started us off nicely, and the fresh cheese with home-made pumpkin jam was delightful - a light but flavorful finish to a lovely evening. It was so nice to have met you, and your son! Thanks again Wil & Denis A pleasant evening

Stephen🇨🇦 Canada

8 July 2018

We spent a night with Helena cooking, eating, and drinking wine. She showed us some traditional Portuguese dishes and she taught us as she cooked. The food was tasty and she was very hospitable. She even picked us up from our Airbnb. Very nice evening! Thanks! Wonderful Portuguse Evening

nafas

3 July 2018

Very good talk us about history and helped us prepare food. Even let us take food for familyAuthentic Porto Food: Home Dinner Experience

lilyan

3 July 2018

Host was nice, we missed the place and she came and got us. The food was great and delicious. The jams were phenominal!Authentic Porto Food: Home Dinner Experience

Christina🇩🇪 Germany

11 May 2018

Annette H Helena was very nice and caring for us. The food and the talks we had, were just great! It was a unique experience that we can highly recommend! PT H Helena provided us a warm welcome and we had very good conversations on the tour. She showed us interesting areas, delicious food and drinks places; all in all everything was perfect!!Try the authentic Porto´s food!

Anna

8 May 2018

It was a really nice evening with good food. Hlena could tell us a lot about Porto, the food and traditionsTry the authentic Porto´s food!

Sarah

8 May 2018

Helena was really kind. She picked us up from our apartment and took us to her apartment. The food was typical Portuguese and very tasty! She even went out of her way to make a vegetarian option! I can highly recommend Helena :)Try the authentic Porto´s food!

Christina🇩🇪 Germany

4 May 2018

We were very happy to have the experience to dine in Helenas home. She is a very good cook and host, the food was so delicious, especially the starters were a highlight for us. We loved to listen to her stories about everyday life and cooking and her family. We can definitely recommend Helena as a host!! This is an experience you shouldn't miss. Thank you again Helena for the unforgettable experience! :)Amazing host and impeccable cook

Romy

4 May 2018

The hosts were very friendly and open. They told us a lot of information about Porto and Portugal. The food was delicious and we laughed a lot. There was a lot of hospitality. I liked it very much :)Try the authentic Porto´s food!

Demi

4 May 2018

Had a great time! The hosts are very friendly and made enough food for everyone. The food was amazing and all made by Helena herselfTry the authentic Porto´s food!

Mielle

4 May 2018

I had a wonderful experience tasting the culture of Porto with the amazing hosts. They were very open and friendly with a lot of stories to tellTry the authentic Porto´s food!

Elena

4 May 2018

Lovely people, lovely food! It was great, they were so warm and friendly to everyone and did their best to be sure that everyone is fineTry the authentic Porto´s food!