A Regaleira - Gastro Obscura

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Gastro Obscura

A Regaleira

The original version of Porto's most famous sandwich is just as good here as it was a century ago. 

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The story goes that in the early ‘50s, there was a barman at Porto’s A Regaleira who had worked in France. Compelled to make a local version of the croque monsieur, he took a few slices of leftover roast pork leg, supplemented it with thin linguiça, fresh sausage, and a few slices of ham, put all of this between two “bijou” rolls, topped it with melted cheese and drowned the thing in a subtly spicy sauce. Thus the francesinha, approximately “little French girl,” was born.

These days, the over-the-top sandwich has emerged as a must-eat dish for just about every visitor to Porto, and is available at dozens of restaurants in the city. Typically, it’s served with a thin beef steak bulked out with ingredients that can include mortadella, encased in vast squares of white bread, and is often topped with a fried egg and paired with a nest of French fries. But A Regaleira continues to serve that original, slightly daintier (if this can be said about a francesinha) version, referred to on the menu as Francesinha 1952.

The restaurant underwent a massive renovation in 2018, and unfortunately little is left of the classic Portuguese-style workingman’s cafe where that sandwich was invented. But head to A Regaleira’s basement level, and you’ll find what is almost certainly the world’s largest collection of francesinha-themed art—a collection of paintings and sculptures made by local artists to celebrate the restaurant’s renovation and legacy.

Know Before You Go

More contemporary versions of the francesinha are also available at A Regaleira.

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September 6, 2024

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