There’s a lot of great design in Porto! From creative independent designers to excellent art galleries, the Porto design scene is blooming.
As a first timer in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, I was surprised both by the rich selection and the high quality of designer shops, galleries and creativity in the city.
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This post is part of my series of city guides for design lovers
Table of contents
Rua de Miguel Bombarda – The Porto design street
Design lovers visiting Porto should head straight to Rua de Miguel Bombarda and the surrounding area, otherwise known as Porto’s art district or art block.
Wandering the streets around the art block reveals lots and lots of design shops, art galleries, antique shops, artisans’ ateliers, independent fashion stores…
You get the picture. It’s the creative part of Porto and a treat for anyone who’s into art and design.
I’ve seen some comments on TripAdvisor from people who said they couldn’t find the cool shops and galleries in that area, but I found plenty and listed most of them in this guide below.
The art block is very close to downtown Porto and is a good area to stay in if you want to be able to explore that part of the city and have access to the rest of Porto as well.
My selection of top Porto design shops
Mercado 48 – cool Porto design shop
One of the coolest shops in Porto. It’s a pretty large space packed with gorgeous things for the home and small gifts you can take with you.
Take your time exploring this one, it has many charming and original items to discover.
The style is pretty eclectic, and mixes modern design with vintage items. They offer mostly Portuguese designs, including wall art, ceramics, fashion, accessories, art prints, notebooks, bags, lamps, rugs, furniture and even bicycles!
Cork Matters – Cork Design Concept Store
This Portuguese brand offers home décor, accessories, and lifestyle pieces, but what’s unique about it is that they’re made of cork.
Portugal has a centuries-old cork craft tradition rooted in its vast cork oak forests. It’s the world’s largest cork producer.
The use of cork evolved from wine stoppers to decorative arts, fashion, and design objects.
In this concept store you’ll find unique, sustainable, eco-friendly items made from high-quality natural cork, combining traditional materials with contemporary design.
Cru – creative Porto design shop
Adjacent to a creative coworking space, Cru is a project that lets the creatives working there sell their work, alongside other designers from Portugal.
The shop also features items by people who were not originally designers, but turned to design and handicraft as a second career.
They sell many exclusive items and truly unique gifts and some eco friendly products too. You’ll find jewellery, fashion, candles, notebooks, art prints and more.
Ó! Galeria – Porto illustration gallery
In the art block, among many contemporary art galleries, this one stood out with its bright interior and walls full of art.
It’s a beautiful gallery dedicated to illustration and drawing. It features wall art, prints, art books and zines.
The focus is on local artists, but they also display art from international illustrators.
It opened 9 years ago and grew in size and popularity over the years. The gallery has a monthly exhibition plus occasional one day shows. Walk in and browse the art on the walls – there’s plenty of it!
Kuri Kuri – Japanese design in Portugal
Kuri kuri means cute in Japanese and pretty much sums up what this shop is about!
This is the place to browse a beautiful, colourful and very diverse collection of items related to Japanese culture: books, photos, clothing, accessories, even food.
This shop has been around since 2009 and run by a sister and brother who import the items themselves.
An interesting historical fact I learnt while chatting to the shop owner: Portugal was the first European country to enter Japan, in a failed attempt to evangelise the Japanese, and so the two countries share a special connection.
Patch – Porto concept store
A large concept store, wonderful for lovers of vintage design and oddities. The store layout invites you to explore.
All around the store you’ll find small sculptures, ceramics, jewellery, furniture, accessories, kitchenware, some amazing lighting, plants in the garden and separate rooms for fashion.
The style is not exclusively vintage / retro. They are modern and contemporary items as well.
Circus Network – Porto street art gallery
Street art has become a big thing in Porto, since the rules about the use of urban walls were relaxed a few years ago.
This gave more freedom to the artists and made the city even more beautiful.
Find out more about street art in Porto here.
When you enter the colourful space of Circus Network, you’ll find a shop / gallery selling posters, art prints, books, zines and vinyl records with a strong street art theme.
I later discovered that this was in fact a 3-in-1 project: a shop / gallery, a coworking space for creatives and others, and an agency representing artists. The main focus here is on illustration and street art in many different styles.
Circus Network’s involvement in Porto’s excellent street art scene is impressive. They organised a street art festival and represent many of the artists as an agency.
You can pick up a street art map at the shop and do your own self guided tour.
More stylish things to do in Port
Lello Bookshop – a gorgeous bookshop in Porto, close to the shops mentioned in this guide. Find out how to visit Lello Bookshop.
Simultaneous gallery openings (inaugurações simultâneas) – all galleries in the art district open exhibitions at the same time every once in a while. Find the schedule here.
Riera Alta – a quilting supply shop in Porto.
Wayz – ethical sneakers made in Portugal.
Land Ceramics – a ceramic coworking space with a gallery and a shop.
Centro Comercial Bombarda – instead of predictable chains, this shopping centre is home to small boutiques, studios, elegant cafes, and a record store.
More popular activities in and around Porto
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[…] It is one of the best places to visit in Porto if you’re into street art, illustration and design. You can find more lovely design shops and galleries in my Porto design guide. […]