There’s a lot of great design in Porto! From creative independent designers to excellent art galleries, the Porto design scene is blooming.
This post is part of my series of city guides for design lovers
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.
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 hipster / alternative part of Porto and a delight 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.
Here are some of the best shops in porto for design lovers:
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 (smell them!), 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!
mercado 48 – cool design shop in porto
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!
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.
Circus Network website / Facebook
Porto design hotels – Stay in Porto in style
Design lovers visiting Porto have a nice choice of stylish accommodation.
Teatro hotel – design hotel in porto city centre
An Art Deco hotel with modern, uniquely designed rooms, located close to Porto’s attractions.
Recently renamed PortoBay Hotel Teatro, this themed hotel was built on the site of a former theatre and has preserved its old charm.
Descobertas boutique hotel porto
A charming boutique hotel, with 18 themed rooms inspired by the history of Portugal.
Centrally located close to São Bento train station, this is a good base from to explore Porto and the area.
Vincci porto – designer hotel in porto
A large, fully refurbished hotel close to Douro River.
It features rooms with a contemporary style and surprising décor combining and lovely colour combinations.
There’s so much more!
There’s more style in Porto than I can cover in one post! Here is some more beauty for you to explore:
Free street art tour – There’s a lot of street art to discover in Porto 🙂
CCB (Centro Comercial Bombarda) – A shopping centre of the alternative kind. Instead of predictable chains, this shopping centre is home to small boutiques, studios, elegant cafes and even a record store.
Galerias Lumière – A great 70s building hosting many small design shops and cool cafes.
Porto Fashion Makers – A city guide and map focused on lifestyle. You can browse online or pick up a paper version is one of the shops featured in the guide.
Check out the simultaneous gallery openings (inaugurações simultâneas) that happen at all galleries in the art district at once on some Saturdays – see the Facebook page for updates on the next event.
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. […]