Digital menus for restaurants in Porto
A digital menu for a Porto restaurant is your menu published as a web page that guests open by scanning the QR code on the table. Porto’s challenge is particular: the room is still full of locals, but more and more of the visitors speak Spanish — and they need to understand what a francesinha is before they order one.
Updated October 2026
A more Portuguese crowd than Lisbon
In 2024, 61.8% of nights in tourist accommodation in the North region were spent by non-residents — far fewer than Greater Lisbon’s 81.6%, according to Statistics Portugal (INE). The North was also the region with the most nights by Portuguese residents (21.9% of the national total). Portuguese customers are not a minority to hand a separate menu to: they are half the room.
Among foreigners, the region’s main market is Spain, with 18.0% of non-resident nights. The North was the favourite destination of Spanish visitors to Portugal (29.1% of all their nights) and also took 20.8% of American nights. Foreign nights in the North grew by 687,000 in 2024 (+8.4%), the largest increase of any region.
Which languages a Porto menu needs
Portuguese first, Spanish and English right after, then French. It is a different order from Lisbon’s, and it matters: on Platerio’s free plan, with two languages, a restaurant in Ribeira may choose Portuguese and Spanish, or Portuguese and English, depending on who walks in. Paid plans allow up to 30 languages at once.
Francesinha, tripas and other dishes that do not translate
The francesinha is the best example of a dish that does not translate: “Little French girl” tells a guest nothing. What works is keeping the name and explaining it — bread, meats and melted cheese in a spicy beer and tomato sauce. The same goes for tripas à moda do Porto, the tripe stew that gave locals their nickname, tripeiros, and for bacalhau à Gomes de Sá.
If you serve several versions — classic, with egg, vegetarian — list each as its own dish with its own price and allergens. The sauce usually contains beer and flour; check your recipe before tagging gluten.
Tascas, cafés and the dish of the day
Much of Porto’s food scene is tascas and cafés with a dish of the day, half portions and a menu that changes weekly. A laminated paper menu cannot keep up with that; a digital one can. In Platerio you change a price or mark a dish as sold out from your phone between services, and the QR code stays the same.
For places outside the centre, see also the Braga page, with the dishes of the Minho.
Frequently asked questions
Which languages should a Porto restaurant menu have?
Portuguese, Spanish and English, in that order for most places, then French. Spain was the North’s main foreign market in 2024, with 18.0% of non-resident nights (INE).
How do I write francesinha on an English menu?
Keep “Francesinha” and explain it: “Porto’s famous sandwich of cured meats and steak under melted cheese, in a spicy beer and tomato sauce”. See the francesinha page for Spanish and French.
Can I show the dish of the day on a digital menu?
Yes. Create a “Dish of the day” section and update it from your phone; dishes that run out can be marked as sold out without deleting them.
Is there a cost per QR code?
No. With Platerio one QR code serves every table and never expires. Print it as often as you like.