Francesinha: how to put it on the menu
The francesinha is Porto’s best-known dish: a sandwich of sliced bread filled with meats — linguiça and fresh sausage, ham and steak —, covered in slices of cheese melted in the oven and drenched in a spicy sauce made with beer and tomato.
Updated October 2026
How it reads on the menu, in each language
| Language | Name | Line for the guest |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | Francesinha | Sanduíche de pão de forma com linguiça, salsicha, fiambre e bife, coberta de queijo derretido e molho picante de cerveja e tomate. |
| English | Francesinha | Porto’s famous sandwich of cured meats and steak under melted cheese, in a spicy beer and tomato sauce. Usually served with chips. |
| Spanish | Francesinha | El famoso sándwich de Oporto: embutidos y filete bajo queso fundido, con una salsa picante de cerveza y tomate. Suele servirse con patatas fritas. |
| French | Francesinha | Le célèbre sandwich de Porto : charcuterie et steak sous du fromage fondu, nappés d’une sauce épicée à la bière et à la tomate. Servi avec des frites. |
Usual allergens to check
- Gluten
- Eggs
- Milk
A guide based on the traditional recipe. Only your recipe and your suppliers tell you what the dish contains. How to list allergens
What Francesinha is
It is said to have been created in the 1950s, inspired by the French croque-monsieur, hence the name (“little French girl”). Every place has its own sauce recipe, which is what sets one francesinha apart from another: beer, tomato, stock, port or brandy in some versions, piri-piri to taste.
It almost always comes with chips, and often with a fried egg on top.
How to write it for visitors
Do not translate the name. “Little French girl” helps nobody decide. Keep “Francesinha” and add a line saying what it is and what is in it — that is what the table above gives you.
If you serve several versions (classic, with egg, special, vegetarian), list each as its own dish with its own price and allergens. Also say whether chips are included.
Where and when it is eaten
In Porto and across the North, in cafés, beer halls and tascas. Today it is found all over Portugal, but Porto is where visitors look for it first.
Frequently asked questions
Which allergens does a francesinha contain?
Gluten (the bread and often the beer and flour in the sauce), milk (the cheese) and egg when served with egg. Depending on the sauce recipe, also check celery, mustard and sulphites.
What is francesinha in English?
It is still “francesinha”. On an English menu keep the name and explain it: “Porto’s famous sandwich of cured meats and steak under melted cheese, in a spicy beer and tomato sauce”.