There are several sweets in Porto’s confectionery shops that we love, or simply try the most typical dishes. However, as Christmas approaches, Bolo-Rei is one of the most traditional desserts in Porto and in the country. It’s hard to imagine a family Christmas Eve without this dessert, right?
With the arrival of the festive season on the horizon, it’s best to start planning and/or choosing your Bolo-Rei well in advance. But do you know the origin of this ‘famous’ sweet? Or are you looking for places to choose yours? These and other questions will be answered in this article. We’ve put together a list with some suggestions.
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The origin of the king cake
Before we move on with our Christmas gastronomic itinerary, how about discovering the origin of the Bolo-Rei? Did you know that the Bolo-Rei came about as a tribute to the Magi and the gifts they brought to baby Jesus? With its round shape decorated with various candied fruits, it represents an inlaid crown, where the crust symbolizes gold, the candied fruits, myrrh, and the aroma represents incense.
This cake arrived in Portugal between 1869 and 1870 through the Confeitaria Nacional in Lisbon, and was included in the delicacies of the people of Porto around 1890. However, there are many variations of our traditional Bolo-Rei, such as:
- Gâteau des Rois, traditional in France;
- Dreikönigskuchen, popular in Switzerland;
- Roscón de Reyes, typical of Mallorca;
- Brioche des Rois, famous in the Provençal Alps;
- Rosca de Reyes, popular in Mexico;
- King Cake, famous in New Orleans, Louisiana;
- Tortell de Reis, famous in Catalonia.
Some of the best King Cakes in Porto
In a city the size of our Invicta, of course there is no shortage of excellent options for tasting and choosing delicious Bolos-Reis. However, as this is not a top list, we wanted to help you on your Christmas quest. So we’ve put together a little itinerary. Let’s go? In the end, we promise you ‘ll be left with your mouth watering.
Confeitaria Petúlia
In a list of Bolos-Reis in Porto, the presence of Confeitaria Petúlia is (almost) obligatory. Open since 1972, this sweet has been a tradition for many years and is available all year round, but it’s at this time that the usual long queues appear at the door, where you can enjoy the wonderful smell in the air.
Where: Rua de Júlio Dinis 775
Hours: Monday to Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Porto Rico Confectionery
Porto Rico is a pastry shop that preserves the childhood flavors of many Porto residents. It is famous for its puff pastry and always hot digestives, but also for its traditional sweets, where the Bolo-Rei is no exception.
Where: Rua de Oliveira Monteiro, 497
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 7.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Paparoca da Foz pastry shop
Bolo-Rei escangalhado, Bolo-Rainha, Bolo-Rei de chocolate or Bolo-Rei tradicional, the wonderful offer at Paparoca da Foz is huge, and the choice is yours, while you enjoy the incredible views of the river.
Where: Rua Passeio Alegre, 318
Hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Confeitaria Tavi
With unobstructed views of the sea as a toast, Tavi’s Bolo-Rei is a delicacy both because of its delicate pastry and because the fruit is in sugar syrup and not candied.
Where: Rua Sra. da Luz, 363
Opening hours: every day from 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Confeitaria Nova Real
At Confeitaria Nova Real, in the Carvalhido area, you’ll find one of the most varied offerings of Bolo-Rei in Porto. From December onwards, in addition to the traditional Bolo-Rei , there are also dried fruit, chila and chocolate versions.
Where: Rua da Prelada, 132
Opening hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Doce Alto Confectionery
Doce Alto was voted the “Best Confectionery in the Porto District” for the second year running, having achieved this feat in 2022 and 2023. So this is an option to take into account when ordering your king cake and beyond.
In fact, Doce Alto has several locations throughout the city and even in the surrounding area, including Gaia and Ermesinde.
There, of course, Bolo-Rei is one of the specialties of this house full of delicious products. These are some of Doce Alto’s locations in Porto:
- Casa Mãe – Rua Costa Cabral, 2190;
- Antas – Rua Silva Tapada, 132;
- Marquês – Praça Marquês de Pombal, 250;
- Carvalhido – Praça Exército Libertador, 60.
Confeitaria Nandinha
To continue the list dedicated to Bolo-Rei in Porto, we now come to Nandinha, where not only the Glorinhas are to die for, but also the Bolo-Rei made with great dedication. Here the tradition continues and Mr. João has been putting his love into this recipe for 45 years.
Where: Rua de Serpa Pinto, 74
Opening hours: every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Ribeiro Bakery
Padaria Ribeiro is a Porto classic. With over 140 years of history, here you’ll also find some of the best Bolos-Reis in Porto.
With dried fruit and candied fruit, here you have another option to consider when booking this essential dessert for Christmas Eve.
Padaria Ribeiro has several locations in and around Porto:
- Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, 21, Porto;
- Rua João de Barros, 313, Porto;
- Rua 1º de Maio, 196, Matosinhos;
- Travessa Padre António, 21, Maia.
Opening hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Royale Pão Paixão
After some ‘classic’ and fundamental recommendations, how about getting to know a relatively new place? In Boavista you’ll find Royale Pão Paixão, which officially opened its doors to the public in 2022.
Since then, this beautiful space has proved to be a good option for breakfast and beyond.
For now, and even though it’s still early, I’d like to point out that this place’s king cakes should also be taken into account.
Where: Rua de Guerra Junqueiro, 634
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.); Saturday (from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
… and with bonuses!
And as promised is due, here’s an extra tip: A Padaria Portuguesa. After all, the brand recently announced the launch of a website to facilitate online orders for this festive season.
The process is simple, but pay attention, as there are deadlines for orders, namely December 22 for Christmas and December 29 for New Year’s Eve.
On the website you’ll find various products, including, of course, the famous bolo-rei. It should also be noted that you can choose the delivery date – on the designated days, December 23, 24, 30 and 31, until 6pm -. After that, all you need to do is visit one of the chain’s stores and pick it up.
Whatever your favorite, don’t forget to order in advance!