FRANCESINHA
FRANCESINHA
FRANCESINHA
The Francesinha Santiago
Made with soul
Considered one of the 50 best sandwiches in the world and one of the 10 best flavors in Europe, Francesinha Santiago® is today one of the greatest gastronomic icons of Porto City and Portugal. And it is at Café Santiago that Francesinha presents herself at her highest quality and recognition. Welcome and enjoy.
The bread
Our Francesinha is made with loaf bread cooked in a wood burning stove. Before we use it we made a criterial selection of its shape and consistency and cut it in carefully slices.
The mortadella
The preparation of our Francesinha Santiago starts with a thin slice of Mortadella; the flavor is tenuous but you can still feel it, aside adding its flavor we use it as base to the remanding ingredients.
The fresh sausage
We receive daily our fresh sausages that we use in our francesinha. We never precook them; we only grill it upon receiving your order just like we do with all ingredients. It gives a rustic and slightly smoked taste to our Francesinha.
The "linguiça"
Intense flavor, gives Francesinha Santiago® one rustic but slight smoky touch. The sausage is grilled at the same time and with the same process of fresh sausage.
The beef steak
People say that without a good steak you cannot make a good Francesinha; we receive the fresh meat in a full piece from our carefully chosen prime suppliers and after inspect them we cut it in tender fatless smaller steaks. We grill them in the stove and put it on top of the fresh sausages.
The ham
A slice of ham just right, a little thicker than thin, to enhance the flavor and texture. Our ham is always premium quality.
The cheese
Inside Francesinha Santiago, we always put one slice of cheese with the right thickness. The cheese goes on top of the ham at room temperature and slowly starts to melt.
Toasting the bread
Toasting and grilling is not the same thing. Our bread is carefully toasted so you can feel it on your first bite.
O egg
A fried egg cooked without any oil is carefully placed on top of the toasted bread, the way we place the egg is our trademark. The mix of the egg yolk with the crunchy bread is simply outstanding.
The cover cheese
We put 4 thin half circle shaped slices on top of the egg of our Francesinha Santiago. The cheese melts with the right consistency due to the hot sauce.
The Francesinha sauce
There are several ingredients that we use to make the Francesinha sauce. The right temperature, the pans, the spices, the time we cook it, everything combined makes the difference. Our sauce has soul; we call it Santiago Essence, the well-kept secret of our family. Inimitable.
The Essence
That´s our secret ...
Our spaces
Different spaces, the same soul.
Café Santiago
Officially founded in 1959, Café Santiago opened its doors quite before, in the 1930s, as pasture and barroom house. Over time, it went undergone several major renovations as it almost nothing remains of its original decoration. In 1978, Mr. Fernando Pereira and Isabel Ferreira, the current owners, started their connection to Cafe Santiago by exploring the tobacconist that currently existed. In 1993, they acquired the entire property giving a new life to space itself.
The Francesinha Santiago® has always been our primary reference, having emerged as the result of the development and improvement of the typical Francesinha in Porto, by dedicated elements of the Pereira family. Carefully selected ingredients, unique quilting process 100% handmade and its famous and delicious special sauce which recipe is a well-kept family secret, give the Francesinha Santiago® the status of major reference in the gastronomy of Porto and Portugal.
Santiago F
In response to the demand and following success in Café Santiago, Café Santiago F emerged in 2011 also in Rua de Passos Manuel, in Porto,right in front of the Coliseum. As an independent project, managed by Filipe Pereira, it is the first expansion of Café Santiago, thanks to a team with a great amount of confidence, born and raised in the "Santiago family" over the last few years.
The Café Santiago F is a relaxed and welcoming space where the top priority is quality. Just as in Café Santiago, the cuisine is home-inspired and Francesinha Santiago queen. Francesinha Santiago® TOP is an exclusive.
Café Santiago da Praça
On July 25, in 2017, we opened the Café Santiago da Praça, in Praça dos Poveiros, "our crown jewel" just 25 meters above the mother house. With a distinct Oporto character, Santiago da Praça follows an evolutionary way the gastronomic that predicates its origin, the Café Santiago. With a relaxed and genuine atmosphere, it has an exceptional location, right in the heart of the city and close to everything, as you can see in the signposted places inside the restaurant.
Francesinha Santiago® of Praça primes for excellence in quality and is an exclusive that is only available here.
MEANWHILE IN THE KITCHEN
Santiago’s Hotdog
The Santiago’s Hotdog is also one of our most popular references. When it’s served with sauce, some call it the Francesinha in a longer shape. With crunchy dog bread, fresh sausage, "linguiça", ham and cheese, Santiago’s Hotdog is assumed as an unique snack , or as a delicious appetizer, or even a good old simple snack.
“Prego em Prato” or “Prego no Pão”
In Porto we call “Prego” (a Nail in English) a grilled steak with french fries. Mostly because in the old days, the meat was literally "hammered” in order to make it more tender .In Santiago Café, we serve the typical Porto ‘nails’. Served in a dish or in a single bread, our ‘nails’ are made with the best bull meat we receive daily, in which we put aside the fat and soften the meat, without the hammer.
“Prego em Prato” or “Prego no Pão”
In Porto we call “Prego” (a Nail in English) a grilled steak with french fries. Mostly because in the old days, the meat was literally "hammered” in order to make it more tender .In Santiago Café, we serve the typical Porto ‘nails’. Served in a dish or in a single bread, our ‘nails’ are made with the best bull meat we receive daily, in which we put aside the fat and soften the meat, without the hammer.
Santiago’s Hotdog
The Santiago’s Hotdog is also one of our most popular references. When it’s served with sauce, some call it the Francesinha in a longer shape. With crunchy dog bread, fresh sausage, "linguiça", ham and cheese, Santiago’s Hotdog is assumed as an unique snack , or as a delicious appetizer, or even a good old simple snack.
To make everything work
Our soul
Cooks and Maids
There are the cooks and maids , dedicated and well prepared who took the course kitchen with their mothers and grandmothers. And as such, our cooks when they are not working are prattle or knitting.
Kitchen and table assistants
Responsible and organized, great discipline and availability. They deal with the replacement of items, the treatment of meat and delicatessens for francesinhas, from the assembly of francesinhas to their confection. Serve customers at the counter and still provide all the service for the waiters.
Waiters
Our waiters are restless workers fully dedicated to our clients! They are real “athletes” considering the kilometers they run all day holding a tray on their hands. They might not speak your language, but they always find a way to communicate with you.
Our team
In Café Santiago there are no bosses. We are one big family that works restless with all our hearts, committed and dedicated to make things happen.
Our team
In Café Santiago there are no bosses. We are one big family that works restless with all our hearts, committed and dedicated to make things happen.
Café Santiago
Santiago F
Santiago da Praça
Café Santiago
Rua Passos Manuel 226
4000-382 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago F
Rua Passos Manuel 198
4000-463 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago da Praça
Praça dos Poveiros 88
4000-041 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed networkk
Monday
12:00 - 22:45
Tuesday
12:00 - 22:45
Wednesday
12:00 - 22:45
Thursday
12:00 - 22:45
Friday
12:00 - 22:45
Saturday
12:00 - 22:45
Sunday
Closed
Café Santiago
Rua Passos Manuel 226
4000-382 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago F
Rua Passos Manuel 198
4000-463 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago da Praça
Praça dos Poveiros 88
4000-041 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Work hours
Monday
12:00 - 22:45
Tuesday
12:00 - 22:45
Wednesday
12:00 - 22:45
Thursday
12:00 - 22:45
Friday
12:00 - 22:45
Saturday
12:00 - 22:45
Sunday
Closed
Café Santiago
Rua Passos Manuel 226
4000-382 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago F
Rua Passos Manuel 198
4000-463 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Santiago da Praça
Praça dos Poveiros 88
4000-041 Porto, Portugal
Call to the national fixed network
Work hours
Monday
12:00 - 22:45
Tuesday
12:00 - 22:45
Wednesday
12:00 - 22:45
Thursday
12:00 - 22:45
Friday
12:00 - 22:45
Saturday
12:00 - 22:45
Sunday
Closed
Call to a national mobile network