Francesinha

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyGlutenSliced bread, beer in the sauce, and often flour to thicken it.
• UsuallyMilkSliced cheese melted over the top; butter in some sauces.
• UsuallySulphitesPort wine in most sauces, plus beer; some add white wine.
• OftenEggsA fried egg on top is a standard option and the default in many cafés.
• SometimesFishSome sauce recipes include Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovy.
• SometimesCeleryBeef stock or stock cubes in some sauces.
• SometimesCrustaceansSome sauces are built on seafood stock, a seafood stock cube or shellfish.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not vegetarian: ham, linguiça and fresh sausage, and steak or roast meat.
• Not halal or kosher: pork, meat with cheese, and alcohol in the sauce.
• Not gluten-free: bread, beer and often flour.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is a francesinha?

A francesinha is Porto's signature sandwich: thick slices of bread stacked with ham, sausage and steak, covered in slices of cheese, then drowned in a hot, spicy sauce made with beer, tomato and port. The cheese melts into a lid over the top. The name means "little French girl", and it's often described as Porto's take on the croque-monsieur. It's a full meal, usually served with chips.

What's in it

• Bread: two or three slices of white sandwich bread.
• Meat: cooked ham (fiambre), linguiça (smoked pork sausage), fresh sausage (salsicha fresca) and a thin steak or slices of roast meat.
• Cheese: sliced, melted over the whole sandwich.
• Sauce: beer, tomato, port, and usually stock, chilli (piri-piri), bay and spices, thickened and blended smooth. Some cooks add whisky, brandy, white wine or Worcestershire sauce.
• On the side: chips (fries), often sitting in the sauce. A fried egg on top is common.

Allergens and diets

Assume gluten, milk and sulphites. The bread is wheat, the sauce uses beer and is often thickened with flour or cornflour, and the cheese covers everything. Port wine is in most recipes, and both wine and beer bring sulphites.

The sauce is the hard part. Every café guards its own recipe, and some include stock, stock cubes or Worcestershire sauce, which brings fish (anchovy) and sometimes celery. Some recipes use seafood stock or a seafood stock cube, so ask about shellfish (crustaceans) too. Ask the kitchen directly what's in their sauce, and don't rely on a recipe you've read elsewhere.

Egg is "often": many places add a fried egg as standard or as an option called com ovo. A francesinha is built on pork and other meat with cheese, and the sauce contains alcohol, so it isn't vegetarian, halal or kosher. Some cafés offer vegetarian or seafood versions with their own allergen mix.

On the menu

Look for francesinha in Porto's cafés and snack bars, often with options like com ovo (with egg) or especial (each café defines "special" differently, often with egg or extra meat). Chips are usually included or a small extra. One is a big meal for one person.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.