Matosinhos is where Porto goes to eat fish, and it does so with such consistency that the comparison with any other seafood neighbourhood in Portugal is difficult to sustain. The restaurants on Rua do Bom Sucesso — a short street that somehow contains more grilled sardine capacity per metre than anywhere else on earth — operate on an industrial-artisanal hybrid model: wood-fired grills visible through every window, fish sold by weight, most tables shared, and the whole system running at maximum efficiency from around 12:30 onwards.
Beyond the grilled fish circuit, Matosinhos has a beach (Praia de Matosinhos) that is genuinely good for swimming and surfing, accessible by metro in 20 minutes from the city centre. The Bom Jesus Church opposite the market is worth looking at for its azulejo exterior. And the Leça da Palmeira coast just north of the fish port has tide pools and the Piscinas de Marés, a seawater swimming complex designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira and integrated into the rocky coastline with his characteristic elegance.