Best Burgers in Coimbra: Baixa and the Alta

The best burgers in Coimbra are found in two places: the Baixa, the lower town of shopping streets by the Mondego river, and the student quarter around Praça da República, just below the university hill known as the Alta. Santa Clara, on the opposite bank, has a smaller spread of places.

Coimbra is Portugal’s university city. The University of Coimbra, settled here for good in 1537, shares its UNESCO listing with the Alta and Rua da Sofia, and students set the pace of eating out: cheap, late and in groups. The surrounding region has a stronger meat tradition than the city itself. Leitão à Bairrada, roast suckling pig from the Mealhada area just north, and chanfana, goat slow-cooked in red wine, are the dishes a burger competes with at the weekend.

Burgers in Coimbra: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Baixa, Praça da República, the Alta and Santa Clara.
• Student life: the Queima das Fitas, the end-of-year student festival in May, is the busiest week for late-night food.
• Regional dish: leitão à Bairrada, roast suckling pig from the Mealhada area.
• Local tradition: chanfana, goat braised in red wine in a clay pot.
• Getting around: the Alta is steep; the Baixa and the riverside are flat and walkable.
• Currency: euro (EUR).

Every guide we publish on Coimbra is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For Lisbon, Porto and the rest of the map, see our burger restaurant guides by city.