IWhy “Capa Negra”
The name wasn't born in the kitchen — it was born on the street. Porto doesn't have Portugal's oldest university (that honour belongs to Coimbra), but it has, by far, the country's largest academic community, with its own world of traditions, codes and secrets passed down from student to student.
The “capa negra” (“black cape”) is Porto's signature academic garment: the long, dark cape worn by students, its lining stitched with marks of their faculty and their university years. Choosing that name for the restaurant in 1972 was a direct tribute to that student tradition — to a Porto that takes pride in what it keeps hidden inside, just as the cape keeps its secrets under dark cloth.
II1972: the four Fontes brothers
On 30 August 1972, José, Manuel, António and Amândio Fontes opened Capa Negra II in downtown Porto. More than fifty years later, the house is still in the hands of the same family — and, largely, of the same first generation.
António Fontes has since passed away, but his name remains tied to the house's founding. José Fontes is now mostly retired, though he still shows up at Capa Negra every day to see how things are running. Day-to-day management rests mainly with Amândio Fontes, the most charismatic of the founding brothers and a much-loved figure in Porto: a devoted FC Porto supporter, a personal friend of club chairman Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, and a man closely tied to the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Porto.
IIIThe second generation: Nuno and Ana Fontes
The family's second generation is made up of Nuno Fontes and Ana Fontes. Nuno Fontes gained a more public profile during the pandemic, when he spoke out publicly in defence of Portugal's restaurant industry — a voice from a sector hit hard by lockdowns, whose views came to be widely respected far beyond the restaurant itself.
That mix of the first generation's quiet, hands-on style and the second generation's public voice is what defines Capa na Baixa today: a house that learned to look outward without ever changing how it does things inside.
The sauce, poured the way Zezinho taught“They said the very working of his arm made the difference.”
On Zezinho, the sauce cook
IVThe sauce and Zezinho's hands
For years, only one cook knew how to make Capa Negra's francesinha sauce: Zezinho. Inside the house, people used to say it wasn't only the recipe — it was the very working of his arm that made the difference, a gesture and a timing that were never written down on paper.
Zezinho has since had to retire. But his legacy didn't leave with him: the recipe, and above all the ceremony with which the sauce is prepared — the hours of slow cooking, the attention given to every stage — remain exactly as he left them. That continuity, more than any secret ingredient, is why Capa na Baixa's francesinha still tastes, half a century on, like the same sauce it always was.
V2016: Capa na Baixa is born
In 2016, the house got a contemporary look and an indoor garden — and a new name for that new chapter, Capa na Baixa. But the soul, the recipe, and above all the family behind the counter are exactly the same as Capa Negra II's from 1972. Today, with 120 seats, a terrace and an indoor garden in the heart of downtown Porto, Capa na Baixa is at once the continuation of a half-century-old academic tradition and the home of two generations of the same family.
The house, in pictures
Come and see the house. The table has been set since 1972.
Book a tableFrequently asked questions
Who founded Capa Negra?
The four Fontes brothers — José, Manuel, António and Amândio — opened Capa Negra II in downtown Porto on 30 August 1972.
Why is it called “Capa Negra”?
It's a tribute to Porto's academic tradition: the “capa negra” (black cape) is the garment worn by Porto's students, its lining marked with the symbols of their faculty and university years.
Who runs the restaurant today?
Management rests mainly with Amândio Fontes, one of the founding brothers. José Fontes is mostly retired but still visits the restaurant daily. The second generation, Nuno and Ana Fontes, plays an increasingly active role.
Has the francesinha sauce recipe changed?
No. For decades, only one cook, Zezinho, knew how to make it. After his retirement, the recipe and the ceremony of preparing it have stayed exactly as he left them.
What's the difference between Capa Negra II and Capa na Baixa?
None in essence: in 2016, the house founded in 1972 as Capa Negra II got a contemporary look, an indoor garden and the name Capa na Baixa, while keeping the same family, the same recipe and the same address in downtown Porto.