Lisbon Eats

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I’ve been to Portugal twice and both times have had some pretty incredible meals. I’m a big fan of seafood, so Lisbon is the perfect place for that. My husband and I went in December of 2016 for our first wedding anniversary and then again with both of our families in July of 2018. We had to repeat some meals on our second trip but we also got to check out a few new places. Since most of the cuisine is the same, I’ve divided it up into casual and upscale dining. Upscale doesn’t (necessarily) mean you have to dress up, but you will be spending more $$$. I also really loved the hotel we stayed at on our first visit so elaborated a bit on that as well.

the rundown

I’ve created a sample itinerary from both of my trips and also have incorporated a few places that I hope to try next time. Cascais and Sintra also make great day trips from Lisbon! Make sure to add those to your itinerary.

Day 1 (Arrive in Lisbon late Morning)

Day 2 (full day in lisbon)

Day 3 (full day in lisbon)

Casual Dining

Restaurant A Valenciana

extremely Likely

I’ve never met anyone that’s not a fan of Piri Piri Chicken (aka roast chicken with sauce). This restaurant does serve more than just the chicken, but that’s what everyone comes here for. The menu is not in English, but you are only there for one thing. The chicken comes with fries (chips), salad and can be ordered in a half or full portion. This place is also spacious, making it a great place for groups.

Best For: Casual Lunch or Dinner / Groups

Reservations: Walk-ins only, but try calling

What to Order: The roast chicken comes with fries and salad. The creme brûlée was also good but skip the flan.

Cervejaria Ramiro

extremely Likely

Anthony Bourdain (RIP) put this seafood place on the map via Parts Unknown. Although it’s a bit touristy, I still think it’s worth the visit. I would recommend getting there right when they open to avoid the lines (we waited 30 minutes for a party of 8). The downstairs seating is quaint and surrounded with fish tanks but the upstairs is light and airy with plenty of seating for large groups (my preference). Although I thought the steak sandwich was ok, Anthony Bourdain recommends ordering it as dessert.

Best For: Casual Lunch or Dinner / Groups

Reservations: Walk-ins only

What to Order: Tiger prawns (carabineiros)  / Clams Sauteed in olive oil and garlic (ameijoas à bulhão pato)  / Shrimp in garlic sauce (gambas da costa - savory small prawns)

Copenhagen Coffee Lab

neutral

Copenhagen Coffee Lab has several locations in Lisbon and is an outpost of the original location in Denmark. If you can’t tell from the name, the coffee shop serves danish pastries and coffee. While I was a fan of the coffee, I thought the pastries and breakfast items were just ok. The oatmeal, jam and bread were good, but I could have done without the avocado toast.

Best For: Light Breakfast & Coffee

What to Order: Coffee

Cantinho do Avillez

Likely

Jose Avillez is one of the most well known chefs in Portugal. Cantinho do Avillez is only one of his restaurants among the empire. His most well-known restaurant is Belcanto, a two Michelin starred restaurant on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (see below under Upscale Dining). Cantinho offers a more casual take on Brazilian / Portuguese food. I thought the offerings were more “approachable”. They have a little something for everyone.

Best For: Casual Lunch or Dinner / Groups

Reservations: Make a Reservation

What to Order: Chickpea & Vegetables in Green Curry, Moqueca Stew & the Hazelnut dessert

Jesus E Goes

neutral

On our first trip to Lisbon, we read about this Indian Goan restaurant and decided to check it out. If you can get over the tight space and flies, then the food was decent. All the food tasted homemade and was even served that way. Very casual space. I wasn’t blown away and probably wouldn’t go back but it was a nice change from all the Portuguese food we were eating.

Best For: Casual Lunch or Dinner

Reservations: Walk-ins only

Pasteis de Belem

extremely Likely

This is probably the most well known place when people think of Lisbon. Pasteis de Belem is famous for its pasteis de nata, a Portuguese egg custard tart. I prefer these over its number one competitor because they were served hot and were crispier. You have two options, dine in (hard to find a seat) or grab and go. The line looks long, but it moves quickly. You can order singles or in packs of six. Order a lot, that’s my advice! It’s the perfect place for a snack after a visit to the Tower of Belem.

Best For: Snack / Desserts

Reservations: Walk-ins only

What to Order: Lots of pasteis de nata.

time out market Lisboa

The remaining casual dining spots are all located in Time Out Market. Time Out Market is a giant food hall housing several different restaurant and shops. Some of the Michelin star chefs even have stalls inside at affordable prices. I would recommend getting a few things from different stalls. Just note that it’s packed on weekends, so it may take a few minutes to find a seat!

Manteigaria

likely

Manteigaria is another local favorite for pasteis de nata. They have multiple locations, but we went to their stall in Time Out Market. I didn’t like this as much as Belem because the shell wasn’t as crispy and the pasteis were not hot. Maybe the original location is better? Other pasteis de nata places that we didn’t get to check out, but people love are: Fabrica da Nata, Confeitaria Nacional, & Pastelaria Aloma.

Best For: Snack / Desserts

Reservations: Walk-ins only

What to Order: Lots of pasteis de nata.

time ouT market

stop 1: tartar-ia

extremely Likely

This was probably my favorite bite at the market. If you can’t tell from the name, Tartar-ia serves different kinds of tartare. While I wasn’t a fan of the beef tartare, the tuna tartare was delicious both times. You order by the gram (essentially small, medium & large), which I thought was helpful since we were ordering so much from the other stalls. They even have various vegetarian tartare options. Don’t forget to ask for extra bread!

time out market

Stop 2/3: Monte mar | MIGUEL CASTRO E SILVA

Neutral

Monte Mar apparently has one of the locals’ favorite fried shrimp snacks (the gambas al ajillo - shrimp in garlic, butter & parsley) and I concur (although I liked the ones at Ramiro better). Don’t forget to ask for bread.

We wanted Piri Piri chicken from somewhere and found it at Miguel Castro but thought that A Valenciana was better.

Time Out Market

Stop 4/5: Marlene Vieira | Zero Zero

neutral

One of Portugal and even Spain’s traditional dishes is bacalao (aka cod). There are several different preparations of this. We got fried cod fritters at Marlene Vieira and found it to be a bit too salty, but make sure to try cod somewhere else.

I know you didn’t go all the way to Portugal to have pizza, but the truffle pizza at Zero Zero was a good break from all the seafood.

Time Out Market

Stop 6/7: NÓS É MAIS BOLOS | Santini

likely

Nos e Mais Bolos is known for its pão-de-ló sponge cake. I found it to be a little underwhelming but there was an assortment of desserts in the case that I wish we would have also tried.

You will probably see Santini gelato on several corners of Lisbon. Although it’s a local chain, the gelato is delicious. You have to pay first, but then they let you sample flavors.

Upscale Dining

belcanto

Likely

Belcanto is ranked on The World’s 50 Best 2018 Restaurants list (#75 to be exact) and is a very unique two Michelin star feast. I will say, it’s not my favorite tasting menu ever but there were a lot of standout dishes. I particularly enjoyed that some of the dishes looked like inedible objects (e.g., rocks) but, were in fact all edible! The golden egg was also one of my favorite dishes. As I mentioned above, the restaurant is owned by Chef Jose Avillez - who has a mini-empire of restaurants in Portugal.

Best For: Fine Dining (2 Michelin Stars) - Tasting Menu (ranges from 165 to 185 Euros per person) or A la Carte

Reservations: Call to Make a Reservation | Make a reservation two months out.

What to Order: The tasting menu changes frequently so you will have to go with what is available.

 

100 Maneiras

Likely

We had some really interesting dishes at this quaint but delicious tasting menu. The “cappuccino” looking drink is made from cuttlefish and it was delicious. The tasting menu is very seafood-focused, so if that’s not your thing I would skip it. It’s more affordable than Belcanto if you are looking to do a tasting menu and still delivers flavor-wise!

Best For: Fine Dining - Tasting Menu (ranges from 80 - 110 Euros per person)

Reservations: Make a Reservation

What to Order: The tasting menu changes frequently so you will have to go with what is available.

 

Fortaleza do Guincho

Likely

We dined here on both of our trips to Lisbon (once for lunch and then once for dinner). Technically this is not in Lisbon, it’s 45 minutes outside of Lisbon on Guincho Beach (close to Cascais), but I had to throw it in. We enjoyed our meal in 2016 more than the one in 2018, but still overall impressive.

The starters and desserts were the standouts. Butter shaped like seashells, yes please! This is a restaurant that also plays on inedible/edible objects, except in this case some of the objects are actually inedible. The best part of this meal though is the view. During the summer you can see windsurfers in the water. The restaurant is located inside the hotel (a yellow fort). Make an early reservation so that you can enjoy the hotel surroundings and the sunset during dinner.

Best For: Fine Dining (1 Michelin Star) - Tasting Menu (ranges from 75 to 145 Euros per person) or A la Carte

Reservations: Call to Make a Reservation

What to Order: The tasting menu changes frequently so you will have to go with what is available.

Hotels

December 2016 - On our first trip, we stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz. If you have the chance, I would recommend staying here. The room was a bit outdated from a style perspective (brown tones are not my vibe), but I understand that all the rooms are decorated differently. However, the service was insanely good.

  • Booking - If you book through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (“FHR”) you get a 1) a complimentary room upgrade (one level) 2) free breakfast and 3) a welcome amenity roughly $100 for dining or the spa. This is how we book most of our nice hotel stays.

  • Service - The fact that the concierge got us a reservation at Belcanto, one day out (which usually requires a two-month advance reservation) was worth it in itself. The concierge can also get you a pass to skip the line at Cervejaria Ramiro. The breakfast buffet was always delicious and the rooftop has a running track with panoramic views of Lisbon.

  • Pricing - Varies depending on the time of year but it was around $400 per night when we went. With all of the amenities and bonuses, you get booking through FHR, it’s worth it.

July 2018 - The Sheraton Hotel was much nicer than most Sheraton hotels I have stayed at. It seemed like they went through a renovation. But I didn’t like the “walkability” factor. Of course, it’s the more affordable option. Their breakfast and executive lounge were still pretty good though for what you are paying.

On the Radar

Places to eat on my next trip

tell me your favorite Lisbon Eats or other comments below!

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Zahra DharaniComment