26 Best Restaurants in Avenida da Liberdade, Príncipe Real, and Restauradores, Lisbon

Originally a social club for people hailing from the region of Alentejo, this hidden restaurant is found on the upper floor of a Moorish-style building from the 1800s. There's a formal dining room serving classic northern Portuguese dishes like carne de porco à alentejana (pork with clams), and a relaxed terrace specializing in petiscos (snacks) and very affordable jugs of house wine.

Lisbon’s beer halls tend to be noisy crowded places, but those looking for a more sophisticated atmosphere should head to this upscale eatery with towering murals and handsome wood paneling tucked inside the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Hotel. You'll find traditional fish or meat dishes on the menu, served with flair by an attentive staff.

The name for the upscale restaurant at Lisbon’s Four Seasons Hotel Ritz comes from the Portuguese word curadoria (curatorship), and head chef Pedro Pena Bastos does indeed apply a curator's attention to detail in choosing the ingredients for his three tasting menus. Whether you pick the Meia Cura (eight courses), Origins (12 courses) or the vegetarian Raízes menu (eight courses), expect beautifully presented small dishes that turn super-fresh seasonal ingredients into edible works of art. There are a-la-carte options Tuesday through Thursday, but the tasting menus are where the magic really lies. The restaurant has earned a Michelin star, as well as glowing reviews in Portuguese press.

Japan meets the Mediterranean at this Michelin-starred restaurant behind the Four Seasons Hotel. Despite the title, the food is relatively affordable, more so at lunchtime when business folks take over the tables on the top floor. The cocktails at the bar also come with an Asian twist, like the Bloody Mary with teriyaki and wasabi-butter-infused vodka.

Although it’s quite spacious and comfortable inside, most people choose to sit at one of this restaurant's many tables outside facing Praça dos Restauradores. Waiters rush from table to table, mostly serving super fresh seafood and grilled fish and meats.

This restaurant facing the courtyard of the Hotel Valverde focuses on contemporary Portuguese cuisine reinterpreted by the chef. Its weekly lunch menu is popular among locals who work nearby and those looking for a more intimate spot.

Framed photographs of celebrities who’ve visited (from singer Adele to soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo) cover every inch of the walls at this bustling eatery. In business since 1947, it's known for the dry-cured ham that gave the place its name, but there are also many meat and seafood dishes on the menu.

Chef Vitor Matos has managed restaurants all over the country, but this is his first venture in the capital to win a Michelin star. Here he is joined by Francisco Quintas, the young chef who welcomes you at the 14-seat counter facing the kitchen. Every dish is assembled right in front of you with the utmost detail, and the menu changes daily.

Coffee addicts and chocolate lovers stop at this small store across from the Jardim do Príncipe Real, drawn by the scent of the beans that arrive straight from a family plantation in the former Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe in Africa.

In an alley between Praça dos Restauradores and Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, this eatery known locally as Rei dos Frangos (King of Chickens) specializes in spit-roasted chicken served with a house-made piri-piri sauce that many locals swear is the best in the city. One chicken easily serves two hungry diners, but leave room for the famously crispy fries.

The roasted coffee beans come from Copenhagen, as did the inspiration for the minimalist decor. The Coffee Lab has become a favorite, both for the different types on the menu and the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

The flagship store of this Portuguese coffee brand faces Avenida da Liberdade and offers more than just its coffee. Come here for a light meal, brunch, or a cocktail in the wood-clad interior or at the tables outside.

This tiny corner café might not look like much, but step inside, and you’ll find a stunning art nouveau interior with tiled facades and marble tables. It specializes in salgados (savory treats), but it also has a few sweet options, like the ubiquitous pastéis de nata (custard tarts). Choose your favorite snack from the counter and take it to the nearby Jardim do Príncipe Real.

Hidden just a few feet from the Elevador do Lavra, this was one of the first places in the city to offer specialty coffee, roasted and ground on the premises. Sandwiches and pastries are also available.

The Moorish-style courtyard of Palacete Ribeiro da Cunha (now the EmbaiXada shopping gallery) was turned into a bar and restaurant. It serves contemporary Portuguese cuisine, as well as lighter snacks such as salads and burgers.

With almost three dozen choices on the menu, this is the place for alternative pizza toppings, including vegan and even gluten-free options (if you call ahead). The pizzas come straight out of a wood oven, which is right in the dining room, and are topped with Portuguese and Italian ingredients.

An Italian family opened this small ice-cream shop around the corner from the Parliament building (and just a short walk from the Jardim do Príncipe Real), and it immediately drew locals who don’t mind waiting in line to try the variety of flavors. They're served in a cup or cone, with or without whipped cream on top.

Delicious meat-free dishes (think mango-and-tofu curry, seitan steak, and spinach-filled Tibetan momo dumplings) ensure that there's always a line for a table in this restaurant's extremely colorful dining room or on the pleasant patio. It’s part of a Buddhist center where a small shop stocks books, incense, homeopathic medicines, and other products, and yoga and meditation classes take place upstairs.

What you see is what you get at Ribadouro, one of Lisbon's best-known seafood spots: take your pick of the lobster, mantis shrimp, tiger shrimp, whelks, oysters, and clams on display and the staff will create a seafood platter to your specifications. You can dine inside or at tree-shaded tables and chairs set out at a kiosk on the Avenida, opposite the main restaurant.

One of several notable restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Varanda is consistently at the top of its game. There's a seasonally changing tasting menu at dinner and a wide range of à la carte dishes throughout the day.