Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Lisbon's dining scene has evolved dramatically in recent years to include any number of high-end dining opportunities, but amid the international fare, Michelin-starred restaurants, and molecular gastronomy, the city's simplest and most traditional restaurants still do a roaring trade. Meals generally include three courses, a drink, and coffee. Many restaurants have an ementa turistica (tourist menu), a set-price meal, most often served at lunchtime. Note that you'll be charged a couple of euros if you eat any of the couvert items—typically appetizers such as bread and butter, olives, and the like—that are brought to your table without being ordered.
Lisbon's restaurants usually serve lunch from noon or 12:30 until 3 and dinner from 7:30 until 11; many establishments are closed Sunday or Monday. Inexpensive restaurants typically don't accept reservations. In the traditional cervejarias (beer-hall restaurants), which frequently have huge dining rooms, you'll probably have to wait for a table, but usually not more than 10 minutes. In the Bairro Alto, many of the reasonably priced tascas (taverns) are on the small side: if you can't grab a table, you're probably better off moving on to the next place. Throughout Lisbon, dress for meals is usually casual, but exceptions are noted below.
A paper tablecloth stuck to the window detailing the day’s dishes is almost always a good sign. At lunch, this chic tavern and marisqueira fills with a crowd of well-dressed regulars who return for the high-quality food and friendly banter.
Open since 1922, this is one of Lisbon’s surviving grand cafés and arguably its most beautiful. It’s still mostly a place for locals, who often meet here and stay chatting for hours over coffee.
Chef Marlene Vieira is one of the few female chefs at the forefront of Lisbon’s fine dining scene. At Zunzum she has a more relaxed approach, but still with cutting-edge dishes like Portuguese stew gyozas or cockle fritters in bulhão pato, a garlicky white wine and coriander sauce.
In the charmingly old-fashioned dining room at one of Lisbon's oldest restaurants, bottles are displayed like works of art, and courteous staffers serve up Portuguese classics paired with one of the wine list's 600 choices.
Henrique Sá Pessoa is one of Portugal’s leading chefs, known for blending Portuguese tradition with global influences and ultra-modern culinary techniques. At his elegant flagship, Alma—one of the few restaurants in Portugal with two Michelin stars—he showcases precision, creativity, and top-quality produce.
This was just another neighborhood pastry shop until it started receiving accolades for its excellent custard tarts and ended up supplying those mouthwatering sweets to shops throughout the city (and even to Paris’s Galleries Lafayette!). This tart stands out for being creamier than most and for always being served cold.
The intimate, dimly lit space and musical backdrop of tinkling jazz make a memorable setting for savoring a glass of wine, while sampling delicious and inexpensive versions of traditional Portuguese food. Standouts on the menu include a tasty bacalhau à brás (codfish mixed with egg and matchstick potatoes) and a photo-worthy flaming chorizo. As you'd expect, the wine list is good. Bring cash, as international cards are not accepted.
This rustic restaurant was established in a former bakery and has kept the building's original large brick baking oven and stone arches. It serves well-presented classic Portuguese cuisine and a few original dishes from a menu evenly divided between meat and fish options.
This riverfront restaurant draws crowds for its excellent views and refined cuisine. The mint green chairs of Atira-te ao Rio are easy to spot, and the octopus with roasted potatoes is always a winner.
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, leaving room for the famously crispy fries.
Cabrinha has been doing a roaring business among locals and out-of-towners since 1978. Crustaceans of all kinds are priced by weight, while steaks, grilled fish, and the famous seafood stew will satisfy a hearty appetite without blowing the budget.
The distinctive 1930s facade and tables right on Rossio square make Nicola a memorable spot for a coffee or bite to eat while sightseeing. Breakfasts and brunches here are good, with lots of eggs, meaty sausages, and strong Nicola-brand coffee (or fresh fruit and juices, should you prefer). They also serve simple traditional mains. Inside, the statue of 19th-century poet Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage and oil paintings by Fernando Santos depicting his rambunctious life, add to the atmosphere.
The Portuguese take their canned fish seriously. Find out what the fuss is about at this funky restaurant where canned goods turn up in all manner of petiscos (small plates)—it sounds gimmicky, but the results are delicious. Recently, in partnership with academics, they started producing and using garum, a . But don't worry, they also offer traditional mains such as baked codfish or octopus, and pasta, salads, and hamburgers.
This industrial-chic former factory canteen now makes good use of original features (such as a wood-fired oven) to feed the culture seekers who flock to this part of town. It's right in the middle of LxFactory, and the hearty Portuguese dishes will fuel a day's shopping or a night's socializing in the surrounding bars.
Just as the 90-seat dining room sits below a vaulted brick ceiling that dates from the 18th century, many of the dishes are based on archival recipes. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on bacalhau (salted codfish), which is served in 25 different ways, ranging from the typical à Brás (with eggs and potatoes) to curried cod with asparagus risotto. A few meat, octopus, and vegetarian options are included for those who aren't fans of the fish.
In business for nearly a century, "The House of the Little Birds" is a favorite for neighborhood locals and nearby office workers. Come for the house specialties, which include the famous naco na pedra (steak cooked on a hot stone), vitela barrosã (tender veal), and açorda de gambas (shrimp and bread stew).
Set right on the banks of the Tagus with suitably nautical decor, this restaurant is owned by Lisbon's Naval Club and offers excellent fish and simple traditional dishes. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow diners to enjoy river views when it's too cool for the terrace.
This place hasn’t changed a bit over the years, from the beams across the ceiling to the harnesses and wagon wheels that serve as decor. It's a favorite among locals, who come here to enjoy hearty Portuguese dishes amid the bustle of Bairro Alto.
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.
Contemporary Portuguese restaurant Em Alta na Baixa delivers genuinely high-quality food and service. The menu spans local classics and international fare such as duck magret and moqueca, a Brazilian fish stew made with coconut milk. Take a seat outdoors and sip a cocktail, or enjoy the elegant indoor space on chillier days.
This riverfront restaurant successfully experiments with creative takes on traditional Portuguese gastronomy. Innovative vegetarian and vegan concoctions include pumpkin steak with beetroot puree and tomato ceviche with piri-piri and coriander.
Today it's a lively spot for petiscos and cocktails, but this was once the location for secret political meetings (and romantic trysts), thanks to its secluded gabinetes (booths). It's been given a top-to-toe overhaul, but retains its paneled booths, tiled floors, and other details from its more than 150 years of history. Light dishes such as chilled tomato soup and tapas-style plates for sharing make for sociable dining in a cozy restaurant-bar, but they also have heartier bacalhau and seafood rice dishes, which are often big enough for two.
There’s no English menu here—just the daily specials scrawled on a piece of paper out front. If you want to eat where the locals do, search these dishes on the Web then step inside Frazão. Say bom dia ("good day") to the grill chef and pass through the tiny front room where workers watch TV while eating. Find a more comfortable table in the back room and tuck into your own €10 lunch menu, which includes a dish, soup, drink, and coffee.
The large counter facing the bar makes this 1960s establishment a prime spot for solo diners. It’s also one of the few places in the neighborhood open from breakfast to dinner. Many Portuguese politicians have dined here through the centuries, including current president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. These days, it attracts mainly tourists and night owls, who come here for a beer or a bite to eat on their way to the Gulbenkian.
South of Lisbon you can find plenty of casual coastal dining, tucked into a long stretch of almost wild dunes. At Grão d’Areia there’s no DJ spinning house music to draw in the cool crowd, just dozens of unpretentious tables where you’ll sit with your toes in the sand. Order a tiny ice-cold beer or a big jug of sangria while you wait for your grilled fish or Portuguese seafood snacks and watch the waves roll in.
There’s an enormous array of top-quality Portuguese cheeses, wines, and petiscos on the menu here. Regular live sets from talented local musicians add extra panache to the proceedings.
In a space that was part of a water reservoir from the 12th century, this cozy restaurant now serves a variety of Portuguese petiscos such as clams and sautéd shrimp, but also bigger portions like codfish and octopus. Be sure to sample their wine selection which highlights the Dão region.
For cod dishes prepared with great pride, come to this restaurant that's been specializing in all things bacalhau (salted codfish) since 1976. Expect a few Mozambican dishes alongside excellent renderings of Portuguese favorites.
Don't let the name fool you: this sophisticated restaurant serves a menu that is largely Portuguese—there's plenty of codfish, octopus, and grilled Portuguese meats—but also includes Italian appetizers and pastas (and the occasional head-scratcher like chicken samosas).
Locals head to this small pastry shop whenever they crave something sweet. It’s around the corner from the Jardim da Parada, and not far from the Mercado de Campo de Ourique.
