230 Best Restaurants in Lisbon, Portugal

Run by visual artist Luis Carballo (whose studio is in nearby Marvila), this modern version of the traditional Portuguese tasca is an informal space where everyone seems to start off with a gin and tonic—there's a dedicated gin bar. The kitchen turns out delicious plates like black rice with cuttlefish or braised tuna that are the perfect size to share.

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.

The huge queues that form outside this tiny family-run tavern are a testament to the fact that the fish served here is the best in town. There's no menu, but the daily catch is written on a blackboard and cooked to perfection on a charcoal grill out on the flagstones.

This unassuming restaurant serves authentic Japanese cuisine, from squid sashimi to chashu braised pork belly, plus the odd fusion dish—all at very affordable prices. To drink, there are sakes, beers, and Portuguese wines, plus house-made nonalcoholic drinks, and some fabulous desserts. The set lunch menus are a good value, but for the full experience book well ahead for a tasting menu at €60 (plus optional sake pairing for €55).

One of the hippest tables in town, Tricky's is a collaborative project between natural wine sommeliers and creative next-gen chefs. Cooks in the open kitchen—the best seats are at the counter right in front of it—create a menu of sharable small plates with Portuguese, Italian, and Asian influences, and they're matched with low-intervention wines from across Europe.

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.

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.

A range of authentic Japanese dishes are served at this local branch of an established Tokyo brand, but ramen is the real star. The noodles here—made fresh in-house—are lighter than some other types, thanks to the use of yuzu. As well as the range of flavorful (and generously sized) ramen bowls, there's a range of small plates, from fried soft-shell crab to pork buns, various dumplings, and even gluten-free noodles.

Imaginative small plates are the main attraction at this small seafood-focused spot, which has now expanded to a second branch in the foodie neighborhood of Campo de Ourique. The ceviche is hugely popular at both branches, and for good reason. There's even a fish-free version made with tofu.

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.

More of a local option than some cafés in the area, Aloma is known for its prize-winning pastéis de nata, whose fame has helped it build up a small chain and even go into the export business. This outlet also offers a range of other pastries, plus sandwiches and quiches.

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.

Located on Campo de Ourique’s main street, not far from the route of Trams 25 and 28, Amélia Lisboa is a good choice for a light meal. It attracts not only the people of the neighborhood but also Lisbon’s young and trendy, who love the fun decor and the colorful healthy meals (which include power bowls and plenty of gluten-free and vegan options). Although under a different name, this is essentially the second branch of a popular downtown café called Nicolau Lisboa.

Take a seat beneath twisting grapevines for drinks and snacks at one of the most inviting terraces in Alfama. The menu is strong on fresh ingredients and healthier versions of fast-food favorites, prepared with care. There are vegetarian and gluten-free versions of many of the most popular items on the menu, including hemp fried chicken (the veggie version is made with cauliflower) and a signature burger served in bolo do caco (a sweet-potato bread hailing from Madeira).

The name means "that place that doesn't exist" in Portuguese, and that's a clue (along with its lack of online presence) that this restaurant aims to have an insider, underground vibe. However, it does exist, and the main restaurant is a stylish room with that serves an eclectic menu of Indian dishes, pizza, and soup. Across the street, at number 76A, there's an even less promoted rooftop bar. 

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.

A huge wall of specialist coffee brewing equipment shows this light-filled café means business. Join the locals for a flat white and pastry while catching up on the news.

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.

Meco's most famous restaurant draws seafood fans from across the region. The freshly caught sea bass, swordfish, and huge variety of crustaceans are part of the appeal, but the setting in front of wild windswept Praia do Meco adds to the charm.

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.

With its stone walls, vintage furniture, and broken-in leather chairs and couches, this restaurant feels like someone's living room. The menu hopscotches around Europe, with Spanish-style padrón peppers, Italian-inflected pasta dishes, salads, and Portuguese classics.

Mushrooms are the star of the show at this stylish, low-lit new eatery in Santos. While the menu includes a few fish and meat plates, most of the dishes are vegetarian or vegan, spotlighting enoki, lamb's foot, portobello, porcini, and the restaurant's namesake black truffle mushrooms. The combinations are varied and interesting, ranging from Japanese chawanmushi custard to Italian-style gnocchi and pasta. 

This restaurant takes you on a trip around Asia, with a wide selection of dishes that go from Thailand to Indonesia. There are also vegan and gluten-free options. The restaurant takes no reservations, so show up early or expect a long wait for a table outside on the terrace or in the colorful interior.

Virtually everyone in the kitchen at this new-ish restaurant in Santos is from Mexico, making Boca Linda a more authentic alternative to some of the trendier taco joints sprouting up around town. The guacamole comes with chapulines (grasshoppers), the green aguachile is properly spicy, and the tacos come with fillings like cochinita pibil (suckling pig) and barbacoa (slow-cooked meat).

Known as a wild child among the relentlessly traditional neighborhood dining spots, you'll hear indie rock instead of fado at Boi-Cavalo and experience a menu that features unusual Portuguese products like mackerel with pickles and green beans–rice with pine nuts. The chef uses his kitchen as a lab for experiments with these oddball products, pairing them with Asian and other international influences. The short creative tasting menu changes weekly.

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.