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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.
For light meals and cocktails against a jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop, Portas do Sol (meaning "doors of the sun") is the place. Don't expect award-winning cuisine, but you could do far worse than a couscous or caprese salad washed down with a tangy caipirinha or freshly squeezed juice.
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.
For some of the best ice cream and sorbets in town, drop into this branch of a family-run chain founded in 1949. New flavors are introduced regularly, but all stick to the tradition of using only fresh fruits and all-natural ingredients.
Huge stone arches and a beautiful mural made of azulejo tiles grace this charming restaurant, which offers upscale cuisine at very reasonable prices. Light Portuguese dishes are prepared with love and beautifully presented, and the cocktail list is impressive, too.
This updated version of the traditional Portuguese tasca (tavern) is an informal space where everyone seems to start off with a gin and tonic—there are 80 gins on the list. That said, food is hardly an afterthought as the kitchen turns out all sorts of delicious plates like black rice with cuttlefish or braised tuna that are the perfect size to share.
Named after the mythical water nymphs of the Tagus River, this place is divided into two parts: a sleek, modern dining room serving refined versions of Portuguese dishes upstairs and a more relaxed wine-and-tapas bar downstairs. Both spaces face the river, so the tables by the windows are some of the most coveted in town.
Vítor Sobral, one of the country’s most famous chefs, has brought together the vibe of a traditional neighborhood eatery and sophisticated dishes that appeal to modern palates at "Tavern on the Corner." Expect to see fast food favorites like bitoque (lean steak topped with an egg) given a slick modern twist.
An unpretentious traditional tasca (tavern) hidden among Bairro Alto’s many noisy cocktail bars and tourist traps, Tasca do Manel serves hearty portions of excellent Portuguese food at fair prices. The fish soup and duck rice are house specialties, as are the homemade wine and the potent bagaço (Portuguese grappa) that usually rounds off a meal here.
A lively crowd gathers in the chic dining room of this contemporary restaurant (once the Swiss ambassador's residence), packs into the backyard terrace, and jostles for a spot at the cocktail bar. The zero-waste menu, which changes regularly, focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients, all sourced from Portuguese shores. There's an emphasis on fire and flame, so expect smoked, chargrilled, and barbecued treats like squid from the Azores and prawns from the Algarve. Daily vegetarian options ensures everyone is happy.
One of several notable restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Varanda is consistently at the top of its game thanks to the keen eye of French-Canadian executive chef Pascal Meynard. He oversees a seasonally changing tasting menu at dinner (the octopus confit is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach) and a wide range of à la carte dishes throughout the day.
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