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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.
Fresh produce is the hero at this modern neighborhood bistro. Portuguese chef João Rodrigues swapped his Michelin-star kitchen for this modest diner where top-quality seafood and seasonal ingredients shine. There are no fancy foams, just fuss-free dining and an ever-changing menu with Portuguese roots and daily specials. Bookings recommended.
Trafaria is a tiny fishing village with a charming view of small boats and Lisbon in one direction and a huge grain silo in the other. Hidden down a back street, cozy Casa Ideal has been welcoming diners for more than 40 years with a humble menu of grilled fish and delicious seafood rice dishes. Take the ferry from Belém and always reserve a table on weekends.
In this relaxed fishing village with charcoal grills on every corner, Casa Mateus offers a refreshing reinterpretation of seafood. The Sesimbra favorite is well-known for plating local flavors and traditional dishes with a more refined chef flair. Order the oxtail croquettes, then choose from daily specials and a fish-heavy seasonal menu.
Serving pastéis de nata and other sweetly delicious treats since 1829, Confeitaira Nacional is the oldest pastelaria in Lisbon. The handsome antique decor competes for attention with the glass cabinets packed with mouthwatering cakes, pastries, and chocolates.
Creativity and chemistry combine at this Italian-style gelato shop on Sesimbra’s waterfront. Choose from 18 traditional and fun flavors, including many that make use of fresh fruits. Two brothers—a pharmacist and a pastry chef—returned from a Bologna gelato course to create ECHO.
Portugal is a nation obsessed with seafood, but more often than not, fish is simply grilled over charcoal with salt. Guelra is changing the game with a fish-focused eatery where you can sit down for creative seafood snacks and wine at the bar, or venture upstairs for a chic meal with Portuguese-influenced dishes. Be sure to try the amphora wines.
Vegans in the know head to this little place off Rua Garrett, which has a well-priced varied buffet of salads, hot entrées, sides, and sauces for both lunch and dinner. Desserts and drinks—which include some great fresh juices as well as craft beers—are extra.
Since 1942 this bakery has been a cornerstone of the Costa da Caparica community. Sit out on the terrace beneath the pine trees, where you can taste its famous pastéis de Santo António (custard tarts with coconut), along with coffee roasted on-site.
Calm and cool Princesa is one of Caparica's most picturesque beachfront spots. A vast outdoor terrace is filled with sun loungers and comfy chairs where you can relax with a jug of sangria while watching the waves roll in. Browse the menu for a selection of simple-yet-tasty salads, fresh seafood, and grilled fish.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 laid-back, friendly spot in the São Bento district, just outside the Barrio Alto, is a local reference point for Goan cuisine. Vindaloo dishes are among the stars, and vegetarians have plenty of options alongside the meat and seafood dishes.
Portugal’s oldest bakery has taken over an old pier next to the Torre de Belém. Here dozens of tables are perched over the Tagus River, with one side facing the famous tower and the other toward the city. While it lacks the opulent interiors of the original, it's location is the perfect pit stop for coffee, sweets, or a freshly squeezed orange juice.
Sit beneath fragrant orange blossoms enjoying a healthy lunch at this café with a mission. Hidden behind the Belém library, this glass-walled social enterprise café supports a project protecting and empowering vulnerable women and girls. Come for the delicious house-made cake and stay for the side helping of social justice.
When love led Damascus-born Bashar Khabbaz to put down roots in Portugal, he couldn’t help but miss the flavors of Syria. So he opened this Syrian bistro in Cacilhas with homestyle dishes from kibbeh to kebabs. Call ahead for traditional live music on Saturday nights.
This all-day brunch spot does a roaring trade in pancakes, avocado toast, smoothie bowls, and other breakfast favorites. Lines are virtually inevitable at any time of day, but the flower-filled café is a pleasant place to wait.
There's no shortage of places to eat ice cream in Sesimbra, but Fini serves superior Italian scoops and has a sunny patio overlooking the sea. Flavors vary daily (the banana and peanut butter is particularly delicious), plus there's a wide range of toppings and good coffee.
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.
This friendly café-bar has a wonderful vantage over the sea. The seafood, toasted sandwiches, and house white wine are all good, but the main attraction is the sheltered terrace.
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.
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.
The inspiration for this restaurant's food comes from Argentina, so expect a steak-heavy menu that has long made it a favorite among Lisbon’s carnivores. You’ll also find fish dishes borrowed from traditional Portuguese cuisine and a couple of vegetarian options, too.
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.
