515 Best Restaurants in Portugal

As you're heading past Sé Nova, take the first alley on the left to discover this tiny bohemian spot tucked behind a church. The Mexican fusion restaurant has a small but delicious range of hot and cold vegan empanadas, quesadillas, and massive burritos. The quirky setting, with mismatched tables and chairs and board games scattered about, is a popular hangout for local students. No international cards are accepted, so be sure to bring cash. 

Roughly 7 km (4 miles) northwest of Alvito, the main attraction of this large, popular restaurant is its wood-burning oven in which delicious legs of lamb, pork, and other meats are cooked to perfection. They're first marinated in coriander, oregano, and aromatic herbs that grow in the region. The owner is also well-known for his açorda dishes, the most popular being açorda de cação (with baby shark). The atmosphere is cozy and authentic, with brick domed walls, wood paneling, and a huge antique chandelier dangling overhead.

This longtime favorite, overlooking a pleasant riverside garden, has walls that are adorned with old guitars, carvings of saints, ceramic birds, and vintage books—you know the kind of place. In warm weather the terrace out front is a great place to dine on some of the best seafood in town, though it is not cheap.

Traditional Portuguese cooking seems right at home amid the farmhouse decor at this casual spot on a narrow lane near The Vine Hotel. The dining room fills up with business executives enjoying a relaxing lunch and a mix of celebrating visitors and locals at dinner.

Viseu's most celebrated restaurant is known for the sometimes comical names of its dishes as well as for its intelligent use of old local recipes. Try the coelho bêbedo (drunk rabbit), which is rabbit stewed in red wine, or the bacalhau podre ("rotten"), which is actually a savory dish of salt cod braised in a tomato-and-wine sauce. Bring cash, because international cards are not accepted.

The oldest cervejaria (relaxed dining and drinking spot) in the region has been serving cold beer, rich seafood stews, and delicious shellfish since 1890. The local crowd is a testament to the excellent seafood, and the sunset views over the river to Lisbon are magical.

This storefront eatery is far from fancy—from the outside you might mistake it for a takeout joint—but the wooden benches just inside the door are always crowded because of its excellent oven-roasted chicken, served with salad and fries. It also serves home-baked bread.

Tucked away in the valley of Serra de Louro, down the road from Palmela, o Gaiteiro is a picturesque place to relax with a drink. There are two distinctly different cafés on the property: a winter one on the lower end among the pines with cozy seating, and a summer one perched on a small cliff with glassed-in walls and a balcony that faces the forested hills. There's a large and enticing pool with a glorious backdrop, surrounded by sun loungers which can be rented for the afternoon during the summer months.

One of the most fun vegetarian restaurants in town, O Gambuzino lists its ever-changing daily specials on a chalkboard menu but always highlights fresh vegetables and other products from a place called the Fruta Feia ("Ugly Fruit") co-op. You get the sustainability angle, but the pleasure is also there, with a menu full of global influences. Sample dishes include kimchi rice balls, gazpacho served in crunchy puri wheat puffs, and lettuce tacos filled with giant mushrooms that were locally grown in recycled coffee grounds.

In the village of Reguengos de Monsaraz, O Gato is a bed and breakfast, pastry shop, and restaurant in a traditional Alentejan white-stucco building with blue awnings. It's a huge favorite with locals, serving traditional fare like lamb stew made with fresh herbs and spices. There's an extensive wine list.

You wouldn't know it from the bright, modern decor, but O Laranjeira is Viana's oldest pensão, and its restaurant serves some of the best traditional Minho cuisine around. The business is now in the hands of the third generation, who are innovating while respecting tradition and preserving the soul of the place. Any of the fresh fish dishes is a good option, but so is the roasted kid.

A good selection of pastries, a decent brunch menu, great coffee, and friendly service make this French-style café a good choice at the start of your day, whatever time that may be. Brunch is served until 3 pm, and light lunch options are also available.

In the peaceful village of Paião, 10 km (6 miles) south of Figueira da Foz, this restaurant, named after its past as a tannery, has been a local institution for over 20 years. The menu features regional specialties, including the famous sopa da pedra (a hearty meat and vegetable soup). Grilled pork and veal on a spit are also standouts. Cozy up in the welcoming dining room during winter, or enjoy a meal on the patio when the sun shines.

Chef Kiko has several restaurants in Lisbon, each with its own specialty, but this was his first. O Talho means "The Butcher Shop," and this elegant meat-centric restaurant does double-duty as a working butcher shop.

Seasoned travelers often avoid restaurants near major sights, but O Trovador—just a step away from the old cathedral—proves doubters wrong. Grab a table with a view of the centuries-old architecture and enjoy generous portions of reliably good regional dishes like pork cheeks with sweet potatoes or cod with cornbread.

One of the city's best tascas (traditional no-frills restaurants), O Zé da Mouraria features hearty traditional fare every lunchtime. It's a simple place but the servings are large enough to share, the wine list is decent, and the food is an excellent value.

A highlight among the food trucks in the hipster venue 8 Marvila, Oficina Craft Snackery specializes in "decadent," artisanal smashed-patty burgers. The menu is brief but hits all the bases, ranging from a double beef burger with bacon and cheddar to a portobello burger with red coleslaw and lime sauce. There are chicken and fish options too.

In a building that was once part of a religious foundation and later a factory, this smart space mixes the traditional and the contemporary; the same can be said about the food, which comprises reinvented Portuguese snacks such as mussels escabeche and slow-stewed moelas (chicken gizzards). Among desserts, the most famous is the Dona cheese tart—ordered by the slice, or whole to take away—and there is a good wine list, too.

The south of the river is more than just seafood. If you’re craving Italian, Valdo Gatti serves artisanal wood-fired pizza crafted with Italian and Portuguese ingredients. The dough is left to rise slowly for two days before it reaches your plate.  

Delicious vegan dishes (think mango-and-tofu curry or seitan steak) ensure that there's always a line for a table in this restaurant's extremely colorful dining room or on the pleasant patio next to the botanical gardens. 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.

This tiny welcoming Italian restaurant serves small plates designed to be shared among friends. There are excellent imported cheeses, sausages, and wines alongside mains and desserts typical of the Sardinia region.

Portugal produces fantastic oysters, and this solar-powered food truck located next to the Discoveries Monument is a top spot to try them. “Oysters on Wheels” brings fresh bivalves from the Sado River, an hour south of Lisbon, to the capital. Pair a couple or a dozen with a glass of Portuguese sparkling wine and enjoy the million-dollar waterfront views.

One of the most eye-catching buildings in Alfama also houses one of its best refined hideaways. The tearoom in this lavish palace-turned-hotel is open to the public, and it's a great place for a spot of tea—the real deal, from Gorreana in Portugal's Azores—or a brunch fit for royalty with cheeses, fruits, eggs, cakes, and house-made marmalades.

The passion project of a French theater director, Palacio do Grilo is an immersive theater experience that also happens to serve good food. The restaurant occupies an 18th-century palace in what was then the far outskirts of Lisbon, built as a palace of dreams for a noble family. In its current incarnation, it leans heavily on the surreal for decoration and for entertainment, with dancers and actors creating new works of performance art every evening. The international menu is well executed, though not the main draw.

Despite the unusual location, amid industrial units a 10-minute drive out of town, this Michelin-starred gourmet haven helmed by youthful chef Rui Filipe draws foodies with its seafood-heavy menu of regional dishes. First-time visitors are recommended to go for the "Tradition" tasting menu (€110)---though you may also order à la carte---but there is also a more daring "Innovation" one (€145). Either way, vegetarian or other dietary requirements can be catered for, with a bit of notice. There are various types of wine pairings on offer (from €60): the place is owned by a leading wine distributor and you can also sample some of vast range, along with gourmet snacks, in the attached wine bar.

The main draws at this smart restaurant in Pederneira, on a hill south of town, are the stunning ocean views and the octopus---grilled, roasted, stewed, or prepared in several other ways. There is also a wide range of other fine seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes, with another favorite of regulars being the veal loin tataki served with ponzu sauce. For dessert, choose from a large tray of homemade sweets.

Although the name translates as "Bread Bread Cheese Cheese," this bustling place serves much more than these two staples. Expect lines out the door as hungry sightseers and locals line up to take their pick from a huge variety of sandwiches, salads, falafel, and wraps.

This glitzy restaurant is a high-end alternative to the bustling food hall in the Time Out Market downstairs. The menu leans toward fancified versions of Portuguese classics—olive-oil-soaked roasted octopus, grilled cod, and the namesake açorda, Portugal's famous bread-based stew rich in seafood (the luxury version contains lobster) and flavored with garlic and cilantro.