515 Best Restaurants in Portugal

Tucked away on a side street far from the touristy seafront, this tavern attracts diners from far and wide with delicious fresh fish and meat dishes cooked in its wood-burning oven. There are changing daily specials, but regular dishes include bacalhau à tasca (fried codfish with onions and potatoes) and rice-stuffed cuttlefish.

This unpretentious traditional tasca (cheap eatery) hidden among Bairro Alto’s noisy cocktail bars and tourist traps serves hearty portions of excellent Portuguese food at fair prices. Game on offer includes stewed pheasant and boar, served either grilled or in a bean stew, and there are rarely found local fish dishes such as fried shad with açorda bread soup. There's also a potent bagaço (Portuguese grappa) to round off the meal.

At this restaurant in the center of town, the handful of tables in the convivial dining room spill out onto the sidewalk in warmer weather. Seafood petiscos (the Portuguese version of tapas) and a good wine selection are the main attractions. Don't expect the speediest service in town, but relax with a bottle of the house wine as waiters hurry past.

This smart dockside restaurant and terrace in a former warehouse is owned by a family of fish wholesalers (with their own boats) who since 2008 have been serving customers some of the best seafood around: the only meat here is on the kids' menu. Monkfish features most days, as do navalhas (razor clams), while the vegetables used are all organic. Start with a fish soup, bolinhos de bacalhau (cod cakes) or Galicia-style octopus, before moving on to fresh grilled fish or their spectacular cataplana stew. If you have a sweet tooth, end with a lindinha---a flaky pastry stuffed with sweet ground almonds.

Hip-homey is the vibe this tavern exudes with its red-and-white checkered table runners, blond-wood chairs, and birch tables. The restaurant often hosts live music. Meat and seafood are the stars of the menu, which includes a warming fish stew with rice, grilled lamb, and steak carved table -side. Pair dinner with a carafe of local wine and finish it off with refreshing almond mousse. Taverna da Matilde is attached to Restaurante Arco Iris.

Visa is the only credit card that can be used here.

This local favorite serves traditional Alentejo dishes based on old family recipes. Tucked away in a former horse stable near the imposing Paço Ducal, it has a rustic decor with granite walls and arched ceilings. Specialties include costelinhas de borrego (lamb ribs) and wines produced in nearby vineyards.

The Foz neighborhood, at the mouth of the Douro, is a favorite place for well-heeled locals to see and be seen, and this smart two-story seafood-focused restaurant has become a neighborhood standby. It's particularly hard to resist the sauteéd tiger prawns, black spaghetti with lobster, and top-grade sushi. The space itself is as elegant and well-presented as the food. 

With tables nestled inside oversized wine barrels, Terra de Montanha has an interior design that's as memorable as the food. Try excellent specials such as bacalhau with onion escabeche and mayonnaise or a well-flavored meat dish such as the house veal, which is seasoned, grilled, and then roasted with potatoes before being served with sautéed vegetables. The kitchen stays open late here—dinner is served almost until midnight on weekends.

A roof terrace with sweeping views over Coimbra and the Cañas Valley draws crowds to this friendly restaurant on the outskirts of town. A downstairs dining room is packed with locals at lunchtime, but out-of-towners head straight up to the roof to enjoy drinks and snacks with those glorious vistas. The name means "Terrace of the King," and there's even a throne where children tend to enjoy posing for photographs.

Sate an appetite for Lisbon's dramatic panoramic views at this chic restaurant-bar, which sits on the top floor of a storied department store. It's a sophisticated spot for salads and finger foods, as well as more substantial, more traditional dishes.

Inside a charming 1920s building in Póvoa de Varzim (Vila do Conde's twin to the north) that was Portugal's first brick-built theater, staff bustle about a high-ceilinged, white-painted space, serving well-priced cocktails, unusual snacks (ask for the day's specials), and classic northern Portuguese mains. Desserts are more international, including a salted chocolate mousse and lemon meringue tart. The family that runs the place also owns the town's oldest bookstore, and corridors and stairs around the dining area are lined with shelves; on your arrival you'll even find a book on your table to peruse.

Considered one of Portugal's best traditional restaurants, whose eponymous chef was in 2022 decorated by the country's head of state, "Aunt Alice" is in an inconspicuous house with French windows across from Fátima's parish church, just over 2 km (1.3 miles) from the shrine. The famed arroz de pato (duck rice) and bacalhau gratinado (baked salt cod with béchamel sauce) each serve two, but there are several other fine dishes worth trying. A flight of wooden stairs inside leads down to an intimate dining area with stone walls.

Gourmets come from far and wide to the village of Negrais, 15 km (9 miles) south of Mafra, to sample the suckling pig served there and wash it down with frisante (lightly sparkling wine). There are several local specialists, but "Aunt Alice" has led the herd for more than 25 years. Climb the stairs to the airy second-floor dining room, with its artsy decor, for a perfectly crisped roast, usually accompanied by round potato fries, orange slices, and salad. Fans of nose-to-tail eating can instead opt for arroz de miúdos (rice made with offal). There are also non-pork alternatives, such as bacalhau and steak.

A passion project for natural wine enthusiasts Tiago Feio and Cátia Roldão (the restaurant name comes from the first and last parts of their names), Tia Tia pairs beautifully presented sharing plates with excellent vinhos. The hands-on pair run the kitchen and restaurant, preparing every seasonal dish with great care. There's no meat on the menu, but there are some wonderfully light fish dishes, including a signature seared carapau (horse mackerel). Expect relaxed breakfasts and brunch from Tuesday to Friday, with more elaborate tasting menus on weekend evenings. Book in advance, and ask for a seat on the terrace when weather allows.

The secluded, under-the-radar restaurant at upscale Sapientia Boutique Hotel has a cozy stone-walled interior and a sunny, flower filled terrace garden. Both spaces are beautifully decorated, and the same attention to detail extends to the extensive menu of traditional dishes and tapas-style sharing plates like ceviche and regional cheese boards, perfectly paired with local wines.

The tibia, a traditional local pastry, takes center stage here, but prize-winning pastry chef João Benjamim Araújo and his team turn out a wide range of other sticky delights, most of which also originated in Braga. Grab a coffee and choose whether to sit inside the beautifully renovated historic building or on the terrace---both of which are great places for people watching.

Locals and tourists who don’t show up early often wait for as much as an hour for a table, knowing this is where you can still eat the good old-fashioned Lisbon way. Staff rush from table to table, serving doses of reasonably priced standards like grilled tuna and garlic prawns accompanied by a good house wine. Reservations are not accepted.

A visit to this restaurant—in a space that was once the refectory of a 13th-century monastery—is a quintessential Lisbon experience, although these days it's a pricey one. Transformed into a cervejaria (traditional Portuguese restaurants known for serving beer alongside seafood and hearty meat dishes) in 1836, it's the city's oldest and one of its most ornate, packing in locals and tourists under the vaulted ceiling to sample dishes from a menu devised by Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Silva. Non-diners are welcome to step in off the street at any time from 10 to noon or 3 to 7, to see the colorful azulejo tile panels in the bar area.

One of several notable restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Varanda is consistently at the top of its game. There's a seasonally changing tasting menu at dinner and a wide range of à la carte dishes throughout the day.

This boisterous bar and restaurant is a favorite among locals and out-of-town families who come to enjoy a meal overlooking the mountains. The cuisine is typical Alentejan, with specialties like migas with potato, lamb casserole, and fish.

"The Old Woman" is named for the owner of the tasca (cheap eatery) that once functioned here; it is now a smart, modern restaurant that pays homage to that tradition and retains many traces of its past (literally, in the case of sums chalked up on the walls), such as the seasoned tremoços (lupin seeds) you can nibble before your meal. The menu---devised by Michelin-starred chef Rodrigo Castelo---features delicious starters such as partridge escabeche and oxtail croquettes, as well as fresh fish from the Tagus River or its tributary, the Zézere, and slow-cooked meat dishes---all with tasty accompaniments such as creamy lemon rice or pickled red cabbage. For dessert, don't miss the velhoses---a classic fried sweet, here served with salted caramel and crisped cured ham.

This hilltop restaurant has "date night" (or at least "big splurge") written all over it. The city views are so spectacular that what lands on the plate is almost an afterthought. Since 1988 this fine-dining restaurant has been turning out faithful but luxurious renditions of Portuguese classics, like grilled octopus, seafood rice, and roasted lamb. The wine lists extends to 300 references.

Perched on a street overlooking the sea and harbor, this is a fantastic spot to see the sunset and dine on fresh fish. The daily catch is chalked on a board and grilled at an open kitchen—local produce usually includes scabbard (both black and white), bream, parrot fish, monkfish, bass, and lapas (limpets), all grilled to perfection and served with fine wines.

Owned by Portuguese actor Lourenço Ortigão and his brother Tomás, Villa Saboia is a stylish space for sushi and light Mediterranean meals. Fish and seafood takes the starring role, cropping up on the "Mediterranean Menu" in dishes like octopus carpaccio and truffle risotto, as well as in the beautifully presented sashimi and sushi. The upstairs dining room has plenty of designer flair, while the leafy terrace is a great spot for people watching on a sunny afternoon or balmy evening. 

Live sea creatures crawling around in an aquarium shaped like a blue-and-white fisherman's boat gives you an idea of what you'll find on the menu at this renowned seafood restaurant on the coast road north of Ericeira. Pick out the fish or shellfish of your choice to be prepared especially for you, such as a sapateira recheada (stuffed crab) brought to the table in its shell.

A haven for vegetarians and vegans amid a sea of fish restaurants, Xéxéxé is a cozy bistro serving delicious meals as well as house-baked pies and pastries. With creative use of seasonal ingredients, there are several choices of set meals each day. Space is limited, so book a table in advance.

You'll probably need to wait on the stairs outside for a table and then perch on benches or at tightly packed tables, but it's worth the wait for the excellent Portuguese dishes served at this small neighborhood tasca. The menu changes daily with a selection of fish and meat options.

Serving spicy samosas, curries, and other spicy treats since the 1970s, Zuari was one of the first Goan restaurants to open in Lisbon (and many would argue it's still the best). It's a wonderful introduction to the flavors of the former Portuguese colony, and the very fair prices mean culinary adventures here won't break the bank.

Guarda isn't noted for its restaurant scene, but this modest granite-fronted establishment in the old quarter is one of the few exceptions. It serves hearty regional fare like cabrito grelhada (grilled baby goat).