26 Best Restaurants in Portugal

In an elegant dining room overlooking Praia da Rocha, this restaurant is known for its beautifully presented dishes crafted by a chef who meticulously seeks out only the best local ingredients. Chef João Oliveira worked at some of Portugal's top award-winning restaurants, and here he puts his own stamp on refined Algarvian cuisine. The interior is elegant and sophisticated, with enormous glass windows that allow sunlight to stream in.

With its quirky interior illuminated by dozens of pendant lamps, this lively tapas bar—with inventive cuisine and fine wines—is popular with locals for a big night out. There's a strong focus on Portuguese wines, but the menu ranges further afield, with camembert, shrimp tempura, and tuna tataki.

Although the name suggests it’s only open to the press, this restaurant welcomes everyone. The menu features innovative dishes like eggplant drizzled with miso caramel or white fish ceviche topped with spicy popcorn. It has a cozy dining room lined with azulejo tiles, but in the summer everyone heads straight to the pleasant garden and plops down at one of the umbrella-shaded tables.

Restaurants serving fresh grilled fish are ten a penny in the center of Peniche. For something deliciously different, head to the northern edge of the peninsula, where the friendly staff at Marginal serve tartares and ceviches, marinated tuna pica pau chunks, sauteed squid, cuttlefish curry, and more in a second-floor dining room with views of the ocean and the Berlengas. Their bestsellers use the fish of the day, but there are also changing daily dishes, often featuring a riot of fresh herbs or even, where it makes sense, fruit. For dessert, the cream cheese and walnut tart is a fine old family recipe.

The 18th-century Quintela Palace—once taken over by one of Napoléon's generals—now welcomes diners to a gastronomic experience in a space like no other in the city. Climb the grand staircase to dine in one of four airy elegant rooms, where you can enjoy Portuguese and international cuisine (and where there are well-priced lunch menus). Or stop for drinks and snacks from 6 pm onwards at the buzzy downstairs bar, where a DJ gets the crowd dancing as the night wears on.

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.

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.

There are plenty of beach bars and restaurants on the esplanade between Cascais and Estoril, but this one at Monte Estoril, a 10-minute walk from either town, is the pick of the bunch. Right by a small sandy beach called Praia das Moitas, the vibe is peaceful and there's a broad menu ranging from snacks, hamburgers, toasted sandwiches, and salads to seafood and fish.

With an enviable location near the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, this elegant bistro has been attracting a well-heeled crowd since the 1920s. There's a covered area for outdoor dining, while the mirrored walls, ceiling frescoes, and crystal chandeliers of the interior are in keeping with the sense of opulence.

It’s always difficult to get a table at this café, as it’s a favorite of young crowds who crave its pancakes and pastries all day. By the entrance is a display of Portuguese and international gourmet products to take home.

Dine with a view of the Palácio Nacional de Sintra at this contemporary restaurant inside the Moon Hill Hostel. The menu combines traditional Portuguese flavors with touches of Italian and French cuisine. There are plenty of codfish dishes, as well as meat options like the aged entrecôte with truffled mashed potato (a house favorite).

The roasted coffee beans come from Copenhagen, as did the inspiration for the minimalist decor. The Coffee Lab has become a favorite, both for the different types on the menu and the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

The flagship store of this Portuguese coffee brand faces Avenida da Liberdade and offers more than just its coffee. Come here for a light meal, brunch, or a cocktail in the wood-clad interior or at the tables outside.

After many years in the kitchens of some of the top restaurants in Portugal, French chef Vincent Farges opened his own spot in Lisbon, where he presents creative seasonal tasting menus that since 2022 have earned him a Michelin star. His cuisine is inspired by different parts of the world and is accompanied by Portuguese wine. Try to snag a table by a window: the views of the city and river are almost as divine as the food.

The Moorish-style courtyard of Palacete Ribeiro da Cunha (now the EmbaiXada shopping gallery) was turned into a bar and restaurant. It serves contemporary Portuguese cuisine, as well as lighter snacks such as salads and burgers.

This fresh, breezy waterside restaurant and bar, which includes lounge chairs by the infinity pool as well as dining tables inside, is perched on a promontory at the mouth of the Guadiana River. The menu features Portuguese classics, plus a range of crowd-pleasing dishes like pizzas and burgers.

Situated a little way out of town in Quartiera, this independent French-Portuguese restaurant has a traditional, family-run feel and a band of loyal followers. Fair-priced seafood tapas are on the menu, along with classics like French onion soup.

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.

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.

This modern and minimalist restaurant has a focus on health-boosting ingredients, so diners can expect nutrient-packed bowls, salads, wraps, and ciabattas. It's all served in a pretty indoor-outdoor dining room.

This restaurant is more than just a glamorous beach club—although it is that, too. Both outside on the terrace and inside the glass-walled dining room, the staff turns out a varied menu laden with international favorites. Plus, there's a seafood or fish catch of the day, impressive salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.

Head to this spot for light meals and cocktails against a jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop. The menu is split between sunrise and sunset, though this is one for the late risers, as breakfast only starts at 10 am. Expect your typical eggs Benedict alongside more traditional treats like sardine toast or tempura green beans.

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.