Where To Eat In Lisbon, Portugal
Between its rich history, romantic architecture, famous tilework, and fado music, there are a lot of reasons to visit Lisbon. But above them all may be its superb seafood, heavenly pastries, and creative fine dining scene. From humble pastries and casual small plates to refined tasting menus, where to eat in Portugal’s vibrant and creative capital city.
This chic, airy, terrarium-like restaurant in the Baixa neighborhood has a simple motto: “If it's not in season, it's not on the table.
In addition to being hyper-seasonal, each and every ingredient comes from within Portugal. One week, the menu may offer blue lobster with tomatoes, peaches, and sudachi. On another: acorn-fed Alentejano pork pluma with turnips and turnip tops.
The pastel de nata is Portugal’s most iconic food, so you’ll find them all over the country – even the Lisbon airport has a decent one. But after tasting these custardy egg tarts all over Portugal and former Portuguese territories like Macau and Brazil, I agree with the throngs of hungry travelers who line up outside of Pastéis de Belém: theirs are simply the best of them all.
The bakery is a couple blocks from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a spectacularly constructed monastery in the Belém neighborhood that’s another must-visit stop. Following the Liberal Revolution in 1820, all convents and monasteries in Portugal were shut down, and every monk and nun was expelled. As a result, in 1837, an industrious individual started selling pastel de nata using the monastery’s secret recipe. The popular tarts eventually became known by their own name, pastéis de Belém, and the heavily-guarded recipe has remained the same in all the years since.
In the age of Instagram, the bakery is more popular than ever, so you’ll see a line of tourists wrapping around the block. But the line moves quickly, so before you know it, you’ll be admiring the famous blue and white tile murals from a café table. When the pastries arrive, don’t forget to sprinkle them generously with the canister of cinnamon set on each table. Then bite into the shatteringly-crisp crust and not-too-sweet custard to experience pastel perfection.
Get a sampling of shareable Portuguese small plates at this petiscos (Portuguese tapas) restaurant in Campo de Ourique. Chef Vítor Sobral, who’s known as the leading authority on Portuguese gastronomy, cooks up grilled octopus, truffled eggs, and countless creative versions of bacalhau (salt cod), along with a dozen tempting desserts.
Some of Lisbon’s most superb seafood can be found at this lively, unpretentious beer hall – which still manages to feel like a neighborhood gem and attract locals despite its ever-growing international popularity. Grab a table downstairs, which is more casual than the upper dining rooms, and which allows you to preview all the superb, gorgeous seafood on display.
Waiters are happy to help you narrow down your order: there are usually several different types of pristine crabs, shrimp, clams, and langoustines. Order like a local and get a light, ice-cold beer. It’s the right thing to sip along with favorites like the spicy shrimp in garlic, glass prawns, spider crab, scarlet shrimp, and local percebes – the briny barnacles nicknamed “dinosaur toes” for their prehistoric look.
Helmed by celeb chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, this restaurant in Chiado was awarded two Michelin stars in 2022. While it’s housed in an 18th-century building that was once a warehouse for the famous Bertrand bookshop, the cuisine is a modern display of refinement and technique – a contemporary interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine.
Cousins Carlos Afonso and Sérgio Frade pay homage to the restaurant started by their grandparents in the Alentejo region of Portugal – which is revered for its amphora-aged wines – at this modern petiscos restaurant in Belém.
Go for bottles of crisp white Alentejano wine served alongside croquettes, asparagus with eggs, cold rabbit in coriander sauce, and steamed cockles. Or opt for one of the main dishes like duck rice with oranges – a house specialty.
Portuguese-Brazilian chef João Ricardo Alves cooked at some of the top restaurants in Europe and Asia before returning to Portugal to show just how thoughtful and refined vegetarian fare can be.
The menu at this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in the Santos district is inventive and colorful. Expect plant-based dishes with fine dining techniques and presentation, like green peas with kombucha and tapioca, and carrot cavatelli with black olives and cacao jus.
There’s no mistaking Pharmacia, the butter-yellow mansion with an AstroTurf lawn, colorful patio furniture, and views of the Tagus River. Located in the Associação Nacional de Farmácias building and adjacent to the Museu de Farmácia, the restaurant carries the pharmacy theme throughout the food and drinks menu with playful cocktails like the “Ibuprofeno” (cachaça, lemon, egg white, and an herbal liqueur from northern Portugal), “Placebo” (cherry liqueur and sparkling rosé wine), along with small plates like duck croquettes.
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