Eating in Lisbon: yum yum!

You have finally decided to come and spend your holidays in Portugal to discover its culture, its climate, its atmosphere, its beaches, its activities, its monuments but also of course its gastronomy.

I’m going to propose you here some Portuguese specialities or good addresses that you can find in Lisbon and that are very appreciated by the locals. There are a lot of good addresses in the city and the aim here is not to tell you that they are the best but simply to introduce you to some of them that you might never have heard of.

Before you start, you will find below a set of gastronomic tours of the city of Lisbon. These tours are conducted in Tuk Tuk or on foot by English speaking guides who know the city and its gastronomy very well. The comments and notes of each tour are visible, a good way for you to be sure you don’t make a mistake in your choice and booking!

Traditional cuisine in Lisbon as in the rest of Portugal is simple, tasty, inexpensive and homemade. Below you will find a random list of some dishes, desserts, specialities or places I liked and where you could enjoy!

Pastel de Nata

Portuguese Pastel de Nata is a small pastry that could be compared to a sweet egg tartlet. Pasteis de Nata is sold in bakeries, cafés and bars all over Lisbon and Portugal. Prices vary from 1€ to 3€ each depending on where you are.

These simple cakes were invented by Portuguese monks at the beginning of the 19th century. During the Portuguese Revolution, many religious orders were expelled from the country, monasteries were closed and those that remained lost the financial support of the state. As a result, the monks had to look for additional income which was for example the sale of simple but very tasty cakes.

The most famous place in Lisbon to taste these small pastries is the Casa Pateis de Belem which is said to have kept the same old recipe inherited from the monks since the 1830s.

You can buy not only pasteis with gift wrapping to bring back a souvenir of your visit to Lisbon, but also local marmalade, other pastries, Portuguese port and Madeira.

• Address: R. Belém 84-92, 1300-085 Lisbon, Portugal
• Hours: daily from 8:00 to 23:00

Bolo de Mel da Madeira: honey pie

This spicy, almost black, honey, walnut, aniseed and almond tart comes from the island of Madeira, which has been Portugal’s main producer of cane sugar and honey for over 600 years. The locals bake this pie at home for December 8th (Immaculate Conception Day) but you can buy it in the shops all year round.

Half a kilogram of pie will cost about 8 to 10€ and the portion will not cost more than a few euros. Remember that the local tradition is not to cut it with a knife, but to break it with your hands.

One of the most popular places to try the Bolo de Mel is Mercearia Criativa.

• Address: Av. Guerra Junqueiro 4A, 1000-167 Lisboa, Portugal
• Hours: Monday, Tuesday from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm; Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Gelado Santini

No of course ice cream is not a Portuguese speciality and there’s no point in arguing about who gets the best ice cream, it’s good everywhere! But if you’re on holiday in Lisbon and want to taste an excellent home-made ice cream, then I suggest you stop by the most popular ice cream parlour in Lisbon: Santini.

The people of Lisbon love this glacier, which has built up a solid reputation over the years. Through hard work, this family story that began in 1949 has grown and opened several shops while maintaining a remarkable quality of ice cream. You will now be able to taste ice creams but also sweets and pastries.

I advise you to go to the shop in the Baixa-Chiado district to enjoy your ice cream at the same time as you go for a walk!

• Address: Rua do Carmo, 9 – 1200 Lisboa
• Hours: every day from 1:00 pm to midnight

Tasca Itinerante Lisbon

An old van just two minutes from the Marques de Pombal metro station is the best place to eat fast and good between two guided tours of Lisbon ! No no, it’s not a joke, its reputation precedes it: it is followed on Facebook by more than 2000 people and has been the subject of various articles in the newspaper.

This small mobile snack bar sells unsweetened pastries, sandwiches and other quick meals of local seafood or cheese. You can also enjoy Portuguese beer and wine, sitting in the square in the sunshine, I assure you that you won’t regret it. This good meal of Portuguese products will not cost you more than 10€.

It is of course mobile since it is a van, so I advise you to check in advance on its Facebook page if it is not elsewhere on a festival like there may be in Estoril.

• Address: Parque Eduardo VII, 1070-051 Lisboa, Portugal

Campo de Ourique Market: local market in Lisbon.

In short, the Mercado Campo de Ourique is a mini version of the main market from Ribeira to Lisbon where you may have less choice for your products but above all fewer tourists around you.

Cooking yourself is a real culture in Portugal and what better way to discover its gastronomy than to stroll among its products. This market is very appreciated by the local population.

• Address: R. Coelho da Rocha 104, 1350 Lisboa, Portugal
• Opening hours: Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 10:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 01:00.

Ribeira Market: local market in Lisbon

As I was saying, you can also visit Lisbon’s other major market: the mercado Ribeira. It is in the centre of Lisbon on the banks of the Tagus River and the Cais de Sodre station. There will certainly be more people, more tourists, more stalls but more choices to buy your local fruits and vegetables.

If you don’t want to cook, you can go to the same building in the centre of the “Time Out Market”. A large hall with several tables in the centre and on the edges of the stands of some of the most popular restaurants in Lisbon in “mini” version. Portuguese gastronomy guaranteed. Here you can eat hamburgers, Portuguese dishes, fish, meat, sushi, cold cuts, cheese, pizzas, desserts and anything else you like. The experience is to be lived if you visit Lisbon, the place is charming, very dynamic and every meal there has been a real treat for me.

A little tip: there will be less people if you go there around noon than around 2 p.m., when there will be many Portuguese people working in the area in addition to tourists.

• Address: Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisboa.
• Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday from 10 am to midnight and Thursday to Saturday from 10 am to 2 am.

Mercado Biológico do Principe Real: Market of organic products in Lisbon

Street and market foods do not necessarily mean caloric bakery products and other fat- and sugar-based dishes. In Lisbon you will find an organic market: the Principe Real market.

This market is unfortunately only present on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm but if you like to cook homemade and want to avoid the imported products that can be found in other markets, then I advise you to do so. You will be able to taste home-made products such as Portuguese jams, home-made olive oil but also fruits and vegetables from the Lisbon area.

Around the corner is the Garrafeira Internacional wine shop, where you will find port, Madeira and ginjinha (cherry liqueur).

• Address: Praça do Príncipe Real, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal
• Hours: Saturdays from 9 am to 3 pm.

Tapas in Lisbon

It’s pretty hard to describe exactly what tapas are, but I think everyone has an idea. They can be sandwiches, salads, grilled meats and anything else you can serve on a plate, which will be a perfect accompaniment to your beer, your glass of wine or even sangria!

Tourists and locals alike love the tapas restaurant Pharmacia Chef Felicidade. It’s a bar restaurant located in the building of the Lisbon Pharmaceutical Museum with meat, fish and soups on the menu.

According to the theme of the neighbouring museum, some dishes are served in different cones and beakers. In summer, the terrace offers a magnificent view of the river.

• Address: R. Maréchal Saldanha, 1 1200-012 Lisbon, Portugal
• Working hours: every day from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Fish and seafood in Lisbon

The main dishes of Portuguese cuisine are based on seafood and fish with the famous Portuguese cod at the top of the list. By the way, and because you might ask yourself the question, no, the cod that can be found everywhere in Portugal are not fished in Portugal since unfortunately they are no longer available. All the cod comes from Scandinavian countries in dried and salted form, but there is no doubt that the Portuguese know how to cook it like nobody else!

You can eat grilled fish in almost every restaurant in Lisbon, but if I had to recommend one, it would be the Último Porto. It is located in the port of Lisbon on the Tagus River. The restaurant has 2 terraces, one of which is heated in winter.

• Address: R. Gen. Gomes Araújo 1, 1350-352 Lisbon, Portugal
• Hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm, Friday from 12 pm to 5 pm.