What to Eat in Lisbon: 20 Must-Try Foods

What to Eat in Lisbon at a Glance

Lisbon Classics

1. Pastel de nata

Lisbon's best-known food is a small custard tart with a crisp, flaky crust, eaten warm with cinnamon and powdered sugar on top. In Belém, next to the Jerónimos Monastery, the Pastéis de Belém bakery has made its version since 1837 to a recipe from the monastery, still known only to a few master pastry chefs. Every pastelaria in the city has its own pastéis de nata, so try a few and compare.

2. Bifana

Lisbon's favorite snack is a thin pork cutlet marinated in white wine, garlic and paprika, cooked in its sauce and served in a soft roll, often with mustard. It is cheap, quick and eaten at any time of day, standing at the counter of a café or snack bar.

3. Prego

The beef version of the bifana: a thin steak marinated in garlic, grilled and served in a crusty roll.

4. Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Clams cooked with olive oil, plenty of garlic and fresh coriander, often with a splash of white wine and lemon. The dish is named after the 19th-century poet Bulhão Pato. Order bread to soak up the sauce.

5. Sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines)

Sardines grilled over charcoal and served simply, often on a slice of bread, are the taste of Lisbon's summer. They are at their best from June to September and are the star of the Santo António festival on the night of June 12 to 13, when the old neighborhoods fill with grills.

6. Bacalhau à Brás

Bacalhau, dried salt cod, is everywhere in Portugal, and Lisbon's classic way to cook it is à Brás: shredded cod mixed with thin fried potatoes, onion and soft scrambled eggs, finished with black olives and parsley.

7. Pastéis de bacalhau

Small fried fritters of salt cod, potato and parsley, sold in cafés and served as a starter in tascas. Eat them warm.

8. Ginjinha

A sweet liqueur of sour cherries steeped in grape spirit. A Ginjinha, on Largo de São Domingos near Rossio, has served it since 1840. Order a shot com ela, with a cherry, or without.

Seafood

9. Polvo à lagareiro

Tender octopus roasted with plenty of olive oil and garlic and served with small potatoes, crushed and roasted in their skins.

10. Arroz de marisco

A soupy seafood rice with shrimp, clams and other shellfish, cooked in a rich tomato broth and brought to the table in the pot. Most marisqueiras serve it for two.

11. Shellfish at a marisqueira

Lisbon's seafood restaurants sell prawns, crab, goose barnacles and other shellfish by weight. Check the price per kilo on the menu and ask for the weight before it is cooked.

12. Grilled fish

Many tascas grill the fish of the day over charcoal, such as sea bream or sea bass, served with boiled potatoes, salad and olive oil.

Comfort Food Found All Over Portugal

Some of the dishes you will see on Lisbon menus come from other regions but are part of everyday eating across the country.

13. Caldo verde

A soup of potato and finely shredded kale, with a slice of chouriço on top. It comes from the north but is served everywhere, and is a fixture of the June festivals.

14. Bacalhau com natas

Salt cod baked with potatoes and a creamy sauce, gratinated in the oven. A favorite for family lunches.

15. Cozido à portuguesa

A hearty boiled dinner of several meats, sausages, cabbage and vegetables, usually served at weekends in winter.

16. Cataplana and francesinha

You will find these in Lisbon, but they belong elsewhere: the cataplana, a seafood stew cooked in a copper pot, is from the Algarve, and the francesinha, a sandwich covered in sauce and melted cheese, is from Porto. Try them where they come from if your trip includes those regions.

Sweets and Pastries

17. Travesseiros and queijadas de Sintra

If you visit Sintra, try its two specialties: the travesseiro, a puff pastry filled with almond cream, and the queijada, a small cheese tart.

18. Bolo de arroz and other pastelaria classics

Lisbon's pastelarias are made for a quick coffee and something sweet. Look for the bolo de arroz, a rice-flour muffin, and the bola de Berlim, a custard-filled doughnut.

Drinks

19. Portuguese wine

Portugal has many wine regions, and Lisbon's restaurants list wines from all of them. Try a light, fresh vinho verde with seafood, a red from the Alentejo or the Douro with meat, and port or Madeira wine with dessert.

20. A bica

In Lisbon, a short espresso is called a bica. Drink it standing at the counter, like the locals.

Where to Eat in Lisbon

Time Out Market, in the Mercado da Ribeira at Cais do Sodré, has been a food hall since 2014, with around 36 restaurants and kiosks next to the traditional fresh market. It is a good place to try several Lisbon dishes in one visit, but it is busy at lunch and dinner times.

Tips for Eating Out in Lisbon

• The couvert: bread, butter, olives or cheese are often placed on the table when you sit down. They are not free. By law, you only pay for what you eat, and couvert items must appear with their prices on the menu. If you do not want them, ask the waiter to take them away before you start.
• Meal times: lunch is usually from about 12:30 to 3 pm, and dinner starts from around 7:30 pm. Many traditional restaurants close between services.
• Daily dishes: the prato do dia, the dish of the day, is often the best value at lunch.
• Seafood by weight: in marisqueiras, ask how much a portion weighs before ordering.