Lisbon Food Guide: Where to Fill Up and Float Out in Lisbon, Portugal
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Lisbon’s restaurant scene is the stuff of dreams - diverse, relatively cheap, and seemingly endless - but it will make you work for it as any city built on hills will. This is my personal list of Lisbon’s best bites, the spots that left their mark on my waistline as much as in my food-adoring heart.
I christened my arrival into the land of custard tarts and fado music by stuffing my cheeks with custard cream and flaky filo crust. Almost as soon as my eyes had caught sight of the literal tower of pastéis de nata staring at me through the bakery window, I was on the other side of it, barely ready to stumble through whatever Portuguese was required to hold one in my hands. And I would hold one in my hands. I reverted to pointing and sticking to the only Portuguese I knew - “pastel de nata” and “obrigada.” It worked.
Oftentimes, it’s that first bite of something new-to-me done right - the local way - that lurches me into the full body awareness of exactly where I am. It’s the moment it all sinks in. I’m in Portugal. I know because it tastes like it. That might sound strange to some, but it’s true. You can be in a place while your mind has yet to catch up with the fact that you are. Food, however, can set you instantly straight.
While this list of Lisbon restaurants is the product of just a week and a half of wandering Lisbon’s streets, I do promise what’s listed here is guaranteed good eating, well worth whatever climbs may be involved to arrive at any of these spots. There are a few restaurants I visited that I intentionally left off this list for their lack of star power. Take that as insurance that what’s here deserves to be, or it wouldn’t be.
Each of these restaurants played a part in my own Lisbon adventure, and I try to show you how and where they fit as I present them below. Maybe some of them will play some small part in yours. To the list!
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Best Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Lisbon
Stanislav Cafe
This is the spot that preceded that mouthful of custard creme I started off this blog post with (that bakery was right next door to this Lisbon breakfast joint). Stanislav Cafe was my first meal in Lisbon and it wore that badge well. It was around the corner from my hostel (Hostel Green Heart if you were curious), which is mostly how I ended up at it. When I had arrived, there was already a line of people waiting for a table. Good sign. I was seated within 15 minutes and not much longer after that I was staring at a plate of poached eggs on a croissant hiding under smoked bacon, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. My latte, too, disappeared all too fast. If you’re anywhere near Avenida da Liberdade at the breakfast or brunch hour, this is a must-visit spot.
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Dear Breakfast
While Stanislav Cafe was the scene of my first meal, Dear Breakfast was the scene of my last. After an unexpected extra 48 hours in Lisbon due to a missed flight connection, I whiled away a couple of hours at this seriously chic breakfast-focused Lisbon eatery with my tablet in front of me and an açaí bowl off to the side, later topping off this late breakfast with a cinnamon roll and latte. That’s right. This is a great option for anyone needing to log on for a few hours of work at a spot with a delicious menu of brunch fare and no dirty looks from the staff when you pull your computer out. There are multiple locations around town, but the one by the Se (Lisbon’s Cathedral) is great for working and eating…and sightseeing afterwards.
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Cotidiano
Cotidiano currently has two locations in the city - one in Praça do Comércio and the other in Chiado. I wandered into its Praça do Comércio location on my last visit to Lisbon, lured in by the one thing that I truly can’t resist: blueberry pancakes. Theirs came with whipped butter and a blueberry compote christening the top of the stack and sandwiched between each fluffy layer. If pancakes aren’t your thing, they also have equally above-and-beyond versions of avocado toast, eggs benedict, smoothie bowls, breakfast burritos, and bagel sandwiches.
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Lunch Spots Worth Lining Up for in Lisbon
Time Out Market Lisbon
I love the concept behind this massive food hall hugging the waterfront. The writers, critics, and Lisbon experts of Time Out Magazine handpicked the 30 or so eateries inside. They say: “If it’s good it goes in the magazine. If it’s great it goes on to the market.” I tried my first Portuguese bitoque here. A bitoque is a traditional Portuguese steak dish topped with a fried egg in a pan-sauce made with wine, garlic, and butter and served with fries. It was delicious. I washed mine down with an artisanal sangria, one of my best choices that day. The market can be a bit chaotic at lunchtime, but I came to realize that’s sort of Lisbon’s pace come the lunch hour, so why not brave the hungry masses here where the selection is unparalleled.
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A Brasileiro do Chiado
This is a spot that kept catching my eye every time I passed through Chiado. The interiors are straight from an era where patrons wore forearm-length gloves and feathered hats I’m sure. Jokes aside, this is actually a historic spot, originating in 1905. Started by a Brazilian man who emigrated to Portugal , it’s said to be the cafe that introduced the Portuguese to their love of coffee. With that history in mind, you bet I ordered a cup alongside my caprese sandwich schmeared with rosemary honey - so good! Though I prefer the inspiring interiors, you could also snag a seat at one of their tables on the sidewalk for a true European coffee break, and if you’re lucky, a front row seat to some of Lisbon’s top-notch street performances. Expect this place to be packed at all hours. It’s really that good.
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Brief Interruption While It’s Relevant
Have you read my Lisbon Coffee Shop Guide? Whether you’re simply craving a cup somewhere cozy or in desperate need of a place to pull out your laptop for a few hours to work, this post will point you to the right spot.
Mercado de Janeiro de 31
Dining inside of this local market was one of the highlights of my time in Portugal. I stumbled across it a bit by accident, while on my way back from the computer repair shop in a not so touristy part of town. Little did I know at the time, but I had timed my arrival perfectly, just before the epic Lisbon lunchtime rush. If you go, time your visit for 12/12:30. By 1pm, it’s guaranteed to be a zoo and you’ll be lucky to snag a seat. The restaurant is at the end of the market by the fruit and vegetable stalls. When you arrive, you’ll select your meat or fish from the glass refrigerator case, then wait to be seated by the host. I believe the menu rotates daily, but if you spot the mixed meat skewer (called “espetada mista” in Portuguese) on offer, just order that. You will not be disappointed. Also, I’d recommend following up your meal with one of their desserts, preferably the bolo de bolacha like I did. It’s a no-bake, coffee-soaked cookie cake with alternating layers of cookie and buttercream.
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Nosolo Italia
What’s an Italian restaurant doing on a Lisbon restaurants list? What it’s doing is dishing up the best ricotta and sun-dried tomato pizza I’ve ever put in my mouth. The location, literally on the river and in the shadows of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument, also earns it a spot on this list. There were even a few cute ducks circling nearby, clearly used to being fed by diners. I mostly ended up here, however, because my stomach was rumbling and I was in the company of a Vegan friend who could actually find something to eat on Nosolo Italia’s menu. This is a great place to eat if you, like me, attempt the long waterfront walk to the Belém Tower, but get hungry en route. That, and if you’re walking with a Vegan.
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Lisbon Dinner Hour Recommendations
Restaurante Everest Montanha
I still praise the heavens for putting this restaurant on my Lisbon path. Fresh off running up two hills to catch sunset from two different perspectives (don’t ask me why), I had a hankering for Indian food. And unlike the Italian food I’d had a few days early, I could enjoy this without any guilt at all. Because India truly is part of Lisbon’s cultural fabric. Wander through the city’s Moorish Quarter and it’s like you’ve left Portugal and stepped into some fascinating blend of China, Africa, India, and Nepal with the scents of spice to match. Restaurante Everest Montanha was actually a stand-in for the spot I was originally aiming for (a spot my tour guide recommended but that was closed when I arrived). But, after my chicken tikka masala landed on the table with real jasmine rice and garlic naan, it was no stand-in. It should have been my Plan A. Dare I say it? Yeah, I’ll say it. This was the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted.
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Kebab & Grill the Baixa
Again, no guilt here as I add a recommendation for Turkish kebabs to this Lisbon best restaurants list. This spot, like a lot of the restaurants on this list, was a bit of a natural stumble upon. I didn’t read any Google reviews or get pointed to it by a local. Instead, I paid attention when my attention was pulled to it. I had spotted it as I was en route to check in to my hostel, just back from a weekend in Sintra. I wanted something quick, cheap, and good. This fit the bill. I ordered the durum kebab with beef. The flavor was perfection. As I was feeding that praise back to the staff at the end of my meal, they told me the spot was brand new, only a few weeks old. I urge you to keep this tasty Lisbon restaurant in business by grabbing at least one meal here during your time in Lisbon. Not that they really need any help drawing people to their door. Judging by the steady flow of customers, I could see their kebabs were already speaking for them.
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The Green Affair
For something on the classier side, consider dinner at The Green Affair. I only popped in here for cocktails with an old friend from my Cartagena days who happened to be one block away from me when she reached out (still have chills about this unexpected coincidence!), but their menu of vegan-friendly fare left an impression. And I’m not even vegan. My friend and I ended up splitting an order of their sweet potato fries - absolutely delicious - while we both enjoyed one their cocktails made with aguardiente and cherry liquor. The atmosphere in the restaurant is dark and moody in a good way. Dress up a little when you go and fall into the formality this place invites.
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