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Travelling to Lisbon, it was fair to say I knew very little about the food scene there. Lisbon, like the whole of Portugal, don’t tend to shout about their food too much. Why that is, I have no idea. As always, I had done my research. I knew where I would be eating the majority of my meals there. Yet exactly what flavours awaited me remained pretty much a mystery. It was time to find out whether or not the lack of talk about Portuguese cuisine was justified. I was interested in finding nothing more than the best local eats in Lisbon. I wanted to eat in restaurants throughout the city that the locals ate in on a regular basis. Hopefully, this would allow me to leave with more of an understanding of the cuisine.
Frangasqueira Nacional
This tiny restaurant is chaotic, often packed and roasting hot. On top of that, it takes an age to order and with only about two seats available, you will probably have to get your food to take-away. All this is worth it though because this place is a meat lovers paradise. The most popular options were mixed grills. Ribs, Chicken and Sausage all packed into the foil tin. Each and every one of them was cooked to perfection. The chicken fell off the bone, the sausage was meaty and juicy and the ribs were tender and had a nice bit of char on them. If you fancy something on the side, rice, homemade crisps and salad are all available. It can be a bit of an inconvenience getting your food to take-away but it is so worth it for the amazing meat-induced coma you are about to enter.
Opening Hours – 11:00 – 15:00, 18:00 – 22:00
Price – €7.10
Address – Travessa Monte do Carmo 19
A Merendinha Do Arco
Right off the main tourist area in the city centre was this amazing local joint. Locals, who all seemed like regulars. were reserving seats for lunch. Most were greeted by the waiters like they were seeing an old friend again. Menus did not seem to be used and some didn’t even place their order, because the staff already knew what they wanted. With an extensive menu of local favourites to choose from, I went with Carne de Porco à alentejana. This is translated to Pork Meat with Clams. The huge portion arrived at the table and I couldn’t wait to dig in. The pork was so tender and lightly marinated with what seemed to be garlic and oil. I just couldn’t get enough. Fried potatoes and stuffing accompanied the meat perfectly. To finish the dish off, a handful of very tasty, fresh clams were scattered on the top. A must visit during any trip to Lisbon.
Opening Hours – 08:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 15:00 on Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Price – €9.50
Address – Rua dos Sapateiros 230
O Trigueirinho
After being delayed in Belem, I just made it in time for O Triguierinho’s lunch service. This gave me an opportunity to try a Portuguese classic, Bitoque. Steak, Fried Potatoes and a Fried Egg. So simple yet so good. My only complaint would be, it was a bit oily but with two fried items and a juicy steak all piled on top of each other, this can be forgiven. The steak was lightly marinated in what seemed like garlic and oil and was packed full of flavour. It was a very comforting meal in a lovely little family-run restaurant.
Opening Hours – 12:00 – 15:00 and 20:00 – 22:30, Monday to Friday. Saturday is lunch only and they close on Sunday.
Price – €6
Address – Largo dos Trigueiros 17
O Tasco Do Vigario
Nestled amongst the hills of Alfama is this very charming little restaurant. With friendly staff and a menu packed full of local favourites, a meal here is sure to be one of the highlights of your time in Lisbon. It was here that I finally got the chance to try Bacalhau, (Salted Cod Fish) a dish I had been hoping to try since arriving into the city. It didn’t disappoint. The salted cod, chickpeas and potatoes all went together perfectly. My first impression was it looked quite dry, however, that was only until the waiter handed me some extra virgin olive oil and instructed me to drizzle it all over the plate. This just brought everything together perfectly. Narrowly missing out to A Merendinha Do Arco as my best meal in the city, I am so glad I made the climb to eat here.
Opening Hours – 09:00 – 22:00, Closed on Sunday
Price – €7.50
Address – Rua do Vigário 18
O Trevo
This small restaurant certainly had a working mans feel to it. I got the impression it was the kind of place people would come from work to grab some cheap food and a have a beer or two. Without a doubt, it was the €2 Bifanas that sold more than anything else. A Bifana is pork strips, sauteed with garlic, oil and white wine that is stuffed into a light yet crispy bread roll. You won’t be hard pressed finding Bifana’s throughout Lisbon, but the ones sold at O Trevo are known to be some of the best. They also sell Prego which is a steak sandwich and a whole selection of pastries. O Trevo is very casual dining and they don’t try and argue otherwise. All they want to do is sell good food to the many hungry regulars that visit on a daily basis.
Opening Hours – 07:00 – 22:00, Closed on Sunday
Price – €2
Address – Praça Luís de Camões 48
Beira Gare
As good as the Bifanas from O Trevo were, I personally preferred the ones found at Beira Gare. Another small restaurant, this time just across from Rossio Train Station, Beira Gare have perfected the Bifana. The pork was more tender and there was more of it. What I didn’t like was the mark up on price if you chose to eat in. The restaurant is nothing fancy and wasn’t even busy when I arrived one morning. Yet the price was apparently 50% higher than if I had taken it to go. This was just a minor annoyance though. The food is good and the location makes Beira Gare a great place to eat, especially if you are taking an early train out of Lisbon.
Opening Hours – 09:00 – 22:00, Closed on Sunday
Price – €2.50 Takeaway, €3.40 Eating In
Address – Praça Dom João da Câmara 4
Floresta Do Salitre
I arrived here just as they were opening for dinner service. I had it in my mind that it was here that I would try Bacalhau. Unfortunately, though, I was informed that it was finished. Presumably, this meant that the cod had not been delivered today, they were only open after all. I panicked and ordered the first item I saw. Fried sausage with potatoes and an egg. Luckily, the snap decision paid off. The sausage (I think Veal) was meaty and full of flavour. The fried potatoes were fresh and the egg, in particular, its yolk, pieced it all together perfectly. Despite the disappointment in the Bacalhau being unavailable, the fact that Floresta Do Salitre was almost full within minutes of the opening is a testament to how good their food is.
Opening Hours – 12:00 – 15:00 and 19:00 – 22:30, Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Price – €9
Address – Rua do Salitre 42D
Sol e Pesca
Up until recently, I was a bit off-put by canned fish. It was only when I visited Quimet y Quimet in Barcelona that I realised just how good it could be. Sol e Pesca is quite similar to the famous Catalan restaurant. They sell canned fish of many different varieties in small tapas style dishes. The menu is huge and can be quite overwhelming at first. So many different types of fish, each done so many different ways, it can be a nightmare to choose from. My personal selections were a mussels stew, whole sardines with lemon and anchovies rolled with capers. Each very different from the last but all very good. I couldn’t get enough of the mussels, I even ordered some bread to mop up all the excess sauce. Sol e Pesca is an interesting and delicious place for fish lovers.
Opening Hours – 12:00 – 02:00 Sunday to Wednesday, 12:00 – 04:00 Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Price – Average prices range from €3.80 to €6
Address – Rua Nova do Carvalho 44 (Commonly known as Pink Street)
A Ginjinha
Technically this is a drink but it does have cherries in it, so for that reason, I will include it. Ginjinha is a sour cherry liqueur famous throughout Portugal. It is very sweet and an acquired taste, if you don’t like cherries then maybe it is best to forget about it. That being said, you won’t be short of places if you do wish to try it. Many serve it in a chocolate cup but I have a feeling this might be just for the tourists. A Ginjinha, right in the heart of Lisbon don’t partake in this. Instead, they keep it traditional with a normal shot in a normal glass and a cherry or two for good measure. You won’t miss this famous hole in the wall as it nearly always has both locals and tourists sipping their beverage in the area outside the shop.
Opening Hours – 09:00 – 22:00
Price – €1.40
Address – Largo São Domingos 8
Pasteis De Nata
Not one person should ever compile a list of food in Lisbon and leave out the most famous treat of them all. These creamy, custard pastries are unbelievably good. Even without intending to, I found myself in a café eating a couple of them. One minute I would be walking down the street, the next I was at a counter ordering. Europe has some amazing sweet treats, crepes in Paris, waffles in Belgium but none even compare to these little pieces of magic. I had five places in mind that I wanted to try. I only got through 4 of them, visiting a couple on more than one occasion. In order these were my favourites;
4. Saint Anthony Bakery
3. Fabrica De Nata
=1. Pasteis de Belem
=1. Manteigaria
I could never pick between the top two. This seemed like the general consensus amongst people I talked to on Twitter. Instead, try both. Order as many as you can eat in one sitting and worry about the calories later. I only wish I could have brought some home but they are much better consumed fresh and slightly warm. You won’t be short of options in Lisbon to try these sweet treats. However, I would suggest sticking to the better places. One person in my hostel went to a random shop and bought one, only for the bottom and all the filling to fall right out of it.
There was something quite unique about the food in Lisbon. I found it to be unpretentious, with presentation certainly not a priority. Instead, the ingredients, flavours and cooking techniques were forced to take centre stage. For me, this style was an art form in itself. All credit for each and every meal came purely from the taste instead of how pleasing it was on the eye. This list of the best local eats in Lisbon gave me the insight into Portuguese cuisine that I so desperately wanted. Every restaurant was packed with locals. Most were tucked away down side streets, off the beaten track and involved a lot of effort to find. It was all worth it though. Each of these restaurants contributed to my delicious time in Lisbon.
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