There’s a lot to love about Lisbon.
It’s a beautiful city with a passion for the arts and great Portuguese food. In fact, Lisbon’s food is so delicious that National Geographic readers declared it the best place in the world for food lovers in 2019.
If you’ve been wanting to hit the cobblestone streets of Lisbon for years, especially after watching the Portuguese episode of Somebody Feed Phil. Here, we’re going to introduce you to several restaurants that you really must visit and that are on our list of the best places to eat in Lisbon.
If you’re visiting Lisbon and looking for amazing Portuguese culinary experiences, we know this gastronomic article will put you on the right track.
Grelha do Carmo: a good restaurant for traditional Portuguese grills
When discovering Lisbon, ignore the many tourist traps in the city center and head for Grelha do Carmo. This hidden gem may not look like much, but it serves delicious food at very affordable prices.
Grelha do Carmo, a cozy little restaurant, serves the best octopus in Lisbon. Locals and tourists alike rave about the grilled octopus or Polvo a Lagareiro. It’s prepared with authentic Portuguese olive oil, onions and potatoes. And, of course, it’s cooked to perfection.
At this local Lisbon restaurant, the emphasis is on seafood. You’ll find freshly caught grilled fish, bacalhau or medium-cooked cod, sardines, mussels and other absolutely delicious traditional dishes. Pair your grilled fish and seafood with a local white wine for a full traditional Portuguese experience.
Located near Rossio station, this local restaurant is the ideal place to have lunch near the ruins of the Carmo convent.
Don’t be put off by the unpretentious atmosphere of this restaurant. What it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in inexpensive food and warm, courteous staff.
Grelha do Carmo
Address: R. da Condessa 3A, Lisbon
Opening hours: open daily: 12.00-11.30 am
Prices: main courses start at €9.
Carvoaria Jacto: typical Portuguese steakhouse in Penha de França
This Lisbon restaurant is known as a “steakhouse of excellence”, using the finest local meats, cooked the Portuguese way.
You can choose beef, lamb or pork, and the restaurant will prepare it perfectly for you. In addition to meats, you’ll also find a variety of fresh ocean fish. Salads are offered and the quality is excellent.
On one of your evenings in Lisbon, take time out for dinner and order bacalhau assado na brasa com batata a murro, or roast cod prepared with potatoes. This is one of Lisbon’s most beloved dishes, and you can’t fail to try it.
For meat lovers, pork chops or costeletas de porco preto are exceptional. They are served perfectly cooked, incredibly tasty and very tender. Accompanied by a full-bodied red wine from the Alentejo region, it was a wonderful culinary combination.
For dessert, choose the Portuguese chocolate cake. It’s a dense cake with a runny chocolate center, to be enjoyed in small bites.
Restaurant Carvoaria Jacto
Address: Rua Maria Andrade 6 B, Penha de França, Lisbon
Opening hours: open Monday to Saturday, 12:00 to 22:00
Price: Main courses start at €10.
Pro tip: reservations highly recommended. Portions are huge. Go hungry or plan to share.
Canto da Atalaia: the best restaurant for listening to Fado and enjoying Lisbon cuisine in Bairro Alto
Have you ever heard of Fado? Fado is the soul and symbol of Portugal. Now a Unesco cultural heritage site, Fado is a musical style that originated in Alfama and Bairro Alto, the old quarters of Lisbon.
Today, visitors to Lisbon flock to hear fado, a music with melancholy tunes and lyrics. Ironically, today fado is played in crowded venues, whereas originally it could only be heard in the seedy bars where the city’s poor and sailors gathered.
At Canto da Atalaia, the intimate, local atmosphere remains true to the origins of fado. Seating is limited and tables are shared. You come here to listen to Fado while enjoying petiscos and wine.
The evening we went to Canto da Atalaia, a solo Fadita (Fado singer) was accompanied by an acoustic guitar and the Portuguese pear-shaped guitar. At this restaurant, you can decide to go beyond the petiscos and try the Fado menu. This simple menu included a starter, main course and dessert, as well as wine and coffee.
The starter is caldo verde soup. The main course is grilled tuna with peppers, or the classic Portuguese stew with peas, chorizo and fried egg.
End your meal on a gourmet note with Ginja pudding, a sweet Portuguese cherry liqueur typical of Lisbon.
Although simple, the dishes served here are tasty and fresh. If you want to listen to Fado, away from the tourist crowds, we recommend this local Lisbon restaurant, Mascote da Atalaia.
Canto da Atalaia
Address: Rua da Atalaia 13-15, Bairro Alto, Lisbon
Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday to Saturday 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Prices: main courses from €12.
Pro tip: to be sure of a seat at this intimate Lisbon restaurant, book in advance. Listen to fado music all evening, while savoring the moderately priced menu of 25 euros, including wine and coffee.
By The Wine: one of Lisbon’s best restaurants for Petiscos in Chiado (tapas restaurant)
The Portuguese have their own version of Spanish tapas, called petiscos. Like tapas, they are bite-sized, usually small versions of large plates. Petiscos are an important part of Portuguese gastronomy.
Enjoyed in company, petiscos are generally made up of sardines, cod or bacalhau, local sausages and regional cheeses, all washed down with delicious Portuguese wines.
One of the best restaurants in Lisbon where locals eat Portuguese tapas is “By The Wine José Maria da Fonseca”. Located in the trendy Chiado district, this wine bar is the flagship venue of renowned Portuguese winemaker José Maria da Fonseca. Here, wine lovers can sample spectacular Portuguese wines from all over the country.
To satisfy a small hunger in the evening or during the day, don’t hesitate to stop for petiscos. Accompanied by refreshing glasses of white or rosé wine, you’ll have the opportunity to sample a number of local specialties.
Iberico black pork ham and other charcuterie pair perfectly with Algarve bread. Many local cheeses are available, as well as seafood delights such as salmon ceviche and mussel salad.
By The Wine in Lisbon is definitely the best local restaurant in Lisbon for tasting the famous Portuguese petiscos.
Address: Rua das Flores 41- 43, Chiado, Lisbon
Opening hours: open Tuesday to Sunday: 12 noon – 12 noon.
Price: Main courses start at €9.5 (about $9.80): Main courses start at €9.5.
Pro tip: local Lisbon restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere and a wide selection of Portuguese wines. Try something new and ask the knowledgeable staff to recommend local wines.
