Brewpub HopSin Colares: beer with a view
19/07/2020A few days after we visited microbrewery Dois Corvos, in Lisbon we found out that there’s been a new beer place in Colares, less…
Food & Drinks
The Portuguese in general and Lisboetas in particular take eating and drinking very seriously. How seriously? That’s difficult to explain in a few sentences, you’ll just have to experience that for yourself.
And did we mention that Portuguese have at least 365 ways to prepare Bacalhau (salt cod)? That’s right, a different recipe each day. That’s saying something, right?And then we haven’t mentioned the wines. Or port wines. Or aguardente. Or pastéis de nata. Or Bife à Portuguesa. Or sardines from the barbecue, smoked chestnuts on the street or mousse de chocolate and salame de chocolate. All extremely tasty food & drinks and all extremely Portuguese! In short, eating and drinking in Lisbon (and surroundings) is a lifestyle in and of itself. We checked out a lot of places that serve typical, traditional Portuguese food and beverages.These are our favorite spots.
It starts with coffee
Something as normal to us as just having a coffee for instance. In Lisbon they make a complete ritual out of it: a bica (that’s Portuguese for an espresso), always comes with at least two servings of sugar (Portuguese sugar bags sometimes contain up to 10g!).And if possible, always take your bica outside your house, in your favorite coffee place. Drinking a bica usually doesn’t take more than 5 minutes: ordering, chugging the bica away, paying and off you go!By the way, paying? Get ready for a treat, because for an average coffee you’ll pay no more than 60 to 90 cents. Everything over one euro is a tourist price.Tip of the veil: Bacalhau
And did we mention that Portuguese have at least 365 ways to prepare Bacalhau (salt cod)? That’s right, a different recipe each day. That’s saying something, right?And then we haven’t mentioned the wines. Or port wines. Or aguardente. Or pastéis de nata. Or Bife à Portuguesa. Or sardines from the barbecue, smoked chestnuts on the street or mousse de chocolate and salame de chocolate. All extremely tasty food & drinks and all extremely Portuguese! In short, eating and drinking in Lisbon (and surroundings) is a lifestyle in and of itself. We checked out a lot of places that serve typical, traditional Portuguese food and beverages.These are our favorite spots.Restaurante Frazao – typical Portuguese tourist-free
03/07/2020What do you do when you’re standing in the middle of Belém with two hungry kids, after a visit to the energy museum Central…
Pastelaria Mexicana – good food, if you wait for it
12/06/2020Many locals consider Pastelaria Mexicana to be the best pastelaria in town. Don’t be distracted by the ‘Mexicana’ part to think you can’t get…
Restaurant Horta – dining in a unique part of Lisbon
31/05/2020Restaurant Horta is located in a unique location in Lisbon: Páteo Alfacinha. Here you can take a look at the typical districts of Lisbon…
Refúgio do Ciclista – hidden gem near Sintra
08/05/2020If our friends hadn’t taken us to Refúgio do Ciclista, we would never have found this place. For more than 35 years I’ve been…
Popular Do Capelo – hidden restaurant in the tourist center
03/04/2020Hidden in the more touristy area of Chiado, restaurant Popular Do Capelo is a typical Portuguese place where many locals come to eat. Don’t…
Gelati di Chef – pricy ice cream scoops
20/03/2020We’re convinced it is always a good time for ice cream. After a visit to Quinta da Regaleira, on a sweltering hot day with…
Ginginha do Carmo – a shot before you go up
12/03/2020In the mid 1930s, Ginginha do Carmo opened its doors for the first time to provide the locals with ginjinha. You will find this…
Arcadia Casa do Chocolate – Lisbon’s best chocolate shop
06/03/2020Lisboetas have a joke about the city of Porto: “The only good thing about Porto is the road to Lisbon”. But boy do we…
O Viriato – Cascais’ living room
28/02/2020Restaurant O Viriato is a bit off the beaten track if you’re staying in the city centre of Cascais. But with an uphill walk…
Dois Corvos – Local craft beer with international allure
04/02/2020A stone’s throw from the centre of Lisbon, about 10 minutes by taxi or Uber, you’ll find Lisbon’s most famous craft beer brewery: Dois…
Bolo do Rei – traditional Christmas cake from Lisbon
24/12/2019If you spend Christmas holidays in Lisbon you will notice that in the average Portuguese family the Christmas party is not complete without a…
Café Pão de Canela – quiet neighbourhood café with delicious food
06/12/2019On the edge of the charming Praça das Flores you will find the lovely Pão de Canela café. Most of the café’s seats are…
Páteo Alfacinha – Lisbon’s best kept secret
28/11/2019One of the best things about having a travel blog about Lisbon is to discover special places and then actually not being able to…
The whole city smells like chestnuts
06/11/2019MWith the arrival of São Martinho on November 11, you can see the chestnut sellers in the streets with their mobile carts, full of…
Restaurante Zambeze – gastronomia Portuguesa and Moçambicana
02/11/2019Perhaps one of the most beautiful views from a terrace is at Restaurante Zambeze. If you have visited Castelo de São Jorge this is…
Rui dos Pregos – pregos and seafood
09/10/2019If you’re as fond of pregos and shellfish as we are, then Restaurante Rui dos Pregos is definitely a place you must have been…
Going for coffee in Lisbon – serious business!
21/08/2019Do you like coffee? And do you want to get through your holiday in Lisbon without the stress of not knowing how to order…
Tascardoso – rustic and informal restaurant
24/07/2019There are many traditional restaurants in the centre of Lisbon. One of our favourites is restaurant Tascardoso. This small, rustic and informal restaurant is…
O Talho – butcher and restaurant rolled into one
28/06/2019If you’re a meat lover then this restaurant is just the thing for you because restaurante O Talho (the Butcher) is completely focused on…
A Padaria Portuguesa – the bakery near you
06/06/2019In practically every district of Lisbon you’ll find at least one branch of A Padaria Portuguesa. The first establishment was opened in 2010 with…
Pastelaria Alcôa – convent candy
30/05/2019When we think of Pastelaria Alcôa, we don’t think of a traditional pastelaria with clattering coffee dishes and locals who order a bica en…
Zé da Mouraria – hidden pearl in Mouraria
20/05/2019A hidden gem in the centre of Lisbon: tucked away in a narrow street in the Mouraria district you can find the Zé da…
Mú Gelato Italiano – lactose and gluten-free ice cream
10/05/2019As we said earlier, there are so many ice cream shops in Lisbon, it is difficult to choose which we like best. All of…
Bairro do Avillez – the chef’s district
26/03/2019Bairro do Avillez is one of the newest hotspots located in Chiado and the most recent restaurants of famous chef José Avillez in Lisbon….
Pastelaria Orion – sharing sweets with locals
07/03/2019Pastelaria Orion is just around the corner from Ascensor da Bica on the busy road from the Chiado district towards Estrella. When you walk…
Pastelaria Versailles – old soul in young pastelaria
22/02/2019Even though Pastelaria Versailles is one of the oldest pastelarias in Lisbon, compared to the city centre of Lisbon this pasteleria is not super…
Chapitô à mesa – circus school with view
26/01/2019Chapitô à mesa is Lisbon’s circus school, which may not make you think about one of the most beautiful views of the city. But…
Ginjinha sem Rival – have a ginjinha without rivals
11/01/2019Ginjinha Sem Rival literally means Ginjinha without a rival. It’s funny that this little bar is called this way, because just a stone’s throw…
Prado Mercearia – a blast from the past with products of today
05/01/2019Less than 5 minutes walk from Sé Cathedral vind you will find the supermarket Prado Mercearia. The idea for the shop (or should we…
Pavilhão Chinês – a bar or a museum?
07/12/2018If you want a unique experience in Lisbon’s nightlife, head on over to Pavilhão Chinês. This is probably one of the most bizarre bars…
Fábrica de Queijadas – Recordação de Sintra – royal supplier of the best queijadas
02/11/2018Directly below Pastelaria Gregório you’ll find Fábrica de Queijadas – Recordação de Sintra. This is the factory to be if you want to taste…
A Merendinha do Arco – where time still stands still
25/10/2018Hidden just behind the Rossio Arco is Merendinha do Arco, a restaurant where, despite the many tourists in this part of the city, you…
Pub Lisboeta – quiet neighbourhood pub
17/10/2018The relaxed Pub Lisboeta, is a lovely little pub where you can catch your breath from a (mid)day of strolling through the city of…
O Velho Eurico – in the heart of Alfama
26/09/2018** Update May 2019 Due to the poor health of the owner, the restaurant is permanently closed ** Looking for typical Portuguese food in…
PARK Bar – unique rooftop with beautiful views
20/09/2018Discovering new, surprising places in Lisbon is one of our favourite activities during our trips to this beautiful city. On the edge of the…
Duque Brewpub – Craft beer in Lisbon
22/08/2018Portugal is of course best known for its excellent wines and all kinds of (often home-distilled) spirits. But the last years the craft beer…
Frankie – where hotdog enthusiasts gather
16/08/2018At Frankie you don’t just eat a hot dog. This is the place every hot dog lover in the world dreams about! Frankie is…
Bairru’s Bodega – quiet wine bar in Bairro Alto
03/08/2018Most people know this about the Bairro Alto district: the later it gets, the more noise it produces. Loud music from bars or people…
Topo Chiado – cocktails between historic buildings
11/07/2018Since May 2018 there is a new “rooftop” bar in Lisbon. And we love that! Drinks, views, relaxed atmosphere, so we had to visit…
Doca de Santo Amaro – going out on the waterfront
28/06/2018A visit to Doca de Santo Amaro has been on my list for a long time, but no matter how often we drove past…
Restaurante Pharmacia – playing doktor
27/06/2018Restaurante Pharmacia is located in a former hospital in the Santa Catarina district. The restaurant shares the property with Museu da Farmácia (Pharmacy Museum)….
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau – say cheese!
30/05/2018We love the Bacalhau pastries that you can usually get at any pastelaria. This is something different though, Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau…
Tease – cupcake heaven in Lisbon
25/05/2018There is nothing Portuguese about Tease. If you’ve had enough of typical Portuguese sweetness and you’re craving for a ‘normal’ pie, then Tease is…
Restaurante Central – classic village restaurant
17/05/2018Restaurante Central is a place where I (and my family) have been coming for years now, and it has never disappointed me. Well, maybe…
Pastelaria-Padaria São Roque – Lisbon’s prettiest pastelaria
28/04/2018Just like the eponymous church, Igreja de São Roque, just down the street, you won’t suspect that you’re walking past a gem when you…
Confeitaria Cistér – clattering coffee cups
11/04/2018The sound of coffee cups and saucers clattering together as a result of cleaning up the dishes reminds me a lot of those real…
Nannarella – Italian ice cream in São Bento
08/04/2018There is always a queue at Nannarella. Which is no wonder, because the ice cream there is simply delicious. This ice cream shop has…
Bettina & Niccolo Corallo – passion for coffee and chocolate
03/04/2018Bettina & Niccolo Corallo have a great passion for coffee and chocolate and have combined these two delicacies in their down to earth coffee…
Embaixada – alternatief shoppen
28/03/2018If you come to Lisbon to do some shopping, then Embaixada is definitely a place that you shouldn’t miss. At this moment this beautiful…
