The best tips for the Lisbon Region
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.
If you spend Christmas holidays in Lisbon you will notice that in the average Portuguese family the Christmas party is not complete without a Bolo do Rei (King’s Cake) on the table. DThe Bolo do Rei, a traditional Portuguese cake, has its origin in French, from the galette des rois….
On the edge of the charming Praça das Flores you will find the lovely Pão de Canela café. Most of the café’s seats are outside on the terrace and it’s especially busy at weekends. If you want to have brunch here at the weekend, it is advisable to make a…
One of the best things about having a travel blog about Lisbon is to discover special places and then actually not being able to wait to write about them. But at the same time, as you discover that place, you wonder if you wouldn’t rather keep it all to yourself….
MWith the arrival of São Martinho on November 11, you can see the chestnut sellers in the streets with their mobile carts, full of roasted chestnuts. That can mean only one thing: chestnut time has started in Portugal! Eating chestnuts in Lisbon The carts are often installed at busiest spots…
Perhaps one of the most beautiful views from a terrace is at Restaurante Zambeze. If you have visited Castelo de São Jorge this is a nice place to have a drink. The café-restaurant is located on the roof of a building that was once a market and now serves as…
If you’re as fond of pregos and shellfish as we are, then Restaurante Rui dos Pregos is definitely a place you must have been at least once in your life. Actually, this place is a combination of a cervejaria and a marisqueira. Rui dos Pregos is one of the classics…
Do you like coffee? And do you want to get through your holiday in Lisbon without the stress of not knowing how to order a coffee the right way? Then stop what you were doing right now and read on with due attention, for this article will tell you everything…
There are many traditional restaurants in the centre of Lisbon. One of our favourites is restaurant Tascardoso. This small, rustic and informal restaurant is located opposite Jardim do Príncipe Real. The restaurant serves traditional Portuguese cuisine, which is served quickly and hassle-free. Tasca Tascardoso is a typical tasca where you…
If you’re a meat lover then this restaurant is just the thing for you because restaurante O Talho (the Butcher) is completely focused on meat. And best of all, they have a butcher’s shop next to the restaurant where you can buy meat. 2-in-1 shop Since we weren’t familiar with…
In practically every district of Lisbon you’ll find at least one branch of A Padaria Portuguesa. The first establishment was opened in 2010 with the aim of reviving the tradition of good bakers, in a modern way. In recent years, the company has grown enormously and you can find A…
When we think of Pastelaria Alcôa, we don’t think of a traditional pastelaria with clattering coffee dishes and locals who order a bica en bolo for breakfast at the bar. No, Pastelaria Alcôa is better described as a patisserie. The master confectioner is a multi award winning chef at several…
A hidden gem in the centre of Lisbon: tucked away in a narrow street in the Mouraria district you can find the Zé da Mouraria restaurant. The restaurant is small and filled with locals. The menu mainly has typical Portuguese food. Quite pricey, no? Some of our friends advised us…
As we said earlier, there are so many ice cream shops in Lisbon, it is difficult to choose which we like best. All of them have brilliant products, including Mú Gelato Italiano. Mú Gelato Italiano. Mú distinguishes itself from the other ice cream shops by being vegan friendly, by having…
Bairro do Avillez is one of the newest hotspots located in Chiado and the most recent restaurants of famous chef José Avillez in Lisbon. Bairro Avillez has several dining options, of which Taberna is our favourite. Bairro do Avillez (Avillez district) is named after this famous chef and was inspired…
Pastelaria Orion is just around the corner from Ascensor da Bica on the busy road from the Chiado district towards Estrella. When you walk by and look inside you’ll usually only find locals there, enjoying all the culinary goodness Pastelaria Orion offers. De pastelaria bestaat sinds 1945 en is nog…
Even though Pastelaria Versailles is one of the oldest pastelarias in Lisbon, compared to the city centre of Lisbon this pasteleria is not super old. Pastelaria Versailles was opened in 1922. Even though that’s less than a 100 years old, the interior suggests otherwise. Pleasant and hard times In the…
Chapitô à mesa is Lisbon’s circus school, which may not make you think about one of the most beautiful views of the city. But here it is: almost perched against the walls of Castelo de São Jorge you’ll find Chapitô à mesa. Chapitô is known for its strong cultural, educational…
Ginjinha 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 away you’ll find enough other Ginjinha bars. Maybe they think they’re without any competition… We don’t think it matters much if you get your Ginja at…
Less than 5 minutes walk from Sé Cathedral vind you will find the supermarket Prado Mercearia. The idea for the shop (or should we say grocery store) originated with a large project with the Prado restaurant and the Aparthotel Boutique The Lisboans. They’re all situated in the same building. Back…
If you want a unique experience in Lisbon’s nightlife, head on over to Pavilhão Chinês. This is probably one of the most bizarre bars you’ve ever been to. Pavilhão Chinês is one of the most interesting and unusual bars we’ve ever seen! From grocery store to cocktail bar What was…
Directly below Pastelaria Gregório you’ll find Fábrica de Queijadas – Recordação de Sintra. This is the factory to be if you want to taste the best queijadas. These are the most delicious queijadas you can find in the Lisbon area. Family run business In 1890 Pastelaria Gregório and Fábrica de…
Hidden just behind the Rossio Arco is Merendinha do Arco, a restaurant where, despite the many tourists in this part of the city, you almost only encounter Lisboetas. It is one of our favorite Tascas (Portuguese local eateries) in downtown Lisbon, it feels like a ‘secret escape’ between the many…
The relaxed Pub Lisboeta, is a lovely little pub where you can catch your breath from a (mid)day of strolling through the city of Lisbon. Pub Lisboeta is located in our favorite neighbourhood Príncipe Real which is a nice bonus when we go there for a drink. Cocktails, beer &…
** Update May 2019 Due to the poor health of the owner, the restaurant is permanently closed ** Looking for typical Portuguese food in a typical Portuguese restaurant in the heart of the typical Portuguese Alfama neighbourhood? Then Restaurante O Eurico is the place to go. This typical Portuguese restaurant…
Discovering new, surprising places in Lisbon is one of our favourite activities during our trips to this beautiful city. On the edge of the Bairro Alto on the top floor of a parking garage, we discovered an interesting rooftop bar: PARK bar. As we walked into the parking garage we…
Portugal is of course best known for its excellent wines and all kinds of (often home-distilled) spirits. But the last years the craft beer movement is slowly developing here. A clear exponent of this is Duque Brewpub. Duque Brewpub opened its doors in the Chiado in February 2016. The story…
At Frankie you don’t just eat a hot dog. This is the place every hot dog lover in the world dreams about! Frankie is close to the university of Lisbon and you’ll notice that when you come here for a delicious hot dog. Rush hour There are always people coming…
Most people know this about the Bairro Alto district: the later it gets, the more noise it produces. Loud music from bars or people talking (loudly) in the streets. What I missed was a place where they serve good wine and where you can have a good conversation. We found…
Since May 2018 there is a new “rooftop” bar in Lisbon. And we love that! Drinks, views, relaxed atmosphere, so we had to visit Topo Chiado for sure! Topo Chiado is at the foot of Convento do Carmo on Terraços do Carmo. Terraços do Carmo After the big fire of…
A visit to Doca de Santo Amaro has been on my list for a long time, but no matter how often we drove past it when we went to or from Lisbon, a visit to this beautiful part of the port never really fit into our busy timetable. The Doca…
Restaurante Pharmacia is located in a former hospital in the Santa Catarina district. The restaurant shares the property with Museu da Farmácia (Pharmacy Museum). The building seems enormous, but if you eat in the restaurant you will be surprised by how cozy the restaurant is. The whole look and feel…
We love the Bacalhau pastries that you can usually get at any pastelaria. This is something different though, Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau serves a very special Pastel de Bacalhau! For years we usually walked past this bacalhau pastelaria in the Baixa and never visit it, because I always…
There 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 a great place to go. Another big advantage of Tease is that it is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods: Príncipe Real. If you want…
Restaurante Central is a place where I (and my family) have been coming for years now, and it has never disappointed me. Well, maybe on Thursdays, when I again forget that that’s the only day they are closed. Restaurante Central is located in Colares, near the beautiful Sintra. Nice staff…
Just 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 walk into Pastelaria–Padaria São Roque. Hidden behind the doors you will find one of the most beautiful pastelarias in Lisbon. This is mainly due to the…
The sound of coffee cups and saucers clattering together as a result of cleaning up the dishes reminds me a lot of those real old-fashioned pastelaria. I have visited many pastelarias in my life and I get very sentimental when I hear that specific sound. Upon entering the pastelaria Confeitaria…
There is always a queue at Nannarella. Which is no wonder, because the ice cream there is simply delicious. This ice cream shop has been around since 2013 and is located in the São Bento district. It doesn’t matter what time you come here, there are always locals in line…
Bettina & Niccolo Corallo have a great passion for coffee and chocolate and have combined these two delicacies in their down to earth coffee bar. Good coffee with something tasty On the other side of the road of Jardim Príncipe Real you can find Bettina & Niccolo Corallo. When you…
If you come to Lisbon to do some shopping, then Embaixada is definitely a place that you shouldn’t miss. At this moment this beautiful building is used as a concept store with many (pop-up) shops. According to locals this is one of the better places in Lisbon to discover new…
If you’re looking for good and tasty local food in the heart of tourist Sintra, then go to Restaurante O Apeadeiro. The restaurant is easy to miss, because from the outside there’s not much to look at. It looks small but when you are inside and walk past the bar,…
Tucked away in a corner near Praça dos Restauradores you will find Veneziana. This is the smallest and oldest ice cream parlour I have seen in Lisbon. The store is small, but the terrace is normally gigantic. Currently (and unfortunately for the owner of Veneziana), a few buildings next to…
While shopping in the neighbourhood of Sintra, I noticed a beautiful package containing a bottle of Licor 35 Creme de Pastel de Nata. Liquid pastéis de nata !? We had to try this immediately! From our big pastéis de nata test you can tell that we really like pastéis de…
Ice cream store Amorino describes herself best: Amorino is celebrating love with a gourmet touch. We are sold! Amorino has three different stores across Lisbon. Two are located in the Baixa and Chiado districts. And there’s also a branch in the Vasco da Gama shopping centre on the former expo…
In the past, when I went to Lisbon with my parents, ice cream shops hardly existed. At the few ice cream shops that were there, you paid premium for 1 scoop of ice cream. And often the scoop was just a bit too watery and therefore not that tasty. Luckily,…
This is how Lisboetas describe it: at Gelato Davvero you’ll find a bit of Rome in Lisbon. Less than three years ago, their first ice cream shop was opened at Cais do Sodré. Soon enough five more stores followed in Lisbon and another four outlets outside the city. This is…
If there’s one thing for which I can wake my Portuguese friends Isabel and Luis, it’s posta Mirandesa. Well, when it’s prepared in a very good restaurant, that is. Isabel is the best Portuguese cook I know, but she doesn’t do this dish. Not because she can’t, but because the…
About 10 years ago it was almost impossible to find a vegetarian restaurant in Lisbon. If you wanted to eat vegetarian, the salade mista (salad with tomato, cucumber and carrot) or an omelette was the best option on the menu. Foto: Terra Nowadays there are more and more vegetarian restaurants…
Manteigaria Silva is mentioned in many travel guides with the advice to walk by the store and peek inside. That is entirely justified! But do not forget to go inside and enjoy all the goodies that are sold there. The place is located in the middle of the Baixa Baixa…
The first branch of Gelado Artisani was opened in 2009, near Jardim da Estrela. With the opening of this ice cream shop, Gelado Artisani responded to the trend of the past: Homemade ice cream with fresh ingredients. Natural ingredients, many flavors Artisani claims to use only the best ingredients for…
Rua Nova do Carvalho, is better known with tourists as Pink Street. Currently it is one of the most famous and favorite nightlife areas of locals, but you will also find tourists there. The bars in Bairro Alto in Bairro Alto close earlier than in Rua Nova do Carvalho, making…
New Year’s Eve – experience the New Year in Lisbon
Bolo do Rei – traditional Christmas cake from Lisbon
Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira – hunting lodge turned palace
Café Pão de Canela – quiet neighbourhood café with delicious food
Páteo Alfacinha – Lisbon’s best kept secret
Jardim Amoreiras – park of the mulberry trees
Aqueduto das Águas Livres – Lisbon’s eye catching aqueduct
The whole city smells like chestnuts
