In the vast majority of Portuguese restaurants children are more than welcome. And even though there may not be that many specific facilities for kids, such as a children’s menus or playroom, we still think it’s very nice to take our daughters to a Lisbon restaurant.
Why? Well, mainly because the waiting staff are usually mesmerised by our daughters. And to be honest, if you ask for things regarding your kids, there are always options.
Meia dose – half portions
The portions in Portugal are generally large, you can easily share your dish with your kids. We guarantee you that everyone has a full belly afterwards. You can also choose to order a meia dose (half portions) for your child. These portions are usually pretty big as well, especially if you’re not in a tourist restaurant.
For myself I often order a “meia dose” and that’s usually more than enough. Even if you share a meia dose with your kid, trust us, it’s sufficient. It is often also possible to order an omelette and if your child likes cheese, the cheese that’s delivered to your table as a starter is usually a decent choice too.
Bring your own food?
If you bring your own food for your child, like fruit of yogurt or something, most restaurants are usually ok with that. Our daughter eats with us (she is not a fussy eater), and when the salgados (savory pastries) are brought on the table she is completely sold.
You can often ask for these salgados, even if they’re not on the menu. Ask for Pastel Bacalhau (cod), Samosa (chicken & curry) and croquete vitela (meat croquette). Especially the last one was an instant hit with our kids.
High chair
Practically all restaurants that we visited had a high chair. Nowadays you’ll see the famous IKEA high chair more and more, but the old-fashioned high chairs that are somehow suspended from the table can still be found in the more traditional restaurants.
It looks more spectacular than it actually is, our toddler likes this feeling of floating at the table. Make sure there’s no seat underneath though, your kid will try to use it for leverage and before you know it they’re hanging onto the table.
