Food · Lisbon · Portugal
What to eat in Lisbon
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Lisbon, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Custard tart, Bacalhau à Brás and Grilled sardines. Order clams, prawns, crab and percebes by weight at a cervejaria, with cold beer and buttered toast, then finish with a prego steak sandwich in the Lisbon tradition. Bread, olives, cheese and other starters (couvert) are placed on the table automatically and charged if you eat them; send back what you do not want.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Custard tart
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Tipping is modest: leaving small change or about 5–10% in restaurants for good service…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dessert · Vegetarian
1.Custard tart (Pastel de nata)
A crisp, flaky pastry case filled with egg custard caramelised in a very hot oven, eaten warm with cinnamon and icing sugar. The Belém version, made since 1837 to a recipe from the Jerónimos monks, is sold as pastel de Belém.
Where: Pastéis de Belém next to the Jerónimos Monastery, and specialist nata bakeries in Chiado and the Baixa that bake throughout the day.
Dish
2.Bacalhau à Brás
Shredded salt cod fried with onions and matchstick potatoes, bound with scrambled egg and finished with black olives and parsley. Portugal is said to have hundreds of salt-cod recipes, and this is the classic Lisbon one.
Where: Traditional tascas and restaurants across the Baixa, Bairro Alto and Alfama.
Dish
3.Grilled sardines (Sardinhas assadas)
Whole sardines grilled over charcoal and served on bread or with boiled potatoes and salad. They are a summer dish, at their best and fattest from June to September.
Where: Street grills in Alfama and Graça during the June Santo António festivals, and tascas with outdoor grills through the summer.
Street food
4.Bifana
Thin pork steaks marinated in garlic and white wine, simmered and stuffed into a soft bread roll with mustard. It is a cheap, quick lunch with a small beer.
Where: Snack bars and tascas throughout the city; look for counters where workers stand and eat at lunchtime.
Dish
5.Clams Bulhão Pato (Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato)
Clams steamed open with olive oil, lots of garlic, coriander and lemon, with bread to mop up the juices. It is the signature starter of Lisbon's seafood beer halls.
Where: Cervejarias (seafood beer halls) such as Cervejaria Ramiro in Intendente and others around the Baixa and Avenida da Liberdade.
Snack
6.Steak sandwich (Prego)
A thin beef steak cooked with garlic in a crusty roll. In seafood beer halls locals traditionally finish a seafood feast with a prego as 'dessert'.
Where: Cervejarias, cafés and snack bars across Lisbon.
Dish
7.Octopus lagareiro-style (Polvo à lagareiro)
Tender octopus roasted with plenty of olive oil and garlic and served with small potatoes punched open (batatas a murro).
Where: Traditional restaurants and seafood houses, particularly around Alfama, Cais do Sodré and Belém.
Dish
8.Caldo verde
A comforting soup of potato purée and finely shredded kale, finished with olive oil and a slice of chouriço. Often eaten as a starter or late-night snack.
Where: Almost every tasca menu, and street stalls during the June festivals.
Dish
9.Seafood rice (Arroz de marisco)
A soupy rice cooked with prawns, clams, mussels and crab in a tomato and coriander broth, served in the pot for two or more.
Where: Seafood restaurants around Cais do Sodré and Belém, and across the river in Cacilhas.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Ginjinha
A sweet sour-cherry liqueur served in a small glass, with or without a cherry. It is a quick stand-up drink rather than a cocktail.
Where: The tiny bar A Ginjinha on Largo de São Domingos near Rossio, which has served it since the 19th century, and stalls in Alfama.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Bica
Lisbon's name for a short, strong espresso, drunk standing at the counter several times a day, often with a pastry.
Where: Any pastelaria; Café A Brasileira in Chiado is the most famous, with a statue of Fernando Pessoa outside.
Food experiences
Seafood beer hall feast
Order clams, prawns, crab and percebes by weight at a cervejaria, with cold beer and buttered toast, then finish with a prego steak sandwich in the Lisbon tradition.
Prato do dia at a tasca
Small family-run tascas serve a dish of the day at lunchtime, often with soup, a drink and coffee included, at prices far below dinner menus.
June sardine festivals
During the Santos Populares in June, Alfama, Graça and Mouraria fill with street grills, paper decorations and stalls selling sardines on bread, caldo verde and beer.
Wine tasting
Lisbon wine bars pour wines from across Portugal by the glass, from Alentejo reds to vinho verde and port; the Setúbal peninsula's Moscatel is a local sweet wine to look for.
Quick bites and street food
- Bifana — Snack bars and tascas throughout the city; look for counters where workers stand and eat at lunchtime.
- Steak sandwich — Cervejarias, cafés and snack bars across Lisbon.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Custard tart, Ginjinha and Bica. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Bread, olives, cheese and other starters (couvert) are placed on the table automatically and charged if you eat them; send back what you do not want.
- Lunch runs from about 12:30pm to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; many tascas close on Sundays.
- Fish and seafood are often priced per kilo; ask for the price of your portion before ordering.
- Restaurants on Rua Augusta and with picture menus and street touts are rarely the best value; walk a block or two away.
- Tap water is safe, but restaurants often serve bottled water; ask for 'água da torneira' if you prefer tap.
Tipping
Tipping is modest: leaving small change or about 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected. Round up taxi fares and leave coins for coffee at the counter if you like.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | Thank you (said by a man / by a woman) |
| Por favor | Please |
| A conta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Com licença | Excuse me (to pass) |
| Uma bica, por favor | An espresso, please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Lisbon famous for?
Custard tart, Bacalhau à Brás, Grilled sardines and Bifana. A crisp, flaky pastry case filled with egg custard caramelised in a very hot oven, eaten warm with cinnamon and icing sugar.
+Is Lisbon good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Custard tart, Ginjinha and Bica.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Lisbon?
Tipping is modest: leaving small change or about 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected. Round up taxi fares and leave coins for coffee at the counter if you like.