What and Where to Eat // Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon isn’t the biggest foodie destination in the world, but the coastal city has its fair share of delicious foods, including a world-famous pastry, tinned seafood, and specialty liqueur.
What to Eat
Pastéis de Nata
Pastel de nata (plural pastéis de nata) is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, famous around the world.
At the beginning of the 18th century, it was common for monasteries and convents to use copious amounts of egg-whites to starch their religious habits and, with the now enormous amounts of sugar reaching the Portuguese shores, they started using the left-over yokes to bake all sorts of pastries and desserts. The monks who lived at the Jerónimos Monastery invented the Pastel de Belém.
If you look up where to try these pastries, you probably see this list:
Pastéis de Belém
Manteigaria
Fábrica da Nata
Pastéis de Belém
Our first stop on our tour-de-pastéis-de-nata, was to this shop that is right next to the Jerónimos Monastery, and they have the original Portuguese egg tart recipe: a secret family recipe they’ve never shared. Other restaurants have since copied their “pastéis de Belém” to create “pastéis de nata” that are now eaten all over the world.
There are two entrances at this cafe in Belém — one for takeaway, and one for dining in — and while it looks small from the front, the dining area is actually multiple large rooms and goes back quite far.
When you go, they serve the pastries piping hot, and you can dust the tarts with powdered sugar and cinnamon to your desired flavor (this is the same everywhere you go).
I found the Pastéis de Belem to be the least sweet of the 3, and I could easily have eaten 2.
Manteigaria was too sweet and even half of one tart was enough. Fábrica de Nata was M’s favorite, and probably mine as well.
They are everywhere, though, and if you find another shop that makes them even better, I’d love to hear about it!
Bacalau (Codfish)
Everywhere you go in Lisbon you can find cod, or bacalau, on the menu, frequently with chickpeas.
I actually found out from my hairdresser, who also didn’t understand the city’s obsession with bacalau. Their cod isn’t even caught in Portuguese waters — they’re caught off the coast of Norway. But it’s a traditional food, often eaten at Christmas, and also frequently made into balls that are battered and fried (known as pastel de bacalau). I find these delicious, and Merchant Logo Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau is a major chain that serves them, though probably not the best.
Sardinhas (Sardines)
Lisbonites love their sardines, which we found out in the best way. We happened to be in Lisbon for the annual Sardine Festival, a festival celebrating St. Anthony of Pádua and a legend involving him sardines. One day, after a particularly rough day preaching to heretics, he walked to the ocean and decided to preach to the fish. To everyone’s amazement, they all gathered on the water’s edge, lined up by size and listened attentively, heads sticking out of the water. It is a fitting story for the city’s patron saint, who today presides over an all-night fête that takes place in a smoky haze produced by thousands of grilled sardines.
All over the city, on June 12, grill stations and outdoor bars pop up selling fresh sardines, beer and sangria. These sardines are traditionally eaten over a slice of unseasoned bread, easily taken to go. Then, at 9pm, begins a giant parade on Avenida de Liberdade. The parade is a competition between Lisbon’s various neighborhoods, which all participate with choreographed dances and beautiful costumes, much like Rio’s Carnaval. They prepare for this event all year.
There are dance parties everywhere, and the next day, unsurprisingly, is a public holiday. If you can go for this event, you should.
Ginjinha
Ginjinha, or Ginja, is a sweet Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol and flavoring it with sugar and spices, of which cloves and/or cinnamon sticks are the most common. Ginjinha is traditionally served straight in a shot, with the choice of an alcohol-laden cherry, but can also commonly be found served in a small edible chocolate cup at holes in the wall throughout the city. Sweet alcohol and chocolate makes it very hard to go wrong.
Bifana & Prego
Bifanas are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika and served on soft rolls. You can then choose to add your own mustard and/or piri-piri sauce. Pregos are the steak version of the same sandwich. These sandwiches make my mouth water.
Port tasting
While Lisbon is not known for its port (Porto is), it’s close enough, and if you like port and don’t have time to visit Porto, definitely make this an activity. Timeout Market (mentioned above) or Grapes & Bites are both places that serve port flights, and over food, it’s a great afternoon.
Make sure to also try white port, a white fortified wine from the Douro region of Portugal, if you can. We’ve had difficulty finding white ports for purchase in the States — it was much easier in Europe.
Where to Eat
Time Out Market
If you’re looking for variety, the Time Out Market food hall is your place. The Time Out Portugal team has brought together the best of Lisbon under one roof: the best chefs, restaurants, pastries.
The market itself can get quite busy, though, so if you’re not looking for a place that’s packed with people (mostly tourists), this might not be the place for you. While seating is hard to find, something that works for everyone isn’t, and the offering really is fantastic.
JNcQuoi Asia
If you’re looking for a relatively high-end restaurant with amazing ambience and delicious food, this is the restaurant for you.
Even my barber said it was his favorite restaurant in Lisbon, and JNcQOUI - Asia (on Avenida da Liberdade), not the other JNcQOUI around the corner.
Michelin Rated
If you’re looking for fine dining in Lisbon, Michelin-starred Belcanto and Alma are both good choices.
Cafes to Visit
Comoba
This was our favorite cafe in the city. Hip and health-conscious, this restaurant is a great stop for anyone looking for delicious, healthy, vegan food. Their juices and matcha are also quite good.
The space is fairly small and it does get quite busy, though, so while they do have wifi, it’s not great for working out of.
Copenhagen Coffee Lab
This cafe is much more working-friendly, with large tables that double as desks and lots of people on their laptops. The juice here is also delicious, and the sandwiches looked tasty as well.
Deer Head Cafe
This chain is a great brunch spot, but has no AC and not much space for working. We came on a hot day, and definitely had to sit by the window to stay seated.
Fauna & Flora
It may come as no surprise that lots of plants decorate this cute cafe that has outdoor and indoor seating. It does get quite busy, though, so expect to wait for a table.
Heim Cafe
Another great, healthy brunch option, though we didn’t find the food here to be as good as Comoba. It is also very busy, though, so definitely make a reservation if you can.
