The best Portuguese restaurants Lisbon

Notice to amateurs! One of the favourite addresses of intellectuals and advertisers, thus a point of meeting of journalists and policies that come to dinner late… Emblematic of Príncipe Real its low lighting and its ringing to enter assure intimacy! In a British boisé pub, place à de to Snob or la to transmontana, Tuesday it is black pork skewers (carrillera ibérica) and Friday, cozido to Portuguesa. Among the decor, the Oliveira brothers have been on the bar for four decades, have kept a clock without a needle, history to say that here not only the time has stopped but it is no longer important…

This is a restaurant that is as traditional as it gets amidst the more modern concepts that can be found in the Parque das Nações. You will find a selection of many regional dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Served as a terracotta dish or small casserole, the cuisine is generous and copious: monkfish and shrimp brochettes, grouper massada, polvo or bacalhau à lagareiro, arroz de pato, the traditional migas of Alentejo, and also some grilled meats. For dessert, fruit or why not the famous sericaia.

In a welcoming, traditional village-style setting, come and taste Alentejo cuisine that smacks of its peasant origins: cold meats and cheeses, soups and açordas, migas with pork, hare with beans... Not forgetting the region's famous southern sweets: pão de rala, encharcada de ovos, bolo rançoso and sericaia de Elvas (you know, with candied greengage on top). All in all, good, nutritious food. Friendly, welcoming service. An address for those who want to discover regional cuisine.

Located in the north of the city, established in an old grocery store, this tasquinha serves not only excellent petiscos (chouriço, fifth, ovas de, polvo de…) but prepares good joyous, ravigotante and prétention cuisine (orange duck, feijoada to brasileira, choquinhos fritos).

An institution opened in 1936, it can be eaten at any time of the day or night. In this large refectory with arcades and tables, benches and wooden stools, there are couples of retired people, tourists or partygoers attracted by the smell of chorizo bread coming out of the oven. All the best values to recover your strength or to waterproof: caldo verde (green cabbage soup), pão com chouriço (chorizo bread), pastéis de bacalhau (cod fritters) and arroz doce (rice pudding)... As often happiness can be summed up in simple things!

Close to the Oceanarium, in an area of Lisbon not necessarily known for its high gastronomy, it is a specialist in seafood and fresh grilled fish. You will find a decoration in reference to the sea and a beautiful terrace with a view of the Tagus, for a lunch in the open air. Among the sure values, let yourself be tempted by fried cuttlefish, rice with lobster or white grouper and clams. Expect rather high prices.

One of the last great pastries, decorated in the 19th century, where some intellectuals nostalgic for the 1950s and 1960s are sitting in the late afternoon. It's the great Baroque temple of greed! High room covered with mirrors, stucco ceilings decorated with chandeliers, gilding and scrolls. The small welcoming tables are inaccessible to quick drinks at mealtime, since it is also a restaurant. The house's pastry specialities will delight you as much as the incredibly retro atmosphere!

Housed in the superb Palacio de Alverca, believed to date from the late ^17th century, the Alentejo Regional House is an incredible blend of different styles. Upstairs, you'll find huge rooms, a former smoking room, small salons and even a former ballroom with a décor straight out of the film Sissi Empress. The cuisine is rustic and not very elaborate or unforgettable. If you manage to find a seat on one of these vast tables of guests, don't hesitate to opt for the bacalhau, the porco a alentejana and, last but not least, the flan cake.

This neon lettered place is worth a visit, if only for its incredible sixties decoration: large carved wooden panels, series of slates on the ceiling and a string of high revolving stools with files placed in front of long varnished wooden counters. Galeto serves without interruption until late. A battalion of waiters and cooks, headed by a high-ranking chef who teaches lessons, are working hard to produce a wide range of snacks or more consistent dishes: hamburgers, various salads, bifes to accompany sauces, pastries...

In an atmosphere and atmosphere inspired by an old pharmacy, this restaurant with its large esplanade and view of the Tagus offers a correct variety of petiscos (Portuguese tapas). You can go there all day long to taste them. All the small details and utensils refer to the world of pharmacy, even the name of the cocktails... We would like to go there at the end of the day to enjoy the sunset and see all the young Lisbotians gather at the Santa Catarina miradouro just opposite.

Located next to the marina of the Parque das Nações, this restaurant has created a concept that is unique: to plunge us into the atmosphere of the drug cartels, except that here, all that is done is "food trafficking" and smuggling takes place only to obtain good products. His adage: mi casa es su casa. On the menu, a multitude of traditional dishes and it's good! As for the atmosphere of the cartels, it is not necessarily very accomplished but the place is friendly and one will have pleasure to take his lunch or his dinner there.

A house of petiscos, a decoration made with taste, a wide choice of Portuguese style tapas with original accompaniments. The one that seduced us the most: the caramelized cod, with its sweet potatoes. It's up to you to choose your preference. For those eager for meat, chef Filomeno Nogueira will offer you the "prego", a sandwich whose meat has been carefully selected and perfectly seasoned. In this establishment, the decoration is full of colours. A different house that is really worth the detour!

It is said to be a meeting place for artists and journalists, but also for many people from the neighbourhood. Founded in 1899, here is one that has not succumbed to the fever of modernity of the district, keeping a traditional atmosphere in a classic room with white walls and high baseboards of azulejos. A menu that includes all the typical fish or meat dishes such as grilled sea bream, tuna steak or pork secrets. The portions are generous, so there is not always enough room to taste the excellent desserts.

Wood, marble, copper counters in this institution opened since 1782. Many personalities have passed through this brewery, including Fernando Pessoa. Today, some tertúlias (convivial intellectual meetings) are still held in its historic interior room. The prices displayed seem to take advantage of the reputation of the place, which has become a tourist attraction. The cuisine (a lot of fish: cataplana de peixes mistos, red mullet, sea bass...) is correct but not much more, even if sometimes the dish of the day is economical.

Attended by a rather well-to-do clientele, acquired during its more than 70 years of existence, Gambrinus is considered to be one of the best traditional addresses in the city, located in a street well endowed with addresses to choose from. Fish, seafood, an excellent wine list, and therefore a (somewhat disputed!) reputation. Empadão de perdrix (Monday), fish soup rica (Wednesday), grilled cherry with gribiche sauce, Rothschild soufflé. Overrated house and really too salty note!

Beneath the arches and vaults of the former stables of the palace of the Counts of Valadares, here's a beautiful space that's both a delicatessen and a wine cellar, as well as a restaurant with several lounges. It's full of charm, offering a wide choice of meats (bifes...), fish (tuna...) and seafood (octopus...). There's also a petiscos (Portuguese tapas) bar and a café-patisserie. The management has had the bright idea of programming a few photo exhibitions and occasional well-attended concerts, notably in the form of jazz concert cycles.

This antiga casa de pasto, a tavern dating back to 1814, is known for its pretty wooden interior divisions, which, according to legend, were used to hatch dark conspiracies or to count flirtations in all discretion. Today, the small dining rooms are still there... The proposed cuisine is honest, unpretentious but tasty: fried prawns, grilled chouriço, cod in Brás... The desserts are excellent (inevitable pudim flan and toucinho do céu), but you can also stop for a simple sande (sandwich).

Slightly hidden away near the elevador da Bica and the Santa Catarina viewpoint, a simple tavern serving good Portuguese cuisine. Very informal and rather relaxed, with its kitchen on view, it offers grilled meats and fish, well cooked and seasoned just right, as well as a few more or less elaborate homemade preparations. The menu is small in size, but big in terms of quality and meets the highest standards! It's best to arrive early to find a seat, as the place is a big hit with the locals...

In a small travessa, not far from the Museum of Fine Arts, at the top of a building, a small canteen with a breathtaking terrace overlooking the Tagus. Between noon and midday, local employees come to eat a dish of the day and enjoy one of the best views in the area. Simple, unpretentious dishes of the day. This is undoubtedly one of our favorite places to eat at this price, with this view, right in the center of Lisbon. Why not spend the afternoon sipping a drink while reading the Petit Futé Lisbon...?

A tasca, typical and popular in Graça, with a very good reputation. Classics of Portuguese cuisine, Bacalhau a braz, and meat dishes. We eat a simple cuisine with gargantuan parts. A slightly old-fashioned atmosphere that has lived, but that's what makes it so charming. A warm welcome, to sum up in two words: "bon vivant". Plan time because, as a victim of its success, the restaurant is full for lunch. However, the service is generally quite fast once installed at the table.

A traditional "tasquinha" as we like them, only a few tables to taste a simple and excellent cuisine. A typical decoration with some ceramic dishes on the walls where you can read some sayings. To tell you the atmosphere of the house, one of them says "here the customer is the most important of the house"! We totally agree! A very good address to eat a grilled fish, cod or a dish of the day. Although located in a smart district, it keeps a good quality-price ratio and thus remains a sure value.

Open only in the beautiful days, under trees and parasols, for those who missed on June 13 th (the Saint-Antoine!), one of the nice places to graze on sardines (during the season of the small fish mascot of the capital: June to July) or other fish of the day or cuttlefish (venom), the rest of the time. Despite a inconsistent service, the atmosphere is very typical with the tables timed on a level of the calçadinha and the grill before you… Hence the interest of going to be outside the summer (history of writing even if there are few other possibilities given the calendar and space of this restaurant!) with less risk than your clothes you talk about tides for a week. In addition, we love roasted peppers, fried with olive oil and with onions and then the sangria in good agreement!

In a rustic room, everyone is placed side by side according to their order of arrival, regardless of because everyone here is friends, or in any case treated as such. Petiscos and rich food dishes from the Minho region: fried rabbit, grilled cabri, fish (sável/shad). Depending on the age and season it is possible, here, to the north of Lisbon to enjoy game and fish caught in fresh water…

Located in the d'Alcântara district, this restaurant will surprise you with its simple but refined cuisine. The decoration of the two rooms with Art Deco trends has been thought through in detail by the owner. The latter offers contemporary Portuguese cuisine made with fresh and high-quality products: mature veal, cod, octopus or sea bream with almonds, accompanied by a good selection of wines. The terrace covered by a superb bougainvillea has a unique charm and, in the evening, the lights make this place magical.

Close to the Praça dos Touros (bullring), this fine family-run restaurant is worth its weight in gold, as it specializes in typical Portuguese regional cuisine! Since the mid-1980s, the "Perchoir" has been developing a deliciously classic cuisine: cod pataniscas (fritters), scrambled eggs withalheira (game sausage), rice with eel, cod with lagareira, cabri chops... Beautifully presented, with the flavours of yesteryear. Recently selected as one of Lisbon's top 25 restaurants, a real treat!

In a street parallel to Almirante Reis Avenue, with a typical Portuguese decoration and a special attention to presentation, Franginho Real offers well elaborated Portuguese dishes made mainly with meat (not recommended for vegetarians). One of the specialties, "O frango a guia", a chicken with a small preparation, is to be discovered. As curiosities: a caipirinha and starters with grilled sausages. An elaborate range of wines.

In a usual rather harsh setting with an aluminium counter and half-height tiles on the walls, the menu offers us some classics: sprinkle with mariscos, sprinkle with tamboril, açorda with mariscos, fondues, porco carne na cataplana and then quite a few grilled fish with rice or potatoes. The products are fresh, the wines mainly from the Douro and Alentejo, the service is well established and the clientele is 90% satisfied. Don't miss the last Friday of the month, the meal singing with very good fado artists!

A few steps from A Brasileira's glorious past, between its old decoration, its waiters in large aprons and its famous cakes, this house has the favours of many Lisbonites who sit inside (with restaurant at the back) or on the terrace. Greed sometimes imposes sacrifices, such as submitting to a cashier who is impassive and not always friendly. If you have opted for a (more expensive) table, you can point out to the server what you want. And, no mercy for the croissants!

You'll love this address, that's for sure! A large room with marble tables and rustic wooden chairs, walls decorated with objects from yesteryear: everything is there to immerse you in the atmosphere. There's no doubt you're in Portugal! Behind the counter, you can watch the chef prepare your dish before it reaches your table. The portions are very generous. Friendly service. A very good address for Portuguese food. Reservations required if you want a table.

A real tasca as we like them! Hidden in a small street, this restaurant is a pearl that should not be disclosed to everyone. A menu with typical meat dishes( Portuguesecozido, pork secretos, grilled meats...) and fish dishes (cod, grilled fish, octopus Lagareiro style), but also other options for vegetarians (omelette, vegetarian burger). All this at unbeatable prices (for now). If you're lucky, you'll come one day when they have frango assado, the famous Portuguese grilled chicken.

We can't get enough of these nice little Portuguese canteens. Sacco belongs to this category. Not far from Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, and from the miradouro of Torrel, its small terrace awaits you for a dinner in the tradition. Inside, the room is decorated in a modest but welcoming way with panelling on the walls and paintings showing the particularities of Lisbon. You will find all the dishes that make the success of the local cuisine. The reception is very friendly and, if you come early, they even let you just have a drink on the terrace.

A historic restaurant in town, in existence since 1930, changing owners from time to time. Here, hams are hung for customers to see, and on the wall is an attractive collection of wooden clocks. You'll find all the hallmarks of a proper tasca, including the prices. Incidentally, that's why there's a queue outside, as it's not always easy to get a table - the place isn't very big. In any case, this is an address to remember for an inexpensive meal in the midst of the touristy restaurants.

This restaurant, in the heart of Alfama, not far from the cathedral, offers atypical cuisine, as its owners like to say. Inside, you'll find a typical Lisbon atmosphere, with calçadas on the floor and beautiful wooden tables for a rustic touch. On your plates: cabbage tempura with kimchi, or mille-feuille with pastel de nata and cinnamon ice cream... You can also opt for a wine tasting package, which includes five wines and five tapas whose ingredients are related to the region of the wine tasted.

This restaurant focuses on the classics, without trying to revisit Portuguese cuisine. In the heart of the Mouraria, it makes sense to stick to tradition. Chef Sandra Carvalho prepares dishes such as octopus (which we recommend, as it's unanimously acclaimed by customers) and duck with moscatel reduction. They also have a fine selection of Porto wines to drink by the glass after the meal. The cosy setting creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

A good address a little hidden, far from the rush of the city center. As its name indicates, petiscos are waiting for you. We are in the true Portuguese tradition: octopus salad, choco frito, peixinhos d'horta or the very famous chorizo assado. All this at very reasonable prices. In a modern decor and with only 20 seats, the place is intimate and you will surely have to reserve to have a table. The desserts are homemade, so we advise you to keep some space to taste them.