The Lisbon food scene has undergone tremendous change in the last few years and continues to explode with restaurants opening fast and furious. A wave of influential young local chefs, including Pedro Pena Bastos, Henrique Sá Pessoa and, of course, the legendary Jose Avillez, have remained true to Portuguese table culture while reimagining it, taking advantage of the endless bounty of the sea and coastline. , mountains, plains and vineyards. International chefs also arrived, offering diversity on an almost uniquely Portuguese platform before.
But dining out here isn’t just about fashion or trends; Food is held in high esteem by the Lisboetas, and eating out is a necessity rather than a luxury. Just be sure to book a table and these best places to eat.
Read on for our experts’ unmissable restaurant picks; Here we have guides to the city’s best hotels, bars, shopping malls and attractions, as well as how to spend a weekend in Lisbon.
Belem
Feitoria
Feitoria is located right on the banks of the Tagus River in historic Belém, where the great Portuguese explorers sailed. This gourmet restaurant pays tribute to the spices found on these journeys and incorporates them into the menu. New chef Andre Cruz retained the restaurant’s Michelin star and introduced tasting menus featuring plant-based options. His dishes show great respect for the original ingredients he uses. Try cod, potatoes and truffles or Malagueta pudding, chocolate and goat’s milk. The wine pairing is expertly done with little-known gems from around the country. The Nanban panel covered with gold leaf at the entrance sets the atmosphere.
To contact: restaurantefeitoria.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Kanalha
When Chef João Rodrigues left Feitoria, he knew he wanted to replace his previous Michelin-style cuisine with something freer and more fun. Step into Canalha, a lively restaurant with a real neighborhood atmosphere. Expect a line to form at the door and your dinner to go quickly in two sittings. Start with the perfectly crispy cod cakes and then order the garlic red shrimp, fried egg and chips or the open tortilla with shrimp and onion and sit back and watch João and Head Chef Brazilian Livia Orofino prepare the delicacies in the open kitchen.
To contact: 962 152 742
Price:%s: ££
Reservations: Necessary
Chiado
Taking
This warm and inviting restaurant has simple interiors of stone floors, wooden tables and vaulted stone arches, all lit by bronze lamps. In the open kitchen you’ll find Henrique Sá Pessoa, who earned his first Michelin star in 2017 and his second Michelin star in 2019. The low ceilings and friendly atmosphere allow you to concentrate on the plates that reveal the heart of Portugal’s food lovers. Menus range from a five-course, sea-inspired ‘coast to coast’ option to a tasting menu of Sá Pessoa’s best-loved dishes. Don’t miss the first one, the red shrimp with pumpkin, harissa and black garlic.
To contact: almalisboa.pt
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
taberna
The delicious and simple tavern food here is a favorite of the Jose Avillez empire. In the shadow of giant hams hanging from the ceiling and a counter stocking Portugal’s best cheeses, sample favorites like the Prego (steak) sandwich with mustard butter, made from the typical Bolo do Caco flatbread. But don’t miss the traditional beef croquettes or the octopus with garlic, kimchi sauce and sweet potatoes. Accompany these sharing dishes with one of their many selections of Portuguese wines and then finish with a glass of port and Taberna’s own chocolate cake.
To contact: bairrodoavillez.pt
Price:%s: £
Reservations: Recommended
Cru Bar
Located in a corner of the new Ivens Hotel, Cru Bar, decorated by Lazaro Rosa-Violan, has an airy beach atmosphere with its turquoise-striped plates, rattan furniture and walls covered with photographs. The food is absolutely superb, from traditionally dressed brown crab to the freshest oysters, poached prawns with garlic mayonnaise and lemon, to tuna tartare with avocado and wasabi. For a perfect finish, try the prego do lombo, a steak sandwich with pudding, just like the locals. What a pleasure.
To contact: theivenshotel.com
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Baixa
prado
Highly balanced, ingredient-focused, farm-to-table food, served with seductive simplicity in a modest, spacious and lush space, is what makes Prado in Lisbon unmissable. The city restaurant is housed in a former 19th-century factory for candied fruit and biscuits that Ark Studio designed to feel like an idyllic paradise, with greenery flowing over white walls. In January, the young and multi-talented António Galapito, who celebrated Portugal’s bounty with dazzling dishes like Minhota beef tartare wrapped in grilled cabbage; smoked bluefin tuna belly, kumquat and bergamot mint; and the sensational mushroom ice cream with pearl barley, dulse and caramel.
To contact: pradorestaurante.com
Price:%s: ££
Reservations: Necessary
Chiado
Las Dos Manos
Located directly opposite one of Lisbon’s scenic spots, the miradouros, this new Mexican restaurant with a Japanese twist, with its dazzling turquoise tiles and Frida Kalho mural, proves to be as interesting as the view across from the capital’s red roofs. At the helm is acclaimed chef Kiko Martins, who brings a fresh and vibrant take on Mexican cuisine, weaving the best of Portuguese ingredients and Japanese techniques into Mexican cuisine. Try the quesadilla with shrimp, mozzarella, feta, pak choy, lemon and ginger, or the tortilla with tiger shrimp tempura.
To contact: lasdosmanos
Price:%s: ££
Reservation: Recommended
belcanto
José Avillez has long been a pioneer in bringing Portuguese cuisine to the world and is still going strong. If you want to understand the nuances of Portuguese cuisine, the traditions that the country holds close and the flavors it holds even closer, Belcanto, its two-Michelin-starred restaurant, is the place to go. Here, you will feel the Lisbon light reflected from the Tagus River, the pull of the sea woven with the DNA of the people, and taste the signature dishes of Avillez over the years, from the Goose Garden that lays the golden eggs to its offspring. Pork with orange peel puree.
To contact: https://www.belcanto.pt
Price: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Avenida da Liberdade
Liberta’s Kitchen
Liberta Kitchen attracts with its affordable Italian cuisine by talented Chef Silvio Armanni. Its produce-focused menu uses the best seasonal ingredients from both Portugal (beef from the Azores, oysters from the Algarve) and its home country (polenta, olives from Rovetto). Pancake from Sicily, Sardinia) to make you come back and come back. There is a 5-course Tasting Menu, but whatever you do, don’t miss the ‘casoncelli alla Bergamasca’, homemade meat ravioli with pancetta, sage, brown butter and parmesan. During the summer months the tables spill out into the street and there is Apertivo hour from 17.00 to 19.00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
To contact: liberta.kitchen/
Price: £
Reservations: Recommended
Kabuki Lisbon
It’s the first Portuguese outpost of this acclaimed group from Madrid, known for its masterful fusion of Japanese and Spanish cuisine. Spread over three floors, the property includes a bar and a restaurant with tables and counter seating (definitely the best option for foodies). The tasting menu offers a full reflection of its cuisine, with flavors ranging from Wagyu teriyaki to ponzulu hamachi, but the à la carte menu has a wide selection that includes sushi, nigiri sushi, makis and tezki. Pa Amb Tomaquet, where foie gras meets scallops or tuna with a combination of Spanish bread and tomatoes, is among those not to be missed. This is something that will impress even the most serious foodie.
To contact: grupokabuki.com/kabuki-lisboa
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Principe Real
tapisco
The fun and lively atmosphere combined with excellent, delicious snacks from the Iberian peninsula make this a popular choice for a quick lunch or dinner. Taking its name from the fusion of Spanish Tapas and Portuguese Petiscos, Chef Henrique Sa Pessoa highlights the best of both worlds. Try the octopus salad or the fried squid with coriander, mayonnaise and lemon. It’s worth getting there early before eating, on the street outside, to have a drink from the rather impressive list of Vermouths and red and white wines from both sides of the border.
To contact: tapisco.pt
Price: ££
Reservations: just come in
Mouraria
Cervejaria Ramiro
This much-loved restaurant is famous for its fresh seafood and has been going strong for over 70 years; Its tiled interiors bear witness to this and offer an authentic glimpse into the Lisbon of the past. The neighborhood takes its name from the Moors who were allowed to live here after the Christian reconquest of Lisbon in 1147. When you walk in the door you’ll see giant aquariums filled with spider crabs, rock lobsters and tiger shrimps. But start with homemade pata negra (smoked ham) or a plate of garlic oysters or goose mussels, and finish with delicious azeitão cheese.
To contact: cervejariaramiro.com
Price:%s: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Cura
Befitting their Michelin star, the newly opened Cura raises the bar of gastronomy in Lisbon. Portuguese Chef Pedro Pena Bastos presents dishes from his hometown from a new perspective. Turbot, black trumpet mushrooms, barnacles and lemongrass are paired with black truffle onions, buckwheat and lemon-thyme. Do not taste the calamari at any cost; A delectable dish of hazelnuts, bergamot, roasted seaweed oil and caviar outshines even Miguel Cancio Martins’ elegant interiors.
To contact: fourseason.com/lisbon
Price:%s: £££
Reservations: Necessary
Cais do Sodre
brilhante
A timeless, French-inspired brasserie that ticks all the boxes. In the interiors, wood paneling blends with brass-studded red leather, red velvet, fringed lamps and curtained windows. In the middle of the restaurant is a low-rise kitchen where classic brasserie dishes are served with confidence. For starters, try the oyster or salmon blinis or the mustard veal croquettes. Follow this with the signature steak Brilhante, a twist on a centuries-old, popular Lisbon dish, the Marrare steak, or the excellent sole Meunierè with truffle mashed potatoes.
To contact: restaurantebrilhante.pt
Price:%s: ££
Reservations: Recommended