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Lisbon's dining scene has evolved dramatically in recent years to include any number of high-end dining opportunities, but amid the international fare, Michelin-starred restaurants, and molecular gastronomy, the city's simplest and most traditional restaurants still do a roaring trade. Meals generally include three courses, a drink, and coffee. Many restaurants have an ementa turistica (tourist menu), a set-price meal, most often served at lunchtime. Note that you'll be charged a couple of euros if you eat any of the couvert items—typically appetizers such as bread and butter, olives, and the like—that are brought to your table without being ordered.
Lisbon's restaurants usually serve lunch from noon or 12:30 until 3 and dinner from 7:30 until 11; many establishments are closed Sunday or Monday. Inexpensive restaurants typically don't accept reservations. In the traditional cervejarias (beer-hall restaurants), which frequently have huge dining rooms, you'll probably have to wait for a table, but usually not more than 10 minutes. In the Bairro Alto, many of the reasonably priced tascas (taverns) are on the small side: if you can't grab a table, you're probably better off moving on to the next place. Throughout Lisbon, dress for meals is usually casual, but exceptions are noted below.
The cool, colorful restaurant on the ground floor of the Internacional Design Hotel in the heart of the Baixa is as cheeky and irreverent as its name suggests. Expect the unexpected on the menu, which takes the country's culinary traditions on fantastic flights of fancy in dishes like octopus with sweet potato, Bourbon, kimchi, and black garlic. The restaurant and the adjoining bar welcome non-guests.
Although the name suggests it's only open to members of the press, the Brazilian-owned Journalists' Club is an excellent restaurant open to everyone. It has a cozy dining room lined with azulejo tiles, but in the summer everyone usually heads straight to the pleasant garden and plops down at one of the umbrella-shaded tables.
Tropical blues, greens, and yellows make this dining room a standout, as does the lively soundtrack coming from the speakers and the excellent dishes from northeast Brazil. Enjoy a classic feijoada (rich black bean and meat stew), sip a potent caipirinha, and finish your meal with a passionfruit mousse or fresh tropical fruit.
Occupying a corner of one of downtown’s grandest squares, Delfina Cantina Portuguesa bills itself as an upscale Portuguese deli. It's the house restaurant at the chic AlmaLusa boutique hotel, but all are welcome to enjoy the tapas-style small plates throughout the day and night, as well as more substantial meals like bacalhau à brás (rich shredded cod).
The unpretentious bar-restaurant at trendy 1908 Lisboa Hotel is as stylish as the design hotel itself. The space has been tastefully designed to make the most of its historical building with a striking tiled floor, high ceilings, an exposed metal staircase, and windows on three sides. A pleasant place for brunch, lunch, or dinner, the eclectic menu features seafood, meat, and vegetarian options, many with Asian influences. There's a dedicated kids' menu, too.
The terrace at the chic Memmo Alfama Hotel has some of the neighborhood's best views, with tables and chairs arranged around a small infinity pool overlooking the city and the river. The menu centers around tapas-style small plates—the selection of Portuguese cheeses and meats, served with a basket of fresh-baked bread, is a good place to start.
This restaurant facing the courtyard of the Hotel Valverde focuses on contemporary Portuguese cuisine reinterpreted by the chef. Its brunch and afternoon tea is popular among locals who work nearby and those looking for a more intimate spot.
In this traditional restaurant, one of the oldest in Lisbon, the courteous staff serve up Portuguese classics and pair them with one of the 600 choices on the wine list. In the charmingly old-fashioned dining room, bottles are on display like works of art.
The intimate, dimly lit space and musical backdrop of tinkling jazz make a memorable setting for sampling delicious versions of traditional Portuguese food and drink. Standouts on the menu include possibly the creamiest bacalhau à brás (codfish mixed with egg and matchstick potatoes) in Lisbon, and a photo-worthy flaming choriço. The wine list is good, with a crowd-pleasing vinho verde and notable whites from the Alentejo. Bring cash, as international cards are not accepted.
There's a decent range of gin-based cocktails and light meals at Boca do Vento (literally, Mouth of the Wind), but the views are the real stars of the show. Perched high above the river Tagus, at the breezy entrance to the elevator that zips people between Almada Velha and the riverfront, it's a spectacular place for late afternoon drinks on the terrace.
The largest of Cacilhas's many marisqueiras (traditional seafood restaurants), Cabrinha has been doing a roaring business among locals and out-of-towners since 1978. Crustaceans of all shapes and sizes are priced by weight, while steaks, grilled fish, and the famous seafood stew will satisfy a hearty appetite without blowing the budget.
The tables outside this reliable café are the perfect place to watch the old trams go by, while an interior reading room offers a quiet space to relax with a book and a meal or snack. Less touristy than some of the others nearby, it still attracts artists from the neighboring theaters who stop for a drink.
Today it's a lively spot for petiscos and cocktails, but Casa Faz Frio was once the location for secret political meetings (and romantic trysts) thanks to its secluded gabinetes (booths). It's been given a top-to-toe overhaul, but retains its paneled booths, tiled floors, and other details from its more than 150 years of history. Light dishes such as chilled tomato soup and tapas-style plates for sharing make for sociable dining in a cozy bar-restaurant.
There’s an enormous array of top-quality Portuguese cheeses, wines, and petiscos on the menu at Grapes & Bites. Nightly live sets from talented local and international solo artists add an extra dash of panache to the proceedings.
For cod dishes prepared with great pride, come to this restaurant that's been specializing in all things bacalhau since 1976. Chef and owner António Pereira learned to cook in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, so expect a few Mozambican dishes alongside excellent renderings of Portuguese favorites like bacalhau à brás (creamy shredded cod with egg and potatoes).
Crustaceans of every shape and size are the specialty at this well-regarded restaurant, but the fish dishes are also delicious. The atmosphere is relaxed, the chefs take their work seriously, and the restaurant attracts locals in droves.
The oldest cervejaria (relaxed dining and drinking spot) in the region, O Farol has been serving cold beer, rich seafood stews, and delicious shellfish since 1890. The brightly lit space feels more functional than fashionable, but the crowds eating here are a testament to the outstanding seafood, and the sunset views over the river to Lisbon are magical.
This updated version of the traditional Portuguese tasca (tavern) is an informal space where everyone seems to start off with a gin and tonic—there are 80 gins on the list. That said, food is hardly an afterthought as the kitchen turns out all sorts of delicious plates like black rice with cuttlefish or braised tuna that are the perfect size to share.
A lively crowd gathers in the chic dining room of this contemporary restaurant (once the Swiss ambassador's residence), packs into the backyard terrace, and jostles for a spot at the cocktail bar. The zero-waste menu, which changes regularly, focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients, all sourced from Portuguese shores. There's an emphasis on fire and flame, so expect smoked, chargrilled, and barbecued treats like squid from the Azores and prawns from the Algarve. Daily vegetarian options ensures everyone is happy.
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