Lisbon Food and Drink Guide

Guide to the Best Food and Drink in Lisbon Portugal

As is the case in most of Portugal, Lisbon has an excellent food and drink scene, with eating out a large part of the local life and culture.

Lisbon is famed for its seafood and doe an amazing job of combining traditional Portuguese dishes with a modern twist – one of the major reasons I fell in love with the city.

The following guides will help you find some of the top places to eat and drink in Lisbon, to compliment all the busy sight-seeing you’ll be doing.

Guided Food Tours in Lisbon

For all of you foodies who are looking to try the best food in Lisbon, a guided food tour is highly recommended.

When travelling abroad it can often be the case that eating out and trying ‘local’ foods can be difficult for tourists and slightly overwhelming. Most of the best places aren’t overly ‘tourist friendly’ and understanding the language, menus and culture can be difficult.

A guided food tour means you taken around Lisbon by a local guide, who knows the language and knows the best places.

The tours look after everything for you – they have reserved places to sit in busy restaurants, they pick the dishes (with an explanation about the history), and they hand the ordering/language barrier.

This makes for a much more comfortable experience, and when I’m on a food tour I often find my self trying things I would never order myself or just didn’t know existed.

So if you’re only in Lisbon a few days try a guided food tour – you won’t be disappointed!

Breakfast and Brunch in Lisbon

Breakfast (pequeno almoço in Portuguese) is one of my favourite meals to have in Lisbon. Lisbon boasts a huge range of breakfast and brunch bars, from the traditional Portuguese cafes to more modern brunch restaurants.

Have a look at our breakfast guides in Lisbon and find out the best place to get coffee and pastel de nata’s. You’ll need a big breakfast to set yourself up for a for a day of exploring all the attractions Lisbon has to offer!

Drinks in Lisbon

To accompany the excellent food scene in Lisbon the city has plenty of excellent

What Time do people Eat in Lisbon?

Much like Spain, the Portuguese culture is to have dinner late, with evening meals often starting at around 8pm and going long into the night.

However, if you’re like me, and you like to eat dinner a little earlier there are still plenty of options available to you and the city is set up with tourists in minds. Restaurants are open generally from 7pm.

So, if you’re looking to experience a more traditional meal, and a more lively atmosphere when eating, I would recommend booking a table for around 8pm.

How Do I book a Restaurant in Lisbon?

Some of the more local and traditional restaurants can’t be pre-booked and you need to turn up and hope for the best. If you find a place you want to eat and this is the case, it’s best to arrive early or potentially face long queues.

Over the last few years, as more places use the internet and social media to advertise, there has been a surge in Lisbon restaurants that can be booked online through the website, or by messaging them on their social media platforms.

We made 2 or 3 bookings via Facebook when we went to Lisbon last by messaging them.

We also recommend trying OpenTable for an online pain free booking.

Traditional Lisbon Food and Drink

The most famous traditional dish to try in Lisbon is Bacalhau à Brás – a combination of shredded salted cod, onions, and thinly chopped fried potatoes, bound together with scrambled eggs.

Another favourite is Caldo Verde – a hearty green soup made with finely shredded kale, potatoes, and chorizo. This dish is a staple in Portuguese homes and is often enjoyed during festive celebrations.

For meat lovers, you have to try the Bifana (my personal favourite) – a juicy pork sandwich seasoned with garlic and spices.

Lastly (and you probably already know this), Lisbon is famous for its custard tarts, known as Patsel de Nata. A crispy, flaky crust filled with creamy custard.

To accompany your meal, try Ginjinha, a sweet cherry liqueur typically served as a shot.

If you’re interested in learning how to cook traditional Lisbon dishes, consider taking a Portuguese cooking class – a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

More on Visit-Lisbon