Eating in Lisbon

Lisbon rewards people who eat the way the locals do, which is often quickly, standing at a counter, in small portions and several times a day. The city is built on hills, and you will have walked off whatever you ate by the time the next stop comes around. Here are the stops worth planning your days around.

ChapterThe custard tart, properly

The pastel de nata, a flaky tart filled with egg custard and baked until the top blisters and darkens, was developed by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém. The bakery next door, Pastéis de Belém, has been making them since 1837 from a recipe that it keeps secret. Eat one warm, with a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar, and order two, because one will not be enough.

There is usually a queue at the take-away counter, but the line for the dining rooms at the back moves faster than it looks. Sit down if you can.

In the city centre, Manteigaria in Chiado bakes its tarts in view of the counter, and you can watch the next batch come out. They are best eaten within minutes.

ChapterOne shot of ginjinha

Ginjinha is a sweet, sour-cherry liqueur served in a small cup, and a few tiny bars in the old centre sell little else. At A Ginjinha, near Rossio, you can stand at the counter and order it with the fruit or without. It takes less than a minute, costs very little, and is a ritual that almost every visitor repeats.

ChapterUnder one roof

Time Out Market is the city's best-known food hall, housed in the old Mercado da Ribeira near the river. It collects stalls from well-known chefs, bakers and traditional restaurants under a high roof with shared tables, so it works well when your group cannot agree on what to eat. Expect it to be crowded at lunch and dinner, and go off-peak if you can.

ChapterSeafood at a beer hall

A cervejaria is a beer hall that specialises in seafood, with tanks of live shellfish and a loud, cheerful room. Cervejaria Ramiro is the best known: order a plate of prawns, clams and whichever crab or barnacles look best, and finish with a prego, a small steak sandwich, as dessert. Prices depend on the weight of the shellfish, so ask before you order, and expect to wait for a table at peak hours.

ChapterWhat else to order

Bacalhau, salt cod, is the national dish, with hundreds of ways to prepare it. A bifana, a pork sandwich in a soft roll, is a cheap and filling lunch. In summer, and especially around the festival of Saint Anthony in June, grilled sardines are everywhere. Caldo verde, a soup of kale and potato, makes a gentle start when you arrive off a flight.

ChapterPractical notes

Many small restaurants close on Sundays or Mondays, and the kitchen may close between lunch and dinner. A plate of bread, olives and cheese placed on your table is not free, and you will be charged for what you eat. Wine by the glass is inexpensive, and a house white or red is a good choice with most dishes.

ChapterWhen to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons to eat your way across the city. Summer is warm and brings the sardine season and festivals, and winter is mild, with soup weather and fewer queues.

Check current details: Visit Lisboa.