If you’re searching for the best foods in Lisbon, Portugal, you’ve landed in the right place. Lisbon has quietly become one of Europe’s top food cities, and the restaurant scene reflects it: traditional taverns sit alongside innovative modern kitchens, and the street food alone is worth the trip. Portugal’s long Atlantic coastline means fresh seafood is everywhere, but the typical food in Lisbon goes well beyond fish. Cured meats, aged cheeses, egg custard tarts, cherry liqueur shots in chocolate cups: this city feeds you at every turn.
If you’re planning a trip and wondering what to eat in Lisbon, read on. Here are 7 dishes you must try.
What is Portuguese Food Like?
Portugal is flanked on one side by a long, rambling coastline and is famous for its fresh fish and seafood. Like the Spanish, they also produce a lot of cured meats as well as some fabulous cheeses. Pair these with some of the country’s fantastic wines, you’ve got yourself some delicious and unforgettable meals.
In Lisbon, you’ll be blown away by neighborhoods such as Bairro Alto, where it seems like every second building is a restaurant! If your Portuguese isn’t quite up to par and you’re at a loss at what to order, you can bet on one of these tasty Portuguese typical foods to hit the spot…
#1. Pastel de Nata: Portuguese Custard Tart
Pastel de nata is the best food in Lisbon to start with, and probably the one most visitors have already heard of before they land. This flaky, creamy custard tart has inspired bakers from Hong Kong to Toronto, but the original can only be found here in Portugal.
The tart was created by monks in the early 1800s in Belém, a neighborhood on the western edge of Lisbon. Legend has it the recipe is still known by only a handful of people, none of whom are allowed on the same airplane together. Whether that’s true or not, one bite explains why they’d bother keeping the secret.
Get yours fresh from the oven, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Order at least half a dozen.
Where to Find the Best Pastel de Nata in Lisbon
Antiga Fábrica dos Pastéis de Belém is the originator: the bakery that has been making these tarts since 1837. It is one of the most visited spots in Lisbon for good reason and worth the trip out to Belém.
That said, Manteigaria, with locations in Chiado and Time Out Market, gives Pastéis de Belém a real run for its money. Many locals consider it the better of the two.
#2. Bacalhau: Salt Cod
Bacalhau is one of the most iconic foods in Lisbon and in all of Portugal. The Portuguese have been eating salted cod for over 500 years, and legend has it there are more than 1,000 different ways to prepare it. That’s not an exaggeration: you’ll find it on menus across the city in wildly different forms, from fritters to gratins to stews.
The process is simple but time-consuming: fresh cod is dried with salt, then rehydrated for 48 hours before cooking. Two versions worth seeking out are pastel de bacalhau, a crispy cod and potato fritter that makes a great snack while sightseeing, and bacalhau com natas, a rich gratin baked with cream and cheese that is as comforting as it sounds.
Where to Try Bacalhau in Lisbon
Laurentina, O Rei do Bacalhau in the Avenidas Novas neighborhood is the place to go. The name translates to “The King of Bacalhau” and the restaurant has been earning that title for decades.
#3. Gambas à Guilho: Garlic Prawns
Gambas à guilho is one of the simplest and most satisfying dishes you’ll find in Lisbon. Fresh prawns are fried in olive oil with plenty of garlic, a splash of brandy, and a bay leaf. That’s more or less it, and it’s fantastic. Ask your waiter to bring extra bread when you order: the sauce left in the pan is too good to leave behind.
Where to Try Gambas à Guilho in Lisbon
Cervejaria Ramiro is the classic choice. It’s a Lisbon institution that has been serving seafood since 1956, and the gambas à guilho here are as good as anywhere in the city. Buttered bread comes standard.
#4. Ginjinha: Cherry Liqueur in a Chocolate Cup
Ginjinha is not technically a dish, but no list of the best food and drink in Lisbon would be complete without it. It’s a sweet cherry liqueur, made from ginja berries, and has been a fixture of Lisbon street life for centuries. The Portuguese once used it as a folk remedy, which is as good an excuse as any to order another round.
What makes it special is the vessel: the traditional way to serve ginjinha in Lisbon is in a small shot glass made entirely of chocolate. You drink the liqueur, then eat the cup. It’s a small thing, but it’s one of those experiences that sticks with you long after the trip.
Where to Try Ginjinha in Lisbon
Head to Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood. Street vendors there sell homemade ginjinha in chocolate cups from the corners, and it’s as authentic as it gets. This is street food in Lisbon at its most charming.
#5. Alheira: Portuguese Sausage
Alheira is one of the most interesting dishes you’ll eat in Lisbon, and the history behind it is worth knowing. In the 1500s, the Portuguese king ordered all Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the country. Many stayed and outwardly converted while continuing to practice Judaism in secret. One problem: hanging pork sausages outside the home was a sign of Christian faith, and not having them was suspicious.
So they created alheira: a sausage made with poultry, bread, and paprika instead of pork. It looked enough like the real thing to satisfy the guards. Centuries later it’s one of the most popular dishes in Portugal, and the story behind it makes it taste even better.
Order it fried, served with a fried egg and sautéed potatoes.
Where to Try Alheira in Lisbon
Zé dos Cornos is a no-frills, old-school Lisbon spot that does alheira very well. Exactly the kind of place you want to be eating this dish.
#6. Queijo Amanteigado: Portuguese Buttered Cheese
Queijo amanteigado is a soft, spreadable cheese produced in Serra da Estrela, the mountain range in central Portugal. The name translates roughly to “buttered cheese,” which tells you everything you need to know about the texture: at room temperature it becomes so soft and creamy you can spread it directly onto bread. The flavor is mild and slightly tangy, and it pairs well with a glass of Portuguese white wine.
It’s the kind of thing you might overlook on a menu in favor of something more familiar, but don’t. This is one of the great cheeses of Europe and one of the best foods in Lisbon to seek out if you’re a cheese lover.
Where to Try Queijo Amanteigado in Lisbon
By The Wine is a wine bar in Chiado with a solid cheese and charcuterie board that includes queijo amanteigado. A good spot to try it alongside some local wines.
#7. Grilled Sardines
No country loves sardines quite like Portugal, and nowhere is that clearer than in Lisbon. Every June, the city hosts the Festas de Santo António, a month-long series of street parties built around live music, cold beer, and plates of fresh grilled sardines. It’s one of the best food experiences Lisbon has to offer, and if your trip overlaps with June, don’t miss it.
Fresh sardines are nothing like the tinned version. They’re much larger, and they’re served whole: head, bones, and all. If that puts you off, fair enough. But if you’re open to it, a grilled sardine with salt and olive oil on a thick slice of bread is one of the great simple pleasures of Portuguese food. It’s the typical way to eat them here and it works perfectly.
Where to Try Grilled Sardines in Lisbon
If you’re not visiting in June, head to O Portas in the Baixa neighborhood for sardines on bread done right.
#8. Bifana: Portuguese Pork Sandwich
The bifana is the definitive street food in Lisbon. You’ll find them at tascas and street stalls across the city: thin slices of pork marinated in garlic, white wine, and paprika, cooked down in their own juices and stuffed into a soft roll. Simple, cheap, and genuinely hard to stop at one.
Every spot has its own version. Some add mustard, some add piri piri sauce, some serve the roll dunked in the cooking liquid so it soaks through. There’s no single correct way, which is part of what makes trying them around the city so enjoyable.
If you’re looking for typical food in Lisbon that locals actually eat on a Tuesday afternoon, this is it.
Where to Try Bifana in Lisbon
The most celebrated bifanas in Lisbon are found at Casa das Bifanas near Praça da Figueira, a no-frills counter that has been doing this one thing well for years. Worth the detour.
#9. Petiscos: Portuguese Tapas
Petiscos are Portugal’s version of tapas: small plates of food meant to be shared over wine or beer, usually in the early evening before a proper dinner. A good petiscos spread might include cured meats, olives, small portions of bacalhau, prawns, cheese, and whatever the kitchen feels like putting out that day.
It’s one of the best ways to eat in Lisbon if you want to try as many flavors as possible without committing to a full sit-down meal. Pull up a stool at the right tasca and you can graze your way through a solid cross-section of Portuguese food in a single sitting.
Where to Try Petiscos in Lisbon
Taberna da Rua das Flores in Chiado is one of the most well regarded petiscos spots in the city, known for its rotating menu of market-driven small plates. Arrive early or expect to wait.
Lisbon’s food scene rewards curiosity. The dishes on this list are a starting point, but some of the best eating in the city happens when you wander into a tasca with no plan, point at something on the menu, and see what arrives. That’s the spirit of eating in Lisbon, and it rarely leads you wrong.
If you’ve tried any of these dishes or have a recommendation we missed, let us know in the comments below.
