What to Eat in Lisbon: 15 Dishes to Try and Where

Lisbon’s classics are simple: custard tarts warm from the oven, pork rolls at a standing counter, clams in garlic and olive oil, sardines grilled in the street in June and a shot of cherry liqueur by Rossio. Here are 15 dishes and drinks to try, with one or two places for each that are open in 2026.

Quick answer: start with a pastel de nata at Manteigaria, Pastéis de Belém or Aloma (the 2026 contest winner), a bifana at O Trevo or As Bifanas do Afonso, amêijoas à Bulhão Pato and a prego at Cervejaria Ramiro, sardines at the June street parties and a ginjinha at A Ginjinha by Rossio.

Pastries and sweets

1. Pastel de nata

Lisbon’s famous custard tart: flaky pastry and a just-set custard with dark, blistered spots on top. Eat it warm with cinnamon. Expect to pay about €1.30 to €1.60 at the best-known bakeries.

• Manteigaria: the original shop is on Rua do Loreto in Chiado, with branches in Rossio, Belém, Campo de Ourique and more.
• Pastéis de Belém: near the Jerónimos Monastery, open every day and baking to its secret recipe since 1837. Skip the takeaway queue and go inside for a table.
• Aloma: won Lisbon’s official Best Pastel de Nata contest in 2026 for the third year running. The main shop is at Rua Francisco Metrass 67 in Campo de Ourique.

2. Bolo de arroz

A tall rice-flour muffin with a hint of lemon, baked in a paper case with a crunchy sugar top. It’s a classic breakfast with a galão (milky coffee in a glass), and almost every pastry shop sells it.

• Confeitaria Nacional: on Praça da Figueira since 1829, and it calls the bolo de arroz one of its house specialities.

3. Travesseiro

Sintra’s “pillow”: puff pastry rolled around an egg and almond cream. Have one after the palaces; trains from Rossio take about 40 minutes. See visiting Sintra.

• Piriquita: the family bakery on Rua das Padarias in Sintra’s old town, going since 1862. It also has a Lisbon shop on Avenida de Roma and a stand in El Corte Inglés.

Sandwiches and snacks

4. Bifana

Thin slices of pork simmered in garlic, white wine and paprika in a soft roll. Add mustard and order a small draught beer, an imperial.

• O Trevo: at Praça Luís de Camões 48 in Chiado, the counter Anthony Bourdain loved. Packed, fast and a little gruff, open Monday to Saturday. Bring cash, just in case.
• As Bifanas do Afonso: a tiny counter at Rua da Madalena 146, below the cathedral, with the pork bubbling in a pan by the window. About €2.50 to €3.50 in 2026 listings. It usually opens on weekdays only.

5. Prego

The beef version: a thin garlicky steak in a roll, or no prato, on a plate with a fried egg and chips. In seafood beer halls, locals order one at the end of a shellfish meal, almost as a dessert.

• Cervejaria Ramiro: the most famous place to finish that way (see dish 11).

6. Pão com chouriço

Bread dough baked around slices of smoky chouriço, ideally in a wood-fired oven, so the fat soaks into the crumb. A late-night snack and a June festival favourite.

• A Merendeira: on Avenida 24 de Julho in Santos, near the Cais do Sodré bars. Wood-fired ovens, caldo verde on the side, and open into the early morning.

7. Caracóis (snails)

A summer ritual: small snails simmered with garlic, oregano and bay, picked out with a toothpick and eaten with cold beer, roughly from May to August. Look for a sign saying “Há caracóis” (we have snails) on café doors.

• O Lutador: a tasca in Alcântara, about €9 a portion in Time Out Lisboa’s July 2026 list.
• Júlio dos Caracóis: a huge, no-frills snail house in Marvila, in the east of the city.

Fish and seafood

8. Grilled sardines

Whole sardines grilled over charcoal with coarse salt, eaten on bread that soaks up the juices. They’re best from about June to September. See Portuguese sardines.

• The June street parties: during the Santos Populares, above all on the night of 12 June, grills fill the squares of Alfama, Mouraria, Graça and Bica. A sardine on bread costs a few euros.

9. Bacalhau à Brás

Portugal has hundreds of salt cod recipes, and this one is Lisbon’s own: shredded cod with onion, matchstick fries and soft scrambled egg, topped with olives and parsley. It’s said to be named after a Bairro Alto tavern keeper. See our bacalhau guide.

• Laurentina: O Rei do Bacalhau (the king of cod), on Avenida Conde Valbom in Avenidas Novas since 1976, with cod cooked many ways. Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

10. Polvo à lagareiro

Tender roast octopus served swimming in hot olive oil and garlic, with small crushed potatoes. A lagareiro is an olive-press worker, a nod to all that oil, so keep some bread back.

• Adega das Gravatas: a 1908 tavern in the old village of Carnide (blue metro line), with thousands of signed ties hanging from the ceiling. Its octopus earned it a place on TasteAtlas’s list of the world’s most legendary restaurants. Closed on Mondays.

11. Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Clams steamed open with olive oil, garlic and coriander, named after the 19th-century poet Bulhão Pato. Mop up the juice with bread. See Portuguese seafood.

• Cervejaria Ramiro: Lisbon’s best-known seafood beer hall, on Avenida Almirante Reis in Intendente. Order clams, prawns and a beer, then a prego. Expect queues. Closed on Mondays.

Meat and stews

12. Cozido à portuguesa

A huge boiled feast of beef, pork, chicken and smoked sausages such as chouriço and morcela (blood sausage), with cabbage, carrots, turnip and potatoes. It’s a cold-weather dish, usually served on a set day of the week from autumn to spring.

• Varanda de Lisboa: the Hotel Mundial’s restaurant, near Martim Moniz, served it at Thursday lunch in the 2025–26 winter (about €24 with starter, dessert and wine). Check it’s back on before you go.

13. Frango piri-piri

Spit-roasted chicken brushed with chilli oil, served with chips and salad. The sauce can be fiery, so try a drop first.

• Bonjardim: the self-styled Rei dos Frangos (king of chickens) on Travessa de Santo Antão, just off Restauradores, roasting chickens since 1959. Open daily; midday has the shortest queues.

Drinks

14. Ginjinha

Sweet sour-cherry liqueur, drunk from a tiny glass on the pavement. Order it com elas (with the cherries) or sem elas (without). It’s strong, usually around 18 to 24%.

• A Ginjinha: the tiny counter on Largo de São Domingos, by Rossio, opened around 1840 by Francisco Espinheira. About €1.50 to €2 a glass, open daily from morning until late evening.

15. Vinho verde

Light, fresh and sometimes slightly fizzy wine from Portugal’s green northwest, and the classic match for sardines and clams. Almost every tasca serves it by the glass. See the vinho verde guide.

Want to try lots at once? A food tour covers several of these in one afternoon, often a bifana or prego, cheese, ginjinha, wine and a pastel de nata. See Lisbon food tours.

Tips for eating out in Lisbon

• The couvert: bread, olives or cheese put on the table aren’t free. You only pay if you eat them, so send them back if you don’t want them.
• Prato do dia: the lunchtime dish of the day, often chalked up outside tascas, is the best value in the city.
• Eating times: lunch runs from about 12:30 to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30 or 8pm. Many small places close in between.
• Seafood by weight: ask the price before your fish or shellfish is cooked.
• Markets: the Time Out Market at Cais do Sodré opens daily, with many Lisbon kitchens under one roof; avoid the 12:30 to 2:30pm rush. Fresh food markets are best in the morning, and most close on Sundays. See Lisbon food markets.

FAQ

What food is Lisbon famous for?

The pastel de nata above all, then the bifana, grilled sardines in June, bacalhau à Brás and clams à Bulhão Pato, with a ginjinha by Rossio.

Where is the best pastel de nata in Lisbon?

Aloma in Campo de Ourique won the city’s official contest in 2026, for the third year in a row. Manteigaria and Pastéis de Belém are the other big names.

When are sardines and snails in season?

Sardines are best from about June to September, peaking at the June street parties. Snails are a summer dish, roughly May to August.

Are Lisbon restaurants open on Sundays and Mondays?

Many traditional places close one day a week. Laurentina and O Trevo close on Sundays, Cervejaria Ramiro and Adega das Gravatas on Mondays, and As Bifanas do Afonso usually opens on weekdays only. The Time Out Market opens daily.

More: what to eat in Portugal, what to eat in Porto and Lisbon on a budget.

See also: the best pastel de nata in Lisbon, bifanas and pregos, ginjinha, Portuguese desserts, Lisbon food markets, food tours in Portugal, the Santo António festival and the best restaurants in Lisbon.

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