Eating Out
Price Categories
The restaurants are divided into the following price categories based on a meal for two:
€ = under €25
€€ = €25–50
€€€ = above €50
What to Eat
Portuguese food is simple and fresh, abundant and filling, with few complicated sauces, but strong flavours and lots of garlic, olive oil and herbs. Portions are more than filling, and you will often have to work hard to clean your plate. Shellfish is popular and is usually served by the gram: about 300 grams (10oz) is enough for one. (For more details about Portuguese food, for more information, click here.)
One word of caution: when you sit down for a meal you are often presented with a plate of appetisers – cheese, meat pastes, shellfish. These are not gifts of the house, as they might appear, and you will be charged for anything you eat or pick at. Shellfish, in particular, can be expensive.
Meal times are relaxed: lunch is between 1 and 3pm; dinner usually between 8 and 9.30pm. The menu or ementa turistica is a set menu, which usually includes a prato do dia (dish of the day) and is inexpensive; this may only be served at lunchtime. Eating out is generally cheap by European standards.
Choosing a Restaurant
Restaurants in Portugal are rated on a scale of one to four stars, depending on expense, decor and service. The quality of food does not necessarily relate to the rating: there are plenty of 1- and 2-star neighbourhood places that serve great food but don’t have any fancy trimmings.
Below are a few recommended restaurants, but there are, of course, many more. Pousada dining rooms are of consistently high standard (and are also usually expensive).
Drinking Notes
Port, the country’s major gift to the wine world, is drunk as an aperitif as well as a digestif. The best places to try it are the clubby Port Wine Institutes in Lisbon, at Rua São Pedro de Alcântara in the Bairro Alto, and the Solar do Vinho do Porto in the Jardim do Palacio de Cristal in Porto.
Madeira can be an aperitif, generally when it is dry (Sercial) or medium (Verdelho). A sweet version, Bual or Malmsey, is best for dessert.
Wine is red (tinto or maduro, mature), white (branco) or slightly sparkling verde (literally “green”, but vinho verde can be either white or red). Always try to drink the local wines. Vinho verde should be sampled in the north of the country, Ribatejo wines in the centre and Alentejo and Algarve wines in the south. (See Wine feature, page page 192.)
Adegas are wine cellars, the equivalent of Spanish bodegas. These can also be small restaurants.
Cervejarias are bars specialising in beers, but they are often indistinguishable from other bars. Beer (cerveja) is served by the bottle (garrafa), glass (imperial) or mug (caneca).
Ginginha or cherry brandy is a speciality of Lisbon and there are several tiny ginginha bars selling nothing else. A serving in a small paper cup, usually with a few black cherries, costs less than a euro.
Aguardente, the local eau de vie, is widely available, as is brandy. An aguardente velha for many Portuguese is a fine digestif.
Favourite Foods
Caldo verde, a cabbage and potato soup with chouriço (sausage).
Bacalhau (salt cod) is a national obsession. There are, supposedly, 365 ways to prepare it.
Carne de porco á Alentejana (clams and pork with fresh coriander) is a favourite meat dish.
Sardines: fat, fresh and ubiquitous near the coast.
Doces de ovos, or egg sweets, made with egg yolk, sugar and cinnamon and served as dessert.
Lisbon
It is wise to reserve a table at the more expensive restaurants. Bairro Alto is the best place to head for intimate tascas, the typical restaurants of the city.
A Commenda
Praça do Império, Belém (inside Cultural Centre)
Tel: 213 648 561
International and Portuguese cooking is on offer at this smart, chic restaurant, which has a great terrace with views over the sparkling blue Tagus. €€
Adega Tia Matilde
Rua do Beneficência, 77
Tel: 217 972 172
This charming family-run restaurant has a friendly atmosphere and serves up traditional homestyle Portuguese cooking . €€
Hotel Altis Belêm
Doca do Bom Sucesso
Tel: 210 400 208
A Michelin-starred choice, where Chef José Cordeiro blends exotic flavours from former Portuguese colonies with local traditions to create innovative, exciting cuisine, and you dine in a gorgeous contemporary setting. €€€
Bica do Sapato
Cais da Pedra á Bica do Sapeto
Tel: 218 810 320
Close to Lux club (for more information, click here), set on the waterfront with views over the Tagus, this offers enduringly trendy creative cuisine that is beautifully presented; the restaurant, like Lux, is part-owned by John Malkovich. €€€
Bocca
Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 87D
Tel: 213 808 383
Contemporary, sophisticated, this hip, stylish restaurant serves creative Portuguese cuisine. You can view the kitchen through a window from the dining room, and there’s a long and impressive wine list. €€€
Bonjardim
Travessa de Santo Antão, 12
Tel: 213 427 424
Some say it’s the best roast chicken in town. This is where to head when you’re in the mood for simple comfort food: piri-piri chicken, perfectly roasted, with heaps of chips. €
Bota Alta
Travessa da Queimada
Tel: 213 427 959
With lots of paintings and pictures on the walls, and cheery gingham tablecloths, this is a popular place in Bairro Alto, with hearty Portuguese dishes on the menu and a lively, convivial atmosphere. €
Buenos Aires
Calcada Escadinhas do Duque, 31B
Tel: 213 420 739
Melt-in-the-mouth Argentinian steak at this intimate yet lively restaurant set on a long flight of cobbled steps in Chiado; this is a romantic choice – for non-vegetarians, that is. €€
Casa do Leão
(in São Jorge castle)
Tel: 218 875 962
Not only does this place provide traditional Portuguese cuisine at its best, but it has an incredible setting on the castelo walls, and amazing views across the city. A tranquil, unparalleled spot. €€€
Cervejaria da Trindade
Rua Nova da Trindade, 20c
Tel: 213 423 506
Wall-to-wall tiled in ornate traditional, hand-painted tiles, which date from the 19th century – a roomy and very popular restaurant housed in the former refectory of theTrinos Friars. Go early at weekends. €
Doca Peixe
Doca de Santo Amaro, Armazém 13, Alcântara
Tel: 213 973 565
Down on the rejuvenated docks there is a wide choice of restaurants, and this is one of the best choices, serving superlative fresh fish and seafood, beautifully and simply cooked. €€
Eleven
Rua Marquês da Fronteira
Tel: 213 862 211
Set at the top of Eduaordo VII park, this is a minimalist, Michelin-starred choice, with lush city views through its huge plate-glass wall. €€€
Forno Velho
Rua do Salitre, 42
Tel: 213 533 706
A traditional setting and traditional food including goat roasted in the wood-fired stove and bacalhau con natas (cod cooked with cream); grilled fish and seafood soup are other specialities. €
Gambrinus
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 23
Tel: 213 421 466
In a pedestrianised street of restaurants, this is one of Lisbon’s most venerable choices, an elegant, traditional restaurant, with excellent seafood. Service is very good and the wine list is impressive. €€€
El Gordo II
Travessa dos Fiéis de Deus, 28
Tel: 213 426 372
This intimate place in the heart of Bairro Alto has a few tables out on the narrow street and serves delicious tapas. €€
Martinho da Arcada
Praça do Comércio
Tel: 218 879 259
Vintage restaurant serving Portuguese staples, such as bacalhau (cod) various different ways, under the arcades and yellow awnings at the corner of grand Praça do Comércio, close to the river. €€€
Pap’ Açorda
Rua da Atalaia, 57 (Bairro Alto)
Tel: 213 464 811
This characterful restaurant in Bairro Alto sees diners seated under huge glass chandeliers. It’s enduringly fashionable, with an excellent reputation, delicious traditional Portuguese cooking (açorda is a type of soup made with bread), and waiters with attitude. €€
Restô
Costa do Castelo, 7
Tel: 218 867 334
Set atop Alfama, this is the restaurant section of a performance arts cooperative. The food is nothing out of the ordinary, but there are fantastic views, as if you’re floating above the city; or opt for barbecue in the leafy courtyard. €€
Sol Dourado
Rua Jardim do Regador, 19–25 (off Restauradores)
Tel: 213 472 570
Cheerful setting, with a vaguely 1980s-feeling, red and black interior, tasty food. There are plenty of fish specialities, but grilled meats are also on offer. €
Solar dos Presuntos
Portas de Santo Antão, 150
Tel: 213 424 253
Hearty Minho food, specialising in seafood, this is a cheerful, welcoming place, in the street-of-many-restaurants. It attracts local business people, who come in droves to dine on octopus, lobster and so on. €
Tavares Rico
Rua da Misericórdia, 35–7
Tel: 213 421 112
Chandeliers, gold-framed stucco, gilded mirrors: this is Lisbon’s oldest and most sumptuous restaurant, enduringly exclusive, with a 19th-century ballroom feel. Cooking is sophisticated, traditional Portuguese, and service is helpful. €€€
Terreiro do Paço
Lisboa Welcome Centre, Praça do Comércio
Tel: 210 312 850
This has a fabulous location next to the Tagus river, with terraces overlooking the water. It also offers excellent Portuguese cuisine. Closed dinner Saturday and all Sunday. €€€
Around Lisbon
Cascais
Fortaleza do Guincho
Estrada do Guincho
Tel: 214 870 491
A splendid setting in an 18th-century fortress beside the sea; imaginative, well-presented food that combines French and Portuguese flavours and has earned the restaurant a Michelin star. €€€
Villa Albatroz
Rua Fernando Tomas, 1
Tel: 214 847 380
All the elegance of Cascais, this is part of a swish local boutique hotel, with a sunny terrace and wonderful panoramic sea views. Good seafood and gourmet Mediterranean cuisine. €€€
Sintra
Café de Paris
Praça da República
Tel: 219 232 375
In central Sintra, this long-standing restaurant has been open since 1920. It serves delicious fresh fish and seafood dishes. Friendly and efficient service. Good menu. €€
Hotel Palácio de Seteais
Avenida Barbosa du Bocage, 8
Tel: 219 233 200
Great food is served in marvellous style, within beautifully frescoed walls in an elegant dining room swathed in long draped curtains. €€€–€€€€
Algarve
Specialities Ameijoas na cataplana (clams with ham, sausage, parsley and pepper); fried sardines; snails; seafood in general.
Albufeira
A Ruina
Cais Herculano
Tel: 289 512 094
Enjoy good food and good views overlooking the ocean. Open since 1971, A Ruina has a terrace for the summer months, and an ancient well room in the interior. €€
Vila Joya
Tel: 289 591 795
Praia de Gale
With two Michelin stars to its name, this is a fabulous restaurant under the stewardship of Austrian Chef Dieter Koschina, at a 5-star boutique resort, which also offers sea views. The wine cellar has over 12,000 bottles. €€€€
Almancil
Henrique Leis
Vale Formoso
Tel: 289 393 438
The eponymous Brazilian chef of this exciting Algarve restaurant mixes the flavours of his homeland with French cuisine, to create wonderful,innovative dishes. The setting is a wooden house,filled with huge paintings. €€€
São Gabriel
Estrada Vale do Lobo–Quinta do Lago
Tel: 289 394 521
At lush resort Quinta do Lago, Chef Torsten Schulz heads up this splendid and creative Michelin-starred restaurant, with fantastic fusion cuisine served in a beautifully light, bright interior under wrought-iron chandeliers. €€€
Sr Frango
Estrada da Fonte Santa, Escanxinas
Tel: 289 393 756
With bright-coloured walls and brilliant-coloured paintings, this is a cheerful restaurant that’s renowned for one thing: chicken, charcoal-grilled to perfection. €
Faro
Adega Nova
Rua Francisco Barretto, 24
Tel: 289 813 433
Popular rustic place, with wood-beamed ceilings, housed in a cellar that was once a storehouse for tiles and bricks; it serves excellent, good-value food. €€
O Farol Cervejaria
Largo Dr Francisco Sá Carneiro
Tel: 289 813 394
Set next to Faro’s covered market, this offers tasty fresh fish, seafood and meat dishes it a simple setting with a large sun-shaded terrace. €€
Lagos
Adega Tipica A Forja
Rua dos Ferreiros, 17
Tel: 282 768 588
This always packed-out, buzzing, bustling place with excellent food, proffers excellent cuisine and service with tables crammed close together. €–€€
Don Sebastião Restaurante
Rua 25 de Abril, 20
Tel: 282 762 795
This white-arched restaurant serves top-quality fresh fish and seafood. On summer evenings it’s perfect to sit out at the tables out on the cobbled street. €€€
No Pátio
Rua Lançarote de Freitas, 46
Tel: 282 763 777
Quality food served in a pleasant courtyard setting in old Lagos; this English-owned place has a rustic feel and delicious cooking. €€
Loulé
A Muralha
Rua Martin Moniz, 41
Tel: 289 412 629
This has lots of charm, with white-washed walls laden with bourgainvillas. Varied menu including cataplana, seafood and chicken piri-piri served in the secluded walled garden or indoors. €€
Monte da Eira
Clareanes, on road from Loulé to Querença
Tel: 289 438 129
A modest farmhouse turned into a delightful restaurant. The interior is white-washed with arching wood beams, and they serve up Portuguese food with flavour and imagination. €€€
Olhão
O Lagar
Pechão, Belmonte de Cima.
Tel: 289 715 437
Olhão is a splendid place to sample seafood, and this family-run place is a good choice for eating and relaxing in an agreeable atmosphere, with excellent steaks as well as fish. €€
Portimão
Dona Barca
Largo da Barca
Tel: 282 484 189
A great place to linger over a lazy lunch, this is a popular spot in the middle of town, full of locals, and serving up traditional Portuguese dishes, grilled fish, seafood soup, and so on. €€
Taberna da Maré
Largo da Barca
Tel: 282 414 614
The Taberna da Maré is another reliable fish restaurant, dating to 1946. It has wooden trestle tables and benches outside, and a characterful, rustic interior – a great setting for eating the freshest seafood. €€
Sagres
A Tasca
Tel: 282 624 177
A large, popular restaurant above the fishermen’s bay, with a fantastic harbourside location and sea views to die for: its shellfish and fish are good and prices are reasonable considering the location. €€
Tavira
Quatro Aguas
Quatro Aguas
Tel: 281 325 329
A lovely, lively restaurant on the road south of Tavira, on the way to the Ilha de Tavira ferry, this has excellent fish and meat dishes and is a popular choice. €€€
Vilamoura
Willie’s
Rua do Brazil, 2
Tel: 289 380 849
Chef Willie Wurger, originally from Germany, specialises in the cuisine of Central Europe, and his eponymous restaurant serves up Michelin-starred cooking in a softly coloured, romantic and intimate setting. €€€
Alentejo
Specialities Açorda de alhos (bread soaked in broth that is strongly spiced with garlic); carne de porco á Alentejana (clams and pork with fresh coriander). Serpa and Beja cheeses.
Évora
Botequim da Mouraria
Rua da Mouraria, 16A
Tel: 266 746 775
Tiny, tucked away place: this has not many seats and a small menu of local specialities. The food and atmosphere are fantastic. €€
Dom Joaquim
Rua dos Penedos, 6
Tel: 266 731 105
Delicious dining in a chic contemporary setting, this is a contender for Évora’s best restaurant, with fantastic seafood dishes. €€€
Fialho’s
Travessa das Mascarenhas, 16
Tel: 266 703 079
You should book ahead for this place, a Portuguese favourite for classic regional food. Specialities include wild boar and slow-cooked lamb. €€€
Tasquinha do Oliveira
Rua Cândido dos Reis, 45-A
Tel: 266 744 841
This is a small restaurant (book ahead) offering typical, splendidly home-cooked Alentejan cuisine. There’s a good wine list and a friendly atmosphere. €€
Estremadura
Specialities Estremadura has excellent seafood, including arroz de marisco (seafood and rice). Ribatejo wines.
Tomar
Bela Vista
Traversa Fonte Choupo, 6
Tel: 249 312 870
This is an excellent, inexpensive restaurant with a fantastic setting by the river and a charming, rustic feel. Prices are very reasonable and food is superb. €€
Coimbra and Beira Litoral
Specialities The area is particularly well known for chanfana (kid stew); leitão (roast suckling pig); pastéis de Santa Clara (pastries).
Aveiro
Mercado do Peixe
Largo da Praça do Peixe
Tel: 234 383 511
Locations don’t get much more convenient for fresh seafood than this: overlooking fish market. This popular, stylish restaurant is full of locals dining on the freshest possible fish. €€
Coimbra
Dom Pedro
Avenida Emidio Navarro, 58
Tel: 239 829 108
This is Coimbra’s top restaurant, located near the tourist office, with a wonderfully traditional, tiled interior. It serves hearty regional cooking, such as chanfana (kid stew). €€€
Molho de Brocolos
Avenida Sa da Bandeira, 33–5
Tel: 239 091 309
Vegans and vegetarians don’t have it easy in Portugal, and thus a vegetarian restaurant is a welcome find: non-meat-eaters will be thrilled to enjoy some variation in their omelette-dominated diets. Varied and good food at reasonable prices. €€
Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas
Rua António Augusto Gonçalves
Tel: 239 802 380
A handsome 18th-century palace with lovely gardens – this hotel is the perfect setting for a splendid, special-occasion meal, with lavish Portuguese dishes on the menu and a great wine list making it a worthy holder of its Michelin star. €€€
Ze Manel dos Ossos
Beco do Forno, 12
Tel: 239 823 790
Charming little rustic place that is always packed, in tribute to great Portuguese food, with hearty dishes. Pork is the speciality, with dishes such as stewed pork with beans. €€
Beira Alta
Covilhã
Solneve
Rua Visconde de Coriscada, 126
Tel: 257 323 001
This cheerful, large-scale hotel restaurant serves up solid traditional cooking, specialising in meat dishes, such as roast kid and baked veal. €
Guarda
Hotel de Turismo
Tel: 271 223 366
At this well-maintained old hotel, you can expect good food and service in grand, old-school surroundings, with white linen tablecloths and lots of dark wood. €€
Seia
Hotel Eurosol Seia-Camelo
Avenida 1 de Maio
Tel: 238 310 100
This pleasing hotel is a good choice for lunch or dinner. It contains the wood-panelled restaurant Camelo, which specialises in local regional cuisine, served in a pleasant atmosphere. €€
Restaurante Regional de Serra
Avenida dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra, 14
Tel: 238 312 717
A popular place for hearty local specialities, the centrally located Restaurante Regional de Serra offers home-style cooking in substantial portions. €€
Viseu
Muralha da Sé
Adro da Sé, 24
Tel: 232 437 777
Near the cathedral, serving regional cooking, this smart, atmospheric choice has lots of rustic charm, with exposed flagstone walls. Delicious specialities include various octopus dishes, including roasted with red wine. €€
Porto
Specialities Port, of course, plus tripas á moda do Porto (tripe with butter beans) and presunto (ham) from Lamego.
O Escondidnho
Rua Passos Manuel, 144
Tel: 222 001 079
O Escondidnho offers high-quality food, with a Portuguese-French menu, served in traditional surroundings, with lavishly tiled walls, dark wooden furniture, and antique ceramics on the walls. €€
Mercearia
Cais da Ribeira, 32–3A
Tel: 222 004 389
One of Porto’s best typical Portuguese places, the restaurant is named in tribute to the local fish market, and specialises in beautifully cooked seafood. €€
O Paparico
Rua de Costa Cabral
Tel: 225 400 548
This traditional restaurant with lots of atmosphere and rough-stone walls serves good food: select from a small but interesting menu of Portuguese specialities. €€
Portucale
Rua da Alegria, 598
Tel: 225 370 717
On the 13th floor of an old tiled building, Portucale is a long-standing favourite, a fine restaurant with a fine view over Porto’s rooftops. The service and the food are considered and superlative. €€€
Ze Bota
Travessa do Carmo, 16–20
Tel: 222 054 697
This tucked-away place is a lively, atmospheric choice. It serves good hearty Portuguese food and is deservedly popular with local people. €€
Vila Nova de Gaia
Yeatman
Rua do Choupelo
Tel: 220 133 100
A new restaurant that’s already earned a Michelin star, thanks to Chef Ricardo Costa, formerly of Largo do Paço in Amarante. Cooking is traditional Portuguese given a creative makeover: try the tasting menu. €€€
Minho
Specialities Minho is the source of the great caldo verde (cabbage soup). Arroz de sarabulho com rojões (rice and pork) and lamprey. To drink there are vinho verde wines.
Amarante
Casa da Calçada
Largo do Paço, 6
Tel: 255 410 830
A fine, Michelin-starred restaurant in a magnificent 5-star residence in a pretty river town, near port-wine country. Cuisine is creative yet traditional and beautifully presented, and service also receives plaudits. €€€
Braga
Hotel Elevador
Bom Jesus do Monte
Tel: 253 603 400
Excellent regional cuisine in a hotel at the sanctuary (for more information, click here), which is architecturally impressive and has wonderful views – the restaurant has sweeping panoramas across Braga city centre. €€–€€€
Inácio
Praca Conde S. Joaquim, 4
Tel: 253 613 235
Regional food, with enormous portions of dishes such as bacalhau (cod) and veal, served in a very pleasant setting, with spotless white tablecloths in a lovely wood-beamed old building. €€
Viana do Castelo
Estalagem da Boega
Quinta do Outeiral, Gondarém, near Vila Nova da Cerveira
Tel: 251 700 500
Set in glorious countryside, and in a grand 17th-century mansion, this is the place for distinguished Minho cuisine. It is best to book in advance. €€€
Pousada de Monte Santa Luzia
Monte de Santa Luzia
Viana do Castelo
Tel: 258 828 889
This hilltop hotel with a grand view serves international and Portuguese food. The dining room is splendid, with a formal look, gilded chandeliers and fine views. €€–€€€
Os Três Potes
Beco dos Fornos, 9
Tel: 258 829 928
A charming, rustic restaurant housed in what was once a bakery, this offers a traditional setting in which to enjoy good regional food. Expect dishes such as caldo verde (a soup made from greens and vegetables) and bacalhau. €€
Trás-os-Montes
Specialities Hearty favourites in Trás-os-Montes include chouriços de sangue (blood sausage), feijoada (bean stew), goat, rabbit, trout, lamprey.
Bragança
O Geadas
Rua de Loreto, 4
Tel: 273 326 002/1
This exceptional restaurant specialises in regional cooking, with beautifully presented dishes, in a smart but casual setting, and attracts hordes of locals, who rate it highly. €€
Solar Bragançano
Praça da Sé, 34
Tel: 273 323 875
A cosy place with rustic decor that is popular among local people, this has starched white tablecloths and wood-panelled walls, and offers delicious seasonal Portuguese cooking. €€
Chaves
Carvalho
Alameda do Tabolado
Tel: 276 321 727
This modern-looking restaurant is much favoured by locals, and serves up huge portions of typical hearty Portuguese food, with great service and in an appealing setting. €€
O Celeiro
Alameda do Tabolado, 7
Tel: 276 321 971
A fabulous deli that’s packed from floor to ceiling with Portuguese speciality foodstuffs, including tasty local smoked ham and sausages. €€
Macedo de Cavaleiros
Restaurante Montanhes
Rua Camilo Castelo Branco 19
Tel: 278 422 481
A traditional local restaurant that’s a good choice for Portuguese traditional dishes, with sympathetic service and in relaxing surroundings – wooden furniture and exposed stone walls give the place a rustic feel. €€
Mogadouro
A Lareira
Avenida Nossa Senhora do Caminho
Tel: 279 342 363
A big restaurant for this town, owned by a French-trained chef. Regional and French food, with splendid steaks and great seafood. Excellent value. €€€
Pinhão
CS Vintage House Hotel
Lugar da Ponte
Tel: 254 730 230
www.hotelvintagehouse-douro.com
A fine choice of ports, as can be expected, but there are also appealing menus from which to select dishes in a comfortable house-hotel run by CS. €€€