Food & Drink

The Portuguese cuisine is simple, honest, and masterful — few ingredients, perfectly prepared. Portugal is a country of fishermen, farmers, and bakers, and that's exactly how the food tastes: of the sea, of the earth, and of centuries-old tradition.

The Most Important Dishes

• Bacalhau (Salted Cod): Portugal's national dish — there are supposedly 365 recipes, one for each day of the year. The most famous: Bacalhau à Brás (with straw potatoes and egg), Bacalhau com natas (baked with cream), Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (with potatoes and olives). Main dish: €10–18.
• Sardinha assada (grilled sardines): In summer (especially in June during the Santos Populares), all of Lisbon grills sardines — on the street, on the balcony, everywhere. The scent and smoke are omnipresent. Best with bread, salad, and Vinho Verde.
• Pastel de Nata: The famous custard tarts — crispy puff pastry, creamy vanilla filling, caramelized surface. Warm from the oven, sprinkled with cinnamon. €1–1.50 each. Addiction level: 10 out of 10.
• Caldo verde: Kale soup with potatoes and slices of Chouriço — the Portuguese comfort food. In every Tasca for €3–4.
• Bifana: Grilled pork in a bun — Portugal's answer to the Döner. Quick, cheap (€2–3), and perfect after a long night in Bairro Alto.
• Arroz de marisco: Seafood rice — a kind of risotto with shrimp, clams, squid, and lobsters. The dish for special occasions. For 2 people: €25–40.
• Francesinha: Originally from Porto, but also available in Lisbon: A monster sandwich of bread, ham, sausage, steak, and cheese, topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese. Served with fries and an egg on top. €10–14. Not elegant, but unforgettable.

Drinks

• Bica (Espresso): The Portuguese espresso — strong, short, cheap (€0.65–1). It is drunk at the counter, quickly and without frills. The most important meal of the day.
• Vinho Verde: Light, slightly sparkling white wine from the north — perfect with fish and seafood. Affordable (bottle in a restaurant: €5–10).
• Port Wine: Portugal's most famous export — sweet, fortified red wine from the Douro Valley. In Lisbon, it is drunk as a digestif or as an aperitif (white Port Tonic). Glass: €3–6.
• Ginjinha: Sour cherry liqueur — THE drink of Lisbon. Try it at A Ginjinha on Rossio: €1.50 for a shot (com elas = with cherries, sem elas = without).
• Super Bock / Sagres: The two major Portuguese beers. Imperial (0.3l) in a bar: €1.50–2.50.