I love Europe for food. The small cafes and restaurants that have 5-6 tables and are all individually owned. Nothing like the chain restaurants that have taken over America. Often you will meet the owner or the chef while dining in these European restaurants, sparking up a conversation with your server will get you food recommendations, and more.
Click the names for links to each restaurant website. Don’t miss the two bonus restaurants I included at the end!
Cervejaria Ramiro: The seafood restaurant famously visited by Anthony Bourdain. This is a wildly popular place and highly recommended. I made reservations online about 6 weeks in advance. Pricey but delicious seafood is delivered sizzling to your table and service is quick. There is a waiting area that is covered outside with access to the bar. When it is your turn they call your number and lead you upstairs to small dining rooms that seat maybe 15 people each room. The menu is simple, seafood options such as garlic shrimp, spider crab, lobster, razor clams, barnacles, oysters, etc. Bolo do cacao (warm bread with butter) is brought to your table along with the seafood. No sides are served which puts the focus on the fresh seafood. You can also get charcuterie and dessert here. Expect to spend $50+ per person here.
Baixa Market– Located in downtown Lisbon in Praca da Figueira, near the Rossio metro station. Street vendors here sell wines, beers, charcuterie, sandwiches, fresh fruits and sausages. There is a raised area set up with tables that are first come first serve to sit and eat your goodies. Other booths offer souvenirs, art and crafts. It’s a fun place to wander and grab a cheap quick bite to eat. During Christmas time this area gets even more festive.
Bifanas Do Afonso– A small stall that sells pork sandwiches. The pork is marinated and cooked until tender. Served simply on a soft roll. You can add mustard or a spicy sauce at the counter. This is a good spot for a cheap lunch. There is no seating and lines can form for this place but move fast.
Eating Bear – A small cozy restaurant in downtown Lisbon. Reservations are recommended but not required. We went here at about 8pm and there were a few tables open for walk in’s like us. The service was very friendly and our server recommended a few dishes for us, brought us out 2 types of olive oil to try and was just very helpful. The pork cheeks in wine was divine! The pork melts in your mouth it is so tender and the veggies it is served with are the perfect tender crisp. We also tried fried cod on a mound of mashed sweet potato. This was also delicious. Portions are a good size and fairly priced. They offer vegetarian, fish and meat options and also have wine pairing if you would like.
Manteigaria– Voted the best Pastel De Nata in Lisbon. We had to stop in and give it a try while walking down the main street of Rua Augusta. This street gets extremely crowded during the day with tourists, especially if cruise ships are in port. Lines form outside this bakery but move quickly. I recommend getting the box of 6 to go. Each pastry is about 3 bites and you will definitely want a few for later. If you get them while they are warm you will be in heaven after the first bite. The crust is crisp and flaky like a crossiant and the middle is an egg yolk custard. Sprinkle with cinnamon. You can find these tarts all over the city and you won’t regret eating as many as you can.
The Coffee– This gem of a coffee shop was located right by our hotel. Order on the tablet at the counter. Iced lattes flavored with Brazilian vanilla, matchas, hot coffees and other specialty drinks. This was the best coffee I had in Lisbon. There are a few small tables for 2 inside the shop or you can get your drinks to go.
Tapas Mia Pizzaria– I wouldn’t necessarily seek this place out but if you are in the area and looking for a solid place to have pizza this is great. Thin crust pizza, pasta and garlic bread. There is outdoor patio seating and could be good for larger groups. I didn’t have high hopes for pizza in Portugal but this was really yummy pizza. The sauce is flavorful with just the right amount of cheese on a thin crust. Open late and you can order to go. We got pizza here to take back to our hotel one night pretty late. How can you beat that?
Santo Antonio Pastry and Gelato. We stopped at this Alfama gem of a pastry shop on our walk back from visiting the Castelo Sao Jorge. It was warm and our legs were tired from all the hills we were climbing in this area of the city. We decided to get gelato, the mango was my favorite and tasted just like a ripe mango should. Go early for a larger selection of flavors. We went about 5pm and several flavors were already sold out for the day. Also ordered a pastel de nata and a lemon tart and both were delicious. There is about 6 counter seats inside and an upper floor that was closed during our visit. Highly recommend stopping in for a treat here.
This cute little restaurant was right next to our hotel. We ate here late one evening. There are enough seats for maybe 30-40 people and they serve a selection of wines. The menu starts with pesticos (little plates to share), main dishes, charcuterie boards and desserts. We ordered the vegetable tempura as our appetizer and it came to the table hot and crispy. For dinner we shared the black pork cheeks in wine with mashed potatoes. I will tell you what, you must order black pig when in Portugal. This breed of pig eats a diet of acorns which gives it a richer taste than regular pigs. This is the same breed of pig that is used for iberico ham in Spain (a must try!)
At this point we were to stuffed to order dessert but the options looked delicous. The service was friendly and the menus had the English names listed below the Portuguese.
Foccaceria BM (Bread Maniacs)– This cute little sandwich shop is located in Belem, about a 5 minute walk from the Jeronimos Monastery. While we didn’t get to go in the monastery due to a canceled tour, we enjoyed exploring Belem. After visiting the Marine Museum we walked the short distance to this sandwich shop. They have a variety of creative sandwiches made with Italian meats like prosciutto and cheeses. You can also create your own sandwich by choosing your meat, cheese and toppings. They also had wines, salads and charcuterie boards available. I ate the seasonal sandwich on the softest focaccia I’ve ever had. It came with figs, prosciutto, creamy soft cheese, arugula and a honey vinaigrette. The sandwich is served simply with no sides, however the sandwich itself is pretty big.
Bonus
Pateo– Located in Evora, Portugal. We came here on a day trip exploring the area. If you get a chance I recommend taking a tour to Evora. This small little town has one of the largest cathedrals in Portugal as well as Roman temple ruins and the chapel of the bones (a chapel built with bones laid into the walls, ceiling and columns)
This little cafe in the center of town was all outdoors with tables under awnings. They serve a variety of food from gorgeous salads to fish and meats and pesticos. They do have a bar if you fancy yourself an adult beverage while exploring. I found that most places that served salads in Portugal were simply dressed with oil and a vinegar of some type. We welcomed the fresh veggies as a nice break from all the meat heavy dishes we had been eating.
Cafe Saudade– Located in Sintra. You must visit Sintra which is about a 45 minute train ride from downtown Lisbon. This was the summer home of many rich Portuguese and there are lots of stunning palaces that you can visit in this town.
Cafe Saudade is located on the main street leading down to a few famous castles/palaces. It is a cute little cafe with the best latte I’ve ever had. They serve sandwiches, salads, toasts and fresh bakery pasteries. My husband ordered the sardine sandwich and I got the tuna sandwich on buttery toasted bread. These are huge! I had them wrap up my second half to go. The service was friendly and they spoke English which was helpful. I always try to learn a few of the local words to be as polite as possible.
Casa Piriquita– This is a tiny bakery in Sintra that people line up early for. The line moves quickly at the to go counter, however if you would like to sit down and enjoy your morning pastry and coffee there are tables available. All of the pasteries looked delectable and we had a hard time choosing what to order. If you do get to go don’t forget to grab a ticket with a number on it. When your number is called you just point to the pastries that you want and they will put them in a cute to-go box for you. I highly recommend the quijaidas and the travesseiro’s. The queijadas are a small tart like the pastel de nata but made with the addition of cheese. Not overly sweet in flavor which is nice if you aren’t a sweets for breakfast kinda person. The travesseiro is a soft puff pastry filled with egg and almond cream and dusted lightly with sugar, heavenly!
They also serve a variety of espresso’s, coffees and lattes. This is a must do when in Sintra. Come early if possible, they open at 0830.
I just love trying local foods when I travel and will research for hours on where to go. I hope you will give some of these places a try. The pastries in Portugal are not to be missed!
If you would like to read more about my Portuguese adventures you can check out my blog tab on www.thebeckeffect.com
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