Discover 16 great Lisbon restaurants where you can eat a special meal regardless of your budget. Options range from cheap eats to fine dining. Try one restaurant or try them all when you travel to Portugal’s capital city.
1. Canalha
Located on the edge of Belém and helmed by acclaimed Chef João Rodrigues, Canllha appears to be an old-school neighborhood eatery at first glance. A closer look reveals a modern chef-driven restaurant that excels at serving new interpretations of classic Portuguese dishes. Since advance reservations are absolutely necessary and come with a time limit, you’ll want to plan your visit wisely. Consider yourself warned.
Dig Deeper: Canalha Review
2. O Velho Eurico
On most days, when you walk up the hill that leads to Mouraria, you’ll likely see O Velho Eurico’s entrance overflowing with both diners and those hoping for a table. The casual restaurant, which helped kick off Lisbon’s modern tasca craze when it opened in 2019, is one of Lisbon’s toughest reservations. The neo-tasca’s rustic atmosphere screams Portugal to both locals and savvy tourists. The same goes for its menu filled with elevated Portuguese dishes plus wine and beer.
Dig Deeper: O Velho Eurico Review
3. Discreto
You’ll find Discreto in the low fringes of Alfama, adjacent to the river, just a few steps from the Lisbon Cruise Terminal. Its menu features gussied up Portuguese dishes like hearty arroz coelho (rabbit rice) and a fine version of bacalhau à bras. It also has fun shareable dishes like grilled leeks with goat cheese. This fare may sound tasca-esque. It is. But Discreto’s intimate space, which belies that humble description, is a great place to enjoy a romantic meal.
Dig Deeper: Bacalhau à Bras Recipe
4. A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira
Despite its Baixa location or perhaps because of it, A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira doesn’t feel touristic. It has a compact dining room with a dozen or so tables topped with checkered tablecloths, a bar filled with Portuguese pastries and a wall decorated with Luso memorabilia. The kitchen buzzes with action upstairs behind a glass window while a dumb waiter transports simple Portuguese dishes down to the dining room.
Dig Deeper: Irresistible Portuguese Desserts
5. Belcanto
Jose Avillez’s Chiado dining temple offers Portugal’s best products prepared with imagination and precision. From blue lobster to carabineiro (giant red prawns), it’s all on the menu as well as incredible fresh fish and creative versions of traditional dishes like cozido à Portuguesa. Reservations are an absolute must for those who want to dine at Belcanto. A significant bank account is also a must.
Dig Deeper: Belcanto Review
6. Pastéis De Belém
The world-famous Pastéis de Belém is Lisbon’s best pastel de nata shop. Not only were Portugal’s most iconic pastries allegedly invented by monks at this pasteleria located next to the Jerónimos Monastery, but Portugal’s signature pastry also tastes just a little bit better here.
Dig Deeper: The Best Lisbon Pastel de Nata Shops
7. Tapisco
Henrique Sá Pessoa’s Tapisco is unique. Located in Principe Real, the upscale restaurant serves elevated dishes from both Portugal and Spain – a combination that’s less common than most visitors expect. Tapisco’s Portuguese dishes are equally special. While you can order bacalhau à brás at tascas all over town, Tapisco’s yolky cylinder of codfish and potatoes feels more worthy of a special occasion than a casual meal. Add excellent renditions of Portuguese açorda or Spanish paella negra to your order and you have the makings of a great meal.
Dig Deeper: Açorda Recipe
8. Solar Dos Presuntos
The plates at Solar do Presuntos (which loosely translates to House of Hams) are simple – no foams, gels or spherifications are to be found here. The dining room is brightly lit and its walls are covered with photos of Portuguese dignitaries. And, yet, the centrally located restaurant remains super popular with locals. They love both the restaurant’s old school vibe as much as they enjoy eating elevated Portuguese dishes influenced by Portugal’s Minho region in the North. If you love great food, then you’ll likely love this restaurant too.
Dig Deeper: Portuguese Food Favorites
9. As Bifanas Do Afonso
The excitement of eating at As Bifanas do Afonso bifana begins when you glance through the shop’s window at the top of the hill on Rua da Madalena and see a bubbling cauldron filled with pork. Don’t be surprised when you also see a long queue. Hordes of people line up every day (except Sunday when the bifana stand is closed) to order Lisbon’s signature stewed pork sandwich, or two.
Dig Deeper: More Great Global Sandwiches
10. Ofício
Not all plates are small at this pleasant, bright, modern restaurant helmed by talented chef Hugo Candeias. A highlight is the quail vinegar rice. Cooked with chicken blood and topped with petite segments of quail cooked medium rare, this dish delivers with melty, fatty bites of luscious quail balanced by punchy acidy forkfuls of the vinegary rice.
Dig Deeper: Tasty Portuguese Cities
11. Prado
Prado’s name, which translates to meadow, belies the restaurant’s location in a former fish cannery. Trellised plants in the rear add a lush verdancy to the space while massive windows allow the sun to wash the dining room with natural light during the day. However, night time is a great time to experience António Galapito’s take on Portuguese cuisine. This is when couples, as well as groups of friends, convene at the restaurant and order plates that are both creative and shareable.
Dig Deeper: Prado Review
12. Boubou’s
Boubou’s is a worthy splurge if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or if you want to experience some of Lisbon’s most elegant cuisine. The food is utterly beautiful – adorned with flowers, artful foams and balanced yet innovative sauce work. Each course, or moment as they’re so often called these days, is visually striking. This is the case whether you order an omnivore or vegetarian tasting menu. Either way, you’ll likely get Top Chef France winner Chef Louise Bourrat’s signature dish which places small gnocchi-like mounds of sweet potato atop leche de tigre and kaffir as one of your moments.
Dig Deeper: Boubou’s Review
13. Ponto Final
You’ll need to take a ferry to the other side of the Tejo if you want to eat at Ponto Final. Doing so is part of the restaurant’s dining experience as well an extra motivation to make the necessary advance reservation. However, for most people, the view is the primary motivation. That being said, homestyle Portuguese dishes like arroz tamboril (monkfish rice) are pretty good too.
Dig Deeper: Ponto Final Review
14. Cervejaria Ramiro
Waiting for a table is part of the Cervajaria Ramiro experience – a constant flow of tourists flock to Intendente marisqueira six nights of the week like clockwork. When you arrive, grab a couple beers in the waiting area and expect to chill for 30 to 90 minutes. It’s worth the wait to eat some of the best seafood in Lisbon.
Dig Deeper: Carvajaria Ramiro Review
15. Café De São Bento
A meal at Café de São Bento is one of the city’s quirkier dining experiences. The legendary ‘cafe’ has no outdoor seating and guests have to ring a bell to enter. Designed as a tribute to artist cafes/restaurants that existed at the turn of the 19th century, Café de São Bento’s clubby decor looks like it’s been around for at least a century even though the restaurant opened in 1982. More important, the steaks here are excellent.
Dig Deeper: Café de São Bento Review
16. Tasca Baldracca
Tasca Baldracca, a modern yet casual Mouraria restaurant, is notable for its street art decor and its trio of young restaurateurs with a shared passion for food. That food-focused trio serves shareable dishes that might include xerém de pato (duck with grits), a spin on the classic arroz de pato or bochechas de vitela (veal cheek) with roasted chestnuts. They don’t just pump up the food. They also pump up the music – prepare yourself for a noisy dining experience as the evening progresses.
Dig Deeper: Tasca Baldracca Review
Lisbon Food Favorites
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