Where do locals eat in Lisbon?

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Now I can confess that I was initially a bit concerned about Portuguese cuisine. Truth is I’m not that into fish, especially codfish, and I thought this would  sentenced me to starvation. Portuguese cuisine isn’t Mediterranean at all; I couldn’t find all those fresh, seasonal vegetables that are always present on Mediterranean tables in summer. Instead, Portuguese dishes come with either potatoes or salad and the menu is relatively restricted to an Atlantic sustenance, hence the ubiquitous fish (Portugal has Europe’s highest fish consumption per capita, and it is ranked among the top four countries worldwide for this indicator). I did love Portuguese food, though… especially the wide variety of cheeses, made from sheep’s, goats’ or cows’ milk.

And a special mention goes to Portuguese wines: I drank several, all at a very reasonable prices.

[Update 2022] Travelling to Lisbon as a Vegetarian

This was the first trip I did as a vegetarian, so once again, I arrived in Lisbon quite concerned about what I would eat during my trip. Set aside a couple of traditional dishes (like “Os peixinhos da Horta,” a curious name for French bean fritters, and “Legumes a Bras,” which is the same procedure used for “Bacalhau à Brás,” but without fish) (and soups, obviously, but we, Italians, don’t think of soup as an actual meal), the Portuguese cuisine is short on vegetarian dishes.

Of course, you can always ask the waiter for vegetarian variations (although I don’t like to do that), or you can go to the many oriental/vegan restaurants around the city. However, immersing myself in the local culture is one of my top priorities when I travel (the name B(e)Local comes from that!), especially when it comes to food, so I can’t hide I was slightly disappointed. I later found out there is a restaurant –AO26– serving vegan variations of traditional Portuguese dishes. Still, I didn’t get a chance to try it. If you go there, let me know!

Food Markets in Lisbon

Mercado de Arrojos [Update 2022] 

R. Ângela Pinto 40D

I discovered this municipal market because the art collective Boa Hora painted a floor art piece on the pavement all around it last year, which I wanted to check out. Besides the stalls with fresh products inside the domed structure, there are many bistros, wine bars, and cafés all around the market. I stopped at Pequeno, which offers many vegan options, but all the other shops were pretty inviting. The market is open only in the morning, while the tascas and the lovely cafés are open all day long. Highly recommended!

Mercado da Encarnação Norte [Update 2022]

Praça do Norte

The suffix ‘Norte’ is crucial, as they explained to me that the southern side of the Encarnação neighborhood is quite dodgy and dangerous, while the northern part is residential and uneventful. Inside the local food market on the north side of the area, there is a traditional bistro called “Saber e Sabor,” which serves vegan burgers and nice cups of wine. You can also buy regional and organic products like cheese, craft beers, and seasonal products here. A true local gem!

Mercado da Ribeira

Avenida 24 de Julho 

[Update 2022: this spot has become busier and locals now avoid it, but you might still want to try it]

Stepping out from the Cais do Sodre train station, I couldn’t help noticing the large oriental dome topping the Mercado da Ribeira (market on the river), Lisbon’s main food market since 1892.

Inside its two beautiful iron halls all kinds of products have been sold for decades, but nowadays this place isn’t what it used to be.

Thanks to Time Out Magazine, in 2014 the market received a massive makeover, turning it into the hippest place in town to enjoy a high quality meal. Five top chefs have their own stalls here, offering their signature dishes at very reasonable rates. I had a cheviche by Alexandre Silva (a popular chef from the restaurant ‘Bica do Sapato’) and a sardine burger at Honorato, washing ‘em down with a couple of glasses of rosé from Alentejo (which, btw, turned out to be my signature drink of summer 2015).

Find these restaurants and cafes, alongside many more spots, in my Lisbon travel map!

Restaurants in Lisbon

The Vegan Restaurant Ortea [Update 2022]

Rua Dom Luís I 19

(which your local friends will know as “O Botanista”). This place is very fancy, with a jungle of plants all around -and you’ll find edible flowers in your meal, which apparently is a thing at fancy restaurants. The atmosphere is pleasant, and the food is good. The restaurant is run by the same owners as AO26, but at Ortea, they don’t serve traditional Portuguese food, more like Asian-inspired, creative vegan food. I tried the gyoza and a warm bowl, and they both were tasty. 

Resina Restaurant [Update 2022] 

Largo do Calvário 1

We loved this place because it is old-style and unpretentious, which is what we were looking for after literally running away from LX Factory, which has become a tourist trap since my last visit. We came here for a glass of green wine, but they do serve traditional food as well. The owner was friendly and keen on small talk; he recommended a great wine, and the price was meager. Highly recommended, especially for the retro vibe. 

The illegal Chinese restaurant (aka Oriente Dumpling Restaurant) [Update 2022]

Rua Marques Ponte Lima, 34 (door bell: 2 ESQ)

I wouldn’t know without my friend The Nomadic Vegan, but apparently, opening restaurants inside private apartments is a thing in Lisbon. She brought me to her favorite one, an authentic Chinese restaurant where the owner speaks only Chinese and the renowned dumplings live up to the palate of the many Chinese customers. Like most Asian cuisine, there were many vegan options on the menu: we ordered the vegetarian dumplings (super delicious!), the noodles with mushrooms, tofu with spicy sauce, and I’m probably forgetting something, but anyway, all dishes we got tasted delicious! Hosted inside a second-floor apartment in Mouraria, the atmosphere is as homey as it gets.

Chapito a Mesa

Rua Costa do Castelo 7 

On our first night in Lisbon, we wanted to stay close to the hostel and get lost in that charming, old and labyrinthine neighborhood called Mouraria. Here we found ‘Chapito a Mesa’, a traditional restaurant with a stunning view over Lisbon’s red roofs.

The restaurant is part of the Chapito Project, an artistic movement which organizes social activities using animation, circus and performing arts. Part of this ambitious project are the culinary offerings, which include three different restaurants: the easy-going terrace where your meal will come straight from the coal and wood ovens, the place where you can nibble ‘petiscos’ (snacks served inside a traditional dish called ‘petisqueira’) and the elegant restaurant on the top floor; the one with the breathtaking view over the Tagus river.

And that’s exactly where we ate, although unfortunately we didn’t manage to grab a panoramic table. ☹

Cantinho do Aziz

Rua das Fontainhas a São Lourenço 5

[Update 2022: this spot became way too touristy and prices are definitely higher now; plus, the waiter firmly demanded for tips, not in a subtle way but giving us no option than paying her a substantial tip]

Still in Mouraria, we found this amazing Mozambican restaurant. To be honest, at first we didn’t know it wasn’t about Portuguese food, although the African music playing in the background was more than just a hint. We picked this place because we fancied the huge outdoor seating area on a charming narrow street of Mouraria, and I’m glad we did as it was our chance to taste Africa’s lasting influence on Lisbon, digging into the heritage of Portugal’s long and turbulent colonial past.

Moreover, this place is very cheap and the food is fresh and intriguing. I didn’t know that Mozambican cuisine had such a strong Indian influence: we ate different kinds of samosa (the Indian deep-fried patties stuffed with vegetables or meat) and a seafood soup with coconut milk.

LX Factory

Rua Rodrigues de Faria 103 

[Update 2022: The whole LX Factory became a tourist trap! It’s a pity, because I loved this spot, but now my recommendation is to stay away from it -it became pricey, touristy and overcrowded. Plus, the independent shops were replaced by commercial franchise companies]

As I mentioned in my previous post, the former manufacturing complex in Alcantara neighborhood is now covered with some of the greatest street art pieces in Lisbon. But graffiti hunting isn’t everything you can do over there!

Inside an area of 23,000 sqm, right under the massive pillars of the ’25 de Abril Bridge’, there are design shops, bookstores, clubs, a tattoo parlor and several restaurants too!

This place is amazing: if you just have one day to spend in Lisbon, don’t miss LX Factory’s industrial atmosphere!

As I went there in the early afternoon looking for enough light for some decent pictures, I only had a coffee at the Café na Fabrica, a nice café right in front of the entrance to the factory.

Fabrica do Braco de Prata

Rua da Fabrica de Material de Guerra 1

From the same industrial past rises the other factory-turned-cultural-venue in Lisbon, the Fabrica do Braco de Prata, a former war materials factory, which shut down in the 1990s. This place is more easy-going than LX Factory, everything looks more spontaneous and kind of rougher, even the street art that covers the inner part of the surrounding wall, the exception being a long piece by Vhils which is totally worth the trip on its own.

The yard is big and, during the summer, it is partially occupied by a concert stage, while inside the former factory there are a coffee shop and a restaurant, an art gallery, two bookshops, a theatre and a cinema.

Casa Independente

Largo do Intendente Pina Manique 25 

This place is a lot more than just a restaurant but, unfortunately, when I visited it in August all the events were paused for the summer and I could only enjoy their lovely inner garden and taste a couple of simple dishes.

Casa Independente is an artistic project based inside an ancient building overlooking my favourite square in Lisbon, decorated with amazing vintage furniture and a stunning mural painting at the entrance that goes up the stairwell.

There is a beautiful inner garden immersed in a very nice atmosphere where simple meals are served: I had a gazpacho, the cold tomato soup, and a bruschetta with cod, hummus and red onions.

Casa do Alentejo

Rua das Portas de Santo Antao 58

As I wrote a couple of posts ago, Alentejo is Portugal’s big nothing. For centuries people from Alentejo moved to Lisbon looking for a better life; the community grew so fast that, eventually, Alentejans (if that is even a name) founded their own place in Lisbon, the Casa do Alentejo. As we couldn’t wait any longer to try their renowned cuisine, we decided to get a preview of the second part of our Portuguese trip and headed towards the Casa do Alentejo. Inside this historic building in the centre of Lisbon, there is an elegant, frescoed room with a wooden floor used for ceremonies and another room covered with beautiful azulejos, the traditional Portuguese tiles. The upper floor looks very formal and somehow immersed in the past. Here a pic of the wedding we almost crashed, followed by one of the azulejos room:

As for us, we opted for the informal tavern downstairs, which is inside a lovely  courtyard; here I tried a sausage made of breadcrumbs and some delicious cheeses.

Tasca do Chico

(the not so touristy place with Fado music)

Rua do Diario de Noticias 39 

By the time we went to a Fado singing session, the traditional Portuguese music about melancholy, sadness, despair and especially about the saudade (longing), I had already come to terms with the idea of having to enter a touristy place. We opted for this cozy wooden restaurant in Bairro Alto, whose ceiling is covered with football scarves and whose walls are papered with vintage pictures of popular fado singers.

I wouldn’t call it an actual ‘restaurant’, though… It has a very small selection of dishes and they all come in small portions. Despite ordering everything on the menu in a vain attempt at composing a whole meal (codfish croquettes, soups, roasted sausages, cheeses and cold cuts, olives and more snacks), we left the place still hungry and had to grab some food on the go afterwards.

Not even the ‘home special’ sangria was satisfactory but, anyway, we went there for the music…and the concert was great, indeed!

PSI vegetarian restaurant

Alameda Santo Antonio dos Capuchos 

There is nothing better than a vegetarian dinner after several days spent eating rich meals out! Googling directions for a vegetarian restaurant has become my last-day-of-the-trip habit and, as I wanted to spend our last night wandering around what had became my favorite area in Lisbon (Arroios neighborhood), I opted for PSI Vegetarian Restaurant.

We ate in a gazebo on an island in an artificial lake complete with ducks and waterfalls, not too far (read: far enough) from an unlikely musician playing new age tunes on a keyboard. But the food was great, very tasty and at the same time very light: a relief for my stomach!

The Decadente

Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara 81 

I wanted to go to this restaurant so badly! As soon as I left my backpack at the hostel, I went to the Decadente wishing to celebrate there the beginning of yet another amazing trip but, unfortunately, the restaurant was all booked up. We reserved a table for the next day, but we couldn’t make it there on time (you know, the spontaneity of travelling…), and it wasn’t until my last few hours in Lisbon that I finally managed to eat at the Decadente. The place is beautiful -no need to add anything to these pictures: that’s exactly the kind of design I love, half vintage and half industrial.

The food wasn’t exceptional but, to be honest, I just had brunch there, and I would never judge a chef for his brunch!

Note: inside the same building there is also the most stylish hostel in Lisbon (The Independente hostel and suites), of which the Decadente is the in-house restaurant. Also part of this happy hipster family is the impressive rooftop bar, the Insolito, where I am going to bring you in a few paragraphs.

Tascardoso

Rua de 0 seculo 242

Still on Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara, but closer to the Patriarcal Reservoir, there is this unpretentious traditional restaurant.

The menu is written in Portuguese and the waiters don’t speak English, so I ordered the only dish I could say in Portuguese: sardinas asadas (grilled sardines), the most popular dish in Lisbon, which comes with a few more ‘variations on the sardine theme’ and some rice with beans. Delicious!

Find these restaurants and cafes, alongside many more spots, in my Lisbon travel map!

Pastry Shops and Coffee Bars in Lisbon

Homie’s [Update 2022]

Rua do Vale de Santo António 48c

This local joint is super cozy, and they serve great vegan food. It’s the only place where I’ve been twice during my last trip to Lisbon; the first time I had the ‘Beyond Burger,’ and the second time I ordered tacos -both meals were excellent! It’s also a laptop-friendly place during the day and a live music venue in the evening. The staff is super friendly, and they serve MUSA, the craft beer from Lisbon. Highly recommended! 

Thank you mama [Update 2022]

Rua do Forno do Tijolo 9A

Thank You Mama is a meeting point for local artsy people, who can showcase their artworks on the café’s walls. They brew specialty coffee and bake their bagels, and -it goes without saying- they have a wide offer of vegan snacks and kinds of milk. It is another excellent spot for reading (they have many magazines, like The New Yorker, lying around the café) and working from your laptop without anyone bothering you. 

Aquele lugar que não existe lá em cima [Update 2022]

Rua do Açúcar 76 A

This secret spot’s name could be translated as “The place that doesn’t exist right up there.” Indeed, a bottom-up picture is all I could take of it -given their strict no-photo policy. I suspect that’s part of the concept, meaning they are trying to create hype around it. Still, regardless they serve excellent cocktails, and the roof terrace overlooking the industrial cityscape of Marvila (my new favorite area in Lisbon) is ace. I don’t know about the restaurant, but I’m already looking forward to finding out next time I’m in Lisbon. 

Milorde Cafeteria [Update 2022]

Rua da Graça 62

The outdoor tables of this cafeteria are in a tiny square amidst three beautiful murals: one by local artist Oze Arv, one by Portuguese artist Daniel Eime and one by the legendary Obey. On top of that, the square is crossed by Lisbon’s iconic yellow trams, which make the atmosphere even more enjoyable. I haven’t tried their pastries, but the coffee was good! 

Arts Café Lisboa [Update 2022]

Rua da Bica do Sapato 50C

A lovely laptop-friendly café with delicious croissants and many options for breakfast. The place has large Chichester sofas and wide wooden tables, it’s really perfect for working and reading. 

Forno de Sapadores [Update 2022]

Rua dos Sapadores 97

That’s where my Portuguese friend brought me for pastries, so I won’t recommend any other pastry shops I’ve tried but this one. Here I had a Portuguese croissant, which is less buttery and more soft and fluffy than the French ones, and honestly, I like these squishy buns more than the French croissants. The bakery sells all kinds of pastries, including the popular Pasteis de Nata, to suit all tastes.  

Antiga Confeitaria de Belém

Rua Belem 84 

[Update 2022: Due to Covid-rules, the queue to enter the shop is highly regulated now, hence it stretches all around the building. I had to give up, as I didn’t want to spend one hour queuing for a pastry -however delicious it might be]

However touristy it is, this place is a must and their signature Pasteis de Belem (sweet and luscious custard cream tarts, brulée on top) is pure heaven. The cream is delicious, the golden crust is perfectly crispy and, given the huge amount of people going there everyday, you will always get a pasteis straight from the oven.

The place itself is fascinating. It opened in 1837 and its walls are still covered with azulejos and ancient cupboards enshrining precious bottles of wine and liquer.

Velocité café

Av. Duque de Avila 120a 

This is the perfect place for bike lovers! It comprises a coffee bar / restaurant and a bycicle repair shop, and here you can also buy or rent a bike to explore the town (although I wouldn’t recommend it, as Lisbon has the steepest slopes anywhere!).

Pastelaria Versailles

Av. Da Republica 15a

Founded in 1922, this is one of the most ancient pastry shops in Lisbon. The decor is inspired by art nouveau, with several mirrors and panes of glass making the place look even older. Here I had a pasteis de nata (which I figured out was a ‘pasteis de Belem’ served outside Belem) and a cappuccino.

Drinking out in Lisbon

Castro Beer

Rua de S. Paulo 121

Can you believe that this is the only beer shop I’ve tried in Lisbon? (me neither, btw). Castro Beer serves craft beers in downtown Lisbon.

The venue is quite quirky: wooden pallets filled with plants cover up a whole wall, while the rest of the place is full of azulejos (and, as you know, I couldn’t get enough of azulejos!).

Galeria Zé dos Bois

Rua da Barroca 59 

After the fado concert, we kept walking around Bairro Alto: the area is crowded with tourists and low quality restaurants, but as it was the only evening we were going to spend there we thought we would give it a try and just enjoy the night. Luckily we found a great place to party, an art gallery which was hosting a music event on that night to support political prisoners in Angola. The Galeria Zé dos Bois was set up in 1994 inside a 18th century elegant building: it develops on several floors, each one structured as an apartment, so the atmosphere is very homey and warm.

First we went to the music event at the mezzanine floor, where some indie bands and DJs were making the crowd dance. Our favorite performer was B Fachada: his style is hilarious, especially the way his eyes pop out while he plays, like the craziest, in-a-trance DJ out there. After the concert, we got a glass of Porto at the bar in the cozy inner yard and headed to the amazing rooftop overlooking the lovely sloping roofs of Bairro Alto.

On the top floor there is the actual gallery, which focuses on contemporary art. The space is designed like a dark maze: after a few initial steps, you are already disoriented, and your only handholds are the paintings, which are lit by a fleeble light.

Casa Comunitaria da Mouraria

Beco do Rosendo

Still in the series ‘tonight let’s stay nearby’, we discovered another nice spot in Mouraria: the Casa Comunitaria (community house), an association involved in social projects for the neighborhood. Blue shutters and African fabrics give colour to an otherwise simple and cozy space. During the summer the party is outside in the small square opening between Mouraria’s characteristic staircases, but on that night we took a seat inside as there was a guy playing the piano (just a regular guy who, until a few minutes before, was sitting next to us and sipping a ginjinha, the traditional Portuguese liquer made from sour cherries).

The Insolito

Rua Sao Pedro de Alcantara 81

In the same amazingly designed building as the Independente hostel and the Decadente restaurant there is also a rooftop bar.

The view is breath-taking: it is similar to the view that you can admire from the Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcantara, one of the most popular panoramic terraces in Lisbon, but here it is several floors higher (and, therefore, even more striking!).

Find these spots and more cool places (including street art, museums and art galleries) in my Lisbon Google map!

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Enjoy the travel video of my holiday in Portugal!

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