Our guide has some of the best restaurants in Lisbon that you need to check out. From traditional Portuguese tapas spots to fine dining restaurants, our guide will ensure you eat really well during your trip over to the capital of Portugal.
Where to Eat in Lisbon
I’ve visited Lisbon once and I absolutely loved the city. The food scene is incredible with some really talented chefs cooking up epic food using incredible local produce. There’s some old school spots that are must visits as well as some newer restaurants featuring superb modern cuisine. The restaurants here are ones I’ve visited and only a small selection of a multitude of incredible dining spots on offer in the city. I’ll be going back soon and updating this list!
Cervejaria Ramiro
The first restaurant I visited in Lisbon was the Cervejaria Ramiro which is a seafood institution in the city. They do fresh, local seafood incredibly well and wow, it has to be done if you like fish.
The restaurant is popular and you’ll need to queue but not like anywhere else I’ve been. When you arrive, you have to go to a counter and pick your language (this is actually important) and you’ll be assigned a number. There’s a small bar area to grab a beer or a glass of wine whilst you wait for your number to be called. Once it’s your turn, you’ll hear your number from a speaker in your language.
Once you’re upstairs you’ll go to the main dining area which is incredibly bright and airy. It’s got a distinctly local feel with lots of local families having their weekend lunches together. The menu is all about Portuguese seafood classics; garlic prawns, garlic clams and whole dressed crab with lots of buttered bread. It’s simple yet generous and well done. I think we had 3 mains between two of us and it’s seriously filling.
What to know before you visit
- Closed Mondays (and for some weeks in August)
- Open midday-midnight Tuesday-Sunday
- You can’t reserve
Address: Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, 1150-007 Lisbon
Tel: +351 21 885 1024
Website: https://www.cervejariaramiro.com
Taberna da Rua das Flore
The Taberna da Rua das Flore is a really cool, old fashioned yet modern ‘tasca’ in the city’s old town – near the Largo do Chiado. It’s an incredibly popular spot with locals and foods alike. You’ll frequently see queues outside the front door during weekends. We managed to get a reservation only after a late cancellation!
It feels like an old-school kind of spot but the kitchen pumps out some great, contemporary takes on classic Portuguese dishes. Owned and ran by Chef André Magalhães, the menus change daily depending on what comes in from the local markets. The produce is quality and you can really taste it. The pork is fresh as you like, confited slowly in lard and served medium rare – just like it should be.
Finally, the wine list is awesome with plenty of small producer, natural and organic wines. We had a cracking vinho verde (Portuguese ‘green wine’) from the north of the country.
What to know before you visit
- Open all week (until 4pm on Sundays)
- You can’t reserve so come early to avoid disappointment
- They only accept cash
Address: Rua das Flores 103, 1200-194 Lisbon
Tel: +351 21 347 9418
Website: https://www.instagram.com/tabernadasflores/
Prado
If you like fine dining with plenty of technique on show then Prado is a must. The restaurant, once a fish factory in the city centre, has been converted into a light and airy space with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. It’s a perfect setting for Chef Antonio Galapito’s cuisine which focuses on mega produce from local farms and producers.
The menu changes frequently with the seasons and includes lots of interesting combinations. Grilled squid in a light potato & ham sauce and fermented chilli with scallops. The protein on show is magnificent and for steak lovers I’d recommend trying their aged Minhoto ox Ribeye. It’s aged in the restaurant for at least 75 days and then grilled to perfection – wow.
Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos at Prado as it was late and I was honestly enjoying the food too much. Their wine was equally as epic as the food with a long list of small producer natural & organic wines.
What to know before you visit
- Closed Sundays and Mondays
- You can reserve online
- Vegetarian friendly
Address: Tv. das Pedras Negras 2, 1100-404 Lisbon
Tel: +351 21 347 9418
Website: https://pradorestaurante.com
By The Wine
By The Wine was a random find for us during our trip in Lisbon. Located in the Chiado area of the city on the busy Rua das Flores, it’s a great casual, tapas restaurant. The trendy interior is very much wine inspired with a ceiling/wall made with green wine bottles.
It’s a wine bar/restaurant with traditional, simple tapas and classic Portuguese dishes like chickpea and cod stew. There’s seafood in the form of spicy tuna tartare some very plump prawns sautéd with garlic and chilli. Don’t expect anything to blow your mind here but it’s solid, affordable food. The wine list is decent with more classical Portuguese wines on offer.
What to know before you visit
- Open every day
- You can reserve online
Address: Rua das Flores 41 43, 1200-193 Lisbon
Tel: +351 21 342 0319
Website: https://www.bythewine.pt/en/
Melody (Cascais)
About a 40 minute train ride out of Lisbon and you’ll arrive in the beautiful town of Cascais. The seaside fishing village is a great day trip from Lisbon and there’s some superb eating spots to check out – one of them being Melody. A real, where-locals-eat kind of place, Melody has a great menu filled with local fresh seafood. It’s hidden in the backstreets and known only to locals and in-the-know foodies. Affordable and damn tasty, it’s a great spot to get a cold beer and watch the world go by.
The food is simple and honest letting the ingredients to the talking. There’s some killer fried prawns for €8 to start and for mains, we had an amazing octopus rice dish. It’s a classic Portuguese style of rice where it’s in-between a risotto and a soup with the rice being cooked in layers of seafood stock.
What to know before you visit
- Closed on Monday
Address: Rua do Poço Novo 195, 2750-079 Cascais
Tel: +351 21 484 0030
