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We've compiled the best of the best in Intendente, Martim Moniz, and Mouraria - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Situated on one of Mouraria's prettiest squares, Café O Corvo is a great place to recharge after a day of wandering the area's hilly streets. There are outdoor tables under shady trees, friendly staff, and a menu that includes brunch, burgers, sandwiches, and snacks.
This easy-to-miss vegan tapas place is little more than a door in the wall halfway up a public stairway. Despite its location, it was the first fully vegan restaurant in Lisbon, and it's still worth the search for its ever-changing menu of shareable plates and its pretty tables on the outdoor stairway terrace on summer evenings.
This trendy café and restaurant aims to be exactly what its name implies: a gathering spot for residents and locals in Intendente. The terrace is almost always busy, and laptops are welcome inside, allowing people to work and socialize. It's a rare café that functions well from breakfast and coffee straight through to dinner and cocktails.
One of the most fun vegetarian restaurants in town, O Gambuzino lists its ever-changing daily specials on a chalkboard menu but always highlights fresh vegetables and other products from a place called the Fruta Feia ("Ugly Fruit") co-op. You get the sustainability angle, but the pleasure is also there, with a menu full of global influences. Sample dishes include kimchi rice balls, gazpacho served in crunchy puri wheat puffs, and lettuce tacos filled with giant mushrooms that were locally grown in recycled coffee grounds.
A good selection of pastries, a decent brunch menu, great coffee, and friendly service make this French-style café a good choice at the start of your day, whatever time that may be. Brunch is served until 3 pm, and light lunch options are also available.
One of the city's best tascas (traditional no-frills restaurants), O Zé da Mouraria features hearty traditional fare every lunchtime. It's a simple place but the servings are large enough to share, the wine list is decent, and the food is an excellent value.
You'll probably need to wait on the stairs outside for a table and then perch on benches or at tightly packed tables, but it's worth the wait for the excellent Portuguese dishes served at this small neighborhood tasca. The menu changes daily with a selection of fish and meat options.
