12 Best Restaurants in Baixa, Lisbon

This cool, colorful restaurant is as cheeky and irreverent as its name suggests. The menu takes Portugal's culinary traditions on fantastic flights of fancy using the freshest of local seafood.

The humble bifana (pork steak), braised in a sauce flavored with garlic, bay leaf, and wine (or beer) and then served in a rustic roll, is a lunch favorite. This bustling eatery on Praça da Figueira, Rossio's smaller twin, is one of the best places to try it—even if they don't bother to put it on the menu! They also offer a great choice of rustic dishes at prices low enough to draw locals, who eat at the counter if they're really scrimping. The terrace out front is a welcome sun trap on chilly winter days, but don't miss the informative historical wall panel inside, which includes reproductions of engravings depicting the Hospital Real de Todos os Santos, whose grounds encompassed what is now Praça da Figueira but which was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.

At the restaurant in the chic AlmaLusa boutique hotel, guests and nonguests can enjoy small plates such as peixinhos da horta (crispy tempura green beans, served with ginger-and-lemon tartare) or mains such as a magnificently creamy house bacalhau (salted codfish). The cut-price à la carte lunch menu draws locals, but dinner is a good value, too. As well as homemade iced tea and juices, there is a representative selection of Portuguese wines; if you're too full for dessert, consider ordering a Moscatel Roxo—a fine sweet tipple from Setúbal, south of the capital.

These twin restaurants are among a dwindling band in Baixa serving excellent traditional food. House specialties include bacalhau à minhota (fried codfish with onions and potatoes) and fresh fish and meats. You could start your meal by splitting a plate of amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams in a cilantro sauce) or a garlicky alheira sausage. For dessert, there's bolo de bolacha cookie cake, baked farófias (egg whites), or pineapple with port. There are also changing daily specials. 

Lisbon’s sizeable Nepalese community means there's plenty of opportunity to enjoy the country’s spicy cuisine, but Oven—named after the traditional high-temperature tandoor oven—raised the bar in 2025 when it became the first Nepalese restaurant in the city to scoop a Michelin star. Chef Hari Chapagain’s signature fusion of authentic flavors brings both Nepalese and Indian classics to life, from tasty snacks like momo and pani-puri to delicate curries. Despite its Michelin recognition, the atmosphere is relaxed and the dishes that won't turn up the heat on your bank balance.

Ceviche restaurants have sprung up in abundance in Lisbon recently, but fans are adamant that this longtime favorite serves the best version in the city. Unusual mains include beef ribs with black beer and chaufa (Peruvian fried rice with chicken). The bartender mixes up excellent pisco sours, too.

This unassuming restaurant serves authentic Japanese cuisine, from squid sashimi to chashu braised pork belly, plus the odd fusion dish—all at very affordable prices. To drink, there are sakes, beers, and Portuguese wines, plus house-made nonalcoholic drinks, and some fabulous desserts. The set lunch menus are a good value, but for the full experience book well ahead for a tasting menu at €60 (plus optional sake pairing for €55).

The Portuguese take their canned fish seriously. Find out what the fuss is about at this funky restaurant where canned goods turn up in all manner of petiscos (small plates)—it sounds gimmicky, but the results are delicious. Recently, in partnership with academics, they started producing and using garum, a fermented fish sauce popular in Roman times. But don't worry, they also offer traditional mains such as baked codfish or octopus, and pasta, salads, and hamburgers.

In business for almost nine decades, Gambrinus has plenty of historical drama in its decor, including arched wooden ceilings and stained-glass depictions of beer-swilling royals. Prawns, lobster, and crab are always available, and seasonal choices like sea bream, sea bass, and sole are offered grilled or garnished with clam sauce. If you just want to drink in the atmosphere and perhaps a well-chilled imperial (draught beer) feel free to join the locals at the counter to sample the famous meat croquettes or a full meal.

This offshoot of a long-established uptown restaurant is worth seeking out if you yearn for classic Mughlai food. There's a huge range of dishes, with plenty of vegetarian options, all excellent value. Service is friendly and efficient, too!

It's not easy to find genuinely excellent food in Baixa, but this restaurant—so small you can see into the kitchen from the entrance—has put the area on the map thanks to João Sá, whose modern Portuguese cuisine won him a Michelin star in 2024. He draws on Asian cuisines to create tasting menus that excite both visually and in their combinations of flavors and textures.

Sate an appetite for Lisbon's dramatic panoramic views at this chic restaurant-bar, which sits on the top floor of a storied department store. It's a sophisticated spot for salads and finger foods, as well as more substantial, more traditional dishes.