13 Best Restaurants in Chiado and Bairro Alto, Lisbon

Regularly ranked among the world’s best restaurants and holding two Michelin stars since 2014, Belcanto, the flagship of celebrity chef José Avillez, helped propel modern Portuguese cuisine onto the global stage. The Golden Egg—a slow-cooked yolk wrapped in edible gold leaf and served in mushroom consommé—enjoys star status among the inventive dishes on the ever-evolving tasting menus. The dining room’s high windows and vaulted ceilings set a refined tone, matched by the attentive staff. Vegetarians are better served at Encanto, Avillez’s nearby plant-based restaurant, which earned a Michelin star within its first year and a Green Star in 2025.

A native of Bosnia, Ljubomir Stanisic made his name in Portugal as a young chef full of flair, fronting TV shows, writing books, and, above all, experimenting with food (and wine). When he reopened this industrial-chic foodie haven in Bairro Alto, it made the 50 Best Discovery list within months, and in 2024 it secured a Michelin star. Here, the chef's personal and professional journey from one end of Europe to the other (literally, as it included a spell in the Azores) are reflected in tasting menus (from €140, drink pairing from €70), one of them vegetarian, that alternately coddle and amaze diners, showcasing both tradition and innovation. Prepare to get your hands dirty, tearing and dunking Bosnian bread from the chef's mother in potent sauces, or picking up a salad served in an unusual compact form. Ingredients from Portugal include both fine seafood and insect larvae, and full use is made of fermentation for added flavor. Even drink pairings bend the rules: white wine can follow red, and fortified cider may feature. Stanisic also runs Bistro 100 Maneiras and is an active partner in the newer "Mexican gastrobar" Carnal (€13, no lunch)—both in the Chiado neighborhood.

The Michelin-recommended restaurant atop the Bairro Alto Hotel draws a well-dressed crowd for pre-dinner cocktails on its rooftop terrace—arrive early, as it's first come, first served and highly sought after at sunset. Inside, the elegant dining room centers around an open kitchen where you can watch chefs artfully plate seasonal dishes, with fresh seafood often playing a starring role. The sommelier provides excellent pairing advice, frequently highlighting selections from small, independent Portuguese producers. 

Celebrated Sarajevo-born chef Ljubomir Stanisic is known not only for his unorthodox approach but also for the slick design of his venues. Expect to be wowed by both the tasteful redo of a handsome Art Deco building and the ever-changing roster of small plates—and, at weekends, all-in roasts. Always on offer are dishes from the chef's homeland, such as goulash and other paprika-heavy delights, and a twist on Bosnia's traditional tufahije—stewed apples stuffed with nuts.

One of Bairro Alto’s most successful restaurants since opening in 2003, Lisboa à Noite serves imaginative cuisine that manages to be both traditional and contemporary, mostly following Portuguese recipes but adding a few international touches. The arched interior was once a stable, and you can still see the ring chains used to tie the horses.

The 18th-century Quintela Palace—once taken over by one of Napoléon's generals—now welcomes diners to a gastronomic experience in a space like no other in the city. Climb the grand staircase to dine in one of four airy elegant rooms, where you can enjoy Portuguese and international cuisine (and where there are well-priced lunch menus). Or stop for drinks and snacks from 6 pm onwards at the buzzy downstairs bar, where a DJ gets the crowd dancing as the night wears on.

This restaurant is a modern spin on Lisbon's traditional fish markets and beer halls, with a dash of Japanese flair in the form of ultra-fresh sushi and sashimi. Take your pick from vast glass display cabinets of fish and crustaceans, and have it prepared on the spot in a variety of ways, whether it's dunked whole into the cooking pot or filleted and tossed onto the grill. There's now a second restaurant, Sea Me Next Door, up the street ( Rua do Loreto 53–59), as well as an offshoot inside the Time Out Market, down the hill in Cais do Sodré.

Henrique Sá Pessoa is one of Portugal’s leading chefs, known for blending Portuguese tradition with global influences and ultra-modern culinary techniques. At his elegant flagship, Alma—one of the few restaurants in Portugal with two Michelin stars—he showcases precision, creativity, and top-quality produce.

After many years in the kitchens of some of the top restaurants in Portugal, French chef Vincent Farges opened his own spot in Lisbon, where he presents creative seasonal tasting menus that since 2022 have earned him a Michelin star. His cuisine is inspired by different parts of the world and is accompanied by Portuguese wine. Try to snag a table by a window: the views of the city and river are almost as divine as the food.

The inspiration for this restaurant's food comes from Argentina, so expect a steak-heavy menu that has long made it a favorite among Lisbon’s carnivores. You’ll also find fish dishes borrowed from traditional Portuguese cuisine and a couple of vegetarian options, too.

You don't need to be a guest at snazzy The Ivens Hotel to snag a table in its glamorous downstairs bar, but it's best to book in advance. Perch on one of the high seats for communal dining, and watch the talented mixologists create the perfect cocktail to accompany light sharing dishes like tuna tartare with wasabi pearls and avocado or heartier Portuguese or Italian-style main dishes. Negroni lovers are in for a treat: there's an entire menu dedicated to the drink, and the Negroni de Cacau is dangerously delicious. For a quieter dining experience, the attached Rocco restaurant offers a more formal setting for Italian food made with flair.

The view from this prize-winning hotel restaurant in the hilltop Santa Catarina district is extraordinary, but your attention will soon be drawn to the delicious food—Portuguese with a contemporary twist, made from ingredients sourced from across the country and its chilly coastal waters—exquisitely presented by chef Fábio Alves and his team. For the full experience opt for one of the tasting menus; with the eight-course menu, you can choose between a 100% Portuguese wine pairing and a global tour that includes wines from Oregon to Georgia, via Andalusia. You can also choose from a handful of starters and mains à la carte (either bacalhau with white beans from the Serra de Estrela mountains or cabrito—milk-fed kid from far-off Trás-os-Montes—are excellent options), and finish with one of the deliciously playful desserts. 

A visit to this restaurant—in a space that was once the refectory of a 13th-century monastery—is a quintessential Lisbon experience, although these days it's a pricey one. Transformed into a cervejaria (traditional Portuguese restaurants known for serving beer alongside seafood and hearty meat dishes) in 1836, it's the city's oldest and one of its most ornate, packing in locals and tourists under the vaulted ceiling to sample dishes from a menu devised by Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Silva. Non-diners are welcome to step in off the street at any time from 10 to noon or 3 to 7, to see the colorful azulejo tile panels in the bar area.