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Lisbon's dining scene has evolved dramatically in recent years to include any number of high-end dining opportunities, but amid the international fare, Michelin-starred restaurants, and molecular gastronomy, the city's simplest and most traditional restaurants still do a roaring trade. Meals generally include three courses, a drink, and coffee. Many restaurants have an ementa turistica (tourist menu), a set-price meal, most often served at lunchtime. Note that you'll be charged a couple of euros if you eat any of the couvert items—typically appetizers such as bread and butter, olives, and the like—that are brought to your table without being ordered.
Lisbon's restaurants usually serve lunch from noon or 12:30 until 3 and dinner from 7:30 until 11; many establishments are closed Sunday or Monday. Inexpensive restaurants typically don't accept reservations. In the traditional cervejarias (beer-hall restaurants), which frequently have huge dining rooms, you'll probably have to wait for a table, but usually not more than 10 minutes. In the Bairro Alto, many of the reasonably priced tascas (taverns) are on the small side: if you can't grab a table, you're probably better off moving on to the next place. Throughout Lisbon, dress for meals is usually casual, but exceptions are noted below.
The interior at one of the best places in Lisbon to try Mozambican cuisine is cozy and welcoming, but, in warm weather, try to sit at one of the tables on the cobblestones outside. The menu features fragrant and spicy dishes like muamba (chicken stew with palm oil) or prawns cooked with okra and coconut milk. There's always at least one vegan dish, and the house-made hot sauce will have you reaching for an ice-cold beer or glass of wine.
In this relaxed fishing village with charcoal grills on every corner, Casa Mateus offers a refreshing reinterpretation of seafood. The Sesimbra favorite is well-known for plating local flavors and traditional dishes with a more refined chef flair. Order the oxtail croquettes, then choose from daily specials and a fish-heavy seasonal menu.
A U-shaped dining counter takes center stage at this laid-back restaurant in the heart of Cais do Sodré. The menu offers twists on typical Portuguese dishes—octopus salad comes with dollops of purple potato puree, for instance, and a bacalhau dish sweetened with persimmon—in a relaxed sharable-plates format.
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.
The terrace at the chic Memmo Alfama Hotel has some of the neighborhood's best views. The menu centers around tapas-style small plates—the selection of Portuguese cheeses and meats, served with a basket of fresh-baked bread, is a good place to start.
This charming, sometimes boisterous restaurant is about as old-world Portuguese as it gets, with massive portions of grilled meat, seafood, and fish in a no-nonsense, brightly lit room. It's especially popular with neighborhood families.
A critical darling and a popular favorite, this Portuguese-with-a-twist restaurant had a line out the door almost as soon as it opened; it's the sort of place other chefs go on their days off. A team of young chefs is turning out classic regional dishes to a soundtrack of rock and roll in a resolutely casual dining room. The chalkboard menu changes constantly but often includes "advanced" Portuguese dishes like chicken gizzards and rice flavored with blood. Reservations (far in advance) are mandatory.
This atypical incarnation of a traditional Portuguese tavern scooped a Michelin Bib Gourmand award soon after opening in 2021. The light, bright dining room is a relaxing space for lingering over clever re-imaginings of classic dishes, a selection from the well-chosen wine list, and the signature salty-sweet cheesecake for dessert.
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.
Chef Luís Gaspar has created a menu of traditional comfort food dishes that aim to meet the exacting standards of Portuguese grandmothers, all served in a contemporary, light-filled space that encourages lingering over a meal and cocktails or wine. Be sure to try sharing dishes like the creamy bacalhau à Brás and the restaurant's namesake pica-pau (woodpecker)—a tasca dish of sautéed beef strips in a garlicky sauce.
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 highly regarded seafood spot has sea views, speedy service, and a bright modern interior with lots of colorful mosaics. Grab a table on the esplanade to dine with the sea breeze in your hair and magical sunsets over the ocean just steps away. Sushi and grilled fish are the specialties, but there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, too.
Ring the doorbell for entry to this late-opening, speakeasy-style spot serving some of the best steaks in town. A discreet gathering place for Lisbon's artists, journalists, and politicians during the 1960s, it was lovingly refurbished in 2024 to preserve period detail while raising the comfort level. Order a dry martini and browse the menu, which features light dishes like garlicky shrimp and meat croquettes, alongside those legendary steaks.
This family-run restaurant serves truly traditional Portuguese dishes. The pataniscas (cod fritters) with bean rice, the baked cod, and the pork cheeks are among the specialties, and there's an extensive list of Portuguese wines. Desserts include pêra bêbada (literally, "drunken pear") poached, unusually, with Moscatel dessert wine, and crumble served with their very own ice cream made from ginjinha. A separate space two doors down serves the same menu, but the adega (wine cellar) round the corner at Rua da Vitoria 10 has its own sommelier and is a great place to snack or to sample a glass of wine—all Portuguese, except for a changing selection of organic wines—while waiting for your table.
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).
Imaginative small plates are the main attraction at this small seafood-focused spot, which has now expanded to a second branch in the foodie neighborhood of Campo de Ourique. The ceviche is hugely popular at both branches, and for good reason. There's even a fish-free version made with tofu.
In the charmingly old-fashioned dining room at one of Lisbon's oldest restaurants, bottles are displayed like works of art, and courteous staffers serve up Portuguese classics paired with one of the wine list's 600 choices.
Take a seat beneath twisting grapevines for drinks and snacks at one of the most inviting terraces in Alfama. The menu is strong on fresh ingredients and healthier versions of fast-food favorites, prepared with care. There are vegetarian and gluten-free versions of many of the most popular items on the menu, including hemp fried chicken (the veggie version is made with cauliflower) and a signature burger served in bolo do caco (a sweet-potato bread hailing from Madeira).
This riverfront restaurant draws crowds for its excellent views and refined cuisine. The mint green chairs of Atira-te ao Rio are easy to spot, and the octopus with roasted potatoes is always a winner.
This restaurant takes you on a trip around Asia, with a wide selection of dishes that go from Thailand to Indonesia. There are also vegan and gluten-free options. The restaurant takes no reservations, so show up early or expect a long wait for a table outside on the terrace or in the colorful interior.
This restaurant—a glassed-in wooden cabana built in the sand dunes—has a laid-back beach vibe with white-washed interiors, colorful deck chairs, and swinging hammocks. The menu is strong on daily fish specials, with sandwiches and salads on offer, too.
Cabrinha has been doing a roaring business among locals and out-of-towners since 1978. Crustaceans of all kinds are priced by weight, while steaks, grilled fish, and the famous seafood stew will satisfy a hearty appetite without blowing the budget.
The tables outside this long-established haven are the perfect place to watch the old trams go by, while an interior reading room offers a quiet space to relax with a book and a snack or meal (the two-course set lunches are a good value at €15). Less touristy than some other cafés nearby, it still attracts artists from the neighboring theaters who stop for a drink.
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 . But don't worry, they also offer traditional mains such as baked codfish or octopus, and pasta, salads, and hamburgers.
This industrial-chic former factory canteen now makes good use of original features (such as a wood-fired oven) to feed the culture seekers who flock to this part of town. It's right in the middle of LxFactory, and the hearty Portuguese dishes will fuel a day's shopping or a night's socializing in the surrounding bars.
One of the first truly Italian restaurants in Lisbon is still one of the best. On the menu are the Italian owner's favorite dishes, including meat, fish, and pasta options.
Set right on the banks of the Tagus with suitably nautical decor, this restaurant is owned by Lisbon's Naval Club and offers excellent fish and simple traditional dishes. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow diners to enjoy river views when it's too cool for the terrace.
Come Prima occupies a low-lit space split into two levels and is always packed with locals who love its distinguished Italian cuisine. If you’re looking for a romantic place off the beaten path, this is a good choice.
