Portugal: Our favourite places to eat
A list of our favourite places to eat in Portugal, by city.
A list of our favourite places to eat in Portugal, by city.
Porto
Cervejaria Gazela
We came here because Anthony Bourdain did, and we were not disappointed. We ordered their specialty, the cachorrinho. The word literally translates to "puppy" but means something more along the lines of "hot dog" in this context. Though, it is not at all the kind of hot dog that comes to mind for us North Americans.
It is something much better.
Juicy sausage and melted cheese pressed inside a crispy baguette and chopped into bite sized pieces. This little sandwich packs some big flavour.
Order one (or three) cachorrinhos with fries and a cold beer, and sit out on the patio to enjoy. Gazela is a perfect stop for lunch.
Address: Tv. Cimo de Vila 4, 4000-434 Porto, Portugal
Conga
Bifana is a traditional Portuguese sandwich made of marinated thinly sliced pork slow-simmered in a flavourful sauce. We tried lots of bifana while we were in Portugal, but this one stood out to us from the others.
Conga's bifana (which can be ordered with or without cheese) had a bit of spice to it. The bread was slighty crisp, with a soft middle that soaked up all the drippings from the meat. It was exceptionally juicy and moist, making every single bite an explosion of flavour.
Order a couple of these small snack-sized sandwiches, and you'll be good to go.
Address: R. do Bonjardim 318, 4000-115 Porto, Portugal
Manteigaria
You can't go to Portugal without trying pastéis de nata. You can find these delicious custard tarts in pretty much any bakery here, but Manteigaria makes them exclusively. The outside is crispy and the custard is soft, creamy and not too sweet. The filling to pastry ratio leans more to the custard side (which I love) and with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a coffee, this is a delightful treat.
This is a chain with locations in Porto and Lisbon.
Address: Rua dos Clérigos nº37, 4050-205 Porto, Portugal
Sagres
Adega dos Arcos
Adega dos Arcos blew my mind. I love this restaurant so much I wrote an entire blog post about it.
You will not find better seafood at a better price. Food is ordered by weight, and the selection of seafood and meat is fantastic. Everything is incredibly fresh and grilled to perfection.
We ate here multiple times. Some of the items we ordered included: fish of the day, steamed prawns, grilled octopus and grilled Iberian pork. Everything is served with a side of tomato and onion salad and crispy hot fries or boiled potatoes.
Do yourself a favour. Just go here and order as much as you can.
Address: R. Roça do Veiga, 8650-350 Sagres, Portugal
Visit the Adega dos Arcos website
Évora
Cantinho da Tété
If you find yourself in Évora, you must seek out this little restaurant tucked away in a quiet square. The restaurant itself is tiny inside, but they have a lovely outdoor seating area.
It's a great spot for pressed sandwiches, called "tostas". But the real treasure for me was the traditional gazpacho. Chopped cucumber, tomato and herbs are mixed with chunks of crusty bread in a refreshing and flavourful cold broth. It's next level delicious, especially on a hot day.
Address: Largo Alvaro Velho nº8 7000-799 Évora, Portugal
Visit Cantinho da Tete's Facebook
Lisbon
Bonjardim
Bonjardim is the place for piri piri chicken. Grab a spot on the patio before it fills up at dinner time. The service is friendly and efficient at this casual spot and the price is extremely reasonable for what you get.
Crispy-skinned, spit-roasted chicken is served on the bone and served with thin, crispy french fries and tomato and onion salad. Dress your salad with the olive oil and vinegar at the table, smother the rest in spicy piri piri sauce and dig in. It's good stuff.
Address: Tv. de Santo Antão 11, 1150-312 Lisboa, Portugal
Beira Gare
Of all the places we tried bifana in Lisbon, Beira Gare was our favourite! The meat-to-bread ratio was perfect, the pork juicy and well seasoned. Topped with that sweet, sweet yellow mustard sauce, this sandwich is perfection! Beira Gare also has a larger menu to pick from and a great patio on a busy street corner.
Find Beira Gare on Google Maps
The other two places we tried bifana in Lisbon were:
- As Bifanas Do Afonso: A close second to Beira Gare and a neat location where you line up outside and eat your sandwich on the sidewalk (they close early in the day, so check the hours before you go)
- O Trevo: Another spot visited by Anthony Bourdain, this place had a really long line up and the bifana was good, though the meat portion was a bit small
Dear Breakfast Alfama
If you're looking for something a bit more substantial than just pastries and coffee to start the day, Dear Breakfast offers a great selection of beautiful, nice quality breakfast dishes and delicious smoothies.
The "Healthy Rancheiros" and "Velvet Potion smoothie" were a couple of our favourites, but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu here.
Address: Largo de Santo António da Sé 16, 1100-499 Lisboa, Portugal (Alfama location)
Visit Dear Breakfast's website
Cantinho do Aziz
Cantinho do Aziz is a really cool spot. This tiny Mozambican restaurant is truly the definition of a hole in the wall. The seating is all outdoors in a narrow alleyway. It's a really neat location to stop and have some sangria and snack on their beef samosas (chamussas). At only €2 each, you can order a good spread (they come with chicken or vegetarian filling as well). They are piping hot, crispy on the outside and beautifully seasoned, served with a fiery and flavourful dipping sauce.
In full transparency, we weren't blown away by the entrees we ordered (Makoufe and Nhama & Chimichurri). They were good, but not amazing (and also not cheap).
But, this place is absolutely worth a stop for the location, a few drinks and those amazing samosas.
Address: R. de São Lourenço 5, 1100-530 Lisboa, Portugal
Visit the Cantinho do Aziz website
Other places to check out:
- Time Out Market: A fun indoor food market offering a wide variety of Portuguese and international options, but be forewarned, it gets quite busy and is very loud inside
- Martinho da Arcada: Located in the Praca do Comércio, this is the oldest cafe in Lisbon, dating back to 1782