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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.
When you eat at this restaurant—situated in the luxurious Palácio do Governador and named for the Roman amphorae uncovered beneath the site—you'll feel as if you're dining in the vaulted halls of a castle. There's nothing old-fashioned about the food though: Chef Vera Silva has created a spectacular menu of dishes that combine traditional ingredients with modern techniques.
With two Michelin stars, Belcanto is another jewel in the crown of celebrity chef José Avillez and is one of Lisbon's most celebrated restaurants. Widely credited with putting Avillez (and Portuguese cuisine) on the culinary world stage, the restaurant uses the latest gastronomic techniques to update traditional dishes. The dining room is just as refined, with every course placed before you with a flourish by an expert staff.
Celebrated Sarajevo-born chef Ljubomir Stanisic has earned awards not just for his unconventional approach to food, but also for the slick design of his restaurants. At Bistro 100 Maneiras, expect to be wowed by the thoughtful redesign of a handsome art deco building as well as by the ever-changing menu and the expertly crafted cocktails.
The name for the upscale restaurant at Lisbon’s Four Seasons Hotel Ritz comes from the Portuguese word curadoria (curatorship), and head chef Pedro Pena Bastos does indeed apply a curator's attention to detail in choosing the ingredients for his three tasting menus. Whether you pick the Meia Cura (eight courses), Origins (12 courses) or the vegetarian Raízes menu (eight courses), expect beautifully presented small dishes that turn super-fresh seasonal ingredients into edible works of art. There are a-la-carte options Tuesday through Thursday, but the tasting menus are where the magic really lies. The restaurant has earned a Michelin star, as well as glowing reviews in Portuguese press.
Occupying a corner of one of downtown’s grandest squares, Delfina Cantina Portuguesa bills itself as an upscale Portuguese deli. It's the house restaurant at the chic AlmaLusa boutique hotel, but all are welcome to enjoy the tapas-style small plates throughout the day and night, as well as more substantial meals like bacalhau à brás (rich shredded cod).
Expect culinary wizardry at this award-winning restaurant headed by acclaimed chef André Cruz, who honed his talents in Portugal and South America. There's no à la carte menu, but diners can take their pick from traditional or vegetarian tasting menus of seven or nine courses each.
The unpretentious bar-restaurant at trendy 1908 Lisboa Hotel is as stylish as the design hotel itself. The space has been tastefully designed to make the most of its historical building with a striking tiled floor, high ceilings, an exposed metal staircase, and windows on three sides. A pleasant place for brunch, lunch, or dinner, the eclectic menu features seafood, meat, and vegetarian options, many with Asian influences. There's a dedicated kids' menu, too.
This slick, Michelin-starred restaurant offers tantalizing tasting menus by chef Alexandre Silva, who changes them frequently so he can take advantage of the freshest seasonal ingredients. Occasionally, he invites other top chefs from Lisbon and beyond to create special one-night-only menus in the dramatic open kitchen.
In business for nearly a century, "The House of the Little Birds" is a lunchtime favorite for workers in the nearby office complex, and at night it draws mainly locals from the neighborhood in search of a home-cooked meal. Come for the house specialties, which include the famous naco na pedra (steak cooked on a hot stone), vitela barrosã (tender veal from the north), and açorda de gambas (shrimp and bread stew).
Occupying a bright and breezy downstairs room at the LX Boutique Hotel (there's now a branch in Cascais, too), this sophisticated spot is widely regarded as one of the best places in town to eat sushi. There are vegan and vegetarian options alongside the usual seafood and sashimi.
The inspiration for this restaurant's food comes from Argentina, so expect a beef-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.
A lively crowd gathers in the chic dining room of this contemporary restaurant (once the Swiss ambassador's residence), packs into the backyard terrace, and jostles for a spot at the cocktail bar. The zero-waste menu, which changes regularly, focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients, all sourced from Portuguese shores. There's an emphasis on fire and flame, so expect smoked, chargrilled, and barbecued treats like squid from the Azores and prawns from the Algarve. Daily vegetarian options ensures everyone is happy.
One of several notable restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Varanda is consistently at the top of its game thanks to the keen eye of French-Canadian executive chef Pascal Meynard. He oversees a seasonally changing tasting menu at dinner (the octopus confit is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach) and a wide range of à la carte dishes throughout the day.
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