21 Best Restaurants in Lisbon, Portugal

Dating from 1905, Lisbon’s most famous café maintains its dazzling art deco interior, though you'll probably prefer to take a quick peek and then settle in at one of the handful of tables outside to watch the lively street scenes unfold. The coffee no longer comes exclusively from the former colony that gave the place its name, but it still serves some of the best in town, alongside tasty cakes, pastries, and artfully-presented fish and seafood dishes.

Once a staff canteen serving hearty Portuguese dishes to factory workers, Cantina LX has incorporated elements of its original 1870s incarnation into today’s industrial-chic space. Adventurous eaters enjoy the grilled rabbit, lamb, and octopus dishes, but there are always vegetarian options too.

This is a retro-chic spot for tea and cakes or cocktails and petiscos (small plates). The kitsch collectibles and bottle-filled cabinets make the space feel like being at someone's grandparents' house, and the board games and comic books add to the wholesome charm. Take a seat on the terrace in summer, or cozy up in the comfy interior when it's chilly outside.

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).

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. 

The terrace at the chic Memmo Alfama Hotel has some of the neighborhood's best views, with tables and chairs arranged around a small infinity pool overlooking the city and the river. 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 bakery specializes in pastéis de nata: delicious, warm custard pastries sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Although these sweet treats are ubiquitous in Portugal, the version here (made from a secret recipe since 1837) is the most celebrated. They're so good that lines snake out of the door of this traditional blue-and-white-tiled establishment.

Imaginative small plates are the main attraction at this trendy seafood-focused spot, which also has nice vegan options. The ceviche is hugely popular, and with good reason. There's even a fish-free version made with tofu.

Take a seat beneath twisting grape vines 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 Big Antù burger. 

The intimate, dimly lit space and musical backdrop of tinkling jazz make a memorable setting for sampling delicious versions of traditional Portuguese food and drink. Standouts on the menu include possibly the creamiest bacalhau à brás (codfish mixed with egg and matchstick potatoes) in Lisbon, and a photo-worthy flaming choriço. The wine list is good, with a crowd-pleasing vinho verde and notable whites from the Alentejo. Bring cash, as international cards are not accepted.

There's a decent range of gin-based cocktails and light meals at Boca do Vento (literally, Mouth of the Wind), but the views are the real stars of the show. Perched high above the river Tagus, at the breezy entrance to the elevator that zips people between Almada Velha and the riverfront, it's a spectacular place for late afternoon drinks on the terrace.

In an alley between Praça dos Restauradores and Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, this eatery known locally as Rei dos Frangos (King of Chickens) specializes in spit-roasted chicken served with a home-made peri-peri sauce that locals swear is the best in the city. One chicken easily serves two hungry diners, but leave room for the famously crispy fries.

The tables outside this reliable café 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 meal or snack. Less touristy than some of the others nearby, it still attracts artists from the neighboring theaters who stop for a drink.

Today it's a lively spot for petiscos and cocktails, but Casa Faz Frio was once the location for secret political meetings (and romantic trysts) thanks to its secluded gabinetes (booths). It's been given a top-to-toe overhaul, but retains its paneled booths, tiled floors, and other details from its more than 150 years of history. Light dishes such as chilled tomato soup and tapas-style plates for sharing make for sociable dining in a cozy bar-restaurant. 

There’s an enormous array of top-quality Portuguese cheeses, wines, and petiscos on the menu at Grapes & Bites. Nightly live sets from talented local and international solo artists add an extra dash of panache to the proceedings. 

Offering a little respite from the rowdy nightlife of "Pink Street," this cute café-bar doubles as a bookstore, and it's not unusual to see local poets reading from their work. The bright primary colors and painted ceiling give it the look of a cozy kids' corner, but the coffees and mixed drinks are strictly for grown-ups.

Although the name translates as "Bread Bread Cheese Cheese," this bustling place serves much more than these two staples. Expect lines out the door as hungry sightseers and locals line up to take their pick from a huge variety of sandwiches, salads, falafel, and wraps.

For light meals and cocktails against a jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop, Portas do Sol (meaning "doors of the sun") is the place. Don't expect award-winning cuisine, but you could do far worse than a couscous or caprese salad washed down with a tangy caipirinha or freshly squeezed juice.

For some of the best ice cream and sorbets in town, drop into this branch of a family-run chain founded in 1949. New flavors are introduced regularly, but all stick to the tradition of using only fresh fruits and all-natural ingredients.

This updated version of the traditional Portuguese tasca (tavern) is an informal space where everyone seems to start off with a gin and tonic—there are 80 gins on the list. That said, food is hardly an afterthought as the kitchen turns out all sorts of delicious plates like black rice with cuttlefish or braised tuna that are the perfect size to share.