Before our Lisbon memories fade, we wanted to document some of the best restaurants, cafés and bars we visited. Over our three weeks we had great luck finding tasty food, with only one or two of the “meh” experiences that can happen anywhere. In no particular order, these are some places we’d recommend to others.
Pois Café
We had lunch here on both the first and last days of our trip. Yes it’s a stone’s throw from the Sé and feeds many tourists, but the quality of the food and service makes it worth a stop. They have fresh sandwiches and salads along with daily specials like curries, pastas and roast cod. Everything is made from scratch. Even when the café gets packed the staff remains relaxed and welcoming. The good coffee, tea, wine and beer selection — along with fast and free wi-fi — make this a good spot to recharge while researching the next leg of a hard day’s touristing.
Restaurante Santo André
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
This rustic restaurant on a Castelo-bound tram line gives the impression of having been around for a long time, and the clientele is a mix of locals and tourists. The focal point is the charcoal grill on the patio, where the delicious smokey aromas of sardinhas and other seafoods infuse the clothing of any diners foolish/brave enough to sit nearby. The prices are good, the service is efficient, and they do a booming business at lunch and again later in the evenings when they feature live fado performances.
Jasmim da Mouraria
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
This minimalist wine bar is hidden down the type of narrow alley where you’d fear to venture in many cities. Not so in Lisbon where small usually means good. A cleverly renovated former storefront opens onto a perfect little patio in a residential square. A languid Portuguese guitar player occasionally subjects diners to his instrumental rendition of “Hotel California”. They have a good selection of snacks, charcuterie, and ceviche, along with incredible wood-oven-roasted pork sandwiches that we enjoyed on two occasions.
The Food Temple
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
Sharing the same square as Jasmim, this energetic and trendy vegan restaurant (opened by a Vancouverite) is the opposite of every dreary meat-free stereotype. The menu is small and changes almost daily, so the general plan of attack is to order at least one of everything. The place is always busy — you’ll probably end up sharing a table — and reservations are recommended, even if you’re eating at the early-for-Lisbon hour of 8pm. The dishes are unqiue and flavourful, even by carnivore standards, and they also have a worthwhile selection of craft beers.
Bruta Flor
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
This small restaurant (and its adjoining daytime café) is run by a family with both South African and Brazilian roots, so the vibe is a bit different from the typical Lisbon restaurant. While the menu features bacalhau and charcuterie dishes, they also have many vegetarian options. Everything is cooked in-house, the service is personable, and they feature live (non-fado) music on a regular basis.
Doce Mila
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
Even though this pastelería was minutes from our house we didn’t discover it until halfway through our trip because it’s hidden down an an almost imperceptable alley, and it was improperly mapped on Google (which I fixed — I wonder if they are seeing a mysterious influx of new customers?) Doce Mila bakes delicious pastries including their own invention, the Pastéis da Mouraria, which they distribute to other restaurants in the area. They also do baguette sandwiches and a hamburger special. Everything is crazy cheap and can be enjoyed on the nice courtyard patio. The owner doesn’t speak English but he patiently and accurately deciphered our mangled attempts at Portuguese.
Princesa do Castelo
Alfama/Castelo | Map | Facebook Page
We’re not vegans or vegetarians so the fact that we ended up enjoying two vegan restaurants within a short walk of our house was unexpected. The Princesa do Castelo is a little more casual than The Food Temple but the food is on par. This friendly restaurant uses a rotating staff of chefs, so depending on the day of the week the food has a different profile — a bit more Indian on one visit, more American Hippie on the next — but both times we visited everything was delicious.
Marcelino Pão & Vinho
Alfama/Castelo | Map | Facebook Page
This was one of the first restaurants we ate at in Lisbon, early in the trip, and it set the tone for the sort of casual, tasty and affordable foods that are easy to find in Lisbon. It was here that we first tried empadas, savory pastries similar to the South American empanadas we’re more familiar with back home. It was also here I enjoyed my first mista (ham and cheese) sandwich and first strayed from my normal beer-first instincts and took advantage of the delicious vinho da casa wine options.
A Ginjinha & Ginjinha Sem Rival
When I heard beforehand about the must-try Lisbon liquor called ginjinha (or simply ginja for short) I expected to dutifully try it once and dislike it. Who wants to drink cherry brandy with some berries in the bottom? But it turns out both me and Josie really enjoyed it: the sweetness of the liquor is cut by the sourness of the cherries. And at around one euro per shot, what do you have to lose? It’s even more fun when enjoyed standing up before 9am in the morning, as is the tradition. Our untrained palates found little difference between the two most famous competing ginja shops in Baixa near Rossio square. Both A Ginjinha and Ginjinha Sem Rival served delicious shots at the exact same price, half a block apart, so take your pick. The syrupy ginja we sampled at other bars and restaurants around the city did not measure up to either of these places.
Praptik Restaurante São Jorge
Mouraria | Map | Facebook Page
Mouraria is the part of Lisbon where many new immigrants settle, so there was a bit more variety in the food offerings than in other areas of the city. It was interesting to observe than all “ethnic” restaurants in Lisbon have similar photo-heavy menus that make ordering easy for both the staff (who speak minimal Portuguese) and the customers (who may not be familiar with the dishes on offer). This little family-run restaurant specializes in Nepalese momos (dumplings) and other Asian-style dishes, but it also accommodates its neighbourhood by serving pastries and coffee. The staff is friendly, and after some patient back-and-forth in a combination of English and broken Portuguese, we enjoyed a tasty meal.
Fábrica Lisboa
Fábrica is probably the closest thing we found in Lisbon to a North American third wave coffee shop. It has very good coffee, and there are usually a few laptoppers making good use of the free wi-fi and power outlets along one wall. But, beyond those basics, it has full table service, beer and wine, a good selection of sandwiches and salads, and an in-house bakery that makes delicious pastries and desserts.
A Outra Face da Lua
A couple streets away from the interchangable tourist traps of Rua Augusta we found this quirky café inside a vintage clothing shop. They also have a patio outside on the street. This quiet refuge serves a decent selection of beers, generous mixed drinks, and bar snacks that are bit on the exotic side for Lisbon — like nachos and guacamole!
Estaminé 1955
A short ferry ride from Cais do Sodré is Cacilhas, a former fishing community that still features a number of waterfront seafood restaurants. We bucked that trend and went slightly inland for burgers — and we were pleasantly surprised. Josie loved her chicken burger while I enjoyed a more classic beef burger with cheese and pickles. Estaminé has better fries than anywhere else we tried in Portugal. The service is friendly and the decor has an upscale 1950’s American diner vibe.
Birraria
Cacilhas | Map | Facebook Page
The craft beer scene is still ripe with opportunity in the Lisbon area. Birraria, just across the river in Cacilhas, is helping to fill the gap. They were in the midst of revamping their taps when we visited, but the owner had three of his own offerings available, brewed on-site using the tanks visible in the back. We tried two of the three beers and enjoyed both, including a very nice porter. The brewpub has a nice laid-back vibe with communal tables outside.
Cantina Baldracca
This restaurant with a bare-bones and rather dark interior attracts larger groups of young people taking advantage of the cheap-but-tasty wines and sangria. This gives the place a lively and boisterous atmosphere. The menu features Italian basics like salads and pastas, as well as thin pizzas topped with unusual ingredient combinations like the surprisingly delicious Amica Miei with asparagus and egg.