Our Favorite Lisbon Meals
My husband and I ate our way through Lisbon on our trip to Portugal, and it’s so hard to pick favorites in a city where the bar for food is set so high. I’ve already written all about the best things to do in my Lisbon Travel Guide, but this city’s restaurant scene deserved a post of its own.
From a Michelin-recommended lunch spot to the original home of the pastel de nata, these are the meals that stuck with me long after we got home.
Clube de Jornalistas
Clube de Jornalistas was, without question, our favorite restaurant in Lisbon, and given how well we ate in this city, that’s saying something. The food was creative and delicious, the service was excellent, and the wine pairings were exactly right. We still talk about this meal constantly, and it’s already at the top of our list for our next trip back.
We had a wide range of dishes from eggplant plates to fish, shrimp and more. The menu rotates often, so you can expect different offerings based on seasonality. The restaurant itself is in a beautiful building, and the interior design has a lot of charm and cozy style. We sat inside, but had a lovely view outside through an open window. They also have very pretty outdoor seating.
Pro Tip: Book Clube de Jornalistas in advance if you can. This is the kind of meal worth planning your evening around and they do get booked up.
O Frade
This was our second favorite meal in Lisbon, and it was absolutely fabulous. We went to O Frade for lunch after our morning at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, sat at the bar, and watched some of the magic happen while the chefs worked. We had a rice dish with rabbit, fish with leeks, and a dessert built on a traditional Portuguese recipe with egg and marshmallow that was unlike anything I’d ever had.
The staff were also incredibly nice here and the atmosphere was lovely. While we st inside, they do also have nice outdoor seating. Wine pairings are excellent here and you can expect incredible quality from this Michelin Bib Gourmand winner. I’d return here without hesitation.
Tapisco
Another absolutely fabulous meal we had in Portugal was at Tapisco, which was our first dinner in the city. It set the bar very high for the rest of the trip. We shared a good number of appetizers and mains, and the craft cocktails were just as exceptional as the food. We sat at the bar and could see some of the meals being made, which was super fun. I was blown away with the quality.
Pro Tip: Tapisco is popular and seats fill up fast, so make a reservation in advance if you want to dine here.
Bonjardim
Bonjardim is known for its Piri Piri chicken, and it made for a great lunch stop. The chicken was flavorful and juicy, the piri piri sauce was excellent, and the crispy fresh bread (worth the small extra charge) rounded out the meal perfectly. This restaurant has earned its loyal following for good reason.
It is also among the most popular destinations we encountered for a meal, so we did wait in line for quite a while before being seated. The line did move quickly and the staff were very efficient, it’s just that popular and the line was just that long – I don’t know if they take reservations.
To make the wait time more relaxing, there was a musician playing outside for everyone. I thought that was a nice touch, and the weather was so pleasant that the wait was not bad at all.
Neighbourhood Lisboa
We liked Neighbourhood Lisboa enough to eat there twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner. For breakfast, I had a fabulous chia seed bowl while my husband went with a great breakfast burrito. We came back for dinner another night and ordered the smash burgers, which were exactly what we needed after a long day of walking.
Easy, tasty, and reasonably priced, this is a great one to keep in your back pocket, especially if you’re not sure when you’ll be wrapping up your day of activities and will be ready for a meal.
The Folks
For another excellent breakfast, head to The Folks. I had delicious Turkish eggs and a pistachio latte, and my husband ordered a large breakfast platter with eggs and other extras. There was a line for this spot, but it moved quickly. I think they might also have more than one location too. Portions here are very generous, so come hungry.
Pastéis de Belém
No visit to Lisbon, and certainly no visit to the Belém neighborhood, is complete without a stop at Pastéis de Belém. This is the original home of the pastel de nata, the iconic Portuguese custard tart that’s been imitated endlessly and perfected exactly once, here, since 1837. The recipe remains a closely guarded secret, and this was our very first food stop in Lisbon, so it made quite the first impression. The tarts arrive warm, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, with a blistered custard top and a crisp, flaky shell. There’s simply nothing else like them.
Pro Tip: Since you’ll likely be visiting the Torre de Belém, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos all in the same stretch of the city, build a stop at Pastéis de Belém into that same day. Expect a line, but it moves quickly.
Bairro do Avillez
We also ate at Bairro do Avillez, and the venue itself is gorgeous. It’s a beautifully designed space that feels like a destination on its own. We sat outside an enjoyed a charcuterie board and a cocktail on the scenic cobblestone street in front of the restaurant. Then we had dinner inside. The food was very good and the ingredients were fresh – we enjoyed our meal and I recommend this restaurant – but I’ll be honest that I found it a touch overpriced for what we got. I think it is a popular tourist destination, so the meals are priced accordingly.
Restaurants On My List for Next Time
Lisbon has so many outstanding restaurants that even the ones we didn’t get to try are already on the itinerary for our return trip. Prado has built a strong reputation for seasonal, thoughtful Portuguese cooking and was high on our shortlist.
I also want to try Omakase Ri for a well-executed break from Portuguese food (not that I’d ever really need a break from Portuguese food – it quickly became my favorite cuisine), and I’d love to grab lunch at the Time Out Market Lisboa, widely regarded as one of the best food markets in Europe. And if you’re craving one of Portugal’s most iconic street foods, friends have pointed us toward The Bifanas of Afonso for a proper bifana.
That’s the thing about Lisbon: even restaurants that are excellent in their own right are competing against a long list of other outstanding options. The bar is set high in this city, and I loved every meal that made the cut for this list. Can’t wait to go back and eat my way through the rest.
Visit Lily Travel to learn about other top destinations, restaurants and more!
