Where to Eat in Lisbon: 10 of the Best Restaurants

With it’s explosion in popularity as a top European destination, it’s no surprise Lisbon is home to some incredible restaurants. During our latest trip, we had the chance to explore more of Lisbon’s dining scene and discovered some new favourite spots that we had to share. From quaint terraces serving traditional fare to lively pizzerias with experimental menus, Lisbon offers culinary experiences to suit any taste.

We’d like to highlight the bustling Time Out Market as particularly worthy of your attention. We sampled so many mouthwatering dishes there that we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know in an upcoming post. For now, we’re focusing on the best Lisbon restaurants beyond the famous market.

In this article, we round up some of our favourite Lisbon restaurants from our last visit. We discovered spots serving up the tastiest seafood, brunch worthy of its own trip and of course some of the city’s best Pastel de Nata. Please note, this list is not in any particular order as it would be far too hard to choose a favourite!

Tapisco

Lisbon native chef Henrique Sá Pessoa operates a number of locations around the world, include the two michelin star winning Alma in Lisbon’s chiado neighbourhood. Tapisco is a smaller and slightly more laid back affair that doesn’t compromise on the exceptional quality. This striking red and white space is reminiscent of an elevated diner, featuring tables and counter top seating.

This is a popular spot and reservations can be tricky to get hold of so during our visit we were only to snag a lunch time table. The menu is a blend of traditional Spanish and Portuguese flavours with a heavy focus on tapas and petiscos (snacks), hence the name.

We can honestly say that everything we ate here was exceptionally good but if you’re looking for some particular recommendations then we’d go for the deliciously tomato bread and the Portuguese sausage croquettes topped with spicy sauce (La Bomba de Lisboa). The standout dish for us was the octopus rice, a pot of paella style rice with succulent octopus in a rich tomato sauce.

Tapisco – R. Dom Pedro V 81, 1250-096 Lisboa

Lupita

If traditional flavours aren’t your thing or you’re looking for a more casual bite, then head down to Lupita which can be found dishing out arguably the best pizza in the city at the western end of the iconic Pink Street. We first noticed this place after leaving the Time Out Market and seeing crowds of people gathered outside. With such a great range of restaurants available in Lisbon, we knew this place had to be pretty special to draw such a big crowd.

We headed back the next day and were prepared for a wait. If you’re in a rush you can place an order to go and enjoy elsewhere but if you’ve got more time then we’d recommend getting your name down on the list on the front door. You can grab some cocktails or beers to pass the time while you wait for your table and soak up the vibe

We went for the creamy burrata with courgette alongside their take on the Hawaiian style pizza. We’re usually in agreement with the general consensus about pineapple on a pizza but trust us, this one is worth breaking some rules for.

Lupita – Rua de S. Paulo 79, 1200-427 Lisboa

Clube de Jornalistas

Since we were visiting for Mike’s 30th birthday, we were on the hunt for somewhere a little more special for the big day. When we first saw Clube de Jornalistas (shoutout Topjaw) we instantly knew this was the place. The quaint courtyard with festoon lighting combined with the modern but not too fussy mediterranean menu seemed like the perfect fit.

This charming 18th century building used to be a meeting place for journalists (no prizes for guessing that) and is divided up into several dining rooms as well as the exterior terrace where we were seated. We started with the veal carpaccio and the roasted eggplant with miso caramel with the latter being totally unique and absolutely delicious. We followed this the seared salmon and Thai style vegetables as well the black pork neck with shrimp which may be sneaking it’s way into our top 10 dishes of all time. We finished off what was an exceptional meal the chocolate cake and hazelnut crumble.

Service was relaxed and friendly, with an emphasis on allowing you time to enjoy your meal instead of rushing to turn tables and we found prices to be incredible reasonable considering the quality. If you’re looking for somewhere special with a relaxed atmosphere for an evening meal then this is your spot but it would also work just as well for a casual lunch too.

Clube de Jornalistas – R. das Trinas 129, 1200-857 Lisboa

Rocco

If you’ve spent any time researching Lisbon on social media then you’ll have seen this place countless times already. The beautiful interior is reminiscent of The Ivy Brasseries back in England or some of the offerings from Big Mama such as Circolo Popolare so even it’s worth popping by even for if it’s just for quick drink in their stunning bar space.

They have 3 different dining spaces, the gastrobar, crudo and the main restaurant, with the latter serving a slightly different menu with a focus on seafood and Italian flavours. Being such a hot ticket, we weren’t able to snag a reservation in the main restaurant space and went for Crudo instead. This may have been a blessing in disguise as the tiered space with bench seating was stunning and looked down into the equally gorgeous gastrobar.

We were a little apprehensive about dining at Rocco due to some mixed reviews on food quality, service and pricing. We were nearing the end of our trip when we visited and had wanted to try a classic Portuguese salted cod cake since we arrived. These were nice enough but we weren’t blow away by them, however, we do accept that trying a traditional Portuguese dish at a mainly Italian restaurant probably wasn’t the smartest move.

Learning from our mistakes, we went for the lobster linguine next which was fantastic. The perfectly succulent lobster with beautifully cooked pasta in a silky tomato sauce was a real delight. We rounded off the meal by sharing a portion of tiramisu which again was good but not mind blowing.

Reflecting on the reviews we spotted earlier on, prices are a little higher here than the rest of Lisbon but we couldn’t fault the service at all. Food quality is hard to judge seeing as we only sampled a small selection of the menu but what we did try ranged from good to very good. We’d still recommend a visit even if it’s just for a cocktail and to admire the space (even the toilets are worth a look!).

Rocco – R. Ivens 14, 1200-227 Lisboa

Neighbourhood Cafe

On one of the rare days we weren’t eating pasteis de nata for breakfast, we headed down to Neighbourhood Cafe found at the south end of Green Street. This aussie style cafe serves up excellent coffee and brunch classics from their industrial style space in the heart of downtown Lisbon.

We grabbed an ice latte each as well as some jalapeño avocado toast and one of their famous breakfast burritos. This hefty burrito comes stuffed with cheese, beans, eggs, salsa and guacamole with optional extras like chorizo and tofu being available. Can easily say this is the best breakfast burrito we’ve tried, perfectly crisp on the outside and stuff full of oozing goodness and spice, highly recommended.

Friendly service, great food and coffee with good prices, it’s a no brainer.

Neighbourhood Cafe – Largo Conde-Barão 25, 1200-163 Lisboa

Cervejaria Ramiro

We had Ramiro recommended to us by a friend as “the best seafood I’ve had in my life”. With a glowing review like that, we knew we had to check it out. If there’s one thing to know about this place it’s that it’s chaotic. The booking system on their website was impossible to decipher and seemed to suggest tables were only available for 5 or more at any time. Having done some further trawling through reviews we decided to try our luck with a walk in. Upon arrival we were presented with a ticket and directed to wait in the bar besides the entrance. After waiting for about 5 minutes we were called and directed upstairs to a a semi busy dining room with tons of wait staff greeting us. No idea why we couldn’t get a reservation or why we had to wait downstairs but we put it down to part of the experience.

The confusion didn’t stop there though, most of the menu items are priced by weight with no clear indication of how much to order per person or what one portion of each might weight. Through some conversation with the wait stuff we decided to go for some giant tiger king prawns, some prawns sautéed in garlic and a classic steak sandwich. Both prawn dishes were top tier and the delightfully simple steak sandwich with mustard acted as a solid counterbalance. Having devoured our first 3 dishes, we opted for a bowl of clams in garlic as our last dish were treated to a mini ice cream on the house to cap it all off.

The chaos, confusion and slightly abrupt service are worth powering through if you have the patience because the seafood here is top notch.

Cervejaria Ramiro – Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, 1150-007 Lisboa

Bonjardim

This was actually our first stop in Lisbon after arriving. Hungry after a long morning travelling and needing something quick and delicious to keep us going, we headed straight for Bonjardim found just off Avenida da Liberdade. Colloquially known as “El Rei Dos Frangos” (The King of Chicken), this is a Lisbon institution known for serving up top tier chicken and chips.

We didn’t mess around and got a portion of roasted chicken with fries each after being seated outside on their patio. The chicken was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a succulent and juicy interior which is complimented beautifully by the house peri peri oil which is found on every table, be warned, this packs a punch. Another no nonsense, good value and high quality eatery, highly recommended.

Bonjardim – Tv. de Santo Antão 11, 1150-312 Lisboa

The Mill

Eager to fuel up before a day of exploring, we headed to The Mill on our first full day of exploring to kick things off. This cosy cafe is located in the heart of the historic district and sitting at their window counter enables you to watch the historic 28 tram rattling up and down the hill outside.

Another aussie style affair, the menu here features toasties and fruit and yoghurt bowls alongside heartier options like blueberry pancakes and potato rostis. We grabbed a smoked salmon omelette and one of their signature plates “The Brissie” which consisted of two corn fritters with smashed avocado, bacon and roasted tomatoes. This was accompanied by a delightfully bitter and smooth iced coffee served with an orange peel.

The Mill – R. do Poço dos Negros 1, 1200-335 Lisboa

Manteigaria

No visit to Lisbon would be complete without eating an offensive amount of their iconic pastry, the pastel de nata. A lot of people will recommend Pasteis de Belem way out west of the city centre but if you’re looking for something closer to the main downtown area, you can’t go wrong with Manteigaria. They have multiple locations across the city, including one in the Time Out Market, so you’re never too far away from your nearest pastry.

Served warm with crispy, flaky pastry and an indulgent, creamy custard filling, these are a little slice of heaven. If you want to go whole the hog, make sure to top yours with cinnamon and powdered sugar as well ordering a “copo de leite” (glass of milk) to wash it down. These are the perfect snack to kick start your day or round it off as a dessert, in fact, we’ll take any excuse we can get to order another round of these sweet treats.

Manteigeria – Various locations

Landeau Chocolate

Last but definitely not least on our list and continuing the sweet theme is Landeau Chocolate. Camilla found out about these guys ahead of our visit who have been lauded as potentially the best chocolate cake in the world. With a claim like that there’s no way we weren’t going to test this out and made sure to put it on our list of must tries. Due to the fact we were stuffing ourselves with pastéis at every available opportunity, it took us a few days to visit at Landeau at a time when we were ready to fully appreciate it.

After sampling this slice of decadence, we’d agree that there’s a very strong case for those claims. The cake has a mousse or truffle like consistency and is topped with chocolate powder. Rich and flavourful without being too much or overly bitter like some higher percentage chocolates can be, this is another dish that goes perfectly with a cold glass of milk. Landeau’s cake is a dessert that stay with us for a very long time and it might almost be worth returning to Lisbon for this cake alone.

Landeau Chocolate – Various locations

Wrapping Up

While we’ve barely scratched the surface of Lisbon’s incredible dining scene, we hope this guide provides a useful insight in to some of our favourite spots. The blessing and the curse of Lisbon’s vibrant food scene is that there are so many passionately run eateries serving everything fresh, traditional cuisine to modern experimental, dishes that you’re spoilt for choice.

With such a wide range of eateries available, the restaurants we visited took careful research and planning to curate so we hope you’ll find our list useful. Let us know what delicious discoveries you make so we can continue expanding our Lisbon restaurant must-try list. Until then, we’ll be daydreaming of Pastéis de Nata