Local’s guide to Lisbon’s best restaurants: 41 great places to eat (2025)
A perfectly salted fish cooked over coals. A juicy tomato plucked in the peak of summer. The crunch of a pastel de nata, still warm from the oven. Portuguese food is a lesson in perfectly executed simplicity.
Where to eat and drink in Madeira
Bolo de caco. Milho frito. Peixe espada. Lapas. Maracujá. Madeira Island might be part of Portugal, but this sub-tropical drop in the Atlantic has its own strong identity – and most importantly, unique dishes and foods to try. We spent nine days exploring Madeira from east to west, seeking out the best restaurants, snack bars, […]
Where to eat in the Algarve
Updated January 16, 2025 Fine dining fans could spend the week knocking back degustation menus at Michelin-starred restaurants and emptying jugs of white sangria at beach bars priced for the British crowd. Me? With my tasca budget and Michelin palate, I hunt for the best tabernas, cervejarias and marisqueiras that locals love as much as […]
My favourite tascas in Lisbon: Where to eat traditional Portuguese food
Every Lisboeta grew up eating at tascas, and so every local has a favourite hidden gem or secret spot in their Lisbon neighbourhood. A tasca is essentially a Portuguese bistro. They are cheap, family run and you can enjoy a traditional Portuguese meal with wine, snacks and dessert for €10 to €20 most of the […]
Lisbon restaurants open Sunday and Monday
The beauty of being on vacation is that the day of the week doesn’t matter. It might be a Monday when you decide it’s prime time for a long Portuguese lunch with white wine in the sunshine. But of course, days of the week matter to the locals – especially since many restaurants and bars […]
Where to eat in Évora: best restaurants, cafés & sweets
If I had to pick a favourite regional Portuguese cuisine I’d choose the Alentejo. This expansive land of cork trees, olive groves, and vineyards has produced some of my all-time favourite Portuguese dishes. At the heart of it all lies Évora, the Alentejo capital, a small whitewashed city finished with yellow trim where you’ll find […]
Where to eat in Porto
Francesinhas (the everything sandwich). Pork steak sandwiches. Offal stew. Spicy hot dogs. The food in the north of Portugal is heavier, that’s for sure. I adore Porto (and its food). It has everything you want and need from a city in a small walkable centre that’s cheaper than Lisbon. I’ve visited countless times now, and […]
Where to eat in Viana do Castelo
One thing I love about dining in Portugal is how each city, town and village offers something new. Same ingredients, a whole new world of food. I recently visited Viana do Castelo for the annual Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia festival, but I have to say I was as excited about the hearty Minho food […]
Where to eat in Coimbra
At the centre of Central Portugal lies Coimbra, an ancient city with a young student heart. The food scene in Coimbra covers it all, from fine dining and chic restaurants to rooftop bars and late-night kebab shops. There are half a dozen must-try regional sweets, plus hearty local specialities like chanfana (rich goat stew) and […]
Where to eat in Guimarães: the best restaurants and taverns
When it comes to where to eat in medieval Guimarães, the answer feels like it should be snacks at a tavern, a homely bistro or an old-man bar. This surprising smaller Portuguese city serves up all three, along with a few dining gems, from a chic French-inspired bistro to a Michelin-starred diner. Eating out in […]