(UPDATED 2024) 16 Of Lisbon, Portugal’s Best Restaurants 

Lisbon is an often overlooked destination with other European cities stealing the limelight. For food lovers, this city holds its ground as amazing foodist heaven. Continue reading this food guide as I reveal Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants.

Lisbon: Food Bucket List Destination

Lisbon is an amazing city with an adventurous history, ancient streets, and delicious food culture. Growing up, I watched Anthony Bourdain eat a steak sandwich for dessert at Ramiro (more on this below) and knew this was my kind of food city.

I instantly put Lisbon, Portugal on my food bucket list, and I eagerly awaited the opportunity to eat at the city’s best restaurants.

Listed in this food guide are Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants and ones that I know every food loving traveler will enjoy.

Look through the pictures and read the food descriptions so you can pick and choose the choices that interest you the most. If you follow my suggestions, your trip to Lisbon will be one to remember.

Lisbon Portugal’s Best Seafood Restaurants

After spending a month eating through Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants, I realized how seriously the Portuguese take their seafood. Super fresh, with variations of simple and complex preparations, travelers can expect the best food in Lisbon when visiting these unforgettable seafood restaurants.

1. Ramiro – Best Seafood Restaurant in Lisbon

Address: Av. Alm. Reis 1 H, 1150-007 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $$-$$$

Seafood is king at Ramiro and rightfully so. Their reputation led them to features on television shows like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil. With praise from every food blogger who’s ever passed through the city, is Ramiro worth the hype?

Oh, it’s life changing. 

I recommend the bread, shrimp in garlic sauce, clams in garlic, scarlet shrimp, lobster, then steak sandwich for dessert. In that order. Trust me. I tried other seafood items, but these are the best seafood options. 

We started off with the Prawns in Garlic Sauce: shrimp cooked in olive oil and a pile of caramelized garlic. The shrimp were plump and brimming with garlic goodness. Each bite bursts with a hint of spice from a few sliced peppers tossed into the oily mix. 

Soon after, a small pot landed on the table with the Clams in Garlic sitting in a delicious elixir of white wine, garlic, and clam liquor. I needed to get my hands dirty!

I picked up a clam, sucked the meat, and tossed the shell aside with intermittent dunks of bread into the refreshing clam broth. 

If you are feeling adventurous, order the Razor Clams as they are larger and have a deeper clammy flavor that seafood lovers will adore, cooked in the same garlic filled wine sauce. The razor clams were Tiarra’s favorite seafood dish at Ramiro. 

Scarlet Shrimp is a rare occasion, so I made these a priority. If the server is available, they will carve the shrimp table side, spooning the juice from the head onto the tail. 

Yes. The head juice. Don’t be squeamish! The head is what makes this delicious. If the scarlet shrimp are served whole, then break the body and suck the juice right from the head yourself. It’s like a magical seafood soup, unlike anything I’ve tried before. 

For the final crustacean: Boiled Lobster. I know, lobsters are cliche for seafood restaurants, but I must admit, this lobster was just as good or even better than the ones I ate in Maine.

Armed with various utensils and shell crackers, we went to town breaking the lobster apart leaving us with plump, tender, and super sweet meat. 

No drawn butter though. My American side was disappointed. 

For dessert, we finished with Prego, a steak sandwich seared on the flat top with slices of garlic pressed into the meat. Why a steak sandwich for dessert? With all the seafood your palate needs a break.

Try it and see for yourself. I believe Ramiro has the best steak sandwich in Lisbon. Other seafood places offer the prego, but none come close to this one. 

2. Alfama Cellar – Best Seafood Rice in Lisbon

Adress: R. dos Remédios 127 131, 1100-451 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $$

You might overlook Alfama Cellar in Lisbon hidden away on the northeastern side of the neighborhood, but even a short visit is well rewarded with excellent wines and top notch contemporary Portuguese food showcasing the best seafood rice in Lisbon. 

I was thrilled at the short listed menu and decided to pick interesting options for the meal. First was the Beet Gazpacho. The cold soup shimmered with its dark, purple hue and burst with a beautiful refreshing flavor highlighting a velvety texture.

The chef managed to showcase the sweetness of the beet while overcoming the unpleasant “dirt taste” often associated with beets.

Next, the house special named Oxtail Cellar, a dish made from tender braised oxtails, cooked in red wine with vegetables until it reached a savory umami perfection. For those averse to trying oxtails, this dish will convert you. The meat was super tender with unique flavors only found in oxtails. 

Seafood Rice pops up on every menu in Lisbon, but Alfama Cellar served the best seafood rice in Lisbon, with clams, fish, and prawns all cooked to a tender delight. The dish elevated the seafood in the best possible ways, especially with the clams adding plump, briny bites to the pot. 

The taste of delicious seafood resided in every morsel of rice and we resorted to licking our plates to finish the meal. 

3. Pinóquio – Best Bulhão Pato Clams in Lisbon

Adress: Av. 24 de Julho 49, 1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $$

With two locations, we opted for the one at the Time Out Market and enjoyed a fabulous meal.

The Bulhão Pato Clams were the best I tried in Lisbon, even surpassing the great Ramiro mentioned earlier. The clams were perfect in every way possible. With the right amount of brininess, garlic, white wine, lemon, and coriander, every clam was the perfect size with each slurp better than the last.

Oh, and don’t forget the bread. Dunk that nugget and soak up all that scrumptious sauce. 

Tiarra tried the Portuguese Steak with Garlic Sauce, which was similar to the one at São Bento with the steak fried in olive oil with big slices of garlic. The steak was cooked well and the flavors were on point. Definitely worth trying if you are in the mood for steak or can’t make it to São Bento. 

Instead of seafood rice, I wanted something different and opted for the Seafood Pasta. I hoped for a bowl of long noodles in a slurry of seafood, but a big pot came to the table with elbow macaroni in a red seafood stew. 

Unexpected to say the least, but IT WAS SO GOOD. The stew itself was sublime with lobster, shrimp, and clams. I couldn’t stop eating it.

The macaroni actually worked with the stew and I can see why it’s a house specialty. I imagine the seafood rice uses the same ingredients which are perfect for those hunting down that type of dish. 

4. Solar dos Presuntos – Unique Black Seafood Rice

Adress: junto ao Elevador do Lavra, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 150, 1150-269 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $$-$$$

Very popular among locals, Solar dos Presuntos, is a polished traditional Portuguese restaurant that specializes in seafood. Although we tried a few usual items like Bulhão Pato Clams and prawns with garlic, they lacked in comparison to others we tried around Lisbon.

They were still good, but I’d prefer if you eat those dishes at other notable restaurants mentioned in this post. 

What’s important to me is the Black Seafood Rice. A large paella dish came to the table straight up all black topped with a few boiled muscles, pickled red peppers, and lemon wedges.

Ominous and scary. Think about it, when have you eaten a dish that’s black? 

I didn’t know what to expect and I was a bit nervous. The black seafood rice is cooked for two people and whops a hefty 53 EUR price tag. Will this be worth it?

With my first bites a seafood umami bomb hits my tongue and I am left speechless. Absolutely DELICIOUS! Shrimp, muscles, squid, and scallops fill the pan with black squid ink providing the dark complexion.

It was similar to other seafood rice dishes but with less acidity and a strong savory note from the squid ink. 

WARNING. My poop was black for the next two days so don’t be surprised when you see a few black pickles in the toilet. 

5. Sea Me Peixaria Moderna – Modern Seafood With Asian Flare 

Adress: Rua do Loreto 21, 1200-241 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $$$

Foodists looking for uber fresh seafood will find Sea Me as the highlight of their trip to Lisbon. The amazing part of the whole dining experience was looking through the fresh seafood display at the back of the restaurant. 

Here, I browsed the inventory, asked questions, and picked the brain of my waiter. Poor guy. I probably asked twenty questions on which fish was freshest, which one tasted the best, and how I should have it prepared.

Sea Me definitely earned their place on this list of Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants. After a short deliberation, I settled on a Grilled Turbot which cost roughly 50 EUR. 

Sea Me also offers a sushi selection, which I highly recommend. I kept my expectations fair and knew this wasn’t a Japanese restaurant but they offered sushi preparations with their amazing seafood selection. 

I opted for the Sardine Nigiri which tasted amazing and looked so unique from any other piece of sushi. Totally worth it for Instagram. The scored and torched skin crunched on the first bites, leaving a charred and delicious aftertaste. 

The Salmon Tartare surprised me with hunks of salmon marinated in a ponzu sauce and topped with swirls of avocado purée, chive, and salmon eggs. Salmon tartare needs a regular place in my life.

Not only was the salmon decadent, but the sauce worked magnificently to intensify every ounce of the fish. 

A behemoth plate landed on our table holding the Grilled Turbot. The strategic cuts throughout the fish allowed for even cooking. What a fabulous fish.

The meat tasted so fresh and clean with a super delicate texture. What makes turbot so popular is the fatty consistency. A jelly-like liquid coats the meat making the turbot taste extra succulent.

We ended with a Prego, a steak sandwich that replaces a sweet dessert to offset the robust seafood flavors that linger. What a great stand alone dish. This prego would be perfect as a bar snack or a delicious lunch. 

Lisbon, Portugal’s Best Traditional Restaurants

Coming to the city, I knew very little about traditional Portuguese food and what to expect. Anyone traveling to Lisbon, Portugal must undoubtedly eat the local cuisine and specifically these best restaurants for unforgettable meals. I found some flavors and dishes similar to Spain, but still distinctly unique and exceptionally delicious.

6. As Bifanas do Afonso – Best Bifana Sandwich in Lisbon

Address: Portugal, R. da Madalena 146, 1100-340 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $

Do not skip this sandwich. I repeat. Do not skip this sandwich.

A line always jets on the sidewalk at As Bifanas do Afonso with locals taking their lunch break and tourists in search of a snack. No tables or chairs here. Order at the window and stand at a table or sit on the stone steps across the restaurant. Behold, one of the only notable places for street food in Lisbon. 

Bifanas look like a dull boiled pork sandwich, but the first bites reveal a harmonious symphony of porky delight.

Thin slices of pork simmer in a pot filled with garlic, spices, and white wine. As sandwiches are ordered, the cook forks out a hefty portion of meat on a fluffy sweet potato bun while adding more pork slices to the bubbling pot. 

I followed the locals and paired my bifana with a Portuguese beer because no bifana is complete without a cold Sagres.

With each sandwich priced at 2 EUR each, I ate here eight times during my stay and truly consider it one of Lisbon Portugal’s best restaurants and best kept secrets.

7. Café de São Bento – Best Steak Restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal

Adress: R. de São Bento 212, 1200-821 Lisboa, Portugal
Cost: $$-$$$

The Portuguese tout their own version of steak frites and in restaurants across Lisbon, Portuguese steak finds a home on traditional menus.

With a beautiful dark interior, the style at Café de São Bento throws back to an old school steak joint seen in the ’40s with plush red chairs, dark wood, and bowtie clad waiters. 

I ordered the Bife à Café de São Bento, a sirloin medium rare served swimming in a cream sauce following the 35 year old recipe. Topped with a sunny side egg, the yolk and rich cream sauce blended with the steak’s juices making a hearty dip for those crispy fries.

My wife ordered the Portuguese Steak, a filet fried in olive oil and garlic slices. With every bite, the garlic stands wonderfully prominent with a succulent finish from the olive oil. My wife LOVES garlic so this steak was perfect. 

Bife à Café de São Bento is an excellent choice for a date night or steak craving. With so much seafood throughout the city, this was a nice reprieve I openly welcomed. 

8. Farol de Santa Luzia – Great Traditional Portuguese Restaurant in Alfama

Address: Largo Santa Luzia 5, 1100-487 Lisboa, Portugal
Cost: $-$$

If you are exploring the Alfama neighborhood, check out Farol de Santa Luzia located on the north side of the neighborhood. Opened in 1973, this neighborhood restaurant cooks up traditional Portuguese food and is an excellent choice when exploring Alfama. 

The staff enthusiastically greeted us, giving me feelings of a family home instead of a restaurant. Our favorite part of the meal was the Shrimp Starter. With the heads left on, I split the body, sucked the head, and ate the tail. The shrimp juice was delicious, and there is no other way to eat it. I promise. Suck the head! 

Shrimp and Mussel Risotto (aka seafood rice) tasted full-bodied and curbed my seafood cravings. The whole dish shined including the rice.

Tiarra ordered the steak, and it came medium rare, covered in gravy, topped with a sunny side egg, and surrounded by crispy fries.

The taste of strong herbs filled the gravy making it an incredible accent to the steak. Fries and gravy mixed together made every bite of steak superb with the creamy, runny egg yolk. What’s not to love?

9. Restaurante Fidalgo – Lisbon, Portugal’s Best Restaurant in Barrio Alto

Address: R. da Barroca 27, 1200-047 Lisboa, Portugal
Cost: $$

The caliber of food coming from this kitchen is extraordinary. Don’t let the small dining room fool you, Restaurante Fidalgo means business when it comes to traditional Portuguese food. The menu changes often so check online to see what they preparing for the season. 

We opted for different food than the other Portuguese restaurants choosing Duck Rice, Fried John Dory, and Grilled Iberian Pork. 

John Dory is a fish seldom seen on menus, especially in the United States. It’s a saltwater fish with a delicate texture and a distinctively sweet taste. This preparation came battered fried with a mushy bread side that mimicked a thanksgiving stuffing on steroids.

If only all fried fish tasted this amazing!

The batter wasn’t super crispy but the flavor of the John Dory shined through and made an awesome combo with the bread stuffing; A match made in heaven.

Duck Rice is a traditional dish but tracking it down proved challenging despite all the Portuguese restaurants we visited.  Behold, Fidalgo comes through with an unforgettable Duck Rice experience.

Shredded duck is mixed with rice then baked until the rice crisps to perfection, leaving a decadent dish with tender duck throughout. I love crispy rice, so this hit all my tastebuds in all the right places. 

The Grilled Iberian Pork took the show with garlic marinated pork meat grilled to juicy perfection. This is the best piece of pork meat I’ve ever eaten.

Seriously. I’m unaware of what cut they used or what other voodoo they performed on the meat before serving, but it was that delicious. I never knew pork could taste so beautiful. 

10. Prado Restaurante – Lisbon, Portugals’ Best Modern Portuguese Restaurant

Address: Tv. Pedras Negras 2, 1100-404 Lisboa, Portugal
Cost: $$$-$$$$

Foodists and critics raved about one specific restaurant in Lisbon called Prado. The restaurant pumps out creative dishes with a focus on seasonality and local production.

The food at Prado is small plates, taberna style, meant for sharing with everyone at the table. The waitstaff guided me through the different courses and the sizes of each plate, making excellent suggestions. 

I usually don’t make huge a fuss over the bread, but you MUST order the bread. Their house made sourdough highlights a crispy crust with a soft, chewy middle.

Paired with their dips, I couldn’t help but order more. Two dips joined the bread: organic olive oil and a Garlic Purée topped with pork fat and sprinkled with spices. 

Oh My Goodness. Garlic purée and pork fat…

The dips not only tasted amazing but brought the standard of bread service to a new level. I wish I could see this on tables around the world! Sorry, but this is better than butter. 

Next was the Sarine with Lardo on toast and Tuna Belly Tartelette with red pepper. Perfect and delicious with not ordering more as my only regret. 

The Butternut Squash with Whey and Brown Butter was well… just look at it! Not only beautiful but delicious as well, the baked squash tasted refreshingly sweet with the whey and brown sugar combo.

My favorite dish was the John Dory with Lobster Emulsion and Sado Rice. The John Dory was lightly poached and topped with a creamy lobster sauce and sat on a bed of creamy rice. 

The fish tasted wonderful. The emulsions really taste like shellfish gravy. Pass the mashed potatoes and try it on that!

The rice resembles a risotto, but with ground, dried seaweed added. With all the components combined an unbelievable seafood dish emerges unlike any other, you will try in Lisbon or around the world. 

11. Taberna Albricoque – Contemporary and Seasonal Portuguese Cuisine

Address: R. Caminhos de Ferro nº98, 1100-395 Lisboa, Portugal
Cost: $$-$$$

The eclectic menu at Taberna Albricoque was exciting, with seasonal and unusual dishes. We made our choices and our adventurous spirit was rewarded with a remarkable meal. 

We ordered the homemade sourdough bread with some sort of salad made with a root vegetable. Slightly sweet and mild, this salad partnered great with the crunchy sourdough.

Resembling empanadas, these patties tasted sublime with a unique green filling of stewed cockles. Warm and gooey on the inside, the taste surprised me with strong savory notes while still balanced with the seafood filling. 

The small wheel of cheese is the famous, Portuguese sheep’s milk cheese known for its creamy consistency and pungent flavor. 

Can you guess this one? How about Fried Moray Eel? Yes, these small slivers of deep fried perfection come from the scary moray eel, but it tasted oh so good.

The thin strips packed a fatty punch reminding me of a chicharrones with each piece echoing a crunch with every bite. 

Adding the lemon helped cut through the fat keeping my palate invigorated. In my personal opinion, fried moray eel is the ultimate beer snack. Crunchy, fatty, salty, I ordered a beer just for this knowing this would make a great pair. 

The stewed Chickpeas with Oxtail raised the bar to a new level. The melt in your mouth oxtail added depth and richness to the tender chickpeas, creating a bean stew like no other.

By far, one of my favorite dishes I tried on my European trip this year. I’m not sure what’s with Lisbon and the amazing oxtail dishes, but keep it up! 

Tiarra loved the Pork and Potatoes. Cooked to medium (yes, pink in the center), the super juicy and intense pork hit a home run in the flavor department.

The pork was almost concentrated so it tasted more like pork than pork usually does. Not sure if that makes sense, but eat it and see for yourself. 

12. Pastéis de Belém – Best Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon

Address: R. de Belém 84 92, 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $

The most recognizable dessert in Lisbon is the Pasteis de Nata, an egg tart baked into a multi-layered flaky crust. I ate one or more per day for my entire month’s stay in the city. Well allocated calories if you ask me!

Pastéis de Belém made my favorite pasteis with an extra crispy crust and silky smooth custard. Located close to the famous Belem Tower, tourists and locals alike stop by this famous bakery to pick up a few before leaving the area. 

Make this shop a priority for one of the best desserts in the world.

13. Ginjinha Sem Rival – Best Ginjinha in Lisbon

Address: R. das Portas de Santo Antão 7, 1150-264 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $

The Portuguese love their ginjinha, a liquor made with sour cherries. Throughout Lisbon, ginjinha shops showcase their own special blend with locals all having their own favorite shop. 

For me, Ginjinha Sem Rival was my favorite, and I stopped in when passing by after dinner… lunch… or any other time of day really. 

Walk in, order a glass for 2 Euro, and enjoy the sweet and sour taste of Portuguese culture. 

Other Must Eat Places in Lisbon

Of course, Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants go beyond just two categories, so I listed the rest of my favorite options below. Trust me, if you need a break from the usual Portugese fare, these restaurants will it the spot.

14. Cotidiano Lisboa – Best Brunch in Lisbon

Address: R. do Crucifixo 2, 1100-183 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $-$$

Bunch is a must for every destination and Lisbon was no different. After a night of making new friends on an epic pub crawl Saturday night, we all decided to regroup the next day with a healthy brunch from Cotidiano Lisboa. 

I ordered the Pancake Lover which comes with a pancake dressed with butter and honey, eggs on toast, and fresh orange juice. 

The Pancakes tasted wonderful with a unique style of their own. The cornmeal laced batter is slowly cooked in a skillet creating a thicker pancake with a slightly crunchy exterior and a light interior. 

The eggs on toast were perfect with two sunny side eggs sitting on homemade bread drizzled with pesto with crispy bacon, avocado, and a dressed salad.

What a perfect way to start the morning with sweet and savory paired with plenty of texture from the pancake and toast. 

Tiarra decided on the Pitaya Bowl and Avocado Toast.

Banana, blueberries, strawberry, shredded coconut, granola, honey, and yogurt mixed together for a refreshing breakfast bowl that is perfect for fighting off a hangover. 

The avocado toast was expertly prepared in two ways: one with smooth guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds and the other with beetroot hummus and topped with avocado slices.

Yes, it tasted as good as it all sounds.

15. K-Bob – Delicious Korean Food in Lisbon

Address: R. da Palma 41 A 1o andar, 1100-390 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $

I need my Korean food fix in every city, and Lisbon was no different. Located in the Mercado Oriental Martim Moniz building, K-bob is an authentic Korean eatery cooking up classics that will satisfy the Korean food cravings of any traveler. 

We chowed down on Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap and Soon Dubu Jjigae. For those who don’t know, Soon Dubu Jjigae is a spicy tofu soup served bubbling with a raw egg dropped right in middle, so it cooks upon mixing.

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap is a rice dish with a variety of vegetables and meat fillers served in a hot stone bowl so the rice gets crispy. Just mix in some spicy pepper paste to your level of spiciness and enjoy. 

Both dishes made me proud, showcasing Korean cuisine without hiding the stronger flavors. If you love Korean food and need a break from all the Portuguese food, be sure to stop by K-Bob.

16. Noodle Delight – Chinese Hand Pulled Noodles in Lisbon

Address: R. da Palma 41 A 1o andar, 1100-390 Lisboa, Portugal
Price: $

Located in the same building as K-Bob on the ground floor is a surprising noodle shop serving freshly prepared hand pulled noodles. 

That’s right. Hand pulled noodles.

My disbelief stopped me right in front of the counter where I watched the cook pull and twist noodles from a large chunk of dough. After the noodles are stretched nice and thin, they land in boiling water cooking until they are ready for the soup. 

Due to the hand crafted noodles, our orders took longer than expected, but the wait was worth it. We ordered the Beef Noodle Soup and Wonton Noodle Soup.
I tasted unique differences in the broth each highlighting characteristics that complimented the noodles and fillings. 

Of course, the noodles were perfect, with the right amount of chew and the correct thinness. I wish I ordered another bowl. These soups were the best 6 EUR I paid for a single dish. With such high caliber noodles, I had to add Noodle Delight to my list of Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants.

Conclusion:

The food in Lisbon is seafood heavy with unique twists added by each restaurant’s unique style. I am a true believer that Lisbon is a food lover’s destination where unforgettable dishes await the adventurous at heart.

Through my month in the city, I believe I ate at Lisbon, Portugal’s best restaurants, and left little behind to try. I hope the restaurants listed give you a great idea of what to expect and which dishes to add to your hit list.