A city famous for its serene hills and captivating sandy shores, Lisbon is a hub for culture & commerce. It is the largest city in Portugal and is touted as one of the most livable cities in the World. Much like Rome, the city was built on seven hills and is known as the ‘city of seven hills’. Lisbon has one of the best street arts, with graffiti painted on numerous buildings, walls and sidewalks and is popular among tourists.
People often assert that Portugal is one of the best-kept culinary secrets in all of Europe. Although Lisbon isn’t advertised or famous over the world for any culinary masterpiece, one can find that there is a lot to this place than just impeccable architecture, hilly topography, and amazing people.
Here are some of the top dishes one can try when in Lisbon; it also gives the places where you get the best of these dishes.
1. Bacalhau
This is the national dish of Portugal. It is a dried salted codfish and one of the best local foods to try while in Lisbon. There is a large amount of seafood available in the country and there are numerous ways one can prepare this fish. One of the traditional was it is prepared with scrambled eggs with olives and fried potatoes. There are also other ways one can prepare it and one of the other famous ways is served with a warm blanket of mayonnaise.
Where to get it: A Casa do Bacalhau, Rua do Grilo 54, Lisbon
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2. Cozido a Portuguesa
This is another one of the famous foods to try in Lisbon. It’s a pot of beef and pork which is often chicken, this is served with a copious amount of veggies such as carrots, potatoes, and turnips. One of the major peculiarities with this dish is that it is not supposed to be consumed alone and is served for a family.
Where to get it: Restaurante Os Courenses, Rua Jose Duro 27, Lisbon
3. Sardine
Lisbon witnesses the deluge of tourists during the summer. In this summer, sardine is the best dish to try. There is a separate party known as the Festo De Santo Antonio, where the whole city comes together and serves sardines. This is organized in the month of June, but one can get good sardines right on the streets of Lisbon.
Where to get it: Floresta Das Escadinhas, Rua da Santa Justa 3, Lisbon
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4. Bifana
If you’re someone who’s looking to kick back and relax and have a nice cold beer with a great snack, Bifana is that snack. It has a sublime taste and is available across most food trucks in Lisbon. Bifana is the snack, which consists of thin slices of pork dipped in white wine and garlic. It is then served with buns and goes with mustard or hot sauce. This dish is also famous in all former Portuguese colonies such as Macau and China.
Where to get it: O Trevo, Praça Luis de Camões 48, Lisbon
5. Arroz de marisco
There is a lot of rice consumption in Portugal. It is made with lots of prawns, clams and other seafood, which is served with rice. The seafood is fresh and the combination tastes swell. Are you drooling already? If you’re out and about in this beautiful place, a visit to your nearby restaurant to try this exclusive delicacy is a must!
Where to get it: Restaurante Farol, Largo Alfredo Dinis 1, Almada
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6. Chicken Piri Piri
The origins of Piri Piri can be traced back to the Portuguese colonies in Africa. The taste is delectable and is a must-try for anyone visiting Lisbon. Even for those who aren’t chicken-lovers and are more of mutton fans, this one will surely be a treat for your taste buds but an exquisite delicacy like this one is surely irresistible!
Where to get it: Restaurante Cantinho do Aziz, Rua de Sao Lourenco No. 5, Lisbon.
7. Seitan and Beans
It’s not that Lisbon is only full of non-vegetarian delights; there are several dishes, which have various vegetarian dishes in Lisbon. One of the famous among them is Seitan and Beans, which has veggie meat in warm carrot sauce. The combination might sound a wee bit odd, but trust us, it works.
Where to get it: Oasis Vegetarian Café, R. Marques Sa Da Bandeira 76-76A, Lisbon
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8. Tandoori Chicken
The Indian range of food is present and consumed in each corner of the world and Lisbon is no exception to that. Tandoori Chicken cooked with the delicious is enough to water the mouths of any individual. There are also various other Indian dishes available in Lisbon to appeal to your Indian taste buds.
Where to get it: Bollywood Lounge, R. Viriato Loja 11, Lisbon
9. Whole Crab
You might feel that every other way of eating cab all over the world is wrong after tasting this. Mixing the crab innards and fat together with a sauce of butter, garlic, onion, and white wine and serving it in the shell is the way they make the dish. It sees to it that no part of the crab is wasted. The sauce is appetizing and one can dip the bread in it and find it tasteful.
Where to get it: Cervejaria Ramiro, Av. Almirante Reis, Lisbon
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10. Pasteis de Nata
This is one of the most famous recipes in Lisbon and the recipe is so secret that only three people in the world know about it. The Clarinha family who are heirs to the original bakers have a copyright to the dish. It is a puff pastry circle with a rich egg custard in the middle. This dish is centuries and has a taste that appeals to each and every person who has it. The various food tours in Lisbon have this as a part of their tour.
Where to get it: Pasteis de Belem, R. Belem 84-92, Lisbon.
Further Read: 10 Portugal Resorts So Lavish That You Cannot Help But Feel Spoilt For Choice!
This list has been compiled to ease the experience of the traveler and help them find delectable food in Lisbon. The old city might not be famous for its various dishes but they certainly deserve a lot more credit as the people who have had these dishes find it alluring. So, plan a trip to Portugal and immerse yourself in the toothsome food that Lisbon has to offer.
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