Eating in Lisbon

Between the Castle and the Alfama Viewpoint

(These are listed in order from the castle to the viewpoint.)
Arco do Castelo, an eight-table Indo-Portuguese restaurant, dishes up delicious fish and shrimp curries (how spicy is up to you) from Goa, a former Portuguese colony in India. Top off your €10 meal with a shot of the Goan firewater, feni, made from cashews (Mon–Sat 12:30–24:00, closed Sun, just across from ramp leading into castle, Rua do Chão da Feira 25, tel. 218-876-598).

Hip Restô do Chapitô offers superb views of the river, whether you relax upstairs amid the tasteful and warm decor, in the woody pub-like downstairs, or on the welcoming, bohemian patio. Dinner from the rotating international menu costs €20 to €25 — less for appetizers (Tue–Fri 19:30–24:00, Sat–Sun 12:00–2:00, free jazz after 23:00, closed Mon, no CC; from below the castle — at Arco do Castelo restaurant — go right on Rua do Chaoda Feira 50 yards downhill, take first right to Costa de Castelo 7; tel. 218-867-334).

Largo do Contador Mor — a wispy, cobbled square a block above the Miradouro de Santa Luzia viewpoint and a block below the castle — has two eateries. A Tasquinha Restaurante, at the top of the square, is touristy with marginal service, but has atmospheric outdoor seating and serves fine €8 plates of grilled sardines — sardinhas assadas (Tue-Thu 12:00–19:00, closed Wed, Largo do Contador Mor 5). Eat healthy at Comidas de Santiago, a inexpensive little salad bar with refreshing summer gazpacho. The self-serve option at the buffet bar is cheaper and even faster; the €6.50 Saladas Diversas lets you fill a big plate with salads and meats (understand your bill, daily 12:00–17:00, Largo do Contador Mor 21, tel. 218-875-805).

For a quality seafood feast, consider dining high in the Alfama at the Farol de Santa Luzia restaurant (€16 fixed-price menu turistico, Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00, closed Sun, Largo Santa Luzia 5, across from Santa Luzia viewpoint terrace, no sign but a window full of decals, tel. 218-863-884).

To mix in some adventure with your sardines, walk past Portas do Sol and follow the trolley tracks along Rua de São Tomé to a square called Largo Rodrigues Freitas. There you'll find Nossa Churrasqueira busy serving chicken, sardines, and cod on rickety tables to finger-lickin' locals with meager budgets (chicken with vegetables-€8, sardines-€5.50, Tue–Sun 12:00–22:00, closed Mon; if riding trolley #12, it's at the first stop over the big hill). This neighborhood, a gritty chunk of pre-earthquake Lisbon, is full of interesting eateries. Brighten a few dark bars. Have an aperitif, taste the branco seco (local dry white wine). Make a friend, pet a chicken, ponder the graffiti, and pick at the humanity ground between the cobbles.

In Bairro Alto

Lisbon's "high town" has plenty of small, fun, and cheap places. The bright and touristy Cervejaria da Trindade, a Portuguese-style beer hall, is full of historic tiles, seafood, and tourists. It's overpriced and in all the guidebooks, but people enjoy the bright and boisterous atmosphere (€15 meals, confirm prices, daily 12:00–24:00, liveliest 20:00–22:00, closed holidays, air-con, courtyard, a block down from São Roque at Rua Nova da Trindade 20C, tel. 213-423-506). They have five Portuguese beers on tap — Sagres is the standard lager. Sagres Preta is a good dark beer. Bohemia is sweet and with more alcohol. Light meals and snacks are served at the bar and in the front.

Restaurante Pap'açorda, buried deep in the Bairro Alto, is a trendy and mod favorite serving "organic cuisine of aristocratic farm families" from a menu filled with seasonal daily specials. When you step in, you know you've found the right place. The chef, Jose Miranda, runs his restaurant with attitude. Reservations required for two evening seatings: 20:00 and 22:00 (€25 dinners, lunch from 12:30, closed Sun-Mon, Rua da Atalaia 57, tel. 213-464-811).

You'll find many less-touristed restaurants deeper in the Bairro Alto on the other (west) side of Rua Misericordia.

In and near Praça Rossio

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão is Lisbon's "eating lane" — a galaxy of eateries with good seafood (off the northeast corner of Praça Rossio). This lane has pushy waiters and is very touristy, but lively with happy eaters, it's enjoyable to browse.

Cheap, tasty chicken and fries: The small side street, Travessa de Santo Antão, is famous for three restaurants — Rei da Brasa, Rei dos Frangos, and Restaurante Machado — that crank out simple, decent chicken (paint on some spicy African piri-piri sauce) and fries inside or streetside.

Casa do Alentejo, specializing in Alentejo cuisine, fills an old second-floor ballroom. The Moorish-looking building is a cultural and social center for people from the traditionalist southern province of Portugal living in Lisbon (2-course special of the day-€11, daily 12:00–15:00 & 19:00–22:00, slip into closed-looking building at Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 58 and climb the stairs, tel. 213-469-231). While the food is mediocre at best, the ambience is fabulous. It's a good place to try pork with clams, an Alentejo specialty. For a full-bodied Alentejo red wine, go with the Borba.

Restaurante Solar dos Presuntos keeps the theater crowd happily fed with meat and seafood specialties. It's subdued upstairs, while the downstairs is touristy and rowdy with a colorful open kitchen (€15-20 meals, at the top of the eating lane at Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 150, tel. 213-424-253).

Casa Suiça (SWEE-sah) is a bright, modern, air-conditioned place popular with locals (in spite of its surly wait staff) because it's classy, but affordable and free of riff-raff. They serve more than pastry — try the light meals, sandwiches, salads, and fruit cups (daily 7:00–21:00, inexpensive at the bar, reasonable at inside tables, expensive at outside tables overlooking Praça Rossio or Praça da Figueira). Across the Rossio, Restaurante Pic-Nic is a bustling diner — and a little more lowbrow — for breakfast or a light meal and people-watching on the sidewalk.

Armazéns do Chiado shopping center has a sixth-floor food circus with few tourists in sight, offering a huge selection of fun eateries from traditional Portuguese to Chinese (daily about 12:00–23:00, between the low and high towns, between Rua Garrett and Rua da Assuncão, from the low town find the inconspicuous elevator at Rua do Crucifixo 89 next to the Chiado Metro entrance). Some of the mall's eateries are actual restaurants (that get quiet from about 15:00–18:00); others are smaller fast-food counters that share a common eating area and serve all day. Chimarrão, a Brazilian place with a Brazilian staff (no speak English), offers an impressive self-serve, salad-and-meat buffet (€6 per big plate, adults can get the €4.50 kids plate if preferred); they also have desserts and tropical juices and fruits (€2.50 or €4.50, not part of other buffet). This is where healthy eaters assemble the plate of their dreams — by far the best vegetarian and fruity place I found. Study the exotic fruit-juice sheet on the table. Stick with the buffet, since table service doubles the price. (Pick up a plate by the door, raid the meat counter and the salad bar, order drinks at your table, and pay as you leave.) On the same floor you'll find Loja das Sopas, which offers hearty soups with six €4 menus (find a table in the food circus nearby), and Café de Roma for a wide assortment of fancy coffee drinks. A lot of these places have castle views.

For cod and vegetables prepared faster than a Big Mac, and served with more energy than a soccer team, stand or sit at Restaurant Beira-Gare (a greasy-spoon diner in front of Rossio Station at the end of Rua 1 de Dezembro, Mon–Sat 6:00–24:00, closed Sun). Their soup and sandwich deal is only €3. The house-specialty: bifana no pão (pork sandwich).

Martinho da Arcada, another good option on Praça do Comércio, was founded in 1782. It still enjoys a good reputation, with red-vested waiters serving good traditional cuisine (€20 meals, Mon–Sat 12:00–15:30 & 19:00–22:00, closed Sun, Praça do Comércio 8 at the Rua da Prata corner, tel. 218-879-259).

Rua 1 de Dezembro, located in the Rossio area, is lined with competitive and very cheap restaurants. It's lively for lunch], but dead at dinner. Walk the street and determine the prevailing menu of the day. The chain of little Ca das Sandes sandwich shops, found here and scattered about town, offer healthy sandwiches (that you design Subway-style), salads, and usually outdoor seating (daily 9:00–20:00). Pingo Doce is a fine supermarket one block south of Rossio Station (daily 8:30–21:00, kitty-corner from a Ca das Sandes shop, on Rua 1 de Dezembro and Calçada do Carmo).

Up Avenida da Liberdade: Cervejaria Ribadouro is a popular splurge with locals because of its quality meat and shellfish (€15 meals, daily 12:00–24:00, Avenida da Liberdade 155, at intersection with Rua do Salitre, Metro: Avenida, tel. 213-549-411). Note that seafood prices are listed by the kilogram; the waiter will help you determine the cost of a portion. To limit the cost, actually write down the number of grams you want. For a fun, quick meal or snack anytime, order 100 grams (about a quarter of a pound — good for one person) of percebes—barnacles — at the bar with a small beer and pao torrado con manteiga (toasted bread with butter).