11 Best Restaurants To Try When In Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is the bustling capital of Portugal, a melting pot of people, culture, and cuisine. Of course, incredible Portuguese food is front and center in this ancient city that blossomed under the North African Moors was taken over by European crusaders, and was briefly conquered by the French Napoleon Bonaparte. But walking the narrow cobblestone streets, you'll be astounded by not only the city's history but also its cuisine.

You can find a bit of everything in Lisbon — succulent seafood, flaming chouriço, and the prominent pastéis de nata. No matter how long you are in town, there's always so much to explore and so little time. That's because Lisbon's food is as diverse as its history. If you're unsure where to begin or want to expand your culinary travels, we've collected 11 of the top restaurants to visit while in Lisbon. These range from hole-in-the-wall pizza spots to 10-course Michelin-guide meals. 

In a city known for its pastries, a hearty breakfast can be hard to come by. Luckily, Manifest Lisbon specializes in just that, offering classic American favorites with a European twist.

The restaurant tops its homemade waffle and crispy fried chicken – or waffle e frango — with coleslaw, pickled red onions, and a sweet golden BBQ sauce. The restaurant's lengthy brunch menu also contains a variety of egg dishes — from shakshuka to Ukrainian zucchini pancakes to Portuguese-style eggs — loaded with Portuguese chouriço, chunks of potatoes, tomato, cucumber, and red bell peppers. It has plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options, like its quinoa bowl or vegan brunch.

Manifest Lisbon is a casual cafe-style restaurant located in the city's center near the Marquis of Pombal Square. While meals in Portugal tend to run much longer than in the United States, this all-day brunch spot is perfect if you have plans afterward. The service is quick, and "no laptop" stickers keep the tables turning over quickly, even on their busiest Saturdays. 

The jungle-themed Selllva is a wild restaurant. The walls are covered with hand-painted animals — colorful renditions of baboons, elephants, iguanas, and everything in between surround comfortable red cushion booths. A striking jade green bar lines one wall, sticking out like a watering hole in a desert safari. 

The menu — or mouzinho –  is as unique to Lisbon as the restaurants interior design. Taking inspiration from all four corners of the globe, Selllva focuses on healthy and balanced meals. Start with their wild sweet potatoes paired with a kimchi emulsion. The fresh slices of cucumber make the Vietnamese rolls even more crispy. A bottle of wine is always a must at any restaurant in Portugal, but at Selllva it's worth trying one of their creative cocktails. The Shere Kan is the ideal vacation drink, made with rum, Aperol lime, and pineapple. Alternatively, share a jug of Rei Juliano sparkling wine sangria with mango and passionfruit with the table. 

Moving on from starters, their Into the Wild menu features dishes like their Brazil bowl with fresh prawns, brown rice, and a warm moqueca sauce made out of tomato, coconut milk, and peppers. Their roast chicken with black beans and bacon combines Mexican and Middle-Eastern flavors, topping the grilled Yakatori-style chicken with a fresh egg. 

It's all about the linguine at II Giardinetto, the Italian restaurant serving fresh pasta on the outskirts of the Saldanha neighborhood. Its specialty linguine alla forma is tossed in a giant wheel of parmesan cheese right at your table for a truly decadent experience. Topped with porcini mushrooms, ham, and truffle oil, this dish is a hearty meal after a long day of walking through the city.

For a more traditionally Portuguese spin on linguine, II Giardinetto's linguine alle vongole pairs their homemade pasta with a heap of littleneck clams cooked in a delicious, light white wine sauce. Small, tender clams give the dish a faint salty taste that perfectly complements the noodles, sauce, and seafood. 

II Giardinetto is a lovely spot for a leisurely, sit-down dinner. Their dining room is large but get there early to secure a spot on their secluded outdoor patio.

Zambeze is a beautiful Portuguese restaurant and rooftop bar situated on top of a grocery store on the outskirts of the Castelo de São Jorge. Bypass one of the city's innumerable hills by entering the Pingo Doce grocery store below and taking the elevator to the top floor. Here, you'll find a patio rooftop with one of the most breathtaking views in the city. 

Take a break on the terrace of Zambeze after tiring yourself out at the historic São Jorge Castle. Enjoy some of Portugal's famous codfish pastries or a meat and cheese board arranged for maximum visual impact alongside a bottle of vinho verde — green wine. Inside for dinner, Zambeze takes inspiration from the East African country Mozambique. A former Portuguese colony, it was here that cooking with the piri piri pepper became popular. Mozambique natives brought the spicy pepper to Europe through Portugal, a country still known for its piri piri chicken. If you're in the mood for seafood instead, splurge for their Mozambican butter grilled prawns, or opt for the smaller appetizer portion of sautéed shrimp with garlic and chili. 

Zambeze is usually crowded with tourists, and its menu prices reflect that. It's one of the more expensive restaurants on this list, but the view of the castle and the city from Zambeze makes it worth the price point.

Tucked away on a narrow and mostly residential street, there isn't much to the exterior of Carmo Pizza & Pasta. In fact, there's not much to the interior either — a florescent-lit cafe-style dining room with a few two-seater tables and a long bar that feels out of place. It feels like a spot that has always been there, but the friendly family staff is as excited as if it is the restaurant's opening day.

What attracts you to this small pizzeria is, of course, the food. Fresh, hot pizzas are served, still steaming, right out of Carmo's brick pizza oven. Its menu boasts many different flavors and toppings, including the Carmo Ananas. This specialty pizza includes a mix of cheeses, pineapple, homemade tomato sauce, pepperoni, and oregano. While pineapple can be polarizing in the United States, it is a staple fruit in Portugal, grown mainly on the Azores islands. If you want to spice things up, go for their Indian pizza, topped with cheese, chicken curry, onion, mushroom, and red pepper. No matter which you pick, the pizza from Carmo Pizza & Pasta will likely be better than one in an American grocery store frozen foods aisle. 

Solar dos Presuntos is a classic Portuguese establishment that has operated for decades. Its old-school approach to dining and dedication to traditional Portuguese cuisine make it increasingly rare in a city that seems to keep reinventing itself. 

The largely family-style restaurant is located in the neighborhood of São José, a short walk from Praça dos Restauradores (Restorers Square). The beautifully tiled walls are filled with history, having celebrated their 50th anniversary at the beginning of October 2024. 

The seafood-heavy menu features old Portuguese favorites like octopus and bacalhau assado — a salted codfish that needs to soak for two days before enjoying. The steaks are also a big deal at Solar dos Presuntos. Their bife do lombo à Portugesa (Portuguese sirloin steak) stars a thick cut of meat, prepared in the traditional Portuguese fashion with garlic, red peppers, an egg, and homemade potato chips. One bite, and you will be trying to recreate a steak this juicy at home. 

Beher is a Spanish-style deli and sandwich shop in the heart of Lisbon, situated on the corner of a busy pedestrian-only street in the São Nicolau neighborhood. The first thing you might notice walking by is the giant golden leg of ham beckoning you in. If that isn't successful, you only need to turn your head a little to see the employees slicing cuts of meat fresh for your sandwich.

Stop in for a quick lunch break and try their specialty, the Ibérico Beher sandwich made from Spanish pork shoulder. Served on a baguette, the meat is thinly sliced, similar in taste and texture to prosciutto. The fresh meat and crusty bread are perfect as is, with no cheese or mustard to distract from the saltiness of the cured meat. 

Beher's Bifana sandwich — pulled pork marinated in white wine and paprika — is also a national treasure of Portugal. Smokey, delicate cubes of pork meat come on a square roll that's soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. This sandwich is paired with a side of sweet mustard for some extra tang.

Tucked away in an underground eatery, Kafeine is a great spot to escape the weather for a big breakfast or a quick coffee. In addition to the delicious caffeinated beverages, Kafeine offers maybe the most colorful breakfast in Lisbon. Their menu covers sweet and savory pancakes topped with fresh fruits, berries, or bacon. The perfectly round, pillowy pancakes come in an array of options: blueberry, red berries, banana and chocolate, or bacon and peanut butter. 

Kafeine's organic açaí bowl is a lighter breakfast that's just as colorful. It's stuffed with strawberries, bananas, goji, and a drizzle of maple syrup. For lunch, sample Portugal's fresh seafood with their poke clássico bowl or the braised tataki salmão with soybeans and radish. Better yet, check out the uncommon "burgers and lobster" section of their menu. 

Of course, like its namesake, Kafeine has an extensive coffee and latte bar serving hot and iced drinks. The juice bar also carries a number of healthy options, including detox or antioxidant smoothies.

Reserving a table at O Corrido is more than just dinner. It is experiencing part of the culture that makes Lisbon so unique. Enjoy a long meal and melancholy music performed by some of the best Fado musicians in the country. 

Fado music was born in Portugal, and the city of Lisbon takes its homegrown genre very seriously. Dating back to the early 1800s, Fado music typically focuses on the struggles of daily life. It is sung without a microphone and performed with great passion by certified Fado singers. Like the music genre, O Corrido House of Fado is old-school Portuguese.

For €50 per person ($54), O Corrido offers a four-course meal and an unforgettable show. Ask for their seasonal soup to star — when we visited, it was the caldo verde, a green soup consisting of shredded kale and potatoes. For your entree, you will choose between one of six main dishes, which range from duck with mashed sweet potatoes to their traditional octopus dish with seasonal vegetables and shrimp with bivalve rice.

The Elevador de Santa Justa is a popular tourist attraction that gives you incredible views of Lisbon and the sprawling Atlantic Ocean to the west. Instead of waiting in line for over an hour and paying for a ticket, walk next door to Carmo Rooftop, where you can enjoy the same view with a glass of wine for the same price.

Carmo Rooftop is best enjoyed in the afternoon before the dinner crowd arrives, and you can enjoy an early sunset nibbling on one of Lisbon's famous meat and cheese boards or a simple salad. Once the sun sets, Carmo Rooftop is also home to Cine Society — a rooftop movie club that plays local films and international blockbusters.

Admittedly, Carmo Rooftop focuses more on its ambiance than its cuisine, but its raw bar and charcuterie selection leave something for everyone. Grab some oysters that pair well with that bottle of wine and take in the views.

BouBou's is a unique dining experience that involves a seven- or ten-course meal that tells the story of Portuguese cuisine and heritage. The dinner usually takes three to four hours and consists of small servings called "moments." 

While most restaurants in Lisbon are walk-in friendly, we'd recommend making a reservation for BouBou's a day or two in advance. It's a popular spot due partly to the restaurant's appearance on the Michelin Guide. Choose your adventure at the start of the meal: selecting between the seven moments for €95 ($104) or the supersized €125 10-moment meal ($136). Next, you'll select between their omnivorous or terrae menus — the latter of which sticks solely to a vegetarian or vegan diet.  

The bright, airy restaurant takes great care in all the details, from the prepared food to the perfectly folded white cloth napkins at the tables. The plant-laden dining room feels massive, with its white and green walls covered in artwork. As you spend the next few hours here enjoying the food and the atmosphere, you'll leave satiated– even after just seven courses — with a little taste of Lisbon.