16 places I recommend•2 in the Michelin guide
These are the 16 restaurants, bakeries, bars and ice cream shops in Lisbon I have eaten at myself and would recommend.
A wine and dining room on Rua Nova da Trindade in Chiado, near the church of São Roque, where Maurício Varela rebuilds Portuguese recipes from churrasco to conservas. Everything I had here was delicious especially the jamon.
Address: R. Nova da Trindade 11k, 1200-301 Lisboa, Portugal
Chef João Rodrigues's neighbourhood restaurant on Rua da Junqueira, where the day's produce sits in a case by the door and the dishes come to share. Really enjoyed my food here. Simple but flavourful local dishes. Also ideal for solo dining on the counter.
Address: R. da Junqueira 207, 1300-338 Lisboa, Portugal
A restaurant on Paço da Rainha, open since 2009, whose bife à Café do Paço follows the molho Marrare that a Neapolitan of that name brought to Lisbon in the late nineteenth century. Very traditional style restaurant and the setting is very old school with red velvet couches.
Address: Paço da Rainha 62, 1150-000 Lisboa, Portugal
A long-standing Portuguese restaurant on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, named for its cured hams and known for its fish and shellfish. Great restaurant with simple dishes but done very well.
Address: R. das Portas de Santo Antão 150, 1150-269 Lisboa, Portugal
A restaurant on Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, open since 1936 and given its present look by the architect Maurício de Vasconcelos in 1964, known for its rich fish soup. Really good traditional restaurant with tasty local specialities.
Address: R. das Portas de Santo Antão 23, 1150-264 Lisboa, Portugal
A sharing restaurant on Rua Dom Pedro V in Príncipe Real, whose menu crosses Portuguese petiscos with Spanish tapas. Loved this place — it reminded me of Barrafina in London. Perfect for solo dining as you can sit on the counter.
Address: R. Dom Pedro V 81, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal
A restaurant on Costa do Castelo below the castle, serving regional dishes on a terrace with a view across the city. I wasn't able to take great pictures because it was pretty dark but the food was solid and the setting was lovely.
Address: Costa do Castelo 7, 1149-079 Lisboa, Portugal
A fish and seafood restaurant on Rua do Loreto in Chiado, its Portuguese name meaning 'modern fishmonger'. Delicious traditional seafood dishes with a twist.
Address: Rua do Loreto 21, 1200-241 Lisboa, Portugal
A seafood grill and oyster bar on Rua da Rosa, between Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real. Delicious food and a great wine list. It's not very traditional but everything I had was good.
Address: R. da Rosa 317, 1200-381 Lisboa, Portugal
A cervejaria on Avenida da Liberdade, open since 1947, which calls itself the house of shellfish and keeps its lobster and crab in live tanks. However, we were told it has the best steak sandwich so we went there for that. It was very good but not as good as the one in the Four Seasons Bar (Ritz Bar).
Address: Av. da Liberdade 155, 1250-144 Lisboa, Portugal
A seafood restaurant in one of the converted warehouses on the Doca de Santo Amaro, the marina under the 25 de Abril bridge. Great seafood that is super fresh; you can see the lobsters in the tanks when you walk in. It also has a great view of the water.
Address: Doca de Santo Amaro, Armazém 12, 1350-353 Lisboa, Portugal
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An Italian restaurant on Rua do Olival in Lapa, opened in 1999 by Tanka Sapkota and known for its truffle dishes. Solid Italian fare in a cosy setting.
Address: R. do Olival 258, 1200-744 Lisboa, Portugal
José Avillez's pizzeria on Rua Nova da Trindade, part of his Bairro do Avillez. Delicious pizza and sides at another fantastic José Avillez restaurant.
Address: R. Nova da Trindade 18, 1200-235 Lisboa, Portugal
A pastelaria on Rua de Belém, baking its custard tarts since 1837 to what it says is an old recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos next door. They serve them hot and you can add some cinnamon powder on top. I couldn't wait and immediately took a huge bite out of mine so apologies that I don't have a proper photo. This place is a must.
Address: R. de Belém 84-92, 1300-085 Lisboa, Portugal
The bar of the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz on Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca, off the hotel's main lounge. A hotel bar might not be the obvious place to go for an excellent traditional Portuguese steak sandwich, but it is.
Address: R. Rodrigo da Fonseca 88, 1099-039 Lisboa, Portugal
A gelateria on Rua do Carmo in Chiado, the first Lisbon shop of a business Attilio Santini started on the Tamariz beach at Estoril in 1949. This is still one of my absolute favourite ice cream parlours in the world.
Address: R. do Carmo 88, 1100-581 Lisboa, Portugal
