These are the authentic Portuguese hotspots in Lisbon
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: authentic Portuguese hotspots in Lisbon.
Lisbon has been on a trendy rise for years. Slowly but surely, the streets are filling up with avocado shops, poke bowls, and pretentious places where you get little and hyper-healthy food served. But the locals know better; they go to these ten spots.
Because little and healthy? Those are not exactly keywords that belong in Portuguese hospitality. Fortunately, there are still Portuguese gems in the city where you can eat wonderfully authentic. Here, no pretty girls serving and romantic candlelight on the table, but old men behind the bar and bright fluorescent lights in your face. And that's what you want, because the food is delicious, cheap, and incredibly Portuguese.
The tastiest chicken in the city
Chicken on the grill: so simple, so tasty, so Portuguese. They grill a lot in Portugal, and with piri-piri sauce, fries, rice (and a leaf of lettuce), your meal is complete. Casa da Indi(don't be misled by the name, because it has nothing to do with India) is a typical Portuguese place in the city center, surrounded by new trendy businesses. At Casa da India, nothing is trendy. You probably take a seat at a table next to a Portuguese family, and the somewhat grumpy waiter helps you to a delicious bottle of vinho verde and your half grilled chicken. That's all you need, right?
View this post on Instagram
A butcher in the establishment
I once accidentally walked into Restaurante O Tachadas, and oh my god, this restaurant completely changed my stay in Lisbon. Oh yes, by the way, if you're vegetarian, this is not your place. The portions of meat you get here are bizarrely large. When you walk into the restaurant, there is a butcher on your right chopping meat before he puts it on the grill. Recommendations: Porco Preto (black pig) and Picanha. Picanha is a Brazilian dish. It concerns the tail piece of the cow and is often served with rice, brown beans, and orange.
The ugliest restaurant in Portugal
Welcome to the ugliest restaurant in Portugal. The decor of Cova Funda is not pleasant to look at. It is a small basement place that you can see from a hundred meters away due to the many fluorescent lights that are on. You will be surprised when you order the posta transmontana and then eat the best steak of your life. With a lot of garlic, perfectly cooked, and delicious spinach and potatoes from the oven. The desserts here are also delicious; go for the mousse de chocolate.
For dessert, a meat sandwich
Cervejaria Ramiro is something different from the rest of the restaurants on this list. This seafood restaurant has been a staple in Portugal for years and is easily found by both Portuguese and tourists. The line is long, and the prices are a bit higher, but it is worth the wait and the few extra euros. The whole experience here is fantastic. The place is nice and large, and the men of the family run around quickly to provide everyone with the tastiest shellfish and crustaceans. Vinho verde, ameijoas, crab, prawns, lobster; one dish is tastier than the other. Do they also have meat on the menu? Yes, indeed, for dessert you eat a prego sandwich, a beef sandwich. This long-standing tradition is only seen at Ramiro; you can't rely on prawns and lobster for long, so you end your lunch or dinner with a warm meat sandwich. Heaven.
View this post on Instagram
Most expensive bottle of wine €6? Yes please!
Graça is a nice, still relatively undiscovered neighborhood in Lisbon. At O Satelite , you won't quickly see tourists sitting. Here you find tasty, simple food, and the most expensive bottle of wine costs €6 (not unimportant). If you want to settle up more than €15 per person at the end of the evening, you really have to try hard. Recommendation: carne de porco à Alentejana; pork with clams.
Stockfish, stockfish, stockfish
Taberna Sal Grosso is heavenly. They serve typical Portuguese dishes, but pay a little more attention to the presentation and plating. The portions are slightly smaller than usual, as the idea is that you share dishes. Recommendations: they prepare bacalhau (stockfish) here in various ways, and it is really delicious. Be there early, as they only have a few tables, so you might have to wait a bit.
View this post on Instagram
Lunch: at least as important
Portuguese people love lunch just as much as dinner. During the day, they like to have a warm meal, and then it is the intention that they eat a soup in the evening, but in reality, they end up just eating two warm meals a day. Between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, you will find the Lisboetas at Zé da Mouraria. Typical Portuguese dishes for very little money; just the way they like it. Order a dish, and a large pan comes to the table from which everyone serves their plate, just like at home. Recommendation: choco frito. No, this is not something with chocolate; choco frito is the calamari of Portugal, and at Zé da Mouraria, this fried squid is a specialty.
Follow the fluorescent light
When you see ‘Tasca’ somewhere in Lisbon, you know that a Portuguese experience awaits you. These small, fluorescent-lit places are often run by a Portuguese family and serve only house wines and very tasty Portuguese food. Often, you walk out of a tasca satisfied and tipsy, having spent no more than €12. Tasca Zé dos Cornos is no exception: they serve delicious fish and meat dishes without fuss.
Still dreaming days about that tuna
O Tasco do Vigário you would easily walk past. Firstly, because you can't really see from the outside that there is a restaurant, and secondly: if you do take a quick look inside, the decor is not really inviting either. But believe me: take a seat, you won't regret it. Especially the grilled fish is delicious; go for the salmon, tuna, or sardines.
More chicken. Porque não?
I started this list with chicken, and I end the list with chicken. Chicken can always be, according to the Portuguese. I am half-Portuguese, but I share that opinion 100 percent. At Restaurante Primavera , the piri-piri is famous, and this again ugly decorated place is a regular spot for locals who need their chicken fix. Even more fun than dining at Primavera is to take the chicken away: nice for your Airbnb or settle somewhere in a park with a nice view.
As you may have noticed: Portuguese people eat a lot, heavily, and anything but vegetarian. Fortunately, due to the many new types of places in Lisbon, it is also fine for the veggies among us. Soon a vegan list then?
