Eat like a local!
When visiting a new city we know how much everyone likes to get stuck into the local culture, so get ready to hear about our five traditional Lisboa dishes you won’t want to miss
From the quaint cafés to extravagant food markets, no trip is complete without exploring the traditional cuisine, you certainly won’t be leaving Lisbon hungry.
Lisbon is the stunning capital city of Portugal and is one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities of Western Europe. It is a city that effortlessly blends traditional heritage, with striking modernism. As a holiday destination, Lisbon offers a rich and varied history as well as a lively nightlife. Our Safestay Lisbon Hostel sits in the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk to the main tourist attractions and the party district Bairro Alto. Good prices, fantastic ambience, a stylish set-up and a great location- what else could you want!
1. Bacalhau à brás
Bacalhau, Portugal’s favorite dish, is said to have originated in a central district of Lisbon, Bairro Alto. The salted cod fish can be found in over 1000 different Portuguese recipes! This delectable dish, made up of shredded codfish with fried potato, onion and scrambled eggs can be easily sourced, especially when walking through Lisbon’s oldest district, Alfama. You can also find this dish along with many other Lisboa traditional dishes inside the ‘Time Out Market Lisboa.’ This buzzy food hall is located in the Mercado da Ribeira, at Cais do Sodre, and has 35 kiosks selling regional specialties. It’s a great place to enjoy good quality Lisbon street food. It was certainly the first stop of my trip!
2. Carne de Porco Alentejana
When ordering food in a restaurant, there is always the struggle of having to choose one dish. Well, I for one have major food envy and the beauty of this dish is that you don’t have to choose! Carne de Porco Alentejana is a delicious savoury combination of both pork and clams, marinated in an aromatic sauce of white wine, paprika, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper and served with fried or cubed potatoes. This recipe is typical from the Algarve region.
3. Frango no Churrasco
This recipe, central to many Portuguese restaurants, is essentially grilled chicken cooked in piri-piri hot sauce. Simple yet effective. Normally, it’s served with fries, rice and a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, and onion. Frango no Churrasco is usually enjoyed alongside a small draft beer or a glass of white wine, making it even better! You can find a great one at ‘Bonjardim’ on Travessa Santo Antao 11, and you can get the meal for under €10! Yes that’s right! For all you travellers on a tight budget, this is definitely one of Lisbon’s cheap eats.
4. Caldo Verde
Soups are very popular in Portugal and eaten of a weekly basis- especially Caldo Verde, which is known in English as ‘kale soup’. Alongside the main ingredient of kale, the broth is thickened with pureed potatoes and garlic and bits of chouriço add extra flavour. If you’re planning on eating your way around Lisbon like I did, this will be a nice lighter dish to end with!
5. Caracois
When summer hits in Portugal, and tourists take over the city, the Portuguese retreat to their local restaurants and bars to enjoy the gastronomic tradition of the season- snails! They are cooked in a traditional broth containing oregano, laurel, thyme, garlic, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper and piri-piri. Snails are readily available in many restaurants across Lisbon, and in summer you’ll see small restaurants, locally known as “tascas” advertising them. What’s more, you can find a plate of Caracois for $5! A palatable price makes the food taste even better. Again, one of Lisbon’s cheap eats.
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