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Restaurants in Lisbon and surroundings

Everywhere in Portugal you can find delicious food. And the wines that go along with it. The Portuguese are proud of their gastronomy and anybody visiting the country should regard tasting our food as a cultural activity (a very rewarding one, to be sure). In Lisbon and surroundings, however, one can find the best but the worst as well. The following is a very selected and highly personal choice of restaurants for those visiting Lisbon, including a few insightful choices from the other side of the river and from Cascais. I have tried to arrange them geographically, starting from the old city. Hopefully they will not be too expensive, but as a guide let us say that most likely a full meal will cost slightly less (*) or slightly more (**) than 14 Euros per person. Please refer to city and transportation maps that you should obtain at librairies or (better) the tourist office in Palácio Foz, Restauradores Place. At the bottom of the page there is a fine map of Lisbon (282K) that you might want to print.

Portuguese cuisine

Name Location and public transport Comments
* O alpendre Rua Augusto Rosa, close to the cathedral. Tram 28 Nice food in generous portions
** Solmar Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, close to Restauradores and the Coliseu A top level restaurant that can be affordable. A classic, anyway!
* Cervejaria Trindade Rua da Trindade, close to Bairro Alto Busy place! Sea food and beer, but also the steak with "Café" sauce
* Casa Transmontana Escadinhas do Duque, near Bairro Alto (stairs descending from Misericórdia Place to Rossio) The almost exotic food from the region of Trás-os-Montes
** Ribadouro Av. Liberdade with Rua do Salitre (close to Parque Mayer). Underground Avenida Sea food and beer, a classic
* Sérgio Correia Rua do 4 de Infantaria 46 (10 min. walk from behind the Amoreiras Shopping Centre, in the Campo de Ourique neighbourhood). Buses 11, 23, 48, 53, 83 Worth the detour for its fair price, excellent home cooking (mainly Minho type) and quiet surroundings with traditional shopping
* O Correio Further away in Campo de Ourique, at the cross of Rua Saraiva de Carvalho with Rua Ferreira Borges. Bus 9, tram 28 Another example of excellent fish in a familiar atmosphere
* Duas Amazonas Av. Duque d'Ávila, East side (near Saldanha). Buses 16, 18, 26, 42 Classic style but reasonable prices
** Arpão Near Saldanha on Rua Dª Estefânia, buses 7, 33 and 50 stop very close A fine restaurant, food for delight
* Moisés Av. Duque d'Ávila, West side (near Saldanha). Buses 16, 18, 26 and 42, underground (NW exit) The everyday lunch at excellent relation of quality to price
* Diamantino Av. João Crisóstomo, East side. Underground Saldanha, NE exit Classic style but regular prices, nice atmosphere
** O Funil Av. Elias Garcia, East side (not far from Campo Pequeno). Use any bus going through Av. República A classic of superior cuisine
** Café Creme Av. Conde Valbom (NW from Saldanha). Buses 16, 26 Exquisite atmosphere and good food, rather international
** O Paco Av. Berna (in front of Gulbenkian Foundation). Buses 31, 41, 46, 56 Very authentic, very busy at times, the "Marisqueira" has an excellent offer of seafood and, with some caution, can be less expensive
** O Baloiço 2 Between Praça de Espanha and Sete Rios, near Oncology Institute. Buses 16, 26, 31, 41, 46 Excellent cuisine in the basement restaurant, broad choice of courses and wines and competent service
** Mercado do Peixe At the top of Calçada da Ajuda. Bus 14, 23 Fish (preferrably grilled)
** Visconde da Luz Visc. Luz place in Cascais, inwards from Pescadores beach Great value for top quality service, sea food especially
* Adega Gonçalves Affonso Sanches street in Cascais, backstreet SW from V. Luz place Grilled fish and a prized clam soop
* Cabrinha / Farol Two restaurants in Cacilhas (south bank facing Cais Sodré), near the shuttle-boat dock. Cabrinha looks better, both have good seafood
** O Pescador Across the river in the city of Seixal. Catamaran boats at Sul-Sueste (Praça do Comércio) Excellent fisher's food, for example "cataplana"

Goan cuisine

Anyone used to Indian cuisine might get a little surprised by the slight nuances found in these representatives of Goa.
 
 
Name Location and public transport Comments
* Arco do Castelo At the entrance to the city castle. Bus 37 My archetype of Goan food
** O Cantinho da Paz A short walk from the Parlament. Buses 6, 27, 49 Goan as well, but more sophisticated

Chinese

A few really precious examples of this world-reknowned cuisine, for those who feel like it and look for the real thing.
 
 
Name Location and public transport Comments
** Lychee (ex-Macau) Rua Barata Salgueiro, West side. Undergroung station "Avenida" is close enough The classic Chinese restaurant in Lisbon, unrivalled in style and breadth of choice
* Muito bom Rua Santos Dumont (backstreet of Av. Berna, near Gulbenkian Foundation). Buses 31, 41, 46, 56 Wide choice, good cooking (Chinese customers go there often)
** Grande Mundo Calçada da Ajuda (near Palácio de Belém, any bus or tram going there) Excellent Peking lackered duck (caution: a half portion will be good for at least 2 persons)

Lisbon Map