What to eat in Lisbon? Our selection of 13 Lisbon specialties

While cod dishes are at the top of Portuguese people's favorite salty foods, the pastel de nata is the undisputed king of sweet specialties. Nevertheless, this essential little tart is not the only treat to taste in the capital. Whether sweet or savory, here is our selection of the best typical dishes to savor during your trip to Lisbon.

1.Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

Make way for the aperitif with this seafood preparation highly appreciated in Lisbon. It's a clam dish in tribute to the Portuguese writer Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato, who was particularly fond of it. During preparation, the clams are cooked in their juice or with lemon juice, olive oil, white wine and aromatics. It's a real treat, to be enjoyed with bread so as not to leave a drop!

2. Sardinhas Assadas

You couldn't travel to Lisbon without eating sardines. Among all the delicious recipes, there's the grilled sardine. The preparation is simple, effective, and has become essential in Lisbon and throughout Portuguese gastronomy. Grilled sardines are usually accompanied by grilled peppers and steamed potatoes.

3. Arroz de marisco

Taste without delay this delicious essential specialty in Lisbon. This dish ranks among the country's most emblematic recipes. Seafood rice is also the ideal dish to enjoy after an exhausting day of sightseeing. Prepared in the most traditional way, it contains as many seasonal crustaceans as the pot can hold! Among them: shrimp, lobster, mussels, cockles, crab, clams, etc. They are then enhanced with white wine and shrimp and aromatic broth. For this reason, the price displayed for a plate is quite expensive. Nevertheless, this 5-star dish is well worth it.

4. Dourada grelhada

The Portuguese are great lovers of seafood. For this reason, they often place it in generous quantity at the center of their plate. This deliciously simple Lisbon specialty testifies to this: grilled sea bream. You'll find it on the menu of all (or almost all) restaurants in the capital! As the star of the dish, the fish is accompanied by a modest and unadorned garnish. Steamed potatoes will do very well, otherwise, some beans or cabbage with olive oil.

5. Bife a cafe

Taste the typical beef recipe from Lisbon: coffee steak. This ancient recipe was born in a Lisbon bistro in the 20th century. The creation was such a success that it gradually won over tourists' favor. The coffee steak is served with fries and mushrooms and a savory pepper and coffee sauce. At the first bite, the surprise is total, then you can't do without it anymore.

6. Bacalhau com natas

Called "green broth" because of its color, caldo verde is a kale soup from northern Portugal. Its comforting flavor and the sausage slices that enhance it quickly made it popular throughout the territory. In Lisbon, one doesn't refuse a bowl of caldo verde! Served hot with a little bread, you'll enjoy it as much as a starter as a main course.

7. Caldo Verde

Called "green broth" because of its color, caldo verde is a kale soup from northern Portugal. Its comforting flavor and the sausage slices that enhance it quickly made it popular throughout the territory. In Lisbon, one doesn't refuse a bowl of caldo verde! Served hot with a little bread, you'll enjoy it as much as a starter as a main course.

8. bacalhau à Brás

Understand "Portuguese-style cod", it's an essential hot fish dish from Portugal. All local cuisine restaurants in Lisbon offer this recipe and for good reason, it's one of the most consumed cod dishes in the country. It consists of shredded cod, shoestring fries, a large quantity of fried onion strips, eggs, olives and parsley. Basic ingredients therefore, which gives it great popularity.

9. Cozido à portuguesa

Here's a family reunion dish par excellence: Portuguese-style stew! Traditional cozido's main elements are beautiful pieces of meat. Of rural and popular origin, this dish is hearty but not particularly expensive. Both to prepare and to eat at the restaurant. Originally, rural families prepared it with the meat and vegetables they had on hand. Most often with potatoes, different varieties of cabbage, beans, carrots and a mixture of pork and beef. That's a lot of people in the pot!

10. Polvo à lagareiro

Octopus holds a great place in Lisbon residents' hearts. After the morning fish market, it's deliciously prepared as a comforting stew or nibbled as appetizers among friends. In short, octopus is popular in Lisbon, and its most popular recipe is by far the polvo à lagareiro: octopus cooked in olive oil and herbs. It's a simple and refined dish that you'll find in the city's upscale restaurants. The octopus is usually garnished with a few lightly crushed potatoes and sautéed for a few moments with the rest of the preparation.

11. Pastel de nata

Impossible to stop in Lisbon without tasting the country's iconic treat. The pastel de nata is a mini Portuguese custard tart. It's consumed at any time of the day, as dessert or as a quick pleasure. The small round tart is composed of a well-golden puff pastry welcoming an egg custard in its center. This sweet essential is omnipresent in all cafes and pastry shops in Portugal. Lisbon residents offer countless versions, all more divine than the others. Know however that the original recipe comes from Pasteis de Belem near Lisbon. The cult pastry shop daily produces nearly 22,000 tarts.

12. Queijadas

Stay on a sweet note with the Lisbon queijada. Although delicious, this brown tartlet lives in the shadow of its colleague, the pastel de nata. It combines two ingredients adored by the Portuguese: sugar and sheep cheese. While cheeses are omnipresent and very popular throughout the country, desserts that contain them are rarer. Make way for queijadas and their tender regressive texture. Their almond flavors topped with a note of fresh sheep cheese always make unanimity.

13. Ginjinha

Also called "ginga" this typical drink is particularly popular in Lisbon. Certainly because of its red fruit note, as it's a sour cherry liqueur. Its sugar content is quite pronounced and the fresh flavor of the sour cherry is surprisingly well preserved despite the maceration.