visit Lisbon

Portugal has a surprisingly large variety of gastronomic delights. From Minho to Algarve, Portuguese diet include fish, chicken, vegetables and fruits. Pork, goat, partridge, quail and rabbit are typical meats in Portugal.

In Lisbon, you'll find a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from traditional and typical taverns to sophisticated and international places. Young and innovative chefs have reinvented Portuguese cuisine, with interesting and refined ways of preparing traditional Portuguese dishes. You'll also find amazing regional dishes in small taverns in Lisbon's charming old neighbourhoods - always in an extremely friendly environment. Whether you're looking for finesse, abundance, tradition or simplicity, Lisbon is the perfect place to have a meal.

Grilled sardines are the queen of Lisbon during the summer and on the Popular Saints festivities. You just can't avoid smelling it in the small quarters of Alfama, Bairro Alto and many other locals around Lisbon in June, when the Popular Saints celebrations crowd into the streets of the city.

Bacalhau is also a famous dish in Portugal and Lisbon. Salted and dried under the sun, it is said that there are 365 ways to prepare cod in Portugal. Pasteis de Bacalhau, Bacalhau cozido and Bacalhau à Brás, the typical cod dish in Lisbon, with onions and thin slices of potato, scrambled eggs, black olives and parsley.

Another national dish, but made with meat, is cozido à portuguesa, a thick stew of vegetables with various kinds of meat. But before any meal in any a Lisbon restaurant, try the delicious bread placed on the table. Other typical dishes - caldo verde, a green soup made of potatoes, fried onions and thinly sliced galician cabbage, served with slices of chouriço - Caldeirada, Fish stew and Feijoada. Finally, the Carne de porco à alentejana is a delicious everyday dish. Pork comes in cubes along with fried potatoes and clams.

The best way to take full advantage of a meal in Lisbon, is to combine it with Portuguese wines, from all regions and suited to all tastes. Due to the country's rich winemaking tradition, Portuguese people have the skill of choosing the right wine for the right dish.

The Lisboetas are tireless drinkers of coffee served in small cups, locally known as bica, available all day long and in all types of cafes. Make sure you don't miss the world famous Pastéis de Belém, the custard tarts in the beautiful Belém area.

Plan your city break or holidays in Lisbon and enjoy your stay in the city where eating is most definitely a pleasure.