In the article we will tell you how to eat in Portugal, the culinary preferences of Portuguese chefs.

Portuguese cuisine is characterized by a variety of hearty meat and vegetable dishes, but let's not forget that Portugal is a coastal country, so, of course, the basis of this country's gastronomy is fish and seafood dishes.

The territory of Portugal also includes several islands, the largest of which, Madeira, is located in the Atlantic Ocean, a thousand kilometers from the mainland of the country. The geographical location of the island explains the prevalence of fish dishes in its cuisine. The use of local spices and fruits gives Madeira cuisine a special flavor. The most famous seafood in Madeira is swordfish, the local chefs know an incredible variety of ways to prepare it. Be careful! Pregnant women should not eat swordfish.

The wines of Portugal are widely known - red, white and so-called green (young and slightly carbonated). But the country's main alcoholic drink is port, which literally means "wine from Porto" in German. This fortified wine also comes in white and red: the first usually serves as an aperitif, and the second as a digestif, that is, consumed after a meal.

10 Best Portuguese Dishes You Must Try

Piri-piri chicken (Frango piri-piri)

Any Portuguese will tell you with confidence that you have never eaten real chicken in your life if you have not tried piri-piri chicken. It would seem that what’s wrong with this, since frying chicken meat is not particularly difficult? But the whole secret, of course, is in the carefully selected combination of local spices, which make the aroma of fried chicken unique and unforgettable. Portions of Frango piri-piri in Portuguese restaurants are small; the meat is served with salad, fresh vegetables and homemade chips.

Fried sardines

In any place in Portugal, be it a beach on the ocean, the center of a large city or a mountain village, fried sardines are considered a typical summer dish, which both locals and visitors order for lunch. The fish are grilled and served with fresh tomatoes and potatoes - tasty and low in calories. The native Portuguese do not use cutlery when ordering fried sardines: they take the fish with their hands and put it on a piece of bread, so as not to leave the most delicious thing on the plate, and then eat it like a sandwich. A glass of cold sparkling “green” wine goes very well with this dish.

Bacalhau (salted cod)

The basis of fish dishes in Portugal is also cod. They say that the Portuguese can cook cod every day for a year and never repeat the recipe. In this country, salted fish is very popular; in general, salting is considered an alternative to freezing as a method of storing food. Salted fatty cod with a rich taste and smell of spices is very popular among locals, so bacalhau can be called a traditional dish of Portuguese cuisine.

Monkfish with rice

This predatory fish actually has a different name - anglerfish, and it was called monkfish because of its not the most attractive appearance. However, monkfish meat is very tasty - dense, white, almost boneless. Cooks chop the fish into large pieces and cook it with vegetables, herbs, rice and seasonings. Monkfish is also very beneficial for the body, because it is rich in various vitamins, protein and amino acids, and contains very little fat. You can try the dish in any Portuguese restaurant.

Stewed cabbage with pork

This dish is considered rural, provincial. They cook it without haste, so that all the food has time to be saturated with the aromas of meat and vegetables. It is also customary to enjoy stewed cabbage with pork slowly, enjoying every bite. Therefore, the dish is considered a Sunday dish and appears on the menu on Sundays: on a day off you have nowhere to rush, so you can have a sedate and thorough lunch.

Feijoada (bean and meat stew)

This is a traditional dish of Portugal, as well as Latin American countries where Portuguese is spoken. There are many varieties of feijoada, but the classic recipe for this dish includes pork, sausage, cabbage and beans. When in the Algarve, a region in the southern part of the country, try feijoada elderfish with shellfish or feijoada choco with cuttlefish. Whatever type of feijoada you order, you are guaranteed to receive a tasty, healthy and satisfying lunch.

Caldeirada (fish stew)

The dish is prepared from different types of fish with the addition of shellfish, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and onions. In order for the aromatic caldeirada to be a success, it is necessary to strictly follow the sequence in which the ingredients are laid out - then all layers of the dish will be equally well saturated with aromas. At the end of cooking, white wine and a lot of herbs are added to the stew, after which it is served in the same container in which it was cooked. Caldeirada is a typical dish from the south of Portugal and is very popular in the Algarve.

Shrimps

There are many ways to prepare shrimp in Portugal. They are served boiled and fried, with or without heads, with various seasonings, marinades and the like. Grilled tiger prawns are a must-try.

Custard cakes

After a hearty lunch, it would be a shame not to enjoy a traditional Portuguese dessert. The most favorite delicacy of the Portuguese are tiny custard cakes with cream and caramel. The “correct” choux pastry should be made from a light and flaky dough, and the sweet cream for it should be egg. You will find this sweet in any pastry shop in Portugal, but, according to numerous confessions of indigenous residents and tourists, the most delicious custard pies are sold in the pastry shop of the Lisbon district of Santa Maria de Belem.

Marzipan

The Portuguese are also very fond of edible figures made from almond paste - marzipan. Most often they are made in the shape of fruits, but you can also find sweet images of people or animals. By the way, marzipans are great not only as a dessert, but also as a souvenir from Portugal.

Where to dine on a budget in Lisbon?

You can always have a quick, satisfying and inexpensive lunch in Portugal in small cafes that operate near shopping centers. In addition to traditional dishes of local cuisine, you can always have a snack here with “pan-European” food - burgers, sandwiches, cakes and coffee.

Lunch time in Portugal is considered to be between noon and 15.00. In the southern regions of the country, for example, in the Algarve, in the summer almost all establishments are open around the clock. You don’t have to strive to dine in a large and expensive restaurant - in small budget Portuguese cafes the dishes are no worse. Tipping is not an obligation here, but you can always reward the waiter or taxi driver for good service with the traditional 10 percent “bonus” of the bill.

As in any other country, Portugal has a number of catering establishments aimed primarily at tourists. Here visitors can expect inadequate prices, which visitors are not yet very familiar with, a meager choice of dishes on the menu and not the best preparation. Therefore, try to refrain from visiting cafes and restaurants in places where tourists congregate, near popular attractions, try to watch the locals - where will they go for lunch? However, there is one caveat: in establishments not intended for tourists, the menu will only be in Portuguese, without translation into English. As for prices, they are, of course, higher in large cities, and lower in the periphery. An average lunch per person can cost between 10 and 30 euros.

Pizzeria "Casanova"

This establishment belongs to the category of family restaurants; couples with children often come here for a meal. You can have lunch with pizza for an average of 8-10 euros. Since the cafe is family-run, it does not serve alcohol; you can be offered coffee or a non-alcoholic cocktail as a drink.

Address: Av. Infante Dom Henrique Loja 7.

"Petiscaria Ideal"

In appearance, this is an unremarkable, ordinary restaurant, but it is always full of Lisbon residents. Visitors love the establishment thanks to the non-standard food system adopted by the local chefs. The portions served here are small, but you can try everything at once: in one meal you can taste fried octopus, goat cheese, wine-soaked pear, nuts and much more. For a dozen small portions of different dishes, you will pay no more than for one standard portion of food (about 10 euros), but you will be able to try a lot of things. Address: Rua da Esperanca, 100.

"Bella Lisa Rossio"

This is a restaurant with a tourist focus, but since it is located away from the central streets of the city, the prices here are quite reasonable. The menu is extensive and varied, with plenty of meat and fish dishes. The interior is pleasant, the staff is friendly. Depending on the dishes ordered, the bill per person can be either 10 or 30 euros.

Address: Av. Visc. de Valmor 65A.

"Casa Chinesa"

Based on the name of the cafe, you might think that this is an eatery serving Chinese cuisine. But you won't find anything like it here. The establishment specializes in coffee and fresh pastries, so locals love to have breakfast here. It is better for tourists to visit the cafe closer to lunch, when it is freer. For a cup of coffee you will pay less than a euro, and the entire meal will not cost more than 5 euros per person.

Address: R. Áurea 274.

The most popular places in Lisbon

Solar dos Presuntos

The "trick" of this establishment is the service. As its owners say, all visitors are their personal guests, so they look after the guests rather than serve them. As for dishes, the restaurant's cuisine is predominantly fish. The establishment is popular, so you need to reserve a table in advance to avoid a half-hour queue at the entrance.

Address: R. Portas de Santo Antão 150.

Belcanto

This is a restaurant of haute cuisine created by chef Jose Avileza. Thanks to his efforts, the establishment has already earned two Michelin stars. Belcanto's hospitable staff will be happy to tell you about each dish on the menu and help you make a choice. The culmination of Jose Avileza's experiments is a dish of pigeon meat and a dessert called "Mandarin".

Address: Largo de São Carlos 10.

Cais da Ribeira

The owners of this restaurant also focused on fish and seafood dishes. Lovers of light fish cuisine will appreciate local dishes prepared in strict accordance with unique ancient recipes. Here you can enjoy not only food, but also wonderful views of the waves of the Tagus River.

Address: Cais do sodré 2.

Pasteis de Belem

A very popular pastry shop. It is famous for its unique creamy cakes, the recipe of which has been kept secret by local chefs for many years.

Address: R. Belém, 1300-085 Lisboa

Atmospheric restaurants and bars in Lisbon

One of the most famous restaurants in the city, which has a wonderful location - at the highest point of the Eduardo VII Park. At this site, the international hotel giant Hilton Corporation intended to build another chain hotel, but a group of eleven influential Lisbon residents prevented these plans, as a result of which a restaurant called Eleven appeared in this picturesque corner of the city. One of the 11 founders of the establishment is chef Joachim Körper, awarded two Michelin stars (one of which was won at the Eleven restaurant), an unsurpassed master of Mediterranean cuisine. That’s why everything in this restaurant is wonderful: the food, the interior, and the views from the windows.

Address: Rua Marquês de Fronteira, Jardim Amalia Rodrigues, Lisbon

A Travessa

The restaurant is located in a historical building built more than 4 centuries ago. Once there was a monastery here, and now it is a catering establishment with a village flavor. It has its own bakery, and visitors are treated to hot, freshly baked bread. Noteworthy items on A Travessa's menu include meat dishes, mushroom dishes and scrambled eggs, as well as a variety of desserts.

Address: Travessa do Convento das Bernardas, 12, Bairro da Madragoa – Santo, Lisbon

Phone: 351-213-902-034; 213-940-800

A very colorful and unusual restaurant. The fact is that it is located in the same building as the circus school, so circus performers come here to have lunch - jugglers, acrobats, clowns, trainers, who, saving time, do not change clothes or remove makeup. By evening, the circus crowd is diluted with ordinary visitors, but the relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant remains. The restaurant's menu is designed to suit the diverse preferences of a wide range of guests. The most frequently ordered dishes include duck breast in orange sauce and grilled octopus.

Address: Rua da Costa do Castelo, 7, Alfama, Lisbon

Cravo E Canelo

This cozy bar-restaurant always plays soft jazz music. In the evening, all the tables here are usually occupied, since this stylish establishment is very popular with local youth. The menu is varied and contains echoes of many cuisines from around the world. The restaurant's signature dish is duck with pepper and champagne.

Address: Rua da Barroca, 70, Bairro Alto, Lisbon

Phone: 351-213-431-858

Next to the river is another iconic Lisbon bar and restaurant. More than a hundred years ago, this building was used as an industrial warehouse, and a successful design decision was to preserve its original decoration - antique brick, chains, pulleys. The interior came out very stylish and atmospheric. Inside, Kais is divided into two rooms: in the upper one you can dine on international cuisine, and downstairs you will be treated to traditional Portuguese dishes.

Address: Cais da Viscondessa, Lisbon

During the daytime, this establishment operates as an ordinary cozy cafe, and when darkness falls, it turns into a noisy, crowded bar, where music and laughter of dancing visitors can be heard until the morning. The restaurant's cuisine features high-quality dishes, which is not typical for this type of entertainment establishment. The menu also offers an extensive selection of alcoholic drinks.

Today I would like to start a very large and interesting topic that is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. This is food.

ABOUT! This is a very important aspect of Portuguese life. They take food very seriously. Therefore, you can be sure: in Portugal you will eat delicious, high-quality and inexpensive food.

I think that you are unlikely to find another country in Europe where the price-quality ratio of food will differ so favorably in favor of Portugal. And first of all, I’m talking about the high quality of the original ingredients, i.e. the most basic thing from which it is actually prepared.

Meat, fish, seafood, milk, meat products and cheeses (many of them are prepared according to old recipes), bread, all kinds of vegetables and fruits - all fresh and of excellent quality.

Portuguese cuisine- quite simple, but this is from the series that everything ingenious is simple. The cuisine here is not refined in the sense of fancy sauces and spices, it is refined in the sense of conveying the taste of the main product and it is very tasty. Spices are used, of course, but without fanaticism, only where needed and as much as needed.

In restaurants you can eat a variety of types of meat: beef, pork, lamb, turkey, rabbit, and chicken, of course. In village restaurants you can taste deer, wild boar and other game meat. Meat is cooked very well over coals, and there is also a lot of stewing, frying, and baking in the oven. Meat grilled or fried is usually served with french fries and rice. Rice is served, I think, to collect the juices from the meat.

Of course, fish and seafood, they are also often baked on coals, fried, boiled, or stewed. Depending on the dish, of course. Usually served with boiled vegetables, sometimes accompanied by salad.

When I first saw a simple homemade dish served for lunch - boiled fish with boiled vegetables and all drizzled with olive oil, I thought... hmm, how simple. But when I tried it all, I fell in love forever. I won't call it anything else. Fell in love. I still often cook this way: a piece of sea fish, boiled simply with salt and boiled potatoes, carrots and green beans. What does it all have to do with boiling it all together in one pan. Yes.. we’re not used to it, but this is how they cook it here (at home, of course). And then pour it all over with a little olive oil... and with a fresh salad.. mmm.

In restaurants, this dish is also prepared, most often with hake fish (pescada). And the dish is called pescada com todos, translated as hake with everyone (meaning that a variety of boiled vegetables are served with the fish: potatoes and carrots always and always other vegetables).

E Yes, in Portugal, mostly simple and without showing off.
Fish is consumed in any form - boiled and fried, salted and raw... the country is by the sea, after all, the Portuguese eat fish more than anyone else in Europe (as they believe). In restaurants "for tourists" they mainly offer pork chops, something like goulash, chicken cutlets, various sausages (don't take them) and world classic side dishes - rice or French fries with chopped vegetables...

Most restaurants offer traditional Portuguese cuisine. The menu also includes its own regional original dishes, such as beef tripe with vegetables. Most restaurants in Porto focus on fish, which is understandable - the country is on the Atlantic coast. Vegetables are preferred raw or boiled. The most popular are potatoes, beans, carrots, cauliflower.

There are a lot of exotics and they are not always at an increased price. For example, “Cusido a Portuguesa” is a dish for those who are really hungry. This traditional Portuguese dish is not very difficult to prepare. You need to take all the meat in the house, including expired sausages, and cook everything with the addition of beans. Feijoada is something similar. It tastes no different, but sounds prettier.

This is a serving for one))) it was enough for three of us

"Caldeirada" is the same thing, only different fish are used instead of meat. But there are also complex dishes, for example, regular cod with cream sauce, which takes more than a day to prepare. The locals call cod bakalau. It is generally brought from Norway, but each resident of Portugal on average eats about 16 kg of cod per year.

Everything for tourists is edible, although nothing. But the main thing is not to try the sausages. For 8 - 10 euros you will get a full-fledged G, in comparison with which a sausage for 50 rubles from Pyaterochka will seem like a gastronomic masterpiece. Local sausages are something chewy, tasteless, lightly salted and fall apart as soon as you take it out of the casing.

French fries, onions and tomatoes in all restaurants were fine, quite edible.

The octopus was gorgeous... not rubbery.

The fish is tasty, but for some reason it tastes like boiled cod, no matter what you order. Do you think I'm joking? They have "bacalhau" - salted cod and 365 ways to prepare it, one for each day of the year. According to statistics, each Portuguese eats 16 kilograms of cod per year. But the funny thing is that it is not found in local latitudes; it is brought from Belarus and Norway. And this fish is local. Fish - needle. Tasty and delicious because it is deep-sea and can only be caught at night.

Dish "bacalhau a bras". Jacket potatoes and grilled sardines. Locals cook grilled sardines right on the balconies of their apartments; none of the neighbors will make a comment; they cook it themselves the same way.

“Piri-piri” is spicy))) spicy hellish crap after which it will blaze both in front and behind.

They say that proper Portuguese steak is cooked in port wine sauce, and “kebabs” are marinated in port wine with the addition of garlic.

I guess I was unlucky)) didn’t come across it. In general, I can briefly describe Portuguese cuisine - anything goes well with port wine. Pipple eats, literally and figuratively. It’s better not to visit anything that’s geared towards tourists; it definitely won’t be tasty. We need to look for places for locals.

In Lisbon we tried Caldo verde - a traditional national soup. Green cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic with olive oil and spicy pork chorizo ​​sausage. However, there was no spicy food among the thick stuff. Just something incomprehensible... but very edible. Ask for the spicy sausage separately! Otherwise the cook will take it home.

Seaweed soup...

Fish soup.

In Porto or Lisbon there are no problems with the choice of restaurants, especially in the central part of the city. Literally on every corner you can find both a small home cafe, where a hearty lunch will cost 6 EUR, and a budget or expensive establishment, with a check from 15 to 100 EUR.

It seemed to me that they didn’t know how to cook pork. They simply cut it thinly and make sole out of it by frying it. I tried pork in several places and it was about the same everywhere - nothing.

We ate this salad in Porto))) it is called “Russian salad”. Those. our Olivier. But there are no pickled cucumbers and sausages, just potatoes, carrots, peas and a little mayonnaise, so little that they are not felt at all. I had to tell them what to add to this salad...

There is alcohol here for every taste and color. The Portuguese themselves prefer to mix dry wine with water. Tourists drink everything else. Lisbon trams are even on bottles))

Porto is, of course, port wine...

About port wine and how it matures below the link.

In general, there are hundreds of restaurants in Portugal: from the most modest places where you can dine for less than 20 EUR, to restaurants with Michelin stars.

There are many inexpensive restaurants in Porto in the Ribeira quarter. All are distinguished by good cuisine and comfort. There are a lot of different delicious breads here. Surprisingly. I have never eaten such delicious bread abroad as in Portugal.

Pastries "Pachelet de Nata" - custard, crispy shell. Below is an unleavened bun with chemical cream. Inedible at all. But if you spend a month at sea, it will go with a bang.

They also have their own Tula gingerbread cookies.

There are many different desserts in Portuguese cuisine. Most sweets are made from egg yolk, to which sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and marzipan are added.

We tried this chilled chocolate dessert in Lisbon and it was very tasty.

In Porto, mid-range restaurants are widely available, usually small, with a cozy and somewhat homely interior. The average bill is 30-50 EUR. Expensive restaurants are usually located on the embankment. They offer a wide selection of food and especially wine. Some of them have up to thousands of names of this drink on their menus. The average bill is 70-80 EUR.

In the evening, just sitting with wine in Porto is a problem. We walked around the center, kicking footballs everywhere, as soon as they found out that we wouldn’t eat, but would just buy wine and beer from them and sit. We have never seen anything like this before, even in pompous Moscow)) as if every table is worth its weight in gold))

Main sources:

Portugal is the westernmost continental country. The Mediterranean climate creates ideal conditions for relaxation at almost any time of the year.

You can spend a very long time exploring the sights of this amazing country: these are the famous ones, and the Belem Tower, which has become a symbol, and the Alto Douro wine region, and the Vasco da Gama Bridge... But sooner or later, even the most tireless traveler will get hungry and he will be faced with the question: what is worth trying?

Food in Portugal

The dishes of the national Portuguese cuisine are simple and tasty; this hearty meal is perfect for a tourist who wants to have a thorough meal before further sightseeing. But those who are more interested in Portuguese cuisine than local beauty and antiquities will not be disappointed.

This cuisine was created by peasants and fishermen, its main ingredients are vegetables, fish, and seafood. But it would be a mistake to think that the cuisine of Portugal will not offer you anything else. You can try unusual meat dishes, various types of cheeses, and a huge number of puddings and cakes. But that's not all: did you know that Portugal is the birthplace of port wine? He's great there.

Wine, bread and olive oil are the other three pillars of Portuguese cooking. The Mediterranean is the Mediterranean.

The Portuguese themselves are especially fond of cod dishes: there are several hundred recipes for preparing this fish. Local residents claim that you can cook cod every day for a year and never have it happen again.

Top 10 Portuguese dishes

The word “bacalhau” itself means “cod” in Portuguese. It is also used to refer to dried and salted cod, which is an ingredient in a huge number of Portuguese dishes. One of these dishes is baked cod bacalau.

There is no cod found off the coast of Portugal; all this fish is imported. At the same time, every resident of the country eats about one and a half dozen kilograms of cod annually - such a culinary paradox.

Grilled fish

This dish can be tried in any restaurant and is served in large portions. The traditional side dish for this fish is vegetables and rice; you will also be served olive oil. Residents of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, have a special love for grilled fish. They often prepare this dish right on the balconies of their houses, while the appetizing smell of baked fish spreads throughout all the surrounding streets.

This is a stew that includes stewed beans, rice, cabbage, peppers, smoked meat, and various types of sausage. In different cities of Portugal, the nuances of preparing this dish differ, and therefore the taste of feijoada in Lisbon is not similar to the taste of this stew in or. Try it and see for yourself.

Beef offal tripash

This dish comes from the city of Porto, the northern capital of Portugal. Its ingredients are offal, pig ears, cow hooves. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but the people of Porto love this dish so much that they even got the nickname "trepeiros", which means "tripe lovers" in Portuguese.

This is pureed cabbage soup. It is seasoned with paprika and olive oil. Potatoes and smoked Portuguese sausage are also added to this soup. The last ingredient is sometimes served separately; you can throw the sausage into the soup or eat it as a snack. If you are a vegetarian, you can try not adding sausage to the cream of soup... although the result will be a completely different dish. You can call calda verde the Portuguese equivalent of Russian cabbage soup.

Cheese "Queijo de Serra"

This is a soft type of cheese. It is so soft that you can spread it on a piece of bread, although the Portuguese never do this. We usually perceive cheese as an ingredient in some dish, but the people of Portugal consume this product separately, without adding it anywhere, or wash it down with wine. "Queijo de Serra" has a light sour-milk aroma and has a hard crust.

Here are a few more varieties of Portuguese cheeses:

"Queijo de Castelo Branco";

"Queijo Sant Jorge";

"Fresh cheese"

Portugal has a centuries-old cheese-making tradition. Some gourmets believe that local cheeses are not inferior to French and Italian ones.

These are puff pastry cakes loved by all Portuguese. Locals love to eat them for breakfast. Creamy egg cream gives this dish a piquant taste. If desired, you can ask for the brownies to be sprinkled with cinnamon. Pastel de nata goes well with coffee. You can try this delicacy in any Lisbon pastelaria - that’s the name of the local cafes. Sit back on the terrace or patio of this pastelaria and enjoy some sweets.

King Cake

The Portuguese usually eat it with their family on Christmas Eve. But nothing prevents you from enjoying it at any other time of the year in one of the Portuguese restaurants or cafes. The pie is made from butter dough and decorated with candied fruits and nuts. One of the distinctive features of the pie is the round hole in the middle. Local residents believe that the recipe for this dish comes from, which does not stop them from being proud of the king's cake as one of the most delicious dishes of Portuguese national cuisine.

A yellow-brown roll filled with egg cream. Moderately sweet and very tender, it will appeal not only to those with a sweet tooth, but also to those who are looking for a suitable snack for Portuguese port.

Cozido das furnas

The most exotic dish of all ten. The people of the Azores love him very much. This dish is prepared like this: a large pot of vegetables, pork and chicken is lowered on strong cables into a volcanic crater, where the food is stewed on the hot ground. During the preparation of this dish, many tourists with cameras always gather around the cooks. As a result, travelers get both delicious food and interesting photographs.

Portuguese cuisine is one of the most delicious in the world, but is little known outside the country. This is explained by the fact that half of the local dishes are based on seafood. Fish, octopus, squid, shellfish and other riches of the ocean are prepared fresh, just caught. Where else can they afford such luxury if not in Lisbon and other cities of Portugal?

Of course, not only “seafood” is present on the Portuguese menu, although it is the local fish dishes that are considered the best in Europe. They love and cook meat here, and one of the desserts (Port. pastel de nata) has literally conquered the world.

We have compiled a list of 15 dishes and drinks that are found on the menus of traditional Sintra and, of course, Lisbon. Choose the best and be sure to taste Portugal. You won’t be satisfied with excursions alone!

For inspiration, see “Heads and Tails. Shopping" in Lisbon:

Excursions in Lisbon

The most interesting excursions are routes from local residents to Tripster. It's interesting to start with. See Alfama, Bairro Alto, Belem, outline directions for independent walks. Or go on a delicious gastronomic excursion (3.5 hours).

Caldo verde soup

Port. caldo verde

Soups are popular on restaurant menus in Lisbon, as throughout Portugal. The most famous of them is caldo verde. It is made with vegetables and smoked chorizo ​​sausage. An indispensable component is kale leaf, which gives the broth a velvety taste and a pleasant color. Our compatriots compare this first dish with green cabbage soup. And the Portuguese do not know about the similarity, but they love it so much that they cook it not only on weekdays, but also on holidays and on all special occasions. For example, at a traditional wedding table there will certainly be caldo verde, as well as at Christmas. Serve it with a slice of fresh cornbread.

Thick caldeirada soup

Port. caldeirada

The secret of the popularity of sardinhas assadas is fresh fish, which preserves maximum natural taste with this cooking method.

Chicken in piri-piri sauce

Port. frango piri-piri

Poultry in Lisbon is also very tasty. If you find yourself here, be sure to try frango piri-piri. The chicken pieces are first marinated in a spicy sauce made from small hot peppers and other spices, and then fried to an appetizing crust. This dish was invented in the Portuguese colonies of Africa, but has long become one of the most popular in local cuisine.

Cousido a Portuguesa

Port. сozido a portuguesa

Cousidou in Portuguese is a real celebration of taste. Pork knuckle, chicken, chorizo ​​and other smoked meats are cooked in one pan. We can say that this is cold cuts seasoned with vegetables. Separately, rice is cooked in kuzidu broth. The finished meat is separated from the bones, then cut into portions and served with vegetables and rice. A plate of kuzidu can easily be enjoyed by two or even three.

Pastel de Belem

Port. pastel de belem

Even those who have never been to this country have heard about the famous Portuguese cakes. Pasteix de Belem were invented in Lisbon, and then spread from here throughout the world. Monks began baking small puff pastry cups filled with custard a long time ago. The traditional recipe is several centuries old and has been kept secret all this time. You can now try such cakes everywhere, but the most delicious ones are sold only in one pastry shop in Lisbon. Every day there is a queue around it, and the number of cakes sold daily is in the thousands!

Soft eggs

Port. ovos moles

Another dessert worth trying in Lisbon is ovos moles. A sweet cream made from yolks and sugar, which is boiled and then placed in special molds made of rice flour. The cake is a thin light shell (it can be of any shape, the most common are “shells”) filled with soft cream. In confectionery shops, the dessert is sold in boxes, like candy.

Caracoix snails

Port. caracóis

Since mid-July, the Portuguese have been enjoying their favorite delicacy - snails! Here they are much smaller than, for example, in France, but their taste does not suffer from this at all. The snails are cooked in an oregano-based broth, seasoned with plenty of garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Traditionally, you would suck the snail out of its shell, but if you are uncomfortable, you can use a cocktail straw to do this. The texture of the snails is similar to cooked mushrooms.

You can enjoy caracoish in any bar. But, given the exotic specifics of the dish, it is better to choose trusted taverns.

Crabs Zapateira Resheada

Port. sapateira recheada

This aromatic dish is completely different from anything you have ever tried before, because the zapateira crab is stuffed with its own meat and caviar. It is served in the following way: separately, claws with special hammers so that the meat can be extracted, and separately, a crab shell filled with a special salad of finely chopped crab meat, onions and spices. All this taste splendor is complemented by fragrant fresh bread. By the way, the Portuguese themselves claim that crab meat is ideal only in the autumn-winter period.

Seafood cataplana

Port. cataplana

The traditional Portuguese fish stew cataplana is a Moorish dish that originated in Portugal in the 8th century. Ingredients vary from region to region and from restaurant to restaurant. But it always contains white fish, potatoes, seafood, pepper and a pinch of chili. To fully enjoy this multi-faceted dish with a rich fishy taste, you should eat it straight from the pot. It’s better to snack on thick stew with crusty bread.

Percebes shellfish

Port. percebes

Percebes are oceanic inhabitants known as "sea truffles" or "devil's fingers". Outwardly, it is a cross between a tiny snake and a turtle's leg. In fact, percebes are considered a delicious and healthy delicacy. To prepare, just rinse them, and then, adding salt, bring to a boil. Some cooks add bay leaves, garlic or white wine. But even without these components it turns out delicious. The only catch is that there is persebes - a whole art! First, the head of the clam should be unscrewed, and then the meat should be squeezed out of it (the juice is often splashed onto others). Harvesting them is difficult and dangerous work, which automatically increases their value compared to most seafood.

The price per kg of these shellfish in Portugal starts from $100. Are the outlandish percebes worth it? You won't know until you try it yourself!

Akorda soup in bread

Port. acorda

In most countries, it is customary to eat soups with bread. But the Portuguese did the opposite and prepared soup directly from bread. The idea of ​​​​creating the dish belonged to the poor: they ground day-old bread with garlic, and then poured boiling water over the resulting mixture, infusing it a little. There are two common versions of the soup that you can try in Lisbon today. The bread is mashed and cooked with shrimp - the result is a unique taste, but not a very appetizing appearance. The second option is more attractive: whole pieces of bread are poured with a mixture of olive oil and garlic, topped with a poached egg. Despite the unpretentiousness of the recipe, the taste of acorda soup is good.

Locals prefer coffee to tea. The best white wines are made on the Setubal Peninsula, rich reds - in Porto. There are also such unusual alcoholic drinks as medroña and ginjinha.

• Ginjinha- cherry liqueur, which became a symbol of Óbidos (the city built for the king). At first glance, an unremarkable liqueur is usually served in an unusual way: in a chocolate glass.
• Medronha- a type of fruit brandy obtained from the fruits of the strawberry tree. Meeting medrohno in a supermarket is great luck. In Portugal, it is easier to buy the so-called “fire water” directly from the producing farmers. Most of them do not have permits to produce alcohol, but authorities tend to turn a blind eye to this.
• Port wine- wine with a noble bouquet of taste. In Lisbon you can find both affordable brands and bottles with elite contents. In both cases, the taste is pleasantly surprising. But it’s better to go to Porto for port wine.