Cod, sardines, pastéis de nata … Here is our selection of Lisbon specialties you absolutely must try during your stay!
Summary
- Cod and sardines, stars of the Lisbon plate
- Pastel de nata , the specialty of Lisbon
- Lisbon drinks: Sagres beer, vinho verde and ginjinha
- Some Portuguese specialties to taste in Lisbon
- And you, what gastronomic specialties did you eat in Lisbon?
If you are wondering what to eat in Lisbon, you should know that the specialty of Lisbon is undoubtedly the gastronomic specialties of cod: in the capital, it is found in fritters, in a dish, in the oven… But your stay in Lisbon should also introduce you to other classics of Portuguese cuisine, which are savored throughout the country!Read also:
Cod and sardines, stars of the Lisbon plate
A Portuguese saying says that there are as many cod recipes as there are days in the year… It’s hardly an exaggeration: small salted fish is unquestionably the star of Lisbon cuisine. Among the most popular recipes, the bacalhau à brás : the cod is cut into small filaments, and mixed with slices of onions, very fine fries, eggs and olives. It can also be eaten in fritters ( pastéis de bacalhau ), or in olive oil ( bacalhau a lagareiro ).
Another specialty of Lisbon: sardinhas assadas (grilled sardines on the barbecue). It is a Lisbon specialty that is eaten on the go for local festivals, with neighbours, family or friends. You can also buy tinned sardines and bring them back in your luggage… As a souvenir, it is hard to be more typical of Lisbon!
Pastéis de bacalhau – Photo credit: Flickr – Kirk K
Pastel de nata , the specialty of Lisbon
Lisbon is paradise for pastéis de nata , those little pastry flans that everyone snaps up. Served hot with cinnamon, they are so delicious! The most famous are the Pastéis de Bélem, served only in the café of the same name. But they are deserved: sometimes, you will have to wait several hours to enjoy one…Read also:
Lisbon drinks: Sagres beer, vinho verde and ginjinha
Sagres beer is so popular in the capital that it is nicknamed the “Beer of Lisbon”. Blond and light, it is refreshing – without being exceptional. In the wine section, try the vinho verde . So called because it is made with young grapes, it is very often white, but can also be red or rosé. Fresh, fruity and sparkling, it goes very well with seafood… Hence its omnipresence in Lisbon!
And above all, be sure to taste ginjinha (or ginja ) in a bar, the cherry liqueur, famous as much for its sweet taste as for the little ritual that accompanies it. Order the com elas (“with them”, implied “with cherries”) or sem elas (without cherries). Warning: with almost 20% alcohol, ginjinha is a real trap!
Photo credit: Flickr – We Love Lisbon
Some Portuguese specialties to taste in Lisbon
Fancy a break between two cod dishes? Take advantage of the diversity of the capital’s restaurants to taste Portuguese specialities: often based on seafood (but not only), the dishes are clearly under Mediterranean influence, but always enhanced with a touch of exotic spices, inherited from the Portugal’s colonial past.Read also:
As an aperitif, nibble on petiscos , the Portuguese tapas. Follow with an octopus dish, such as polvo a lagareiro (baked octopus with potatoes). Also try the arroz de marisco (rice with shellfish), the caldo verde (the national soup, composed mainly of green cabbage and chouriço, the Portuguese sausage), or even the açorda, a soup with garlic bread and egg, eaten in Lisbon with seafood ( açorda de marisco ). For dessert, fans of sweets will opt for arroz doce (rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon), while fans of cheese will necessarily taste the azeitão, a sheep’s cheese produced south of the Tagus
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