20 Best Restaurants in Lisbon

This article is an abbreviated version of the original. To read the full article go here.  

Lisbon is one of Europe's fastest changing cities and hottest capitals. Visiting during its coming-of-age means seeing what's ahead, while still feeling immersed in its colorful history. Our list of Lisbon's best places to eat touches on all of it.

Prado: One of Baixa’s newest dining destinations, Prado is injecting new life into this traditional, calçada-lined neighborhood.

Bota Sal: The team behind beloved seaside Sal Restaurante in Comporta has finally opened Bota Sal, a more youthful Lisbon offshoot in the Estrela district.

The Food Temple: The Food Temple, Lisbon’s altar of vegetarian food, is located on a quiet street in the slowly (but steadily) up-and-coming Mouraria district.

Beco Cabaret Gourmet: Beco Cabaret Gourmet is celebrity Portuguese chef Jose Avillez’s newest and, by many definitions, most ambitious endeavor.

Alma: Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa ascended to epicurean-stardom shortly after opening Alma, his first restaurant, in the Chiado district in 2009. Nine years and one Michelin star later, a memorable meal is just as reliable.

Pesca: Pesca achieves one of culinary world’s toughest visual feats: making seafood photogenic.

Tapisco: Tapisco’s sleek red-and-white palette is quite the head turner on cool-but-understated Principe Real.

O Watt: A Cevicheria chef Kiko Martins opened his fifth restaurant in fall 2017: the aptly named O Watt, located in the same building as an energy company in Bairro Alto.

Taberna da Rua das Flores: Taberna da Rua das Flores’ azulejo-tile floor and glass cabinets filled with Portuguese tchotchkes, dishes, and glassware immediately makes this cozy restaurant feel like one of the narrow Baixa-Chiado homes that surrounds it.

Pharmacia: The palatial facade of this former mansion makes quite the first impression, especially as a setting for Pharmacia, a quirky pharmacy-themed restaurant that shares real estate with the Museu de Farmácia in Lisbon’s Santa Catarina district.

Cervejaria Ramiro: This beloved Lisbon beer hall and restaurant occupies three floors; but despite all the seating, expect to wait in line before you score a table.

JNcQUOI: JncQUOI is a first for Lisbon: a historic theater on Avenida da Liberdade that was recently converted into a fashionable trifecta, with a high-end men’s store, a bar, and a restaurant.

Local: The chalkboard sign mounted on the turquoise wall in front of Local, a covert Principe Real restaurant, says it all: “four chefs, one table.”

Os Gazeteiros: An outdoor chalkboard menu welcomes eager diners into Os Gazeteiros, a covert Alfama bistro. Inside, teal chairs, patterned woodwork, potted ferns, and a wall of wine bottles create a cozy environment.

Boi-Cavalo: Perched on an a cobblestoned alley in Alfama is something unexpected, at least for this traditional, fado-obsessed neighborhood: experimental contemporary cooking.

Belcanto: At the two-Michelin-starred Belcanto, Jose Avillez embraces the type of fine dining that looks straight out of a sci-fi film—in a good way.

Chutnify: Chutnify’s facade may be, but don’t let that fool you—the South Indian food here packs a punch.

Boa-Bao: It’s worth the inevitable wait for a seat at Boa-Bao, a popular restaurant in Chiado where the menu reads like a love letter to Asian flavors and recipes, from Japan to Laos.

Feitoria: Located in the Altis Belem Hotel & Spa, the glamorous, Michelin-starred Feitoria is a destination in itself. Sure, there’s an epic view of the river, but it’s the gold-leafed panel that commands all the attention.