Portugal food: traditional dishes and what to eat in Portugal
Portuguese food is fish and shellfish on the coast, pork, bread and beans inland, and salt cod everywhere. Portions are big, lunch is the main meal for many people, and a basket of bread and olives on the table is a charge, not a gift. The one thing to know is that the best dish is usually the daily special written on the board, not the long menu.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Bacalhau (salt cod) in whatever form the kitchen does best, and a pastel de nata with coffee. In Porto, the francesinha is the local sandwich to try once.
- When people eat
- Lunch is from about noon to 2:30, and dinner starts around 7:30 to 8. Kitchens often close between lunch and dinner, so do not expect a meal at 4 pm.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is enough, and about 5 to 10 percent is generous at a sit-down restaurant.
- Where to eat well
- Small, family-run places with a short menu and a daily special, often called tascas or tabernas. Cities have a food hall or market, but the better meals are in the side streets.
What to eat in Portugal
- Bacalhau à BrásShredded salt cod scrambled with egg, onion and thin fried potato, topped with olives and parsley. It is the easiest cod dish to start with, and is on menus in most Lisbon tascas.Lisbon
- Pastel de nataA small custard tart with a blistered, flaky top, eaten warm with cinnamon. It is a bakery and café staple, best bought from a place that bakes them through the morning.Lisbon
- FrancesinhaA sandwich of bread, ham, sausage and steak, covered in melted cheese and a spicy tomato and beer sauce. It is heavy, so share it or make it the only meal of the day.Porto
- Caldo verdeA thin, smooth potato soup with shredded kale and a slice of chouriço. It is a starter at family dinners and a staple late at night after a festival.The Minho
- Cataplana de mariscoShellfish, fish, tomato and peppers steamed in a hinged copper pan that comes to the table. Order it to share, and ask what is local that day.The Algarve
- Leitão da BairradaRoast suckling pig with a crisp skin, served by the portion with potatoes and orange. You find it in the central region, around Mealhada and Coimbra.Bairrada
- Sardinhas assadasGrilled sardines on bread, with salad and boiled potatoes. They are best in summer, and especially in June around Lisbon's street festivals.Lisbon
- BifanaA small roll of thinly sliced pork cooked in garlic and white wine, usually eaten at a counter with a beer. It is a cheap lunch and a late-night snack.Lisbon
- Polvo à lagareiroRoast octopus with olive oil, garlic and potatoes. It is a common Sunday lunch and shows up on menus from Porto southwards.The north and center
- EspetadaCubes of beef skewered on a bay branch and grilled over wood, often hung from a hook at the table. Eat it with bolo do caco, the local flatbread served with garlic butter.Madeira
How the food changes across Portugal
The north
Heavier and meatier: sausages, stews, roast kid, and the francesinha in Porto. Vinho verde and the Douro wines come from here, and bread is dense and dark.
The center
Pork and sweets. Suckling pig is the speciality of Bairrada, and convents around Coimbra and Aveiro gave the country its egg-yolk pastries.
Lisbon and the Alentejo
Lisbon has the grilled sardines, the cod dishes and the pastelarias. The Alentejo, inland and to the south, is known for pork, bread soups, sheep's cheese and strong red wine.
The Algarve
Grilled fish, shellfish, rice dishes and the cataplana. Almonds, figs and carob show up in the desserts.
Madeira and the Azores
Madeira has espetada, fresh tuna and sweet bananas. The Azores are known for cheese, beef and stews cooked underground by volcanic heat.
What to drink in Portugal
- Vinho verdeA young, lightly sparkling white from the north, served cold. It is the standard drink with seafood and for hot afternoons.
- Douro and Alentejo redsThe Douro makes structured reds, and the Alentejo makes warm, rounder ones. House wine in a carafe is cheap and usually good.
- PortA sweet fortified wine from the Douro. Tawny is nutty and is sipped after dinner, ruby is fruitier, and white port with tonic is a summer aperitif.
- Madeira wineA fortified wine from the island, sold dry to sweet. The sweeter styles go with dessert, and the dry ones are an aperitif.
- GinjinhaA sour cherry liqueur sold in tiny bars in Lisbon, in a plastic or chocolate cup. Order it com elas with the cherries, or sem elas without.
- CoffeeAsk for uma bica for an espresso in Lisbon, or um cimbalino in Porto. A galão is a large milky coffee in a glass, drunk at breakfast.
Where to eat in Portugal, city by city
Lisbon
A hilly capital of trams, viewpoints, tiled streets and long dinners, with the sea and Sintra close by. It suits a first visit to Portugal, couples and friends, and anyone who wants a big city that is easy to enjoy.
Order Pastel de nata
Porto
A granite city above the Douro river, with port lodges across the water, a lively old center and a strong food scene. It suits wine and food trips, short breaks and walkers who do not mind hills.
Order Francesinha
Funchal
The capital of Madeira, built up a steep hillside above the Atlantic, with gardens, markets, cable cars and mountain walks nearby. It suits hikers, gardeners and travelers who want mild weather at almost any time of year.
Order Espada com banana
Lagos
A walled town in the western Algarve, close to sandy coves and sea cliffs, with boat trips and a busy old center. It suits a beach week, families, and travelers who want sea and some nightlife in one place.
Order Cataplana
How Portugal eats
- Meal timesBreakfast is light, usually coffee and a pastry. Lunch is from noon to 2:30, and dinner from 7:30 or 8, often later in summer.
- CouvertBread, olives, cheese and butter appear at the table without being ordered. They are charged if you eat them, and you can send them back.
- Prato do diaMany places serve a set lunch with a main, a drink and often soup or coffee. It is the best value on any menu.
- ReservationsNeeded for dinner at popular places in Lisbon and Porto, especially on weekends. Small tascas often take walk-ins at lunch.
- TippingSmall. Round up the bill or leave a few coins, and add 5 to 10 percent only if the service was good.
Signs of a place to walk past
A menu with photographs and flags for the languages it is translated into.
A waiter on the pavement calling people in from the street.
A bacalhau menu that lists every dish in the world on the same page, with no daily special.
A table of tourists and an empty kitchen counter at 1 pm, when locals would be at lunch.
Food in Portugal: questions people ask
What food is Portugal known for?
Salt cod, grilled sardines, custard tarts, port wine and olive oil. Each region has its own dish, from the francesinha in Porto to the cataplana in the Algarve.
What is the national dish of Portugal?
Bacalhau, salt cod, is often called the national dish. Locals say there are hundreds of ways to cook it, one for every day of the year.
What should I eat for breakfast in Portugal?
Coffee and a pastry, such as a pastel de nata, or a tosta mista, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. A galão with bread and butter is also common.
Is Portuguese food spicy?
Not usually. Food is seasoned with garlic, olive oil, paprika and herbs. Piri-piri is a hot sauce served on the side with chicken, not in the cooking.
Is Portugal good for vegetarians?
It takes some looking for. Soups, salads, cheese, eggs and bean dishes are easy to find, but many dishes use meat stock or pork. Larger cities now have vegetarian restaurants.
What do people drink with dinner in Portugal?
Wine, usually a carafe of the house red or white, or vinho verde with seafood. Beer is common at lunch, and water is brought on request.
How much does a meal cost in Portugal?
A set lunch in a small tasca is among the cheapest meals in western Europe, and dinner in a mid-range restaurant costs more in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve. Check the menu board for the prato do dia.
Is tap water safe to drink in Portugal?
Yes, in the main cities and towns. Many restaurants serve bottled water, which you can decline and ask for tap water instead.