A Taberna da Rua das Flores
Rua das Flores, 103 (Chiado)
213 479 418
Closed on Sundays
Price per person: €20
This small "tavern" recalls the Lisbon restaurants of the past and follows some long-forgotten recipes. The menu changes daily, but is always based on traditional Portuguese cuisine. It doesn’t accept reservations and is quite popular, so you’ll likely have to wait a while for a table.
As Salgadeiras
Rua das Salgadeiras, 18 (Bairro Alto)
213 421 157
Closed on Mondays
Price per person: €35
The highlights on the menu are the cod dishes and the regional cuisines of Alentejo and northern Portugal. They’re served in what used to be a bakery, and the interior maintains the original arches and the old oven. It’s one of the most refined restaurants in Bairro Alto, with a friendly staff.
Bonjardim
Travessa de Santo Antão, 11 (Avenida da Liberdade)
213 424 389
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
It has been known as the “king of chicken” since the 1950s and all guidebooks recommend it, so it’s usually full of regular local customers and tourists. Everyone prefers to sit at the tables outside, enjoying what many say is the best spit-roast chicken in Lisbon.
Bota Alta
Travessa da Queimada, 35-37 (Bairro Alto)
213 427 959
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €20
This small, rustic-style restaurant is one of the oldest in the Bairro Alto district. In business since the 1970s, it offers home-style cooking, following the traditions of the various regions of Portugal, from Trás-os-Montes in the north to Algarve in the south. The atmosphere is always relaxed and informal.
Casa do Alentejo
Rua Portas de Santo Antão, 58 (Avenida da Liberdade)
213 405 140
Opens every day
Price per person: €20
The name tells you that this place is devoted to the traditions of the Alentejo region. What no one can imagine is that it’s quite a beautiful palatial residence originally built in the 1600s. Downstairs it’s a club promoting the culture of Alentejo, and to reach the restaurant upstairs you have to pass through a stunning Moorish-style courtyard. There are tables in the monumental Louis XVI-style ballroom on special days, but lunches and dinners are usually served in two other smaller rooms, with walls lined with beautiful tiles added in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Cervejaria Trindade
Rua Nova da Trindade, 20C (Chiado)
213 423 506
Opens every day
Price per person: €30
It’s one of Lisbon’s landmark restaurants, occupying the space of an old convent’s refectory. It opened as a beerhouse in 1836, and preserves the colorful tile panels from that period. It’s famous for its steaks and seafood, and for dessert there are monastic sweets.
Fidalgo
Rua da Barroca, 27 (Bairro Alto)
213 422 900
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €20
It’s one of the oldest restaurants in Bairro Alto, but it’s at its present location since 2010, when it renovated and modernized the space of a former bar. However, the traditional Portuguese cuisine and the reasonable prices remain the same. The dishes of the day can be good deals, and it’s one of the few restaurants in the neighborhood that are open at lunchtime.
Lisboa à Noite
Rua das Gáveas, 69-71 (Bairro Alto)
213 468 557
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €35
Before its inauguration as a restaurant in 2003, this place was a fado house with the same name, and long before that it was used as a stable. It has preserved the rings used to tie the horses and is decorated with Baroque-style tile panels. It’s quite a beautiful restaurant for a special dinner in Bairro Alto, mixing traditional and contemporary Portuguese cuisine. The most recommended dishes are those of salted cod, and you should never leave without dessert.
Maçã Verde
Rua dos Caminhos de Ferro, 84 (Alfama)
218 868 780
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €15
It’s one of the few taverns that survive in Lisbon where you can still find home-style food in generous doses and at affordable prices. The grilled fish and meats are local favorites, especially for lunch, when there are also dishes of the day.
O Churrasco
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 83-85 (Avenida da Liberdade)
213 423 059
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
The name means “The Barbecue” and it tells you that here everything comes from the grill. Chicken is the most popular choice, but there’s also the fish of the day and a variety of meat and fish options. It’s located on one of the city’s most touristy streets, but it attracts as many locals as it does tourists, who try to get a spot at the few tables outside.
O Frade
Calçada da Ajuda, 14 (Belém)
939 482 939
Closes on Mondays
Price per person: €20
It’s found just a few steps from the Coaches Museum, but it’s not a tourist trap. It’s a restaurant managed by two cousins, who welcome customers as family, sitting everyone around a counter like they would at a large dining room table. They serve the dishes that they grew up with in Alentejo, but there are also specialties from Algarve. To accompany the delicious food are organic Portuguese DOC wines.
O Pitéu da Graça
Largo da Graça, 95-96 (Graça)
218 871 067
Opens every day
Price per person: €20
It’s the most famous restaurant in the neighborhood of Graça, and the reason is the good, traditional Portuguese food, served in generous doses. Codfish is the house specialty, but the menu is divided into fish and meat dishes, many of them from the Alentejo region. It’s decorated with reproductions of rococo tile panels, and can be a noisy place, but it’s meant to be a place for relaxed meals among friends.
Sinal Vermelho
Rua das Gáveas, 89 (Bairro Alto)
213 461 252
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €25
It opened as a small restaurant in the 1980s, but has expanded and today it has space for about 70 diners, in the tiled interior and at the tables outside. It serves traditional cuisine, with several meat, fish, and vegetarian options.
Solar dos Presuntos
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 150 (Avenida da Liberdade)
213 424 253
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €35
It’s probably the most recommended restaurant for those looking to try authentic Portuguese cuisine. Divided into five rooms, it’s decorated with caricatures and photographs of local celebrities who have dined here, and is always full, so booking is a must. And you should really try to get a table, as no other restaurant in Lisbon offers the delicacies of Minho and other regions of Portugal.
Taberna Albricoque
Rua Caminhos de Ferro, 98 (Alfama)
218 861 182
Closes on Mondays and Tuesdays
Price per person: €20
This “tavern” is a trip to the Algarve without leaving Lisbon. Regional dishes have the touch of Bertílio Gomes, one of Lisbon’s most acclaimed chefs. He uses fresh ingredients selected from national producers, so there’s something new on a weekly basis, plus different suggestions for lunch. Everything can be accompanied by a good Portuguese wine.
Taberna Sal Grosso
Calçada do Forte, 22 (Alfama)
215 982 212
Opens every day
Price per person: €20
It’s hidden between the Military Museum and the Santa Apolónia train station, but was quickly discovered by those looking for good traditional cuisine and reasonably-priced meals in a tourist area. It’s a very small restaurant that recalls the taverns of the past, with dishes of the day plus petiscos (small plates) listed on a chalkboard on the wall.
Tasca da Esquina
Rua Domingos Sequeira, 41C (Campo de Ourique)
210 993 939
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €25
It’s a restaurant of authentic Portuguese cuisine, interpreted by the experienced chef Vítor Sobral. It’s known for the quality of the ingredients used, but it’s not a luxury restaurant, it’s a rather informal and relaxed place.
Toma Lá Dá Cá
Travessa do Sequeiro, 38 (Santa Catarina)
213 479 243
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €15
Yes, there are still restaurants serving good doses of traditional Portuguese cuisine at reasonable prices. And you don't have to go very far, as this one is right in the center of Lisbon, between Bairro Alto, Bica and the Santa Catarina viewpoint. You just need some patience, as you may have to wait a while outside (it doesn’t accept reservations). It has round tables for groups and long tables shared by locals and tourists before a night out in Bairro Alto.
Velho Macedo
Rua da Madalena, 117 (Baixa)
218 873 003
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
It occupies the space of a former milk shop and is known for following traditional Portuguese recipes, many of them from the north of the country. It has several options for appetizers and dishes in doses for two people.
Zé dos Cornos
Beco dos Surradores, 3 (Mouraria)
218 869 641
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €20
The name translates to “Zé of the Horns,” referring to the original owner and the horns of a bull displayed on a wall. It’s a family-run restaurant that hasn’t changed in decades, maintaining the same cuisine, décor and atmosphere. The home-style dishes follow the family's recipes, which always guarantee a full house. The daily specials range from the popular grilled spare rib to “cozido à portuguesa” (Portuguese stew of meats and vegetables).
