100 Maneiras
Rua do Teixeira, 39
91 091 8181
Closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Price per person: €125
100maneiras.com
Now nationally-famous for his appearances on cooking shows on TV, chef Ljubomir Stanisic has been a familiar face in Lisbon for over a decade, due to his restaurant in Bairro Alto. That’s where he offers tasting menus based on contemporary Portuguese cuisine, with innovative and humorous touches. He uses seasonal products found at Mercado da Ribeira, so the dishes are constantly changing.
As Salgadeiras
Rua das Salgadeiras, 18
213 421 157
Closes on Mondays
Price per person: €35
www.as-salgadeiras.com
Classic Portuguese dishes are the specialty at this refined rustic-style restaurant. It's found in an attractively renovated space of a former bakery, where it kept the original stone arcs and large brick oven. The menu is mainly made up of dishes from the Alentejo region and the north of Portugal, with the highlights being the several salted cod options.
Casanostra
Travessa do Poço da Cidade, 60
213 425 931
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
casanostra.pt
Said to have been the first truly Italian restaurant in Lisbon, Casanostra remains a popular restaurant today. It uses pale tones to cover the walls which surround a rather retro décor, and it has a relaxed ambience. The pasta dishes are the favorites, but there are also several meat and fish options (there’s no pizza). The wine list offers dozens of Italian labels mixed with a few Portuguese selections.
Gandaia Club
Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara, 81
213 461 381
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
thedecadente.pt
You don't usually expect much from a restaurant in a hostel, but this one inside The Independente Hostel serves good Portuguese cuisine using seasonal ingredients. It has a nice patio in the back, open throughout the year, attracting a cosmopolitan crowd.
Lisboa à Noite
Rua das Gáveas, 69-71
213 468 557
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €35
www.lisboanoite.com
This restaurant established itself as one of Bairro Alto's top restaurants soon after it opened in 2003. It used to be a stable, then became a fado restaurant, and is now a refined yet laid-back space with some fantastic features. Those include beautiful tile panels, ring chains that were used to tie the horses, and photos of Lisbon at night.
On the menu you have classic Portuguese dishes, including several cod options together with vegetarian choices and a variety of starters.
Pharmácia
Rua Marechal Saldanha, 2 (Santa Catarina)
213 462 146
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
facebook.com/restaurantepharmacia
It’s not in Bairro Alto, but right across from its grid of streets, facing the Santa Catarina viewpoint . It shares the building of the Pharmacy Museum, so it’s inspired by the pharmacies of the past in the décor and in the use of flasks and other curious objects to serve the drinks and food. Despite the attractive interior, everyone prefers to sit outside on the terrace when the sun is out.
Sinal Vermelho
Rua das Gáveas, 89
213 461 252
Opens every day
Price per person: €25
facebook.com/RestauranteSinalVermelho
When this restaurant opened in the mid-1980s it only had space for less than 20 people. Its popularity led to the expansion of the dining area, and it now welcomes close to 70 guests at a time. It serves a varied menu of Portuguese dishes, and there are also a few veggie choices. The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed, and there are also tables outside.
Stasha
Rua das Gáveas, 29-33
213 431 131
Closes on Mondays
Price per person: €25
facebook.com/StashaBairroAlto
It's one of Bairro Alto's most popular restaurants and the reason is the good food (simple but with a certain refinement) at reasonable prices. The majority of the dishes are Portuguese but the menu also presents several international influences, including vegetarian choices. The dining area isn’t very spacious so it gets filled up fast, usually by young crowds before a night out in the neighborhood.
Suba
Rua de Santa Catarina, 1 (Santa Catarina)
211 573 055
Opens every day
Price per person: €40
facebook.com/subarestaurante
This restaurant invites you to head up to the top floor of the Verride Palácio Santa Catarina Hotel for creative cuisine and one of the best views over Lisbon. It presents two tasting menus, but there’s also a menu divided into cold and hot options of Portuguese and international cuisine. The view may be enjoyed from the windows of the interior dining room seating up to 100 people, or from the rooftop, seating 40 others.
At lunchtime there’s a "menu of the day" which includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert. The entrée changes daily, depending on the fresh products available at the market in the morning.
Toma Lá Dá Cá
Travessa do Sequeiro, 38 (Bica)
213 479 243
Closes on Sundays
Price per person: €15
facebook.com/Toma-la-da-ca-242910755798577
Because this is one of the best-value restaurants in the city (good traditional food in generous portions at reasonable prices), you'll likely always find people waiting for a table at the door. It's an unpretentious place, attracting young crowds before a night out in Bairro Alto. It doesn't take bookings, so be sure to arrive early or expect to wait.
Valdo Gatti
Rua do Grémio Lusitano, 13
213 471 601
Opens every day
Price per person: €20
valdogatti.com
This pizzeria stands out for its attempt to prevent waste and for its commitment to natural products from Portugal and Italian DOP and organic ingredients. Thanks to the oven's rotating stone, the pizzas come out evenly cooked, and it’s a suitable place for different diets -- there are vegan options, another with just raw toppings, and yet another with no tomato. There is also the pizza of the day, presenting new flavors and showing the creativity of the pizzaiolos. To drink, there are freshly-squeezed juices, organic wines and filtered water.
