A popular concept in Lisbon is for hamburgers to be served ‘on the plate’ which means that when you order the burger it will arrive, complete with all the relevant garnish, salad and side orders exactly as described on the menu – on the plate with no evidence of the traditional hamburger bread roll. I personally find this rather refreshing as I inevitably end up leaving half the bread behind so I can enjoy the rest of the burger.

Café do Rio specializes in every type of freshly made gourmet hamburger you could think of – my favourite is one that consists of Roquefort cheese and bacon mixed up with the burger mince meat to form a flavorsome patty, and this is then garnished with a smaller patty of the same kind, an enormous salad and yummy potato chips cooked with the skin on them. The burgers are succulent and juicy and the salad is fresh and there is no room on the plate for a burger bun!

The menu has a selection of vegetarian burgers, and fish burgers all of which are freshly made in the restaurant. The meat burgers are split into different categories – traditional, spicy and the house specialties (of which the Roquefort burger is one). Finish off the meal with the special chocolate cake – a slice of chocolate tart filled with gooey chocolate mousse. Perfection!

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Café do Rio | Restaurants (Hamburgers) | Main meal € 10
Rua da Alfândega 114 | Riverside | +351218868050
Mon 12:00 – 15:00, Tue – Sat 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:30 – 23:00

Brunch. On Saturday and Sunday. In Cais do Sodre. 

Cafe Tati, situated on the road directly behind Mercardo Ribeiro, opens at 11:00 at the weekend and, for €10 you can have a delicious, filling brunch, complete with freshly-squeezed orange juice and coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and a choice of fruit salad or cereal and yoghurt to start out with.

The main course is a beautifully arranged plate of local cold salamis, hams, salmon and cheeses which are accompanied by a portion of scrambled eggs and toradas (huge, fat slices of hot toast), jam and butter. Then, just when you think you can’t possibly eat more and are contemplating another shot of coffee, a little slice of carrot cake appears on your plate, just to finish things off.  

The atmosphere is casual and laid back and the cafe tends to start filling up after 12:30 when people have finally woken up to the world of the weekend.

This quirky little cafe is decorated with a random selection of chairs and tables and the crockery is all mismatched and some of it is delightfully old-fashioned.

It is also possible to have lunch or dinner throughout the week in this charming venue, and it is a good place to meet in the evening for a drink before heading on to one of the other bars in the area. 

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Cafe Tati | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | Brunch € 10
Rua da Ribeira Nova, 36 | Riverside
11:00 – 01:00 daily

Another one of my favourite haunts – Graça, and another notable, typically Portuguese restaurant. Directly across the road from O Piteu is Churrasco da Graça. This restaurant has recently been refurbished and is now painted a cheerful yellow which adds to the lively atmosphere and the noisy chatter of Graça residents as they greet each other and the restaurant staff of a Saturday lunch time.

The dishes are typically Portuguese and the portion sizes are enormous and relatively cheap (a main dish will cost, on average €7). The fish dishes are always good – the fish is fresh and they also have the traditional patiniscas (kind of fish cakes lightly fried in batter) accompanied by tomato rice.

In my opinion, one of the best items on the menu (when feeling hungry) is the picanha steak which is served with black beans, french fries AND rice (very typical Portuguese combination) as well as some slides of orange and pineapple.

The service is good and very quick, the portion sizes are healthy and tasty and the atmosphere is lively – what more could you ask for . This is a good place to sample typical Portugal.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
O Churrasco da Graça | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Whole meal € 12
Lg. Graça 43 | Alfama & Graça | +351218860547
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 00:00

You are visiting Lisbon, you’ve been here a few days and suddenly you are craving a quick curry. Sounds strange, I know, but those moments do happen. There are a number of curry houses scattered around Chiado and Bairro Alto, but one of my favourites is Natraj on Rua dos Sapateiros in Baixa Chiado.

Situated down one of the streets running parallel to Rua Augusta in Baixa this restaurant is comfortingly reliable in that it is opens earlier than most restaurants in Chiado, the menu is a nice combination of the curries that you may recognize from take out menus plus a few added extras from Goa (ex-Portuguese colony) and they are all reasonably priced. The portions are generous, the service is good and I have never been disappointed by the quality of the food.

For Vindaloo fans, please note that curry in Portugal is not hot – ask for extra heat! For added authenticity there is a television screen on the wall that mostly plays Bollywood movies/music (and sometimes soccer matches – remember, you are in a soccer-mad country and you will be hard-pushed to find a restaurant that doesn’t have a TV in it) and the decor is definitely adds to the ambiance.

Early in the evening it is very easy to get a table, but later on it does get busier. 

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Restaurante Natraj | Restaurants (Indian) | Main meal € 14.00
Rua dos Sapateiros, 171 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213468113
12.00 – 15.00 & 18.30 – 23.30 daily

Another outdoor space in which to consume food and drink – this time in Parque Eduardo VII. Once you have admired the view from the top of the Parque, down Avenida Liberdade to the river, take a break at the Botequim do Rei cafe which is attached to a restaurant of the same name and consists of an esplanade next to a pond that is home to a variety of water birds and a shoal of koi carp. In the other direction, the tables look down onto an unusual, ornately decorated, disused gym hall that somehow manages to blend into the park.

This space is well sheltered from the wind and serves as an efficient sun-trap where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the park. I love to go there with a book on sunny days and read, or just relax watching the birds float around unperturbed on the pond. It is possible to order food from the snack menu at any time, but there are also outdoor tables that are set up under an awning and from here you can take advantage of the full restaurant menu whilst enjoying the fresh air.

The waiters speak excellent English and while I suspect this cafe may be a bit touristy, the location, for me, makes up for this. The menu is the same as you would expect in any snack bar of this nature in Portugal.

This restaurant and esplanade is closed on Mondays.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Botequim do Rei – Esplanada | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (Portuguese) | Meal € 13.00
Parque Eduardo VII | Avenidas | +351213160891
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 22:00

Problem: how to choose a restaurant in Bairro Alto among the huge offer of over-prized tourist trap serving” fado and traditional food” and more modern, but often disappointing, new offerings?

That’s an easy one! Go to Império dos Sentidos. Trendy setting. Monthly rotating art-exhibitions on the walls. Right in the middle of Bairro Alto, the ideal launch-platform for a great night out. One of the few good restaurants in BA that will serve you after midnight.

The food is a mixture of Portuguese and Italian cuisine. Ah, and don’t forget the champagne sangria.

Have a drink in Capela afterwards to kick-start your night out.

P.S. – say hi to António for me.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Império dos Sentidos | Restaurants (Port/Italian) | Dinner € 25.00
Rua da Atalaia 35-37 | Bairro Alto | +351213431822
Tue – Sun 19:30 – 02:00

Located right in the middle of Alfama, at the lovely little square of São Miguel. Santo Antonio has an original interior decoration consisting of hundreds of black and white photos of famous people. A nice and intimate setting for a great dinner.

In the summer you can sit at on the terrace, below the vine grapes.

It’s a great place to enjoy Alfama. Because let´s face it: it is not that easy to find a good restaurant in this charming neighborhood. The food is good. But I normally don’t order a main course.

Tip: stick to the starters. Order a whole bunch and share them. You’ll see it’s worth it!

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Santo António de Alfama | Restaurants (International) | Dinner € 25.00
Beco de São Miguel 7 | Alfama & Graça | +351218881328
Wed – Mon 12:30 – 19:00 & 20:00 – 02:00

When I have foreign guests to entertain, I often opt for this restaurant. The reasons are plentiful. Located in the middle of Bairro Alto, the restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored wine-cellar.

The food is typical Portuguese and of high quality. Try the fish and seafood. Find out why Portuguese have fetish for codfish. Service is great.

They serve food until late in the evening, so it’s a nice place for night owls.

If you plan to go here in the weekend, your patience will be tested every now and then. It has happened that I had to wait quit long for my table, although I had a reservation. Fortunately the restaurant has a nice bar to have a drink while you wait.

And wait for the dessert trolley. Yum!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Lisboa à Noite | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Main dish € 15.00
Rua das Gáveas 69/71 | Bairro Alto | +351213468557
Mon – Sat 19:30 – 01:00

Chiado is definitely one of the most charming areas of Lisbon. The main street is has some nice historical cafés, but they tend to be very touristic. A great alternative is Café no Chiado.

The location is excellent: smack in the middle of Chiado, with tram-line 28 passing right in front of you! The place has been renovated in 2006. It nowadays has a very cool interior and a great terrace.

Come here to have a cup of coffee or lunch, read a book on the terrace or just to enjoy the setting. Try the salads, they are great!

At night it’s a great place to dine, especially after visiting one of the nearby theatres, since they serve dinner until 02:00. Try the steak with mustard sauce. I did for a dozen times already

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café no Chiado | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Portuguese) | Great salad € 8.00
Largo do Picadeiro 10-12 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213460501
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 02:00

This is one of Chefe Olivier da Costa’s restaurants and probably the fanciest. The others are Olivier Café located at Rua de Alecrim, anoriental outfit called Yakuza and the new gourmet-pizza joint called Guilty.

This restaurant is located inside the Tivoli Jardim Hotel, just 50 meters off Avenida da Liberdade.

The interior is very stylish and modern. It feels more like New York or Paris then Lisbon to be honest. Visited by the local high-society, it’s a place to see and to be see.

I had dinner here once and the food was excellent. Kobé Beef picanha-style, gratinated scallops, octopus carpaccio, the list goes on and on. All very yummie indeed. The menu has some interesting mixtures that you might not expect from such an upscale place, such as American mini-hamburgers. The wine list is excellent, as one can expect from a place like this.

If you want to have a great culinary evening in an impressive setting and if you don’t mind spending some dosh, please do visit. The place is already considered one of Lisbon’s best, in spite of its short history.

And in order to avoid getting to snobbish, visit Maxim located almost next door. The perfect mix!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Restaurante Olivier Avenida | Restaurants (Upscale) | Meal + wine € 60.00
Rua Júlio César Machado 7 | Liberdade | +351213174105
Mon – Sat 13:00 – 15:30 & 20:00 – 01:00