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

Tucked away in a tiny little street in the suburb of Penha Franca is the entrance up to Miradouro do Monte Agudo. I think that this miradouro is one of the prettiest in Lisbon that offers yet another spectacular view over the red rooftops that characterize this city. The 180° view of Lisbon is stunning, from the river right up to Saldanha and the north.

This miradouro is off the beaten track and if you approach it from Graça (rather than Anjos) the route to it is nice and flat! Go through a gate in a rust-colored wall (with a rather misleading red No Entry sign on it – this is for cars rather than pedestrians) and there is a windy cobbled road that leads up to the view, which took my breath away the first time I saw it.

There is a little kiosk that serves ‘tosta mista’ sandwiches, coffee and beer up here, and you can sit and watch the sun set over the river whilst sipping on a nice cold imperial (beer). This miradouro has recently been renovated – the tiled benches have been well-restored and the pillared pergolas have been repainted giving the area a pleasant ambiance. If you like to relax, with a gorgeous view in front of you then this is the place for you and as summer is moving winter out of the way, the cafe has become quite busy again and there is a nice atmosphere as friends meet to enjoy the sun.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Miradouro do Monte Agudo | Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Coffee & cake € 5.00
Rua Heliodoro Salgado | Alfama & Graça
Apr – Sep 10:00 – 22:30 daily, Oct – Mar 10:00 – 18:00 daily

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!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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

Pois Café is owned and run by a couple of Austrian ladies. And it shows! The pies and cakes are absolutely fantastic. The interior looks like a huge living room, filled with comfortable sofas and chairs.

A nice detail are the books and magazines. It is full of them! All clients are encouraged to leave a second hand book or magazine, so you can spend all afternoon reading and eating Apfelstrudel!

This is a great place to have lunch or just a cup of coffee. It is close to Sé and the castle, so why not stop here after walking around in this historic part of town?

Better visit soon, the place is currently “for sale”. So let’s see how long we will be enjoying these apfelstrudels.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pois Café | Bars, Coffee & tea | Sandwich € 6.00
Rua S. João da Praça 93-95 | Alfama & Graça | +351218862497
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 20:00

I spend a lot of my time out and about in Graça which is one of Lisbon’s oldest areas. This charming suburb with its narrow pavements is brimming with various pastelarias and restaurants that are mainly frequented by locals who live in the area.

One of my favorite restaurants when I want to indulge in a great value for money, hearty Portuguese meal is O Pitéu. This restaurant, with its unassuming facade (easily missed from the street) seats only 80 people but is always full, mostly with the local residents of Graça. The inevitable television screen flickers away on the wall but this is overshadowed by the enthusiastic chatter of the diners and the fabulous food.

The portion sizes are generous and the food is delicious and typically Portuguese which is very reasonably priced. I recommend any of the fish dishes, especially the dourada (golden bream) and the signature dish Bacalhau Pitéu. For meat lovers the Porco à Alentejana is very good as are the livers – cooked Portuguese style. Every day there is a different special dish on offer and these can be seen on the restaurant’s Facebook page, complete with photo of the dish.

I love the lively atmosphere Restaurante O Pitéu as I really feel like I am a local living in Lisbon! During meal times it is definitely necessary to book, especially if you are in a group.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Restaurante O Pitéu | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Main meal € 12.00
Largo da Graça 95 | Alfama & Graça | +351218871067
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:00 – 22:30, Sat 12:00 – 15:00

Through an inconspicuous hole in the wall, through a small, arty jewellery shop, on the steep climb down from Castelo de S. Jorge you will find a clown school! With a restaurant, bar, and an esplanade attached to it! Who would have thought it!

This restaurant/bar is one of my favorite places to take visitors in Lisbon because it’s possible to show off the view (similar to the one from the castle, just a little lower down) whilst sipping glasses of wine and chatting. It provides a welcome break from a lot of walking if you have already been around the castle or will give you sustenance for the climb to the castle if that is where you are headed.

This spot is situated precariously on the side of one of Lisbon’s hills and affords yet another wonderful view of the river and April 25 Bridge. There are tables inside next to the bar where it is possible to have drinks and snacks and still take in the view on a cold, wintery day and there is a restaurant upstairs, as well as a spacious outside area with sheltered tables where you can eat lunch/dinner or just have a snack and a drink. If you wish to secure a table with a view on the esplanade it is advisable to book, especially around lunch/dinner hours.

If you go there in the evening, you may be able to to catch one of the performances that takes place at the theatre of the clown school.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Chapitô | Bars, Restaurants (International) | Main meal € 18
Rua Costa do Castelo 7 | Alfama & Graça | +351218867334
Mon – Fri 19:30 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 02:00