Image by Erik Lassche

Royal Café is a nice, almost hidden, place to have breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack. The setting is modern and clean, without being distant. In the back you can find a (rather tiny) terrace.

The main specialties are natural- and biological products. They have a good assortment of salads, sandwiches, fresh juices, various teas and infusions.

It is not cheap, compared to your average Portuguese pastelaria or snackbar, but nothing scandalous, especially if you’re used to Northern European prices.

I like to come here to have lunch or a snack when spending time in Chiado. It is just 100 meters away from the main street in Chiado, but a lot more quiet and less touristic. And it is open on Sunday!!

If it is full try Vertigo.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Royal Café | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Sandwich & juice € 9.00
Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro 29 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213469125
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 00:00, Sun 10:00 – 20:00

Image by Erik Lassche

The Confraria de Sushi in Cascais is considered one of the best places to eat sushi in greater Lisbon. Now the good news for me: they opened their second restaurant, in Chiado, in my street!

Confraria LX is located inside the newly opened LX Boutique Hotel, at the end of Rua de Alecrim, near Cais de Sodré trains station. The decoration is modern and intimate.

The food, as expected is geat. They offer a wide range of innovative sushi and sashimi dishes. I normally order the Confraria dish, which is a kind of flavour-of-the-day mix of different sushi pieces.

Reservations are recommended, since I am not the only one who is a fan of the Confraria.

Package tip: dinner at Confraria LX and a night out in Cois de Sodré!

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Confraria LX | Restaurants (Japanese) | Total dinner € 30
Rua do Alecrim 12 A | Chiado & Baixa | +351213426292
Mon – Thu 12:30 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 12:30 – 02:00

Image by Erik Lassche

Hidden away next to the picturesque Largo do Carmo, Vertigo is one of the more trendy places in Chiado. It’s a perfect spot to have lunch or a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Or have a drink here before going for dinner in Bairro Alto!

The menu is rather healthy and features lots of salads, sandwiches, fresh juices and more exotic offers. (Not that easy to find in Lisbon, trust me!). The interior is very cozy yet stylish.

The area around Vertigo is becoming more and more interesting, with lots of cafés, shops and restaurants opening. Check it out.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Vertigo | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Sandwich & juice € 8.00
Travessa do Carmo 4 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213433112
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Image by Largo Restaurante

“Largo” opened its doors in the end of 2009 and it seems to be quite a success. That is, if you judge “success” by the difficulty to book a table at this fine restaurant. I was lucky the 3rd time round and I must say that it was worth the effort.

First of all, the place itself is just delicious! The restaurant is located next to the nicely renovated Largo do Picadeiro and is housed in an old cloister. The interior is a mixture of modernity and heritage. The furniture is very stylish and the huge aquarium housing dozens of jelly-fish is just awesome!

The food is good, but that should be expected from the former chef of Porto’s most famous restaurant “Bull & Bear”. The menu lists a mixture of international cuisine and more traditional dishes. The winelist is extensive (mind the wallet). They serve until late, which is also rather convenient.

Overall, a very nice place to have a great dinner. Expect to pay though, ‘cos it ain’t cheap! Spend at least an hour looking at how the jelly-fish change color in their tank. Breathtaking!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Restaurant Largo | Restaurants (Intern.) | Dinner & wine € 50
Rua Serpa Pinto, 10A | Chiado & Baixa | +351213477225
Mon – Fri 12:30 – 00:30, Sat 18:00 – 00:30

Image by Erik Lassche

Kaffeehaus is located in the middle of Chiado, just next to one of Lisbon’s most famous theatres, São Carlos. It fits in the old, and almost lost, tradition of literary cafés that were the trademark of Chiado. Kaffeehaus, however, does it in her own, Viennese style.

The place is hard to classify since you can go here for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink at night. A better way to describe it would be its style: a great place to get up to date on what is happening in Lisbon, read a newspaper, have a coffee or a drink.

Besides the setting, the food helps! Try great Austrian pastry in the middle of Lisbon! Amazing Apfelstrüdel and a lot of other surprising dishes. There is something different written on the chalkboard every day, so you can always come back for something new!

Great place for a pit-stop on your Saturday-shopping in Chiado or a more prolonged break on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Be patient though, it is becoming and awful popular place! So popular in fact that they increased their capacity. No more waiting (almost )

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Kaffeehaus | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (European/Austrian) | Main € 8.00
Rua Anchieta 3 | Chiado & Baixa | +351210956828
Tue – Thu 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 11:00 – 20:00