Taberna Albricoque
This fun, welcoming restaurant – a renovated tavern with traditional tiled floor in the Santa Apolónia neighbourhood – focuses on the flavours of the Algarve. Chef Bertílio Gomes’s family comes from this southern region, and his seasonal, constantly changing menu features dishes such as octopus with sweet potato and razor-clam soup, which evoke balmy summer days and demand a chilled glass of rosé. Daily specials (available only at lunchtime) might be a bifana (pork sandwich) or duck rice. Mains start at €17.
Closed Sun and Mon, Tues dinner only, tabernaalbricoque.eatbu.com
Taberna at Bairro do Avillez
Chef and restaurateur José Avillez has given a lot to the city, from the prestigious two Michelin-starred Belcanto to the simple Taberna, a great place for a snack, lunch or quick dinner, at the entrance of restaurant Bairro do Avillez in Chiado. There’s a long list of charcuterie and cheeses, as well as favourites such as the thick and hearty steak and mustard sandwich (€15,75) and a more elaborate broad-bean salad with chorizo (€10,50). New on the menu is the meagre (a large white fish) with pesto, cauliflower and green beans (€20,50). Taberna is also home to one of the best pastel de nata, Portugal’s signature custard tart (€6,75), you’ll find in Lisbon.
Open daily, bairrodoavillez.pt
Batata Doce
In 2010, Isabel Jacinto (nicknamed “batata doce”, meaning sweet potato) and her late husband, João Castanheira, created one of the most interesting places to eat in the city – a tiny space in Lapa serving African-Portuguese-Brazilian fusion cuisine. Nowadays, supported by her children, Isabel, who is originally from Angola, welcomes locals and tourists with delicious dishes, including moamba (an Angolan chicken stew with okra), moqueca de camarão (Brazilian prawn stew with coconut milk and palm oil) and alcatra (a beef dish from the Azores). Mains cost around €15.
Closed Sun, on Facebook
Zuari
Zuari, which opened 45 years ago, is one of Lisbon’s oldest Goan restaurants. It’s a small family business, still headed by its founder, Orlando Rodrigues. His wife, Sheila, works her magic in the kitchen to create incredible crispy samosas, while daughter Débora’s traditional bebinca – a multilayered cake – takes a full day to make. The small dining room in Lapa smells irresistibly of spices and a tapestry depicting a beach in Goa, a Portuguese colony until 1961, hangs on the wall. Don’t miss the prawn curry (€14) or the prawn balchão (a spicy, sour tomato-chilli sauce, €15) and leave room for the ice-cream – cinnamon and ginger or mango – made by Débora.
Open Tues–Sat, Sun lunch only, closed Mon, on Facebook
Canalha
A year and a half after it opened, Canalha is still the talk of the town. Located in the west of the city, close to Belém, chef João Rodrigues, known for the Michelin-starred Feitoria, is at the helm. He is passionate about sourcing the very best produce (his Projecto Matéria website maps producers he rates from all over Portugal) and in Canalha he has created a casual dining place with exceptional cuisine, seen in both rustic daily lunchtime specials and more elaborate dishes. With Lívia Orofino as the executive chef, Canalha has just landed a Bib Gourmand award. The fresh grilled squid with sheep butter (€25) and the open shrimp egg tortilla (€18) are pure joys. Sit at the counter to be close to the action – it’s like being at a chef’s table.
Open daily, paradigma.pt
Pigmeu
A neighbourhood restaurant in Campo de Ourique, in the historic centre of Lisbon, Pigmeu has a nose-to-tail approach and keeps things simple, offering high quality Alentejo pork, delicious vegetables and natural wines in a relaxed atmosphere. Chef and entrepreneur Miguel Azevedo Peres sources organic meat and vegetables directly from local farmers to promote responsible food consumption. Recently he introduced a good value set lunch menu, with a snack, starter and main for €17. The lunch menu changes every week, but you can always rely on the croquetes, pork sandwich (€10) and torresmo do rissol (crispy pork crackling). Pigmeu holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Closed Sun, pigmeu.pt
The name translates as “Mother – Cooking with Love” and the walls of this spacious restaurant in Estefânia are covered with photos of the mothers of staff and clients. Chef João Diogo Mendes creates comfort food with a twist, many dishes are based on his mum’s recipes, and those of his business partner Raimundo Ferreira. The fish and prawn rice and duck rice (€18) are a contemporary take on a Portuguese staple (we’re the biggest consumers of rice per capita in Europe). Their mothers would be impressed.
Open daily, Sun lunch only, on Instagram
Prado
Chef António Galapito has been at Prado for seven years but is still creating some of the most exciting dishes in the city with local, seasonal produce (most of it organic). His clever cuisine celebrates the best of Portugal with influences from farther afield (Galapito previously worked in London with Nuno Mendes). The modern plant-filled space in Baixa is flooded with fabulous natural light and serves natural and organic wines. On a recent visit, I loved the sweet potato snack with mussels and curry, as well as the marinated mackerel with green apple and olive (€16). The whole Prado team, led by Inês Pereira, is charming and welcoming.
Thurs-Sat lunch, Tues-Sat dinner, pradorestaurante.com
Garum Fish & Wine Bar
Fish and shellfish become extra special in the hands of chefs Filipe Rodrigues and Hugo Gouveia. The two started creating delights using Japanese techniques at A Taberna do Mar in the pretty and historic neighbourhood of Graça, and have continued at Garum, its new sister restaurant, next door. Expect fun and bold flavours, with a focus on the Roman condiment garum, a fermented fish sauce (made from umami-rich brined sardines – plus a lot of experimenting over the years). Rodrigues is now having fun dry-ageing fish such as tuna and seabass from the Azores islands for about 20 days. The seabass rice (€16) is the bestseller, and don’t miss the dessert of carob petit gateau, fig ice-cream and reduction of Carcavelos wine.
Closed Sun and Mon, on Instagram
Petisco Saloio
Petisco Saloio in Campo Pequeno is one of the modern tascas (small, local restaurants serving traditional, simple fare with a focus on quick lunches) emerging across the city. Its two young chefs, Diogo Meneses and Carlos Pinheiro, previously had careers in fine dining but realised that family-style cooking was what made them happy. It’s a favourite place for dishes such as the ubiquitous bitoque (steak with sauce, chips and rice, topped with a fried egg) at lunchtime. The two daily specials (fish or meat) cost €13 (go after 2pm when office workers are back at their desks). At dinner, the menu is broader, with petiscos (small sharing plates) ranging from pork cheek sandwich (€8) to octopus stew with beans and sausage (€14).
Closed Sat lunch and Sun, on Instagram
