The 5 Best Local Restaurants in Lisbon, Portugal!

Are you planning on traveling to Lisbon soon and are completely overwhelmed by all of the restaurant posts that you’re seeing on the internet? I felt the exact same way & wanted to try everything.

After eating at what felt like every restaurant in Portugal’s capital, I’ve narrowed the list down to the
FIVE most delicious and best local restaurants in Lisbon!

As you may already know, the food and restaurant scene in Lisbon is really great and highly revered.
However, if you’re in a city for only a few days, you don’t want to be going around wasting time on “good” food.
You want the best food…. hence why my list is very specific and very short when compared to other Lisbon guides or food posts! 

This post is about the five best local restaurants in Lisbon &
exactly what I recommend ordering at each (pics included, of course!).

I fell in love with Lisbon very quickly. 

The people are kind and welcoming, the weather is perfect, and the food is pretty damn delicious!

Jay and I were there for 6 days and ate out for every single meal. If I’m being completely honest, I was pretty disappointed with most of the recommendations that I saw on travel blogs and pinterest. Since we tried a lot of places, I narrowed down the list to the very best local restaurants in Lisbon that I absolutely know you’ll love as well.

Treestory (Georgian restaurant) 

R. Luciano Cordeiro 46A, 1150-069 Lisboa

When we got to our apartment in Lisbon, starving, and it was nearing 10 pm, we found salvation in the fact that we had a Georgian restaurant a 1 minute walk away.

Georgian is one of my favorite cuisines: I grew up with many Georgian family friends and New York has INCREDIBLE Georgian food. I know Georgian food and Treestory now tops the list. Not to mention, it’s the first Georgian restaurant in all of Portugal!

The must order dish is the Adjarian Khachapuri (typically called Adjaruli). It is commonly referred to as a “cheese boat” since the dough is shaped like a boat, and stuffed with homemade cheese!

The finishing touch is an egg yolk in the middle. I know this may sound strange at first, but you mix the egg yolk in with the cheese and it is mind blowingly good – it makes the cheese even cheesier.

Don’t judge it until you try it! To eat the khachipuri, you simply break off the dough from the sides and dip it into the cheese center. Other popular dishes I recommend are the Pkhali and Lobio.

You really don’t want to miss this place!
It is extremely high up there on my list of the best restaurants to try in Lisbon.

Heim Cafe (BEST BRUNCH EVER!)

R. Santos-O-Velho 2 e 4, 1200-109 Lisboa, Portugal

Heim is apparently the place to be every day of the week – I’m not kidding! 

We first came here on a Sunday and it was buzzing with beautiful people and great energy. We assumed that it was so popular because it was the (freakin) weekend… we were wrong. We loved Heim so much that we came back not once, not twice, but three times in a span of 6 days. Even during the week, Heim is bustling and the place to be among locals and visitors alike!

It has a beautiful vibe and aesthetic – lots of plants, minimal, and bright. The spot is also situated on the corner of the most picturesque street! However, the super friendly staff is what was most memorable for me.

Feast your eyes!

For drinks, the cappuccino or iced latte (both with oat milk) were by far the best coffee we had while in Lisbon! 

Lisbon has so many incredible brunch spots that look amazing, however Heim was just that good. We went to another very highly rated brunch place and were extremely disappointed. Heim’s menu is extensive and we were able to try something new/different every time! 

Taberna – Bairro do Avillez (Tapas Galore!)

R. Nova da Trindade 18, 1200-303 Lisboa, Portugal

Taberna was one of my favorite restaurants, and in my opinion a must go in Lisbon for a tapas experience. We went here for dinner and since we had quite a large lunch that day, we wanted something on the lighter side. Everything we ordered was delicious. 

I also thought the price point was really great for the food quality. Our waiter was extremely kind and friendly, and the staff in general was super attentive.

We ordered:
Portuguese cheese charcuterie board
Al Ajillo prawns
Taberna’s beefsteak sandwich with mustard butter
Octopus with garlic, kimchi sauce, and sweet potato

I would have ordered more if we were hungrier, but that was the perfect amount for us. If you’re looking for great food and larger dishes, then the Pateo – Bairro do Avillez located directly behind Taberna is a great choice as well!

Trinca (drooooling thinking about it)

Rua dos Anjos 59C, 1150-034 Lisboa, Portugal

I wish we found this restaurant sooner! We went here for dinner the evening before our flight and were blown away. Trinca has a changing menu with cuisine all around the world – there are seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

Trinca has a very relaxed and homey vibe – no fuss – come as you are to enjoy some great food, wine, and conversations. The woman who served us was kind enough to explain each dish and the ingredients/ country the dish was from for us – it was highly appreciated. 

We ordered:
Tacos Ensenada (fish tacos)
Sandes de Polvo Grelhado (octopus sandwich)
Caril de Camarao (shrimp curry with rice)

Every single dish was soo delicious and flavorful. No shade to Portuguese cuisine, but I found that several of our meals in Lisbon were lacklustre and we were left thinking our meal was just average. 

At Trinca, I had everything I wanted and more – each bite was seasoned to perfection. I recommend everything we ordered, but especially the fish tacos. They were the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. The fish tacos alone are worth traveling to Lisbon for. If we were in Lisbon for even a full day longer, I would have gone back for more. 

The dishes range from €3 to €13 euros and are great for sharing! If you are in Lisbon, please do yourself a favor and go here!!!

(Only been back home for a week, and I just looked up flights from Berlin to Lisbon to eat here)

Pastel de Nata (Everywhere!)

Ah, and finally Pastel (or Pasteis) de Nata! We had these devilishly delicious Portuguese custard tarts every single day of our trip. Since they are everywhere, I recommend having them for breakfast, when you want a quick pick me up, or anytime at all! They are usually only €1!

You can find them at any local Pastelaria (bakery). We had a pastelaria down the street from the apartment where we stayed and the ones there tasted like Crème brûlée! If you have a sweet tooth, I would recommend trying them at multiple locations. You really can’t lose!

There are 3 pastel de nata shops that are famous and a bit more on the touristy side, however they each have their own distinct flavor:

1. Manteigaria: The one most loved by locals
2. Fábrica da Nata: We had these our first morning in Lisbon, and since we got there right when it opened, they were extremely fresh and very hot!
3. Pasteis de Belem: Originated in the Jerónimos Monastery, they now sell 20,000 of them a day! This pastel de nata was less sweet than most of the ones we tried, so if you’re not too keen on sweets, this may be the one for you. My only criticism is that it has become very touristy and feels more like an operation than a pastel shop.

You can even learn how to make them yourself!

For Jay’s birthday, I surprised him with a cooking class to make Pastel de Natas at Compadre Cooking School. If you have some time in Lisbon, this is a super fun activity to do with your partner or friends! Best part of it is…. you go home with a lot of pastel de natas! You can also book a cooking class directly through GetYourGuide!

(If you’re in Berlin or plan on traveling there, go ahead and save Cafe Galao to your list – they have amazing pastel de natas too!)

I really hope you try these out if you’re in Lisbon.

Please let me know what you think and any recommendations you may have for the next time we go!