When you think of Portugal, golden beaches, historic cities, and scenic landscapes might come to mind, but let’s not forget one of its greatest treasures: the food! As an expat family living in Portugal, we’ve embraced the local flavors while also missing a few favorites from home. 

No joke, I was doing a workout class for an online platform just this week, and the instructor was raving the entire 20 minutes about his recent trip to Portugal and the food!  I was so glad to be here in Portugal and have access to this amazing food he was raving about!  Portuguese foods tend to be quite healthy, fresh, and (sometimes) a little low on flavor, but there are standout items like the Franceshina and rissios (both of which he was raving about) that will curb any savory cravings you might be having!  It’s all about balance, right?!

Whether you’re planning a visit or simply curious about Portuguese cuisine, here’s a guide to what you must try, the food we crave from the U.S., and our favorite places to eat in Lisbon!

Typical Portuguese Food

Portuguese food involves fresh ingredients, simple preparation, and bold flavors. Unlike the fast-paced dining culture in the U.S., meals in Portugal are meant to be savored, often enjoyed with family and friends over long, relaxed conversations. The food here emphasizes seafood, hearty meats, and comforting, nutritious soups, with a focus on locally sourced produce and traditional cooking methods. You’ll find plenty to love in Portugal, no matter if you crave Southern-style comfort food or fresh Mediterranean dishes!

Soups: A Daily Staple

In the U.S., soup is often a seasonal or occasional dish, but in Portugal, it’s a daily essential. Whether at home or in a restaurant, almost every meal starts with a warm bowl of soup, making it a comforting and healthy way to begin a meal.  Filling you up, with vegetables first is a great weight-loss trick and keeps the Portuguese healthy and slim.

Soup in Portugal is not like we think of soup in the US.  The majority of the time, soup in Portugal is your vegetable side dish.  Sopa de cenora (carrot), ervilha (pea), or other vegetables is common and I find them to be delicious!

• Caldo Verde: A comforting soup made with potatoes, kale, and chouriço (smoked sausage). It’s Portugal’s version of a classic, hearty soup. Think of it as their take on potato soup but with a smoky twist! This is most famous in the northern region, especially Minho.  The kale can throw people off, but it absorbs the flavor of the soup and I hardly notice it anymore.
  
  
• Sopa de Cenoura, Ervilhas, etc.: Carrot, pea, and other vegetable soups that are fresh and flavorful, similar to the homemade vegetable soups many families in the U.S. make.  These are almost always blended smoothly with an immersion blender (an essential tool in all Portuguese kitchens).
  
  
• Canja de Galinha: A Portuguese take on chicken noodle soup, often served when someone is feeling under the weather, much like the American classic!  Buying an entire chicken is cheap and easy to do.  I like to boil this for a few hours to make the broth, then remove it and add the meat back in with some carrots, onions, celery (aipo, if I can find it), and small pasta.

Seafood and Meat Dishes

If you love seafood, Portugal is your paradise! With its long coastline, fresh fish and shellfish are central to Portuguese cuisine. For meat lovers, traditional Portuguese dishes offer simple, bold flavors, usually grilled meat.  Brazilians are famous for BBQs (churrascos) and this tradition makes its way into Portugal as well.

• Grilled Sardines (Sardinhas Assadas): A summer favorite, especially during Lisbon’s Festas de Santo António, but also widely enjoyed in coastal towns like Setúbal and Portimão. If you love grilled fish like salmon or trout in the U.S., you’ll appreciate the rich, smoky flavors of Portuguese sardines.

These are best enjoyed with some soft, Portuguese bread (pão de avo is best) that licks up the flavors to enjoy.

• Polvo à Lagareiro: Tender octopus roasted with olive oil and garlic. This dish is a seafood delicacy, much like calamari, but with a heartier texture.  You’ll constantly see this available to buy at the grocery store and on menus around Portugal.  While not my favorite, I do order it from time to time and like it.   Octopus is popular in central and northern Portugal, particularly in coastal cities like Aveiro.

• Frango Grelhado: Simple yet flavorful grilled chicken, often with a side of salad, rice, and fries. It’s the Portuguese version of a backyard barbecue, similar to how Americans love grilled chicken with sides like mashed potatoes or coleslaw. 
  
  This may be the BEST dish in Portugal, seriously.  It’s simple, delicious, and a specialty here.  It’s a must-try and easy to find.
  
  
• Bitoque: A Portuguese-style cut of meat (can be chicken or beef) topped with a fried egg, served with fries and rice. This one might remind you of a steak and eggs breakfast, but served for lunch or dinner! Bitoque is a favorite in Lisbon and Porto.

• Francesinha: A meaty, cheesy, sauce-covered sandwich from Porto that’s as indulgent as it sounds. It’s Portugal’s answer to the Philly cheesesteak, but even richer and heartier! If it doesn’t gross you out, you must try this.  It’s delicious!!!  You won’t find this dish easily outside the northern region!

Portuguese Carbs: Bread, Potatoes & More

Bread and potatoes are essential parts of Portuguese meals, much like in the U.S., where no dinner is complete without a basket of warm rolls or a serving of potatoes (mashed, roasted or boiled).Freshly Baked Bread: From rustic pão Alentejano (common in the Alentejo region) to light and fluffy papo secos, bread is served with every meal, much like dinner rolls or sourdough in the U.S.

• Boiled Potatoes: Often served alongside fish dishes, sometimes with olive oil and herbs. Similar to how potatoes are a staple in American meat-and-potatoes meals. More common in northern Portugal, especially with bacalhau (salted cod).

Salgados: Savory Pastries & Snacks

Perfect for a quick bite, these savory fried or baked treats are found in cafes and bakeries everywhere. If you love empanadas or hot pockets in the U.S., you’ll enjoy Portuguese salgados.

• Rissóis: Pastries filled with shrimp, meat, or codfish, similar to a fried dumpling or stuffed turnover.  These are my favorite salgado by far!  My friend Manuela in the picture above taught me how to make them, but I ‘m usually too lazy and buy from the store.  They are great in an air fryer!
  
  
• Queijos: Portuguese cheeses range from creamy Azeitão to strong Serra da Estrela, perfect with fresh bread, similar to a cheese platter in the U.S.  Warm, goozy cheese on a cracker is common in Portugal and many restaurants will offer this as an appetizer.  Note that it is not completely like chips and salsa in the US: you’ll find them on your bill later!

Sweet Treats: Portuguese Desserts

Portugal knows how to do desserts right! Whether you have a sweet tooth or just love an occasional treat, the country’s pastries and sweets are worth indulging in.

• Pastel de Nata: The iconic custard tart with a flaky crust and caramelized top. If you love crème brûlée or custard pies, you’ll adore this!  These are best served warm, in my opinion, and you’ll find all kinds in downtown Lisbon.  The most famous is Pasteis de Belem, in Belem, and worth a visit!

• Arroz Doce: A creamy rice pudding with cinnamon, reminiscent of American rice pudding but with a Portuguese twist.  Anytime I host a party, someone brings this!

• Bolos de Berlim: Portugal’s version of a filled donut, often sold on the beach! Think of it as a beachside creme donut.  Nothing is quite as good as one of these on a hot beach day when your mouth is salty from playing in the waves.  Always bring a little cash to the beach with you in case you see a vendor!  Our favorites are plain or chocolate-filled.

• Banana Bread: A fun twist on a classic, found in many modern bakeries, just like in the U.S.  Bolo de banada (banana cake) is also a common favorite and varies in its sweetness.

Carnival/Festa Food: Festive Bites

Just like American state fairs with their deep-fried everything, the Portuguese Carnival is filled with indulgent street food!

• Farturas & Churros: The Portuguese take on fried dough, coated in sugar and cinnamon. Very similar to funnel cakes or cinnamon sugar churros in the U.S.  We LOVE farturas, which are like giant, flurry churros.  These are incredibly indulgent and delicious!

• Bifana: A simple yet delicious pork sandwich, usually with spicy mustard, much like a pulled pork sandwich.  Another must-try in Portugal and easy to find at any fair, carnival or medieval festival (our summer obsession in Portugal)
  
  
• Pastel (Brazilian-style): A deep-fried pastry stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings, comparable to an empanada or fried calzone.  I gained several pounds in Brazil eating these on the regular, but they are soooo good.

The Food We Miss From Home

While we love Portuguese cuisine, there are some foods we still crave from the U.S. Fortunately, we’ve learned to make many of these at home!  We travel to the US often and bring back lots of food in our suitcases.

• Mexican food: Tacos, enchiladas, and other Mexican favorites are hard to find!  I can find most things outside of enchilada sauce (I’ve made my own or brought canned back to Portugal), corn tortillas (still can’t find), and diced green chilis (I always bring these).  I’ve yet to find a great salsa in Portugal, but the grocery store does have a mild salsa regularly stocked.  Thankfully, tortillas, chip,s and even taco seasoning are readily available.
  
  
• Thanksgiving favorites: Apple cider, egg nog, turkey with all the fixings. We’ve had a Friendsgiving before and it hit the nostalgic spot!  I’ve made my own apple cider in the fall, egg nog in December, and apple pie.

• Desserts we crave:  Pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, especially during the holidays.  I’ve learned to make cinnamon rolls and orange rolls and love to share.  Cookies are common, but only chocolate chips.  I like to bring back other baking chips to experiment with.  Funny fact: many Portuguese think mint chocolate is too similar to toothpaste!  Some don’t like it at all!

• Comfort Food: Mac & cheese, Chick-fil-A (because sometimes, you just need it!).

Our Favorite Places to Eat in Lisbon

Lisbon has an incredible food scene with plenty of international options alongside Portuguese staples. Here are some of our top spots:

• Honest Greens: Fresh, healthy, and flavorful dishes.  This is a vegan’s or vegetarian’s heaven, but it also hits the spot for my meat-loving husband!  They have grilled steak, chicken piri piri (another Portuguese favorite), or salmon that is to die for.  Be sure to order the hummus to share!

• Liberty Cafe: A cozy spot with great coffee and brunch.  This is close to our kids’ school and we take them there for lunch dates nearly weekly.  The Turkish Eggs are my favorite (with some crusty sourdough bread) and the raspberry pancakes are the belle of the ball!  You must try them.

• Time Out Market: A must-visit for sampling some of the best food in Lisbon.  This is a great spot for international favorites, like Thai, and we love the Crush Donuts!  They have a creme brulee donut that will amaze you, with a crunchy top and delicious creme filling.

• Macau Dim Sum: The best dim sum we’ve found in the city.  The Asian influence is strong in Lisbon (as is the Indian) and we LOVE a good Dim Sum.

• Great Indian Food Spots: Because sometimes, only a good curry will do!  Our favorite is in Colombo Mall in the restaurant area!

• Dom Churrasco: Excellent grilled chicken and red meat with all the classic sides.

• Bulger: A burger joint that satisfies our American cravings.  The only place we can find a good milkshake!  We like to order this in for movie night on the weekends.

• Lebanese Cuisine: Fresh falafel, hummus, and kebabs.  Our favorite is Sumaya Mesa Libanesa in Principle Real in Lisbon.

• Cascais: Always worth the short trip for fresh seafood with an ocean view.  You can find many restaurants along the coast that offer some amazing fish served with stellar ocean views.
  

• The Fifties American Cafe: For when nostalgia hits and only a classic diner will do.  This is close to Vasco de Gama Mall in Lisbon and is so fun to visit with other Americans!
  

• La Petite Chef: A fun, immersive dining experience.  We are a bit obsessed with this restaurant and recently went three times on our transatlantic cruise.  This dinner interacts with video the make a fun dining experience!  Good for kids or just adults.

• Street Chow: Our go-to spot for Vietnamese street food flavors.

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Portugal has become our home, and part of that is embracing the incredible food culture here. Whether you’re diving into a warm bowl of caldo verde or hunting down a taste of home, there’s something for everyone at the Portuguese table. Bom appetite!