Apt do Arco. lisbon, PORTUGAL
Apartment in Lisbon, PORTUGAL

For such a small country, Portugal has a surprisingly large variety of gastronomic delights. Regions like Alentejo, the North of the country, the South and the Centre boast quite marked differences in their typical dishes.

Having been a predominately seafaring nation, it is not usual to find a large amount of fresh tasty fish dishes and all sorts of shellfish.
In Lisbon, a city of mixed cultures, tastes and spices, you will find everything from international, to regional and prize-winning cuisines.

But the charm of Lisbon's cuisine lives in its traditions. Grilled sardine is the queen during the summer and on the Popular Saints celebrations... You just can't avoid smelling it in the small quarters of Alfama, Bairro Alto and many other locals around Lisbon in June, when the Popular Saints celebrations crowd into the streets of the city, bringing along tiny coloured flags, balloons, and popular marches.

Restaurants and "tascas" (small taverns) offer an exquisite variety of snacks and appetizers, like boiled snails or deep fried green beans.

Also famous for its wines, Portuguese choose national wine as the ubiquitous table beverage.

The Lisboetas are tireless drinkers of coffee served in small cups, locally known as bica, available all day long and in all types of cafés.

Looking for sweets?... Make sure you don't miss the world famous "Pastéis de Belém" custard tarts in the beautiful Belém area. Just grab a half-a-dozen box, with cinnamon and sugar powder, and give yourself a sweet moment while you stroll along the many monuments this area has to offer.

In Lisbon one can find restaurants and small cafés with some of the most famous Portuguese specialties, pastries and simple fresh fish. The old city center is an excellent place to try some of this cuisine out, in the Baixa or the medieval Alfama neighbourhoods. They offer you charcoal grilled sardines, Bacalhau cooked in cream, Caldeirada and Açorda, the national dish, (a bread based stew rich in seafood and flavoured with cilantro).
This cosmopolitan city also offers a variety of vegetarian, macrobiotic and international cuisine. The African restaurants are the best ones in the world. Take note, however, many restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Tipping Advice: service is generally included in restaurant and hotel bills, if not 10% -15% tip is correct. Other service staff such as maids and porters are normally tipped 1-2 euros.

RESTAURANTES, COFFE SHOPS & BARS Selection

Cervejaria Trindade (Rua Nova da Trindade 20C, 213 423 506) offers prawns and steaks in a beer hall decked with tile panels. Chiado

Terreiro do Paço (Praça do Comércio, 210 312 850, www.terreiropaco.com) is stylish, has posher nosh. Baixa
Terra (Rua da Palmeira 15, 707 108 108, www.terra.vg). Vegetarian Buffets where you can find a feast. Príncipe Real

Merca – Tudo (Rua do Merca Tudo 4, 21 396 9368) is a very typical place with a traditional environment and great new approaches based on the old Portuguese flavours. Opens at dinner time. São Bento

Saladas&Companhia (Largo do Rato, 21 387 81 29) is a small place that serves quick, cheap and delicious lunches. Rato

Verde Alface (Rua Maestro Pedro de Freitas Branco) has homemade Portuguese food to go. Closes at 8pm. Príncipe Real
El Gordo Asiático (Rua Dom Pedro V 52, 213432389) Cool place that mixes Thai flavours with Japanese design and Indian sauces with Chinese noodles. Got to try! Bairro Alto

A Moamba (Rua Fradesso da Silveira 75, 213 630 310) is an african restaurant that bases its food on the flavours of the Portuguese ex-colonies. Here you will taste dishes from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, San Tomé and Prince Islands or Guiné Bissau. Alcântara
Comida de Santo (Calçada Eng.º Miguel Pais 39, 21 396 33 39, www.comidadesanto.com.pt ) serves brazilian food, Caipinhas (brazilian typical cocktail) and requires a reservation. Príncipe Real

At Bairro Alto (BA) and Príncipe Real (PR) districts you can find restaurants serving everything from the national favourite, bacalhau (salt cod), to curry. Some of them provide Fado shows during dinner time. The districts also are a bar crawler’s paradise. Classics include beery Estádio (Rua São Pedro de Alcântara 11, 213 422 716, BA), plush Pavilhão Chinês (Rua D. Pedro V, PR) and the gay-friendly Portas Largas (Rua da Atalaia 105, 213 466 379, BA). Clube da Esquina (Rua da Barroca 30, 938 661 134, BA) is one of many music-driv. Cinco Lounge (Rua Ruben A. Leitão, 17. www.cincolounge.com, PR) is the best place to have cocktails.