Food & Dining

Food & Dining in Portugal

Portuguese food is unpretentious, delicious, and based on fresh, quality ingredients. The country's culinary traditions reflect its maritime history and regional diversity.

Portuguese Cuisine Highlights

Seafood:

• Bacalhau (salt cod) - national dish, 365+ recipes
• Grilled fish (sardines, sea bass, sea bream)
• Seafood rice (arroz de marisco)
• Cataplana (Algarve seafood stew)
• Fresh oysters, clams, shrimp

Meat:

• Cozido à Portuguesa (boiled dinner)
• Leitão (suckling pig) - Bairrada region
• Francesinha (Porto's famous sandwich)
• Bifana (pork sandwich)
• Alheira (bread sausage)

Pastries:

• Pastel de nata (custard tart) - iconic
• Travesseiro (Sintra almond pastry)
• Ovos moles (Aveiro egg sweets)
• Bolo de arroz (rice cake)
• Queijada (cheese tart)

Dining Out

Restaurant Types:

• Tascas: Traditional, simple restaurants - best value
• Restaurantes: Standard restaurants
• Marisqueiras: Seafood specialists
• Cervejarias: Beer houses with food

Typical Costs:

Tipping:

• Not obligatory but appreciated
• Round up or leave 5-10%
• Service charge rarely included
• Cash tips preferred

Portuguese Meal Structure

Breakfast (pequeno almoço):

• Coffee and pastry
• Toast (torrada) with butter
• Light by European standards

Lunch (almoço):

• Main meal for many Portuguese
• Prato do dia (daily special) is best value
• 12:30-14:30 typical

Dinner (jantar):

• 19:30-21:00 typical start
• Can be lighter or full meal
• Late night dining possible in cities

Wine & Drinks

Portuguese wines (excellent value):

• Vinho Verde (green wine) - refreshing, light
• Douro reds - world-class
• Alentejo wines - full-bodied
• Dão wines - elegant
• Port wine - fortified classic
• Madeira wine - unique fortified

Prices:

• Supermarket wine: €3-10 (good quality from €5)
• Restaurant: €10-25/bottle
• Premium: €30+

Other drinks:

• Ginjinha (cherry liqueur)
• Portuguese craft beer (growing scene)
• Coffee culture (bica/espresso is standard)

Grocery Shopping

Supermarkets:

• Continente (largest chain)
• Pingo Doce (quality, good prices)
• Lidl (budget-friendly)
• Minipreço (budget)
• Jumbo (hypermarket)

Markets:

• Fresh produce, fish, meat
• Lower prices than supermarkets
• Every neighborhood has one
• Best in morning

Monthly groceries: €200-350/person

Finding Food From Home

International options:

• Asian supermarkets in Lisbon/Porto
• Indian grocers
• Brazilian shops (common)
• Go Natural, Celeiro (health foods)
• Amazon.es delivers to Portugal

Dietary Considerations

Vegetarian/Vegan:

• Traditionally meat/fish-focused cuisine
• Growing vegetarian scene in cities
• Lisbon has many vegan restaurants
• Ask: "Tem pratos vegetarianos?"

Gluten-free:

• Awareness growing
• Look for "sem glúten"
• Traditional rice dishes naturally GF
• Specialty shops available

Halal/Kosher:

• Limited but available in Lisbon
• Mouraria neighborhood has halal options

Coffee Culture

Coffee is taken seriously:

• Bica/Café: Espresso (Lisbon term)
• Cimbalino: Espresso (Porto term)
• Meia de leite: Half coffee, half milk
• Galão: Latte-style in glass
• Abatanado: Diluted espresso

Price: €0.70-1.50 at counter (more at table)