Every time you travel you naturally want to experience the local cuisine and you often mix that with the familiar food you have at home. But when you’re in a big city you also have the option of trying the other flavors of the world. When looking for something different to eat in Lisbon, check out these ten ethnic restaurants:

A TAPADINHA (Russian) – Eastern Europeans are Lisbon’s third-largest community after Brazilians and Africans from Portugal’s former colonies. Yet this is the only restaurant in the city offering the flavors of the other side of Europe. It serves mostly Russian cuisine and allows you to book online.

ALI-A-PAPA (Moroccan) – This small restaurant in Bairro Alto is a trip to Morocco not just through the food but also in the decor.

BRASSERIE FLO (French) – This sophisticated restaurant in Avenida da Liberdade is known for its oysters and refined French-inspired cuisine. You may book it online.

DERVIXE (Turkish) – Owned by a Turkish family, here you’ll find authentic Turkish food in a very informal ambience and at very inviting prices.

FENICIO’S (Lebanese) – The Lebanese owner presents the food from his homeland (including some intriguing desserts) at this restaurant not far from Avenida da Liberdade.

GEMELLI (Italian) – More than just pastas and pizzas, this is Italian cuisine at its finest. Online booking available.

IBO (Mozambican) – Facing the riverfront, this attractive restaurant offers food from Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa.

LA PAPARRUCHA (Argentinean) – Juicy Argentian steaks are served at this restaurant with one of the best panoramic views in the city. Online booking available.

SUKHOTHAI (Thai) – There’s a little of Portugal in Thai cuisine (the Portuguese introduced the use of eggs and that’s how Thailand first created its first sweets). You can sample it here at this small restaurant in Bairro Alto.

ZAAFRAN (Indian) – There are many Indian restaurants in Lisbon, but this is the most refined. It’s perfect for a dinner for two.

5 tips that may come in use especially if you wish to enjoy Lisbon’s Restaurant Week!

YOU CAN BOOK ONLINE – Many local restaurants are finally offering online bookings, allowing tourists to reserve their tables in advance without having to go through the trouble of calling. It’s fast and easy, and the ones offering such a service are already doing it through GoLisbon. Some popular choices include Gemelli, Clara Chiado, Maritaca, XL, Don Pomodoro, and Casa de Linhares fado restaurant.

NOTHING IS FREE – When you arrive at your table, don’t assume the bread, butter, meats, cheeses and whatever else is free like in many other countries. This is a common warning in many guidebooks, but apparently many tourists still end up feeling cheated when the bill comes at the end of the meal. So don’t forget that in Portugal you pay for what you eat. If you don’t want that bread and cheese, just send it back.

THE PORTUGUESE EAT LATE – Most Portuguese dine at around 9PM, and often later on weekends. So the best time to show up at a restaurant is at 8PM to increase your chances of getting a table. It’s not unusual for Bairro Alto restaurants to get reservations for 10 or 10:30PM on weekends, so if you decide to book in advance, do it for between 8 and 9PM.

PAY IN CASH – Most restaurants in Lisbon accept cards, and in fact most locals pay with their debit card. VISA is widely accepted but to avoid eventual international transaction fees from your bank or credit card company, try to have enough cash with you. The few restaurants that don’t take cards should have that warning on the menu or by the entrance. If you still plan to pay with a card, be sure to confirm that information on arrival.

THERE’S NO TIPPING – The “mandatory” 10, 15 or even 20% tip has not reached Portugal. Here, most locals only leave a tip (usually by just rounding up the total or leaving a few cents to as much as a couple of euros) if they in fact enjoyed the service. Tipping is still seen as an appreciation of good service, and not as a complementary salary.

We always strived to maintain you informed about the Lisboa Restaurant Week here on our blog, and this time is no exception.

But given that the Restaurant Week seems to have taken up a regular twice per year frequency, we thought it would merit a more permanent home on GoLisbon.com, and we’ve therefore created this page, which will be updated for each occurrence of this fine-dining, money-raising event.

Bon appetit!

Restaurants that mostly target tourists (with their multilingual menus and waiters outside persuading you to step inside) usually offer unexceptional food and no ambience, but there are always exceptions. Those are usually places that are equally popular with locals, and the reason they also get crowded with tourists is because guidebooks have pointed them in the right direction.
In Lisbon, Rua das Portas de Santo Antão is a pedestrian street almost completely taken over by touristy restaurants, with the annoying waiters and tourist-trap menus. But it also has what is recognized as one of the city’s best seafood restaurants (Gambrinus), and one of the most popular restaurants in town, Bonjardim, which we tell you below why it is indeed a place worth checking out together with other crowd-pleasing spots:

BONJARDIM
Completely relaxed, traditional and unpretentious place that seems to leave everyone satisfied. It’s inexpensive and the spicy chicken apparently makes many people return time and time again.

CASA DO ALENTEJO
It’s not as reasonably-priced as it once was, but it’s still a landmark place, found in one of Lisbon’s most surprising interiors. Once past an attractive Moorish courtyard, up a flight of stairs, is a tiled dining room serving traditional Portuguese cuisine. The staff may sometimes seem to be indifferent to welcoming or attentive service, but they’re usually so busy that it can be understood and overlooked once your plate arrives at the table.

CERVEJARIA TRINDADE
Beautifully tiled rooms are the main attractions that have always drawn locals and tourists here. But the reason there are always long lines at the door is that the food is also worth waiting for. There are no fancy Michelin-star-looking dishes here, but the food is tasty and portions are satisfying.

O CHURRASCO
If you can’t get a table at the famous Bonjardim mentioned above, this is a great alternative just a few feet away at number 83 of Rua das Portas de Santo Antão. Some say the specialty barbecue chicken is even better here, but there are plenty of other options on the menu, from traditional grilled meat dishes, to plenty of fish and seafood.

PINÓQUIO
With tables outside facing one of the city’s main central squares (Restauradores) by so many hotels, it’s only natural that this restaurant attracts so many tourists. But you’ll also see that there are just as many locals enjoying the traditional Portuguese cuisine, with the most famous dishes being the clams and the steaks.

There is a national contest at the moment searching for the seven wonders of Portuguese cuisine. The results will be announced in September and there are currently 21 finalists. That’s three in seven categories: soups, appetizers, shellfish, fish, meat, game and desserts. Of course this is a highly-subjective list, and essentially a popular vote from Portugal’s different regions. Some choices are mouth-watering, others not so appetizing. Countless other dishes could have been included, and those familiar with Portuguese cuisine will note some surprising omissions. But this is a great way to get to know the national gastronomy and to remember the specialties of the different parts of the country.
The final three soups are caldo verde (“green soup”), sopa de pedra (stone soup) and açorda à alentejana (a bread stew).
The appetizers are Serra da Estrela cheese, codfish cakes, and Mirandela sausage.
Shellfish: Ameijoas (clams) à Bolhão Pato, arroz de marisco (shellfish rice), and xarém com conquilhas (mashed corn with cockles).
Fish: Bacalhau (cod) à Gomes de Sá, polvo assado no forno (baked octopus), and the good-old sardinha assada (grilled sardines).
Meat: chanfana (baked goat), leitão da Bairrada (suckling pig), and tripas à moda do Porto (tripe).
Game: coelho do Porto Santo à caçador (rabbit Porto Santo), coelho à caçador (rabbit), and perdiz de Escabeche de Alpedrinha (patridge).
Desserts: pasteis (pastries) de Tontúgal, pastel de Belém (custard tarts), pudim Abade de Priscos (pudding).
You may vote on the official website (in Portuguese): www.7maravilhas.sapo.pt/votacao

38º 41′
If it’s a Friday night this summer (until the end of October), head to between the Discoveries Monument and the Tower of Belém. There, on the riverfront, is the Altis Belém Hotel and its bar offering what it calls “Sunset Sessions.” Wine by the glass and champagne is served in the open air by the river to the sound of a DJ, but if you prefer more “summery” drinks, there are also cocktails, shakes and juices.

K Urban Beach
It started out as a summer attraction, but it’s now a year-round destination. However, the glassed walls that cover it up in the winter are opened up in the summer, and it becomes truer to its name. Found right by the river (next to Kais restaurant), this is a beach lounge in the middle of the city, and includes two restaurants (one for sushi and the other for grilled meats).

Rua da Moeda
There are three restaurants next to each other on this small street. Rua da Moeda is found between downtown and the Santos neighborhood, and these three restaurants have now added tables outside, getting ready for the upcoming “Festas de Lisboa.” This annual street festival is in large part an orgy of street barbecues and beer, but you may also go for more refined meals. “Yasmin,” “Sommer” and “La Moneda” all serve contemporary fusion cuisine, and for the non-lunch or non-dinner hours there’s Muv, a bar-lounge-café open throughout the day serving drinks, light meals and music.

SUSHICAFÉ AVENIDA

5 SABORES
Found within walking distance from the many hotels in Avenida da Liberdade, this is an excellent choice for a healthy lunch (dinners are only served on Fridays and Saturdays). It serves contemporary macrobiotic cuisine, most of it vegetarian and with some gluten-free options, using fresh and mostly-organic ingredients. The dining area has an attractive minimalist décor, and the prices are just as inviting.
Address: Rua Rodrigo Sampaio, 94C
Phone: 213546234

GUILTY
The fourth restaurant of local chef-restaurateur Olivier focuses on “guilty pleasures.” Instead of presenting his usual contemporary/Mediterranean cuisine, here the options are pizzas, burgers, pastas and salads. The décor follows the same inspiration as the other three spaces — a mix of comfort, elegance and sophistication.
Address: Rua Barata Salgueiro, 28A
Phone: 211 913 590

LUME BRANDO
It replaced a Moroccan restaurant, and instead of tagines the specialty is now fondues of exotic meats. That includes crocodile, kangaroo or ostrich, but if you’re not that open-minded to new culinary experiences, you can always go for the grilled fish or even a veggie option. As in many other restaurants in Bairro Alto, the dining area is not very big, so booking ahead is recommended.
Address: Rua da Atalaia, 70
Phone: 213 468 494

PHARMACIA
The name derives from the fact that it’s found in the same building as the Pharmacy Museum. It faces the Santa Catarina viewpoint, and has tables placed outside. The interior is inspired by classic old pharmacies, and the cuisine is traditional Portuguese “petiscos” (which you may call “tapas”). Perfect for groups, many of the dishes are meant to be shared by everyone at the table.
Address: Rua Marechal Saldanha, 1
Phone: 213 462 146

SUSHI CAFÉ AVENIDA
Is this yet another sushi restaurant? Yes, but this one differs in ambience and the standards of quality are aimed higher. It has a very attractive contemporary interior, divided into several areas, for more formal or casual experiences. The traditional sushi can also be enjoyed at the bar, while in a more elegant room you can also go for other lesser-known Japanese dishes.
Address: Rua Barata Salgueiro, 28
Phone: 211 928 158

This weekend is the grand opening of five (to be six later in the year) kiosk cafés down Lisbon’s main central avenue, Avenida da Liberdade. Each kiosk will serve its own specialty, from light meals to smoothies, and are found scattered down the boulevard.
You’ll find them just by walking down the Avenida, but to locate them on a map, look for the cross streets. One of them is Rua Alexandre Herculano, at which intersection are “Banana Café” and “Hot Dog Lovers.” The first one offers lights meals such as wraps, salads and smoothies, while the second one obviously specializes in hot dogs but also serves tapas and Portuguese wine.
Down by Rua das Pretas are the third and fourth kiosks, one serving rectangular slices of pizza, calzone, panini and bruschettas, while the other belongs to “the best chocolate cake in the world,” the famous cake that was born in Lisbon and that has now been exported internationally. In addition to the slices of chocolate there will also be other pastries, as well as sandwiches, ice cream and juices.
Towards the end of the avenue, by Restauradores Square, will be a second “Banana Café” which will be identical to the first one above.
These kiosks will open every day at 9AM and will close at 11PM (2AM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays), so you may find the refreshment of your choice and sit in the open air on the pavement cafés at almost any time of the day.

UPDATE: See our permanent Lisbon Restaurant Week page.

From March 31st to April 9th there is another edition of Lisbon’s Restaurant Week which happens twice a year. Once again, a number of restaurants are creating special menus and donating one euro per person to charity. In oder to have this special menu (all at a reduced price) you must book in advance.
The GoLisbon-recommended restaurants participating in this edition are:

Clara Chiado
Chiado Unique
Eleven
Gemelli
Opaq
Panorama
Quinta dos Frades
Sofisticato
Sommer
Tágide
Varanda

For the health-conscious, açaí has become a much-sought-after fruit for its antioxidant properties. Native to central South America (or more precisely, Brazil), it is now found in juices and shakes all over the world’s health food stores, and at a couple of places in Lisbon, brought from the former Portuguese colony.
Since last week you can also enjoy it as a juice or in a bowl at “Feel Rio,” a new fast food restaurant downtown.
Brazilian-owned, the inspiration are the flavors of Rio de Janeiro, and in addition to the fruit juices there are salads, sandwiches, paninis, and muffins.
Unfortunately there aren’t many seats inside, but you can always take something to go, and perhaps enjoy it in Rossio Square not very far (it’s a great money- and time-saving option).
“Feel Rio” is found on number 108 of Rua do Crucifixo, almost directly across the street from one of the exits of the Baixa-Chiado metro station and is open every day.