11 Tips on Food and Drink in Portugal
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| Francesinha and sangria for lunch in Porto |
1. The Portuguese are coffee-drinkers (or should I say addicts?) and they like their coffee just like the Italians and the French – short and strong. So if you are a fan of espresso – you are in espresso heaven. But it's not for everybody. For people with different tastes, there is always an option of a “meio-leite” – coffee with milk, literally “half milk” or a “galão” – a latte.
2. A perfect accompaniment to coffee is the famous Portuguese “pastel de nata” or custard tart – a delicious puff pastry tart filled with wonderfully creamy and smooth egg custard.
3. Portugal is not a great place to be a vegetarian* – they love their meat and fish, but in most places, you will be able to order some vegetable soup, salad, or an omelette. And in some cafés, they might even create a vegetarian dish for you if there is nothing vegetarian on the menu! Portuguese people are extremely friendly and helpful and most of them speak either English or French or Spanish to accommodate tourists.
*update 2023: I was in Lisbon in March this year and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of newly opened vegan and vegetarian restauraunts as well as the presence of at least one vegetarian option on the menu in most restaurants!
4. Dinner in Portugal is eaten quite late. Not as late as in Spain, but the earliest you can get dinner in a restaurant is around 7.30-8pm
5. Portugal is famous for its fish and seafood, so be sure to try at least some of the 1001 ways they cook cod. And if you are feeling adventurous, you can try octopus, cuttlefish, sword-fish and every type of shellfish you can imagine.
6. Everybody associates cheese with France, but Portugal produces a huge variety of cheeses – big and small, hard and creamy, made with a mixture of goat’s, sheep’s and cow’s milk. Be sure to try them with some crusty artisan bread.
7. When you sit down for a meal in a café or a restaurant, the first thing you get is the so-called “couvert” - small appetisers, consisting of bread, cheese, olives, fish patê, butter; and even though the waiter brings them without asking if you want any, they are not free. Each item costs 1-2 euro, so if you do not want to pay extra, you need to let the waiter know that you don’t want them. But why not treat yourself?
8. Now for the wine. There are plenty of excellent and cheap wines as Portugal is famous for its vineyards. One of the special wines to try is “vinho Verde” or “green wine” – it’s the young white wine, slightly fizzy and very refreshing in summer.
9. Forget all you knew about the Port wine. Travel to Porto to do the Port wine tasting in wine cellars with Fado music. You will be surprised to discover there are 4 varieties of port: Ruby, Tawny, White and Rosé. And you have to try them all to decide which one is your favourite.
10. One of Lisbon’s must-have food experiences is Mercado da Ribeira (Ribeira Market) – a unique space, combining an ordinary fruit and vegetable market with a giant food court and a special atmosphere of conviviality and joie de vivre. By the way the stall Manteigaria - Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata in Mercado da Ribeira just to the left of the entrance offers probably the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon in my opinion.
11. And last but not least, if you were wondering about the food in the photo - it's one of Portuguese specialities, originally from Porto - Francesinha: a club sandwich stuffed with all kinds of meat and sausages imaginable, covered in melted cheese and served in a rich tomato and beer sauce. If you love meat, it's definitely worth trying. One of the best ones we've tried was in the cafe Alfândega D'ouro in Porto, not far from the Museum of Port (Museu do Vonho do Porto). Francesinhas were cooked in a wood-fired oven outside and there was a large open-air sitting area.
4. Dinner in Portugal is eaten quite late. Not as late as in Spain, but the earliest you can get dinner in a restaurant is around 7.30-8pm
5. Portugal is famous for its fish and seafood, so be sure to try at least some of the 1001 ways they cook cod. And if you are feeling adventurous, you can try octopus, cuttlefish, sword-fish and every type of shellfish you can imagine.
6. Everybody associates cheese with France, but Portugal produces a huge variety of cheeses – big and small, hard and creamy, made with a mixture of goat’s, sheep’s and cow’s milk. Be sure to try them with some crusty artisan bread.
7. When you sit down for a meal in a café or a restaurant, the first thing you get is the so-called “couvert” - small appetisers, consisting of bread, cheese, olives, fish patê, butter; and even though the waiter brings them without asking if you want any, they are not free. Each item costs 1-2 euro, so if you do not want to pay extra, you need to let the waiter know that you don’t want them. But why not treat yourself?
8. Now for the wine. There are plenty of excellent and cheap wines as Portugal is famous for its vineyards. One of the special wines to try is “vinho Verde” or “green wine” – it’s the young white wine, slightly fizzy and very refreshing in summer.
9. Forget all you knew about the Port wine. Travel to Porto to do the Port wine tasting in wine cellars with Fado music. You will be surprised to discover there are 4 varieties of port: Ruby, Tawny, White and Rosé. And you have to try them all to decide which one is your favourite.
10. One of Lisbon’s must-have food experiences is Mercado da Ribeira (Ribeira Market) – a unique space, combining an ordinary fruit and vegetable market with a giant food court and a special atmosphere of conviviality and joie de vivre. By the way the stall Manteigaria - Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata in Mercado da Ribeira just to the left of the entrance offers probably the best pasteis de nata in Lisbon in my opinion.
11. And last but not least, if you were wondering about the food in the photo - it's one of Portuguese specialities, originally from Porto - Francesinha: a club sandwich stuffed with all kinds of meat and sausages imaginable, covered in melted cheese and served in a rich tomato and beer sauce. If you love meat, it's definitely worth trying. One of the best ones we've tried was in the cafe Alfândega D'ouro in Porto, not far from the Museum of Port (Museu do Vonho do Porto). Francesinhas were cooked in a wood-fired oven outside and there was a large open-air sitting area.
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