Prado in Lisbon's Baixa: Antonio Galapito cooks farm-to-table Portuguese in a converted fish factory with Roman ruins, biodynamic wine list.
Signature: Whole fish, Seasonal vegetables
Order: The vegetable starters and whichever whole fish landed that morning.
Tasca Kome in Lisbon's Baixa: a Japanese-run kitchen on Rua da Madalena, serving takoyaki, salmon zukedon and ika somen sashimi, no fusion gimmicks.
Signature: Takoyaki, Salmon zukedon, Ika somen
Order: Salmon zukedon if you only have time for one bowl.
SALA de Joao Sa in Lisbon's Baixa: chef Joao Sa cooks Portuguese ingredients through a deeply Asian lens, one Michelin star awarded in the 2024 guide.
Marisqueira Uma in Lisbon's Baixa: a long-running marisqueira on Rua dos Sapateiros, tiger prawns, garlic clams and whole fish straight off the counter ice.
Signature: Tiger prawns, Ameijoas a Bulhao Pato, Garlic sea bream
Order: Ameijoas a Bulhao Pato then whichever fish the counter is pushing.
A Merendinha do Arco in Lisbon's Baixa: a no-fuss workers' lunch room since the 1950s, bitoques, pataniscas and a daily prato do dia under ten euros.
Signature: Bitoque, Pataniscas de bacalhau
Order: Bitoque, the workers'-lunch steak with egg, rice and chips.
Nicolau in Lisbon's Baixa: an all-day brunch counter on Rua de Sao Nicolau, sweet and savoury pancakes, acai bowls and the original of a family of three.
Signature drink: Acai bowl with fresh orange juice
Cafe Nicola on Lisbon's Rossio square: a literary cafe since 1929 where Bocage drank, marble interior, bifana at the counter and a busy terrace by lunch.
Signature drink: Bica and bifana at the Rossio counter
Martinho da Arcada on Lisbon's Praca do Comercio: the city's oldest cafe still operating, founded 1782, with Fernando Pessoa's reserved table still in place.
Signature drink: Bica beside Pessoa's regular table
Confeitaria Nacional on Lisbon's Praca da Figueira: the city's oldest patisserie, in continuous operation since 1829, six generations of one family.
Worth the queue: Bolo Rei, the Christmas crown loaf introduced here in 1875
Fabrica da Nata on Lisbon's Rua Augusta: an open-kitchen pastel-de-nata shop where you watch trays come out every fifteen minutes, dusted with cinnamon.
Worth the queue: Pastel de nata, glass-baked with cinnamon
AlmaLusa Wine Bar on Praca do Municipio in Lisbon: a small hotel bar pouring exclusively Portuguese by-the-glass, pasteis de bacalhau and cheese on demand.
Signature pour: Niepoort Drink Me Charm tinto
Wine focus: Portuguese-only by-the-glass programme
Food: Pasteis de bacalhau and cheese plates
A Ginjinha in Lisbon's Baixa: a hole-in-the-wall on Largo de Sao Domingos, sour-cherry liqueur served standing for 1.50 euros, open since 1840.
Signature drink: Ginjinha sour cherry liqueur, served standing
Food: None
Ginjinha Rubi on Largo de Sao Domingos in Lisbon: a stand-up sour-cherry-liqueur counter steps from A Ginjinha, family-run since the 1950s, no seats, no menu.
Signature drink: Ginjinha shot with three cherries
Food: None
Trobadores in Lisbon's Baixa: a medieval-themed stone-walled bar pouring mead and Portuguese spirits in pewter cups, a long-running curiosity for late nights.
Signature drink: Mead in a stone-walled cellar
Food: Cheese and charcuterie boards
As Bifanas do Afonso in Lisbon's Baixa: a stand-up counter on Rua da Madalena famed for one thing, the bifana, garlic-paprika pork in soft bread.
Try: Bifana, marinated pork sandwich
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau on Lisbon's Rua Augusta: a tourist counter for cod cakes filled with melted Serra da Estrela, served with port.
Try: Pastel de bacalhau filled with Serra da Estrela cheese
Casa das Bifanas in Lisbon's Baixa: a long counter on Praca Dom Joao da Camara, bifanas with sharp Portuguese mustard and a Sagres in a sleeve glass.
Try: Bifana with mustard
Manteigaria Silva on Lisbon's Rua Dom Antao de Almada: a 1890 grocery now a counter for cured meats, conservas plates and Portuguese cheeses to share.
Try: Petisco platters and conservas counter
Loja das Conservas on Lisbon's Rua do Arsenal, a Portuguese cannery shop with hundreds of regional tins and a tasting counter. Located in Baixa.
Try: Portuguese tinned-fish retail and tastings
Devour Tours Tastes and Traditions in Lisbon: a 3-hour walk through Baixa, Chiado and Cais do Sodre, eight tastings at seven small businesses.
Eating Europe's Undiscovered Lisbon walks Baixa and Mouraria for three and a half hours, five stops of bifana, bacalhau a bras, octopus salad and pastel de.
As Bifanas do Afonso on Lisbon's Rua da Madalena: bifanas at 2.50 euros, stand-up counter, beer in a sleeve, no chairs, lunch in five minutes flat.
Try: Bifana, marinated pork sandwich
Casa Portuguesa on Lisbon's Rua Augusta: a 4-euro cod cake stuffed with melted Serra da Estrela, paired with a glass of port, snack-sized on a wood plate.
Try: Pastel de bacalhau with Serra cheese
A Merendinha do Arco in Lisbon's Baixa: a no-fuss workers' lunch room serving bitoques and a daily prato do dia under twelve euros, lunch only, Mon-Fri.
Try: Bitoque, the workers' lunch
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau on Rua Augusta in Lisbon: pastel de bacalhau at four euros each, eaten standing with a glass of port, a snack classic.
Try: Pastel de bacalhau with Serra cheese
Casa das Bifanas in Lisbon's Baixa: a long counter on Praca Dom Joao da Camara, bifanas at three euros with sharp mustard and a Sagres in a sleeve glass.
Try: Bifana with sharp mustard, 3 euros
Nicolau in Lisbon's Baixa: an all-day brunch counter on Rua de Sao Nicolau, sweet and savoury pancakes, acai bowls and the original of a family of three.
Order: Acai bowl with mango and granola, fresh orange juice.
Trobadores in Lisbon's Baixa: a medieval-themed late-night bar pouring mead in pewter, cheese and charcuterie until 02:00, a long-standing curiosity downtown.
Try: Mead, charcuterie and cheese boards
As Bifanas do Afonso in Lisbon's Baixa: a counter open through dinner for a quick bifana before heading to Bairro Alto or Cais do Sodre for late drinks.
Try: Bifanas at the counter, late afternoon snack
A Ginjinha on Largo de São Domingos has poured ginja sour-cherry liquor from a single counter since 1840, the Espinheira family bar that gave the city its.
Tip: One pour, one euro fifty; ask for it com or sem (with or without the cherry). Open every day from 09:00 to midnight; queues are part of the ritual.