30 editor picks across Portugal.
30 casual dining worth the trip across Portugal, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Portugal guides.
Cafe de Sao Bento in Lisbon's Lapa: a 40-year-old steakhouse named after the parliament next door, garlic-mustard sirloin and dark wood booths.
OrderBife a Cafe de Sao Bento, garlic-mustard sauce, served with shoestring chips.
Pateo at Bairro do Avillez in Chiado, Lisbon: the glass-roofed centre court of Jose Avillez's complex, modern Portuguese mains served at long tables.
OrderAcorda real, bread-and-shellfish stew with prawns and lobster.
Conga on Rua do Bonjardim in Porto has slow-cooked bifanas in a paprika-and-garlic broth since 1976, a stand-up counter where pork sandwiches and Super Bocks.
OrderBifana with mustard and piri-piri, imperial beer.
TipClosed Sundays. The lunch queue clears by 14:30; arrive then if you want a stool.
Ze dos Cornos in Lisbon's Mouraria: a tile-walled tasca on Beco dos Surradores, charcoal pork ribs at 12 euros, cash only, queue for the long table.
OrderCharcoal-grilled garlic pork ribs and a jug of house red.
Bistro 100 Maneiras on Largo da Trindade in Chiado: the casual sister of 100 Maneiras in Bairro Alto, opened by Ljubomir Stanisic with late hours and a noted.
OrderThe tartare bar selection, two cuts compared side by side.
La Madragoa in Lisbon's Santos: a 20-seat family-run room cooking arroz de marisco, bacalhau a lagareiro and grilled sardines with Douro wines.
OrderArroz de marisco for two, then grilled sardines.
Brasao Foz on Rua de Gondarem in Porto is the Foz neighbourhood site of the Brasao group, with the pork-loin francesinha a antiga and truffled meat rissois.
OrderPork-loin francesinha, truffled rissol to share.
TipOpen daily, kitchen until 23:30. The back garden terrace is the move on summer evenings.
O Golfinho on Rua de Sa de Noronha in Porto is a small family tasca with a francesinha sauce locals defend, and a 10-table room that fills with regulars.
OrderFrancesinha with egg, glass of red.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. The bitoque is a quieter alternative for the queue-averse.
Gavião Novo grills fish off the Funchal coast on Rua de Santa Maria, the old town street where the day boat rather than the menu decides dinner.
OrderFish from the Funchal coast, grilled whole off the day boat.
TipBook ahead for dinner. The dining room is small and the pavement tables on Rua de Santa Maria go first.
Tasquinha do Lagarto in Lisbon's Campolide: a 1973 family tasca with Sporting Lisbon shirts on the walls, atum cebolada and baked octopus to share.
OrderPolvo a lagareiro, baked octopus with potatoes, garlic and olive oil.
O Magano in Lisbon's Campo de Ourique: a 2002 Alentejano room from brothers Marco and Bruno Luis, petiscos, favas com chourico and pork-with-clams done right.
OrderCarne de porco a alentejana, pork with clams, the canonical Alentejo dish.
Tasca da Esquina in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon: chef Vitor Sobral's modern tasca, petiscos rooted in Alentejano cooking with Lusophone touches and a daily fish.
OrderA round of petiscos, then the daily fish.
A Tasquinha on Rua do Carmo in Porto has served homestyle Portuguese plates since the 1980s, with cabrito assado on weekends, bacalhau a bras and a 90-cent.
OrderCabrito assado on Saturday lunch; bacalhau a Bras any day.
TipCash strongly preferred. The two-floor room fills quickly Saturday; book or arrive at 12:15.
Tasco on Rua do Almada in Porto is a petiscos-and-Douro-wine room with codfish croquettes, octopus salad and a 100-glass list of small-producer Portuguese.
OrderPetiscos board with the codfish croquette upgrade.
TipOpen daily. The 151A address is the original; the second site at 65 is the overflow room.
Three and four generations of the Cruz Sobral family have kept this restaurant in Campo das Hortas running since 1926. The wood-fired oven never went out.
OrderWood-oven roasted veal: the same oven since 1926, and you can taste the decades in the crust.
TipSmall dining room. Book ahead for weekends or arrive at noon.
Petisco Saloio in Lisbon's Campo Pequeno: a tiny petisco room locals book ahead, fixed lunch menus and evening small plates, ox-tail pie and croquetes.
OrderA round of croquetes followed by pork cheeks in piri-piri sauce.
Faz Frio in Lisbon's Principe Real: a 19th-century tavern with wooden booths, ox-tail, goat stew and the city's best octopus salad on a short menu.
OrderOctopus salad and goat stew with rice.
Mercearia do Seculo in Lisbon's Principe Real: a grocer-turned-restaurant where reservations are essential, dried tuna, bacalhau and octopus on a tight menu.
OrderDried tuna starter, then the bacalhau of the day.
Puro 4050 on Largo Sao Domingos in Porto is a mozzarella-and-burrata bar from an Italian-Portuguese duo, with Iberian cured meats, Sicilian cheeses.
OrderBurrata with chourico, tagliata di manzo to follow.
TipRoof terrace opens May to October. Aperitivo from 18:30 with prosecco and pizzette.
Mendi on Avenida da Boavista in Porto has run a tandoor-led Indian kitchen since 1997, with murgh makhani, kadi pakoda and a long vegetarian half of the menu.
OrderMurgh makhani with garlic naan and a vegetable kadi pakoda starter.
TipClosed Sundays. Lunch and dinner; reserve on weekends and ask for a wall-side table away from the entrance.
Tia Isabel is the restaurant Braga residents send family to on Sundays. Papas de sarrabulho, stuffed bacalhau and roast kid are kitchen staples.
OrderPapas de sarrabulho: the thick corn-and-pork porridge that is Braga's most distinctive Sunday dish.
Michelin Guide-listed and led by chef Hugo Sousa, Esperanca Verde offers modern, produce-led tasting menus at a serious level a short way off the ring road.
OrderThe six-moment Irreverencia tasting menu.
Taberna Ruel works a Madeiran and Portuguese kitchen on Rua de Santa Maria, named for chef Ricardo Ruel and built on island produce and modern technique.
OrderA Madeiran plate from the daily list, with a bottle from the Portuguese cellar.
TipIt runs straight through from 11:00 to 23:00 every day, so it catches both the late lunch and the early dinner.
Doca do Cavacas is built on the rock above the Ponta da Cruz sea pools in Funchal, serving grilled fish, shellfish and espetada by the water.
OrderGrilled fish of the day, with the natural pools below the terrace.
TipClosed Mondays. Lunch on the terrace catches the sun over Praia Formosa.
Prima Caju runs the all-day brunch counter at CAJU Le Petit Hotel on Rua da Carreira in Funchal, on bowls, pancakes, eggs and pressed juice.
OrderA savoury bowl with eggs, or the pancakes if you came for the sweet side.
TipWalk-ins only, no reservations, and the small courtyard fills through the late morning.
Loja do Chá pours tea off Praça do Colombo in Funchal from a list of more than 300, with an own-label Tea 1419 line blended from organic Madeira ingredients.
OrderA pot from the Tea 1419 line with a scone from the counter.
TipThe upstairs tea room is quieter than the shop floor. The operator publishes no schedule online, so check before a late-afternoon visit.
Land Food & Coffee pours Odd Coffee Roastery beans beside the Monte cable-car station above Funchal, with brunch, sourdough and charcoal plates.
OrderA filter of the Odd Coffee Roastery house roast with the sourdough.
TipIt sits at the top of the Funchal cable car, so ride up rather than driving the Monte hairpins.
Cervejaria Liberdade in Lisbon: a polished seafood hall inside the Tivoli Avenida, Berlenga gooseneck barnacles, Algarve prawns and Aveiro oysters daily.
OrderAlgarve red prawns and a glass of Soalheiro Alvarinho.
Solar 31 da Calcada in Lisbon's Alfama: a fish-counter restaurant grilling whole sea bass and dourada to order, with arroz de marisco for two.
OrderWhole sea bass from the counter, grilled, with vegetable rice.
Pateo 13 in Lisbon's Alfama: a courtyard tasca grilling sardines and chicken over charcoal, picnic tables, sangria, summer queues from June onwards.
OrderCharcoal sardines straight off the grill, with boiled potatoes.
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