The best fish and seafood restaurants in Cascais

It’s been over a decade, but Confraria remains a benchmark for sushi in Cascais. With a charming terrace in the old town and a colourful interior, the restaurant balances authentic Japanese cuisine with its own inventive creations. If you’re in Lisbon, there are also outposts on Rua do Alecrim and at Time Out Market.

Rain or shine, whatever the season, and whether the sea is calm or wild, the view over the Furnas do Guincho is spectacular on its own. And it’s from this very sea that the delights on the plate arrive – fresh shellfish or cooked seafood, like the flavour-packed paella, or fish prepared with simplicity at its best. The house specialty? Salt-baked fish, an absolute must. But there’s more: lobster açorda and octopus cataplana are also unmissable, to be savoured either in the cosy interior or on the terrace when the weather allows.

It’s a firm favourite among many locals – José Avillez included – and for good reason: the warm welcome, the quality and freshness of the seafood, and its prime seafront location. A visit to “Lourdes”, as this family-run gem is affectionately known, is a must, whether it’s to snack on clams, enjoy the area’s typical seafood, or tuck into one of the restaurant’s signature fish dishes.

It all started at the Mercado da Vila and, a few years later, expanded to Cascais Marina. Whatever the location (and the view), there’s only one rule: pick your fresh seafood at the entrance, as if you were at a market stall, and wait for it to land on your table after being weighed, taken to the kitchen, and cooked to perfection. To round things off (or help the indecisive), there are classic, ocean-flavoured dishes like lobster seafood rice, whelk and prawn stew, or John Dory fillets with açorda.

The Monte Mar brand has grown over the years, a veritable miracle of multiplying (bread and) fish. But our favourite remains the Estrada do Guincho spot. With impeccable old-school service, it boasts the best terrace in Cascais, right by the waves breaking beside the tables. The menu is endless, and the daily specials are just as long – but that’s all the more reason to keep coming back and trying something new. That is, if you can resist the house classics: hake fillets with cockle rice, the creamy seafood stew, and fried sole with açorda.