The best restaurants in Lisbon for 2026

What is it? Perhaps the most iconic Michelin-starred restaurant in the country, which is all thanks to José Avillez and his perfectly in-sync dream team.

Why we love it: With two Michelin stars and ranked 25th on the 50 Best list, Belcanto is an experience from the moment you walk through the door. The setting is refined yet relaxed, so everyone can feel at ease and enjoy the experience the way it’s meant to be enjoyed, and the chef offers two tasting menus. The Classics menu features the restaurant’s most emblematic dishes, while the Landscapes menu tells the story of a Belcanto that’s constantly evolving.

➡️ Discover more Michelin-starred restaurants in Lisbon

Address: Rua Serpa Pinto 10A, 1200-445 Lisbon

Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12.30-3pm, 7-11pm. Closed Sunday-Monday

Expect to pay: Tasting menus from €235 per head without drinks

What is it? A happy, noisy tavern near St George’s Castle, with the smell of vinha d’alhos in the air, plates of bacalhau à Brás flying out in every direction; jugs of wine and clay mugs clinking in vigorous toasts. 

Why we love it: If you hadn’t guessed, O Velho Eurico is about as authentic as it gets. It’s a full-blown feast, with the menu scribbled on a slate on the wall, featuring such delights as liver and onions, octopus lagareiro and chicken cabidela, all perfectly small and shareable portions. Order a load of codfish cakes, croquettes, chips and bean rice on the side and you’re golden.

Time Out tip: If the famous house leite-creme hasn’t sold out, get that for pudding. 

➡️ Discover the best local dishes to try in Lisbon

Address: Largo São Cristóvão 3, 1100-179

Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12.30-3pm, 8-10.30pm, closed Sunday-Monday

Expect to pay: Around €20 per person with drinks 

What is it? A dark, sultry spot with a long counter and loud electronic dance tunes, which you’d think would be an omakase restaurants until you see the sign that reads: ‘Omakase is dead’. 

Why we love it: Ryoshi is the perfect restaurant to kick off a night in Cais do Sodré, with a sophisticated menu that sits somewhere in between an omakase and an izakaya. Dine on inventive dishes like mackarel served on silky tofu, grille deel with seasoned rice and egg yolk and a fried dough ball stuffed with Japanese curry – along with a few nigiri, craft beers, wines and simple cocktails. 

Time Out tip: Sadly there only two options for sake, and both are very expensive. Opt for a wine instead, like the Domínio do Açor made from cerceal-branco.

➡️ Discover more of the best Japanese restaurants in Lisbon

Address: Rua da Boavista 108, 1200-262 Lisbon

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 7pm-2am, closed Sunday

Expect to pay: Around €40 per head without drinks

What is it? A fine-dining spot with Colombian, French and Brazilian influence, serving up some of the best food in the city. Oh, and it’s completely vegetarian. 

Why we love it: Arkhe offers three tasting menus, and each change seasonally. The special part? They’re à la carte tasting menus – instead of a fixed sequence, you choose the dishes you want in your menu. You might see dishes like focaccia and smoked butter, cauliflower with green apple, hazelnut and mustard, or pumpkin agnolotti with gorgonzola. The menu is intense, and flavours are almost always balanced with unusual combinations – fruit, ferments, smoke, even chocolate.

Time Out tip: The wine service isn’t just a very good complement to the food – it’s essential to making Arkhe one of the rarest dining experiences in Lisbon. We’d strongly recommend going for one of the pairings offered with the menus (between €40 and €80).

➡️ Discover more of the best vegetarian restaurants in Lisbon

Address: Rua de São Filipe Néri 14, 1250-227

Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 7.30-10.30pm, closed Sunday-Monday

Expect to pay: Five courses is €70, seven is €90, or there’s a lunchtime-only three-course option for €50. 

What is it? A well-known (and downright iconic) traditional seafood restaurant that’s been going since the 1950s – and still has queues out the door, partly owed to featuring on Anthony Bordain’s No Reservations back in the day. 

Why we love it: There are other seafood restaurants with good produce in Lisbon, but none with this quality-to-price ratio. An institution here, Cervejaria Ramiro works like a sophisticated food factory – and it’s fascinating to watch the logistics and kitchen in action. These guys specalise in seafood so you’ll find oysters, spider crab and perfectly-cooked prawns, but their famous prego do lombo (a Portuguese steak sandwich) is a must-order for any table. They changed our plates four times during the meal, which must mean over 2,000 plates in a single night. Like we said, it’s an institution. 

Time Out tip: Its only setback, of course, is the queues. You can apparently make a reservation via their email address (geral@cervejariaramiro.pt), but we’re not convinced. Worth a try, though. 

➡️ Discover more of the best seafood restaurants in Lisbon

Address: Avenida Almirante Reis 1H, 1150-007

Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-12am, Sunday 12pm-11pm, closed Monday

Expect to pay: Around €40 per person

What is it? A fine dining restaurant, but relaxed and good-value, Zunzum is found near the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, and geared towards sharing plates and celebrations. It’s the more relaxed version of sister restaurant Marlene. 

Why we love it: Zunzum is fine dining without the prohibitive prices, where the ingredients and flavours are unmistakably Portuguese. Here, the chef often experiments with dishes that might later feature at Marlene. Try the filhós (a kind of fried dough) with cockles in a garlicky sauce, or the shellfish rice, the roast beef sandwich and the now-famous francesinha, which is actually the national dish of Porto nextdoor. 

Time Out tip: In summer, sit on the terrace overlooking the Tagus. Otherwise, the dining room next to Santa Apolónia station is just as nice. 

➡️ Discover more of the best places to eat and drink outdoors in Lisbon

Address: Terminal de Cruzeiros de Lisboa, Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 1100-651

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 12.30-10.30pm

Expect to pay: Around €35-45 per head without drinks

What is it? A Nordic farm-to-table restaurant with absolutely zero gimmicks, found in Lisbon’s Sé district.

Why we love it: Today, everyone talks about seasonality, local producers, and sustainability, when Prado opened in 2017, chef António Galapito was one of the few chefs doing it. Now, this spot has a loyal following. The menu is concise and the focus is strictly on the ingredients, which are almost always from small producers. The space is beautiful too, bright, sunny and very comfortable, and the waiters are excellent. To drink, order one of their biodynamic wines or a fabulous kombucha. 

Time Out tip: Be sure to order Prado’s flagship dish, cockles with spinach, coriander and toasted bread (the greens change with the season or supplier). 

Address: Travessa das Pedras Negras 2, 1100-404

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 12.30-3pm, 7-10.30pm, closed Sunday

Expect to pay: Around €40-60 per head without drinks. Tasting menu €75

What is it? A neo-tasca (meaning, essentially, a modern take on the traditional Portuguese tasca, or tavern), in uber-cool Alfama.

Why we love it: Gancho has Portuguese, French and Italian influences, and a menu that changes with the seasons. Standout dishes from our critic’s visit included chicken-cabidela arancini, beef tartare à Brás and pointed cabbage with spicy sauce – but it’s the vibes we keep coming back for, with good tunes, low-intervention wines and a clear desire to preserve the spirit of the neighbourhood, respecting the history of the place and the people who live there. 

Time Out tip: For dessert, there’s tiramisù, profiteroles and a crème brûlée with CBD, which is fun. 

Address: Rua do Vigário, 70B, Alfama, 1100-616

Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 7pm-2am, closed Sunday-Monday

Expect to pay: Around €35-45 per head without drinks

What is it? A restaurant offering from acclaimed Nordic chef Petter Nyström with a short, simple menu and excellent natural and low-intervention wines. 

Why we love it: You’ll find only three starters, five mains, one dessert and two signature cocktails on Familjen’s Scandi menu, featuring everything from sashimi with lemongrass to caesar salad with pistachios and pickled rose petals. Every dish is elevated and refined (without showing off), with plenty of options for veggies too. 

Time Out tip: The oysters in a dill-sauce are a must-order. 

Address: Rua do Machadinho 56, 1200-708

Opening hours: Wednesday-Saturday 6pm-12am, closed Sunday-Tuesday

Expect to pay: Around €35-55 per head without drinks

What is it? An excellent steakhouse, and coincidentally one of the most beautiful restaurants in Lisbon, with dark wood, low lighting, a slick open kitchen and an ageing cabinet showing off aged meats.

Why we love it: At Sala de Corte, the food is excellent, the service is great and the whole team know their wines as well as they know their meat. Our suggestion? Book a table, bring three friends, order a 900-gram T-bone or chuletón, five sides and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. While you wait, get a few croquettes or the foie gras with plums. To finish, order a lemon meringue tart and a theatrically-presented pavlova. 

Time Out tip: Go with the waiter’s recommendations for wine – they’ll recommend you something in the price range you’re after, rather than sneakily try and nudge you to something much more expensive. 

Address: Praça Dom Luís I 7, 1200-148

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 12.30-3pm, 7-11pm

Expect to pay: Around €40-60 per head without drinks

What is it? A summery Portuguese grill restaurant next to Avenida de Roma with a lovely outdoor terrace. 

Why we love it: In this courense house – meaning it’s run by people from Paredes de Coura – there isn’t a dish that disappoints. The fish stew, octopus lagareiro-style, and the excellent grills, whether meat or fish, are always safe bets. At the right time of year, it’s one of the best places in the city to eat lamprey, brought straight from the Alto Minho. From the starters to the desserts, the hard part is choosing what to skip.

Time Out tip: On the days they serve cozido à portuguesa (Wednesday and Saturday), it’s best to arrive early, as it gets especially busy. Oh, and if you want their famous Arroz de lampreia (made with lambrey fish), you’ll have to order it two days in advance. 

Address: Largo Machado de Assis 7D, 1700-116

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 12pm-3pm, 7pm-11pm

Expect to pay: Around €20-30 per head without drinks

What is it? Another New Nordic spot, but this time half fine dining spot, half wine bar. Here you’ll find tasting menus with a zero waste ethos, against a backdrop of its small open kitchen and shelves of intruiging ferments – grab a drink in the bar or book ahead to dine. 

Why we love it: Come to SEM for fine-dining-level food and wine, without the fine dining price tag (the seven-course tasting menu is €70). The couple behind SEM previously worked at Silo, and have brought that level of sophisticated, delicate dining to Lisbon. There’s just two waiters, headed up by co-owner Lara, who controls the timings while sipping white wine. There’s plenty of mise en place, naturally, but the food is cooked, grilled and seasoned to order – and you can feel that energy in the dishes that reach the table.

Address: Rua de São Tomé 76, 1100-563

Opening hours: Wednesday-Saturday 7pm-11pm, closed Sunday-Tuesday

Expect to pay: Tasting menu around €70 per head without drinks

What is it? A hole-in-the-wall and tiny counter slinging out traditional bifanas (a traditional Portuguese sandwich stuffed with thin-sliced pork) all day long. 

Why we love it: This place has 50 years of history serving the famous bifana, and it’s got the lunchtime queues to prove it. José Rodrigues tosses thin slices of pork in a sauce with no secrets: white wine, lard and garlic. The real skill lies in how effortlessly it’s all done, always by eye, always spot on. Best enjoyed with an ice-cold beer. 

Time Out tip: The biggest queues are at lunchtime – come early for your best chance at avoiding them. 

Address: Rua da Madalena 146, 1100-325

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm, closed Sunday

Expect to pay: €3–4 per bifana

What is it? The coolest Mexican joint in the city, in a fun late-night bar setting. 

Why we love it: We love the tacos, we love the late-night opening times, and we love the DJ soundtrack booming in the background. Come to Duro de Matar to drink, to eat, to dance (open until 2am on the weekends) and probably to try some Mexican food you’ve never heard of before, like the tomatillos or the gringas. Wash it all down with a margarita and a Cristal beer, and you’ve got a great night on your hands. QR code haters, be warned – that’s the deal here for ordering. 

Time Out tip: Fancy a couple of tacos with the dancing? They’ve got a second branch over at Time Out Market Lisboa. 

Address: Avenida Infante Dom Henrique 151, 1959-012

Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 12pm-12am, Friday-Saturday 12pm-2am

Expect to pay: €20-30 per head without drinks

What is it? Our favourite burger in the city, with a second branch over at Time Out Market Lisboa. 

Why we love it: When someone asks, ‘where can you get a good burger in Lisbon?’, the answer is almost always immediate and unanimous: Ground Burger. And for good reason. No matter how many burgers you try, there’s something that still sets the ones from this restaurant apart. It might be the brioche buns, baked in-house at least twice a day and served lightly toasted; it might be the certified Black Angus beef; or even the chips, fried to perfection with garlic and rosemary. Whatever the reason, with these handmade burgers, you really can’t go wrong.

Address (Gulbenkian): Rua Marquês de Fronteira 88, 1070-296

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 12pm-11pm