Housed in what was once the warehouse for the Bertrand bookshop, Alma serves two sea-inspired tasting menus and an a la carte menu.

Stomping grounds of Lisbon’s 1950s buzzy circle, Belcanto, located on Chiado’s Sao Carlos square, was totally transformed in 2011.

In Fall 2023, Chef João Rodrigues (previously of Michelin-starred Feitoria) opened a restaurant with Brazilian head chef Livia Orofino, which quickly became the talk of the town. It is the kind of place that hums with atmosphere, with its busy open kitchen and a lively crowd waiting at the door for tables. The food is simple rather than sophisticated—but that’s the point. This is the kind of dinner you would make at home, if only it was as easy as it looked. If available, try the open prawn and onion tortilla, still runny in the middle.

A labor of love from executive chef Jose Avillez, this trendy, casual restaurant is located in the buzzy Chiado neighborhood. Traditional yet modern, Cantino do Avillez is bedecked in reclaimed Portuguese ceramics and modern, fresh balsa wood reminiscent of Scandinavian design. Avillez (awarded two Michelin stars at Lisbon favorite Belcanto) manages to walk the same fine line with his cooking: the menu features highbrow fare but manages to remain appealing and accessible. Highlights include tuna tartare with Asian flavors, homemade steak sandwiches and the signature chocolate cake.

This historic Lisbon institution has been around since 1956 and is insanely popular with locals and visitors alike.

There is a beachy vibe at this restaurant at The Ivens (designed by Lázaro Rosa Violán) with its striped turquoise plates and rattan furniture. This carries into the menu as well, which includes oysters, dressed brown crab and boiled prawns with garlic mayonnaise, as well as steak for meat lovers.

Perched on a hill inside Eduardo VII Park, the mostly glass-walled dining room at Eleven offers panoramic views of Lisbon’s downtown all the way down to the Tagus River. Chef Joachim Koerper’s kitchen just recently reclaimed its Michelin star, which has made this restaurant a great choice for a leisurely three-course lunch. Expect to rub elbows with some of the city’s well-heeled business folk while enjoying plates of foie gras terrine with chutney.

This Michelin-starred restaurant tucked inside Altis Belem has been a local favorite since it opened in 2009. The restaurant’s streamlined interiors, centered around a bold mural of the Portuguese arriving in Japan during the Age of Discovery, provide a fuss-free backdrop to some of the most inventive dishes in the city. For a more adventurous dining experience, sign up 48 hours in advance for the Creative Menu, a multi-course surprise meal from the capable hands of Chef André Cruz.

One-Michelin-starred Kabuki’s fusion of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine dazzles with high quality raw ingredients and an exquisite balance of flavors. There are countertop seats downstairs for those who like to be close to the kitchen, but we recommend taking a table upstairs where light from the large windows illuminates the culinary wonders of the restaurant. Set aside time to fully enjoy the experience—and try the hamachi with ponzu and the pa amb tomaquet, a tuna-meets-bread-meets-tomato delight.

Outside of Lisbon in Cascais, talented chef Tiago Penão helms this restaurant, which follows the Japanese Omakase dining concept. This broadly means that the details are left to the chef, who serves a steady trickle of impressive dishes including sashimi and nigiri using Wagyu beef and the freshest fish.

Casoncelli alla Bergamasca is the dish to order at this friendly, affordable Italian restaurant, which somehow slides under the radar on Lisbon’s cobbled streets. The chef, Silvio Armanni, is hugely talented, and his food displays the simplicity and confidence of a top chef. The casoncelli are a dish from his hometown of Bergamo, a kind of meat ravioli with pancetta, sage, parmesan and burnt butter. If you are persuaded by this (as you should be), next time go for the five-course tasting menu.

Palacio Chiado is a grand, 18th-century palace in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood that reopened in 2016 as a chic and hip food court. Patrons get cards upon entrance and as they move through rooms—that feature sushi bars, small plates stands and bars—they put purchases to the card. Upon leaving, all charges can be paid at once.

If all the sightseeing has you famished, stop by the charming Santini to recharge your batteries with a healthy dose of sugar. Some consider this red-and-white-striped ice cream parlor's gelato to be the best in the world. The cute parlor, open since 1949, lives up to its reputation, scooping inventive and delectable flavors, including acai and dark chocolate, which are sure to satisfy every visitor's sweet tooth.

Located on a narrow alley, Taberna Dos Mercadores a tiny, traditional Portuguese spot that has a permanent line out the door. With just seven small tables and no sense of urgency, reservations here are very difficult to get but the food is soulful and very well-priced.