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 | Lisbon Food and drink Reviews | 1 - 10 of 43 |  |
Before we headed to Lisbon I read that the food wasn't the greatest. Hence I was expecting to be disappointed....thankfully it wasn't that bad! Maybe we picked the right restaurants and the right meals....but all in all we enjoyed what we ate.
One thing we didn't try...though I was tempted...was the salted cod. Have a look at the picture and see if you think you would eat it. It is a speciality, so I should have tried it...next time perhaps.
The highlight though, food wise, was definitely the small custard tarts, known locally as pasteis de nata. They are everywhere and they are good.
Drinks wise, I can highly recommend sampling some Portuguese wine. We had a tasty red with lunch one day and a very good (and cheap) white wine once night. We also enjoyed a couple Sagres beers - tasty.
Alex also sampled some very nice Port, which of course is a must do when in Portugal, the home of Port! He enjoyed it so much he bought some at the airport to bring home and enjoy.
Coffee was another good thing about Lisbon - we enjoyed many a bica (small black coffee), it was strong and not at all bitter. Bad news for decaf drinkers though - and I am normally one of them....the only decaf they appeared to have in Lisbon was Nescafe instant decaf....not the greatest. Leave a Comment
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Coffee is quite popular in Portugal and most people drink it in the morning, during the day and specially after meals.
However, there are different kinds and if you are not used to the names, it can be confusing to know which one is which.
If you just ask for a coffee (or café in Portuguese), you will get a very small cup half full with strong coffee, which is known as "bica" here in Lisbon. If you ever had a coffee in Italy it is very similar.
- Bica. The abovementioned "standard" coffee that you will get unless you don't specifically ask for a different kind.
- Bica cheia. "Full coffee", meaning you get the same cup, just that it is completely full with the same amount of coffe, just some more water.
- Café duplo. Just a "double" coffee, two servings of coffee in the same cup (you will be charged two coffees).
- Italiana. Same cup, less water, more concentrated coffee. This is just one or two sips of the drink.
- Café com cheirinho. Literally, "coffe with a scent" it is a bica with some "Aguardente" or "Bagaço" (similar to brandy) added.
- Carioca. Coffee topped with hot water. (Different from "bica cheia" as it is usually served in a larger cup).
- Galão. Tall glass of (hot) milk with some coffee (more milk, however).
- Garoto. Coffee topped with milk.
- Descafeínado. Decaffeinated coffee, like a bica
You can also get Capuccino's in some places, but they are not very traditional.
Don't expect "American style", huge cups of coffee anywhere (unless maybee in a hotel or so).
I think that pretty much covers it. I would just like to add that "Portuguese coffee" is considered to be one of the best. Leave a Comment
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Ginja is a cherry-like fruit, I don't know the name in English.
Ginjinha is the liquor made from this fruit and is a very famous Portuguese drink. Although it might not be a delicacy it is one of those traditions that are dying as young people seem not to enjoy it very much.
In the Rossio area there are still a few Ginjinha bars open (like the one on the photo in the Rua das Portas de S. Antão) and it is nice to walk in and see all the old men having their glass of the drink (which is usually served with a piece of fruit inside).
The most famous place is probably "Ginjinha do Rossio" (Largo S. Domingos, 8). Leave a Comment
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In Portugal, prices on the menu include VAT and service.
In almost all restaurants, you will be given bread and butter/paté and other things such as olives, smoked ham, cheese. These things are NOT free.
If you know you do not want them, just send them back. Let's say you don't eat olives, just tell the waiter you don't want them and they will be removed from the table.
When you get the bill, just check that you weren't charged any starters you did not eat. It happens to me all the time... But, if you eat one olive, you will pay for the whole serving, same goes for sliced cheese etc.
Some places will charge only the pieces of bread, butter, etc that you actually eat, but that is not always the case.
If one or more people at the table are not eating, you might be charged a "couvert", usually in the form of bread or starters.
Tipping is customary, but not absolutely necessary, specially if service is not good. Leave a Comment
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Autumn and winter in Portugal would not be the same without the roasted chestnuts.
As soon as the weather starts getting colder, you will see many vendors on the streets, which you will be able to recognize by the scent and the smoke.
You must make sure you buy a dozen "Castanhas assadas" (Portuguese for Roasted Chestnuts) as they are usually quite delicious. They are served in a cone made out of newspaper/phone-book (English fish and chips style). Leave a Comment
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Try the Vinho Verde while in Portugal. That is translated to "Green Wine." Yes, although it is technically a white wine, they call it specifically a green wine. It is made from young, underdeveloped grapes. The underfermentation causes the wine to be a bit sparkly, but not to the extent of champagne. Vinho Verde is a light, crisp, refreshing drink perfect for a summer drink, with fish or cheese or whatnot. Click on website for more information. Leave a Comment
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Bacalhau - the national dish of Portugal. Intererstingly enough, the fish comes mainly from Norway. It is salted cod that must be soaked for 24 hrs. prior to cooking. There are thousands of ways to cook bacalhau. Try it grilled, if you have no idea what to choose. Leave a Comment
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A favorite liquor of the Portuguese!
Ginjinha is a liquor made by fermenting ginja (similar to cherries) in brandy. Ginjinha is served in a shot form with a piece of the fermented fruit on the bottom of the cup. Imagine how awfully strong it is.
I'm not a big fan of ginjinha, it reminds me of cherry flavored cough syrup. However, I recommend any tourist to taste a bit of this Portuguese specialty.
The most famous place to experience this drink is a little shop named "A Ginjinha" on the northeast corner of Rossio. The store is tiny, so you go inside, buy your drink, and hurry outside to taste it. Leave a Comment
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Considered one of Portugal's staple foods, Caldo Verde is one of the most typical soups you'll find all over the country. Simply made from thinly sliced kale (a dark cabbage called "couve galega" in Portugal, kind of like collard greens), potatoes, onions, and garlic, a few slices of choriço (sausage) are added for a last touch.
The yellow and green colored soup is good for lunch, or as a starter for dinner.
Considered a food of the poor peasant's, it is commonly served with just bread on the side. Who cares of its affiliation; it's delicious and cheap. That's all I care about! Leave a Comment
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These are the famous Custard Tarts as you can find almost everywhere in Portugal.
Of course there are small variations among the different "pastelarias" (pastry houses) throughout the country. The most well known are the Pasteis de Belém, but like everything else ...when they start to be famous... sometimes the quality fades... unfortunately this was the case (although they are still quite good). I prefer the ones from small pastry houses out, unfortunately "off the touristy trail" ("Espiga Sol" in Telheiras, a neighborhood in Lisbon, for instance).
Pastry to line the containers:
• 500 g flour
• 300 g water
• 10 g salt
• 400 g margarine (for pastries)
Work the flour with water and salt, make a ball, cut it in the shape of a cross until its middle, pull the 4 sides outwards (forming a 4 point star), place the margarine in the centre and grab the points upwards (mix the margarine); with a pastry roller extend the mixture till up to 40×15 cm, fold 1×3 (simple fold) wait 10 minutes and fold again, fold 1×4 (book fold) wait 10 minutes. Extend the mixture until it gets a thickness of + or - 4 mm, sprinkle with water in all its extension. Roll it like a tort and with a diameter of + or - 4 cm, cut it in round slices 1 cm thick and place them in the containers (8 cm diameter but you can use other shapes). Wait 10 minutes.
Wet your thumb with water, press the centre of the round slice and push the mixture
to the top of the container.
Custard cream:
• 0,5 l skim milk
• 70 g flour (no raising powder)
• 5 g corn flour or cornstarch (aka Maizena)
• 0,5 L sugar syrup 32º Baumé
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• Vanilla (a bit)
To prepare the sugar syrup: 1 kg sugar, 0,5 L boiling water = 32º bumé.
Dissolve the flour and the corn flour in part of the milk, approx. 1 dL, boile the remaining of the milk, pour it over the four and mix energetically so that it does not crumble.
Add the sugar syrup bit by bit, always stirring. Add the yolks and the egg.
Cook at approx. 180º C (350º F) for about 8 minutes, not more.
Enjoy
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