Food Tour Lisbon

One afternoon during my long weekend I had booked a food tour in Lisbon with a local guide, to show us not only traditional Portuguese food, but also introduce us to the small businesses and family run restaurants in the Alfama and surrounding districts. A lot of them have been driven out by chains, by unpayable rents and cheap imported souvenir shops.

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Experiencing Portuguese Cuisine

When you look at the price and think “I can get something similar for cheaper” it is time for a discussion about tourism and the effects it has. But when you are here on my website and looking for impact-conscious and slow travel, you are probably like me: aware that your presence has an impact and mindful of where and how you spend your money and time.

Tourism can be great for a local economy… mass tourism not so much.

Francesco, our guide for the afternoon, showed us to five local restaurants and shops, introduced us to the people running them and told us about a lot about the food we were trying. Not just the cultural significance, but also the sources and ecological impact.

Sardines, Olive Oil, Vino Verde and Bacalhau com natas

First was a small family-run and family-owned restaurant where we tried Portuguese olive oil from one of their family members farm near Douro. Only a few bottles are produced every year. Just enough for their families needs and the restaurant. Nothing more.

The following food was paired with a Vinho Verde from the north of Portugal. Vinho Verde is often translated as “green wine”, but it is actually a white wine and the name comes from the region the grapes are grown in. Real Vinho Verde can only be made in the north of Portugal. The wine we tried was made from Loureiro – a Portuguese white grape variety. It had a floral note and I liked it a lot more than French white wines.

Francesco taught us how to properly cheers in Portuguese: “Saude!”

The first dishes we tried on our food tour in Lisbon were Arroz de Tomate, rice cooked with spices, bacon fat fried onions and garlic, as well as tomatos with the skin on, and Bacalhau com natas – fried cod fish cakes.

We also got to try a canned Sardine, again made from a small producer that only sells directly, you cannot find it in supermarkets. This Sardine was the least fishy fish I have ever had and it was incredibly soft. You might even like this if you don’t like Sardines.

Bacalhau à Brás and dark craft beer

Bacalhau à Brás is a dish made with salted, dried cod that is rehydrated and shredded, then mixed with fries (yes, the potatoes are fried before they are mixed into this), egg and usually garnished with olives. It was served with a dark craft beer from a small local brewery. This one was not for me, but I am glad I tried it.

Portuguese Cheeses, Octopus Salad, Red Wine and flaming Chorizo at A Muralha Tapas e Vinhos

The prior to last stop on our tour was A Muralha Tapas e Vinhos where we tried several things: First was a plate with four different Portuguese cheeses. Francesco explained to us where the different cheeses came from and we tried them with crackers and a sweet tomato chutney.

After that we had Salada de Polvo, an octopus salad with lots and garlic and olive oil.

At some point we got a red wine from the Douro region in Northern Portugal. Then one of the owners brought flaming plates of Chorizo over. The sausage is placed on top of a special dish, then the dish is filled with alcohol which is set ablaze.

We ended our stay here with Bifanas, a traditional Portuguese sandwich with thinly pounded meat fried with, again, loads of garlic, served in a warm bun. I can see why this a favourite snack after a night out.

Pastel de Nata and Cherry Liquer

Our last stop of the tour was a small souvenir shop. Here we met the owner, Mafalda, who served us the well known Portuguese Cherry Liqueur in a small chocolate cup. And although she doesn’t serve them in her shop, we also tried fresh, warm Pastel de Nata here. The bakery they were from was already closed at this time, so they had brought them to her shop for us to enjoy still warm. Pastel de Nata are famous all over the world, but if you’ve never had them: they are puff pastry cups filled with vanilla custard and sometimes dusted with cinnamon.

Where to book this Food Tour in Lisbon?

You can book this tour on Viator* and I really recommend this company over others, even though it is slightly more expensive than some other food tours. Their focus on sustainable tours and small businesses while providing an amazing experience in small groups and catering good portion sizes are all reasons to pay a little extra, in my opinion, to get great quality and a tour worth remembering.