Hello everyone, before and after an RS Portugal Tour next month in May, I will be spending a few extra days in each of Sintra, Lisbon and Porto. Beyond the listings in the RS Portugal book, do any of you have special restaurant experiences or memories to share? I don't need anything very fancy or expensive, just good, fresh, traditional food, with friendly service and ideally not full of tourists like me. In terms of preferred foods, I can take or leave radishes, but love just about everything else! Obrigado.
Posted by
Rhode Island, USA
484 posts
In Sintra, go to Restaurante Dom Pipas. It is on the other side of the train station. This is one of the best restaurants that I have eaten at in all of Portugal! The food is unreal with huge plates, service is great, prices are not expensive, and probably no tourists will be there. I have been to this restaurant 3 times and will return anytime I am in the Sintra area. The head waiter has worked here for over 30 years and treats you like family.
In Lisbon, head over to Fabrica dos Sabores. Phenomenal food and desserts and not expensive. Oddly, it closes early at 8pm. It is a family run business with a very modern decor and young chefs...again, not a tourist in sight! We went for lunch one day and returned the next for dinner and found it closed at 8:15...too bad for us.
My daughter and her cousins ate at Prazeres da Picanha, which is near Fabrica dos Sabores. She loved it and said the dinners were awesome...she only saw locals there.
The next place to check out is not a restaurant but a locale you just have to experience...Pavilhao Chinese. It is like a 5 room museum with thousands of objects of a collectors whims. Go at night between 6pm-2am for a huge selection of adult beverages and teas. I would not say the drinks are cheap, but the ambience and clientele more than make this place worthy of a visit. You must take a good look at all the rooms. It is within walking distance of the craziness that awaits you in the Bairro Alto.
Next is Adega do Domingos...open for lunch and dinner. Great food and quite inexpensive. Don't even bother wondering if any tourist has ever visited here.
None of my recommendations are near the tourist haunts, so you have to go a bit out of the way to reach them. But it is so inexpensive to travel in Lisbon, why not give them a go?
We only went to restaurants in Porto that were in Rick's guidebook and all were fantastic.
BTW, I never saw a radish at any of these places! And it sure helps having family who live in Lisbon who know where to bring us when we visit. If you have never visited Portugal before, this trip will make you want to return in the future.
De Nada
Posted by
OP
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
Wow Carl, who ever thought there was such knowledge and enthusiasm hidden away there in Rhode Island! I will take notes, check out addresses, and seek these out. Actually I did spend a week in Portugal almost 25 years ago, but my memories are very sketchy. Looking forward to it all! Tchau to you.
Posted by
Boston, MA
10 posts
I would be happy to recommend two of my favorite restaurants in Porto. I am not sure if this one is in the RS guide but it was my most memorable dinner during my most recent trip to Portugal: http://www.opaparico.com. It is a bit hard to find so a taxi is recommended. Reservations are a must. I've sent quite a few friends there over the years and everyone came back raving. As a matter of fact, the most recent friend I recommended this place to ended up emailing me pretty much a live photo stream of their dinner.
The second one is a fantastic seafood restaurant and was recommended to me by a local. I see now that they also have an outpost in Lisbon: http://www.5oceanos.pt The Matosinhos one is just utside of Porto but easily and inexpensively reachable by taxi.
Enjoy Portugal and please let me know if I can help in any other way. It's one of my favorite destinations.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
22 posts
Larry,
Having just spent 4 nights in Lisbon this past week, I can share with you the amazing eating experience my friend and I had. I had no idea how progressive Lisbon was with their food. It was truly amazing, I'm very impressed and can't wait to come back.
- Bairro Do Avillez
- Mar Ao Carmo
- Mercado de Riberia
- Sacremento
- Cafe Buenos Aires