Lisbon restaurant ideas

We dined well at A Gina on Parque Mayer behind the Hotel Lisboa Plaza. It’s in an alley of sorts surrounded by buildings that have seen better days. Warning about dining in Portugal: as soon as you sit down dishes will start to arrive; bread, appetizers, cheeses, whatever. You think this is great and start to chow down and they will bring more. Then you order, enjoy your meal, get your check and find you’ve been charged for all those “free” dishes. Obviously not free! If you don’t want the dishes wave them off before they hit the table! The Time Out Market is also fun. Bonjardim has the best peri-peri chicken. Ambience? Another alley filled with hungry patrons.

Like Alan, we also would recommend A Gina. His description is exactly how we remembered it. What was complimentary was their after dinner Port! Nice way to end a meal. The food was excellent & just a two minute walk from Hotel Lisboa Plaza. We ate there twice and will never forget the kindness of the staff. Frank was our server and he made us feel welcome. Busy place & reservations were necessary.

Thank you both, A. Gina sounds delicious! One question, based on your ambiance response. Obviously there is no view, but is the inside quaint or pretty or just very plain with great food? Since we only have one day in Lisbon, would like to have a view or a neat restaurant to spend dinner time in.

Well, A Gina might not be your place. Ambience (if that means view, white tablecloth, musicians, etc), no. Atmosphere yes. Locals enjoying great food, families, kids. It’ a family run place with a small terrace. You can pick out your fish for dinner. I found this link but have not dined at any of these. https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-lisbon. Maybe one of these would better satisfy what you are looking for. One warning: after COVID many restaurants lost staff, chefs included, and are rebuilding. So take all reviews with a grain of pre-COVID salt.

Thanks, your description helps. It sounds lively and local (which we love), and the terrace might do the trick. Thank you again.

Not sure what area of town you will be in, but if you are in the area of Time Out Market you might check this one out.
We had a delightful meal at Il Covo, an Italian restaurant. Just a nice neighborhood restaurant. No view, but pleasant atmosphere. Pasta being made fresh at a station as you walk in the door. It was a memorable meal.

For a very fun experience with great food, you might want to check out MiniBar. It’s a Jose Avillez restaurant, who is one of the top chefs in Portugal. The restaurant is located in Barrio De Avillez in Chiado. It’s small plates that are very creative and very fun and has become the place I take visitors.

Another option is Ramiro. It’s totally seafood in a totally different area of town. It was visited by Anthony Bourdain on one of his shows about Lisbon. The ambiance isn’t as good but it’s an institution in Lisbon.

And, I agree with the others that Time Out Market is worth at least walking through - and having Pastel da Nata at Monteigaria!

A Gina, thumbs up
Lost'n Esplanada Bar. Great view and great wines
Bonjardim Restaurant . Piri Piri chicken.