Food in Lisbon: The Appetizers Ain't Free

Lisbon is famous for its amazing seafood dishes. I met two travelers who said they’ve tasted the best seafood in their life in Lisbon! I raised an eyebrow at that. I would still argue that the best seafood can be found in the shores of Palawan, Surigao and Davao.

Codfish is the specialty of Lisbon. I’m not sure if the codfish is special because it is somewhat unique in Lisbon. It does not have a “Lisbon Codfish Special” recipe. Restaurant menus offer baked codfish, fried codfish, boiled in a sauce and grilled.

I had lunch after my two-hour tour around Lisbonupon my arrival. A very late lunch in restaurant near the hostel, as they recommended. 

The restaurant flaunted this aquarium with sea creatures.

The waiter brought me a basket of (cold) bread, two pieces of croquettes, butter, oil and olives as appetizers.

Swanky set.

The codfish was perfectly baked but the seasoning was too salty. Too much butter and flavor that was too strong to the delicate codfish. The potatoes were also salty and did not offer “break” to cleanse my palette.

Total bill: €23,80. I was surprised at the bill. This is a pricey meal for one. Apparently, the appetizers are not free – my bill lists €5,00 as the cost of the appetizer. Had I known that, I would’ve ditched them entirely. Or maybe not, because I was too hungry at that point.

 

I settled the bill and the waiter came back with my change and a note scribbled in my receipt. This note made me forgive that price. I smiled at the waiter after reading his note. *haba lang ng hair*

The sentence syntax could use some tweaking, but hey...:)

No city visit is complete without exploring the supermarket. I got some snacks and drinks at the groceries for €5,90.

I wanted to try all their juice

Having learned my lesson, I refused the appetizer in Sintra. Total bill was just €15,00 and it was delicious!

 

Delicious baked fish, yummy greens and flavorful potatoes. And lemon Coke!

I was in Lisbon when Alfama had a festival. I decided to explore the place at night. There were food stalls in the streets. I didn't like anything in particular as everything seemed too greasy.

I found this resto (Name? I can’t remember) tucked in a nice corner in the dark and narrow streets of Alfama.

 My guide in the city tour tipped that handwritten menus are clues that the seafood in that restaurant is fresh – they write the menu after getting the catch for the day.

I didn’t refuse the appetizer set and even got a glass of wine.

 

 Total bill came out for only €11,00. WIN!

Twas’ so good that I walked all the way back to Alfama to have dinner there again. Second dinner was as amazing, and only costs €12,50. Kinda sad that I couldn’t finish everything. The dish can feed two hungry people.

 

Cool use of used corks

This pastry shop is also famous for its custards. Do drop by when you visit Torre de Belem. Two pieces of custard cakes in a bakery near Torre de Belem: €2,40.

 

I found a lot of Indian food in the area. A lot. So while in Lisbon, why not try lunch in an Indian restaurant: €11,00.

 

 Didn’t really like the curry. But I liked the rice.