The Essential Guide to Lisbon Street Food: What to Eat & Where to Get It
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Loading... - Eugene Martinez
- 07 Jul 2022
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When we think of street food, we think of street carts, food trucks, and hot dogs in buns. But here in Portugal, it’s all about the cafés and pastelarias (pastry shops).
Choosing what to eat can be intimidating at first, but fear not—we’re here to tell you all about the Lisbon street food scene and where locals go to get it.
1. Pão com chouriço (bread with chouriço sausage)
Pão com chouriço is one of the most delicious snacks made in Lisbon. Portuguese bread is already delicious on its own, but when you stuff it with bits of chouriço sausage, it gets even better!
You can find this tasty bite at pretty much every café in Lisbon, but the best ones are cooked in a traditional terracotta oven and served warm.
Where to get it: Merendeira is Lisbon’s signature establishment for pão com chouriço. Open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. early the next morning, this cozy no-frills spot is where locals go for a late-night snack.
2. Prego (beef sandwich)
Prego can mean two things in Portuguese: a nail, or a local beef dish. Hopefully you can guess which one we’re talking about here in the context of Lisbon street food.
Most places in Lisbon let you choose if you want prego no pão (on bread) or prego no prato (on a plate). The first one can come with mustard or hot sauce, and the other with a side of fries, rice or salad. Both are equally delicious, but if you want an authentic Lisbon street food experience, go for the sandwich.
Where to get it: Rui dos Pregos serves one of the best pregos in town. The bread version doesn’t come with any toppings, but that’s okay since you can apply your own and be as generous as you want! For something different, Prego da Peixaria serves different prego variations made with chicken and even Wagyu meat.
3. Bifana (pork sandwich)
A bifana is a traditional Portuguese sandwich made with pork fillets. The best bifanas come with big chunks of garlic on top, but you can also get them without it if you’re not a garlic fan.
Locals usually pair a bifana with a cold imperial, or a small beer. This sandwich is so famous that even Portuguese McDonald’s has its own McBifana!
Where to get it: Skip McDonald’s and try the bifanas at Café Beira Gare (Praça Dom João da Câmara, 4), the Anthony Bourdain-approved O Trevo (Praça Luís de Camões, 48) or at As Bifanas do Afonso (Rua da Madalena, 146). For a vegan bifana, head to Ao 26 Vegan Project.
4. Salgados (pastéis de bacalhau, rissóis, and croquetes)
You can find salgados (savory treats) in all the Portuguese cafés and at family get-togethers. There are plenty of delicious options to choose from, but here at Devour Lisbon, we love the pastéis de bacalhau (codfish cakes), the rissóis de camarão (shrimp turnovers) and the croquetes (croquettes).
Moms make the best salgados. Unfortunately, we can’t all have a Portuguese mom, so you’ll have to trust our tips.
Where to get it: Every café in Lisbon serves salgados, including the popular local chain Padaria Portuguesa.
For pastéis de bacalhau, we recommend the Olhó Bacalhau inside the Time Out Market. Note that you’ll probably also hear about the famous Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau as well, but it’s a bit pricey there!
If you’re craving croquetes, you can try the meat ones at Gambrinus or choose your favorite filling at Croqueteria.
Last but not least, for rissóis, the famous bifana café O Trevo is a good option.
