While guide books, museums, and documentaries offer valuable insights into different cultures, it’s through the sensory experience of food that you truly gain an understanding of the life conditions that shape a culture. The way food is prepared, stored, and consumed adds depth to the culinary experience. For instance, eating with your hands or using chopsticks can alter the taste and texture of a meal.
Even the inclusion of fermented or “rotten” items in some cuisines reveals a lot about cultural traditions and resourcefulness.
Like in Nepal, where we’ve spent many years, vegetarianism is prevalent not just due to religious beliefs but also because many people cannot afford meat. Staple dishes include curries, rice, lentils, and rotis, often ‘Pimped Up’ with achar, a fermented pickle that adds flavor and preserves vegetables. This preservation method originated from storing vegetables in jars under the sun, a practice that has become integral to the local cuisine. An acquired taste you can learn to love.
No matter where we are on this planet we always find a local bar or restaurant that we make ‘ours’. In Graça we have dined at the same restaurant for more than 10 years.
And the French classic dishes like confits and rillettes were originally developed to preserve meat before refrigeration came handy when we started up Tings Tealounge In Kathmandu where the lack of electricity in Kathmandu forced me to use the old preservation tradition from home. Tings Confit de chicken and Tings Rillettes de wild Boa became very popular among the French expats 🙂
In Peru, the method of preparing fish with lime, chili, and salt wasn’t just a culinary preference; it was a necessity. In the mountainous regions, workers often lacked access to firewood, making traditional cooking methods impractical. This led to the development of ceviche, a dish that not only preserved fish but also provided a burst of energy to sustain workers throughout the day. The “Tiger Milk” (leche de tigre), the marinade used in ceviche, was particularly beneficial, known for its energizing properties and believed by many to have health benefits. Like in Peru where we travel a long time we would never have ceviche after lunch.
In other words, food is more than just a meal; it’s a window into the history, traditions, and daily life of a culture. When traveling in Portugal, experiencing this firsthand means enjoying the country’s diverse dishes, which are shaped by its rich history of exploration and cultural exchange. From the hearty cozido to the iconic pastéis de nata, each meal offers a taste of Portugal’s unique cultural identity.
To us, food is as important as sights and nature. We remember our travels by the meals we had, the people we shared them with, and the restaurants we visited. New and exotic ways of preparing and serving food are almost as exciting as popular tourist attractions. The inspiration we gain from these culinary experiences is the best souvenir we bring back home, often accompanied by cooking utensils to practice new recipes.
You will never be disappointed if you go to a good Cervejaria & Marisqueria. It may be cheaper than at home – so don’t be ‘surprised’ if the bill is bigger than expected. But it’s worth every cent. This one is from O Palacio in Alcantara.
Most travelers who spend a few weeks in Portugal will appreciate the local cuisine, which is plentiful and affordable, especially for those from Northern Europe where seafood is expensive.
Dining in Portuguese restaurants is always inspiring because, unlike many other European capitals, they are often filled with locals. This is particularly true during lunch and Sunday afternoons when families gather for traditional dishes like Cozido Portuguesa.
We’ve had the pleasure of dining in hundreds of restaurants across Portugal over the past 30 years and still eat out at least three times a week. We love it, mainly for the ambiance. However, our feelings about the Portuguese kitchen are mixed. While tourists adore the food for its value—lunch or dinner with a starter, main course, drink, and coffee for under €10 is a rare find in Western countries—we find the menus repetitive and lacking in variety. The emphasis on value for money means most meals come with rice, potatoes, and sometimes boiled cabbage. Meat is often overcooked, but asking for it “mal pasada” (rare) can make all the difference.
Nutrition and health are not priorities in traditional Portuguese cuisine, and organic food is still behind compared to Northern Europe. Vegetarians once faced challenges, but this has improved in Lisbon and larger cities with innovative chefs offering vegetarian and vegan options.
While the set lunch menu is no longer as cheap as it once was, you can still find a meal with drinks and coffee for under €10. Our advice is to splurge on dishes you can’t afford at home, especially if you’re from expensive regions. This way, you truly save money. And remember, the best restaurants are often the ones you discover yourself!
Today you can get a set lunch for 10 Euros. Just remember that price and quality goes hand-in-hand.
It happens very often that friends or guests ask us about where we eat – or if we have a list of the best restaurants in town. They know our love for food, that we love cooking ourselves and know the difference between good and OK ingredients. And they know that we go out for lunch and dinner at least a couple of times every week.
Most of the time in Graça – and at least once a week at Penalva da Graça where we have eaten for almost 8 years. They know us very well – what we like, how we like it and our curiosity.
The area 15 minutes walk from our door is slowly but surely becoming one of the best places to eat in Lisbon. New restaurants, cafes, bars, craft beer bars etc open every week. In all nationalities and in all price ranges. And you can still get the cheap set menus you read about.
… but we don’t mind sharing where we eat.
We love food, love cooking and love eating out.
For more than 40 years we have been eating in all kinds of restaurants in all categories all over the world, in Portugal for almost 30 years. So we are picky and critical.
Our local favorites are max 10 minutes walk from Tings Lisbon in Graça according to Google – places we visits frequently (weekly/monthly).
Walk for another 10 – 20 minutes and we have some of our best restaurants in Lisbon
The others are scattered around town.
Find them all in the map below – including a few comments for most of the places.
Bon Appetit
Annette & Thomas, March 2025
Dinner at Penalva da Graca
A busy day during the high season.
Lisbon's popular Tram 28 is only 3 minutes from Tins Lisbon. Here is all you need to know.
