Portugal Food And Travel Guide

It took us a long time to get to Portugal. We even traveled to Montenegro before Portugal. It was always that little sliver to the west of Spain. A place somewhat difficult to get to from the rest of Europe. When we finally landed in Lisbon for the first time, though, I questioned what took us so long?  What took us so long to explore the Portugal food travel scene?

From high-end food courts in Lisbon with traditional Portuguese food to amazing pork sandwiches. From Portuguese fish and fresh seafood at the famous Cervejaria Ramiro, and amazing lesser-known wines. Portugal has a little something for everyone.

Over the years since our first visit to Portugal, we’ve explored Lisbon several times. We’ve also traveled almost the entire length of the country, including Alentejo, Porto, the Douro, and Minho in the north. The best way to visit Portugal is to get out of Lisbon, and really explore! In this Portuguese food blog, we will share our recommendation for local Portuguese restaurants.

But, first, check out this guide on where to stay in Portugal along with this list of Portuguese dishes to eat in Lisbon.

*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER.

Where To Find The Best Food In Portugal

Portugal Travel Blog

Regional Portugal Visitors Guides

When looking at a map of Portugal, it seems like a small country. In some ways, it is. It’s possible to drive from the south to the north in a day. Many travelers tend to focus on Lisbon, rightfully so. It’s a stunning city, set on seven hills, with decorated stone streets and tile-front buildings. Lisbon is also a cosmopolitan city with a growing international food and drinks presence. Travel to the south and you find coastal towns and beachfront resorts. Travel to the west of Lisbon and find a stunning Atlantic coastline and small fishing villages. To the east of Lisbon is the Alentejo wine region, home to rolling hills, farmland, and historic Portuguese farmhouses. 

No Portugal food guide would be complete without a discussion of the north. The city of Porto is stunning and ripe for exploration by food and wine lovers. To the east is the Douro, probably Portugal’s most famous wine destination. The Douro River runs from Porto through the Douro, with terraced vineyards lining the shores. Travel even further north to find Minho, the home of one of Portugal’s most famous wines – Vinho Verde. Each of these regions is home to some of the best and most famous Portuguese food. In this Portuguese food blog, we share all of our Portugal travel blog posts to help travelers decide where to visit in Portugal. Then, we share tips on how to find the best food and wine in each region of Portugal. 

Where To Travel For Food in Portugal
Find the Best Prices For Hotels in Lisbon Portugal

Where To Find The Best Food In Lisbon Portugal

What And Where To Eat in Lisbon Portugal

Lisbon is often the first stop on anyone’s Portugal food travel tour. Exploring Lisbon is like exploring a forgotten city, with climbing hills and intricately tiled buildings.  The Lisbon food scene is bustling, though, from family-owned eateries focusing on Portuguese traditions to bars serving amazing pork sandwiches and bakeries offering incredible pastries and coffee. And a local Lisbon food market that showcases them all. Then, there is a new contemporary scene, where chefs are exploring the combination of traditional flavors and new techniques. And no matter when you travel to Europe, Lisbon is almost always beautiful.

How To Travel For Food With Husband In Tow

Lisbon Food Guide: A Foodies’ Guide to Lisbon including what and where to eat and drink in Lisbon

Pastel de Nata: How to find the best Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon, the most famous Portuguese sweets

Lisbon Craft Beer Guide: How to drink Portuguese beer in Lisbon

Lisbon Coffee Guide: How to drink great coffee in Lisbon

Where to Find the Best Bifana in Lisbon: One of the most typical Portuguese foods, a simple pork sandwich, and a must-eat food in Lisbon Portugal

Cervejaria Ramiro: Where to find the best Portuguese cuisine and seafood in Lisbon

Standing While Eating in Lisbon: The best food in Portugal is often eaten standing at a counter

Finding a Proper Gin Tonic in Lisbon: A little luxury in Portugal food and drink exploration

Booking a Lisbon Culinary Tour: How to find typical Portuguese food in Lisbon

Where to eat seafood in Lisbon Portugal

The best seafood in Lisbon at Cervejaria Ramiro

At one of the best restaurants in Lisbon

Read TripAdvisor Reviews here

Eating Bifanas in Lisbon Portugal

The best bifanas in Lisbon at O Trevo

One of the most traditional Portuguese food options

Read TripAdvisor Reviews here

Check out our video: Lisbon Portugal Food Guide

Recommended Lisbon Hotels

Recommended Lisbon Hotels

Intercontinental Lisbon, with views over Old Town Lisbon: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book Direct with IHG | Rates From $295

Sofitel Lisbon Liberdade, luxury hotel offering French and Portuguese cuisine: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book Direct with Accor | Rates From $300

Holiday Inn Express – Av. Liberdade, good value hotel, still close to downtown: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book Direct with IHG | Rates From $75

Porto Bay Liberdade, beautifully restored boutique hotel with aviation-themed cocktail bar: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book with Hotels.com | Rates From $250

Portugal Travel Blog - Porto And The North

Visiting Porto And The Douro

We’ve been hearing about Porto and the Douro Valley since our early trips to Portugal. But, we’d never managed to head north. Something we corrected when we stayed not only in Porto but explored the wine regions of Douro and Minho, at the far north of Portugal. So far north we could see Spain. And we loved exploring the Porto food scene, home to some incredible Portuguese delicacies.

Portugal Travel Guide - Hotels In Portugal

Recommended Porto Hotels

Intercontinental Porto – Palacio Das Cardosas, a restored palace in the center of Porto: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book Direct with IHG | Rates From $389

Mercure Porto Centro, centrally located contemporary hotel: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book Direct with Accor | Rates From $200

The Yeatman, luxury wine and gastronomy focused hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book with Hotels.com | Rates From $495

Hotel Teatro, boutique hotel in a restored theater: Read TripAdvisor Reviews | Book on Booking.com | Book with Hotels.com | Rates From $175

Find The Best Prices For Porto Hotels Here

Portugal Travel Blog - Alentejo Wine Country

Before traveling to Portugal, I would not have associated the country with wine. Of course I know about the sweet port dessert wine, but other than that, it is a country unexplored for wine. When traveling to Lisbon for the first time, we often just asked for the house white wine, or thought we were sophisticated when we learned about vino verde, a crisp white wine, with a greenish tint. But, most important, I never wanted to be a Portugal travel blog that only focused on the best food in Lisbon!

Then, we learned about Alentejo, the stunningly beautiful wine country east of Lisbon, bordering Spain. Home to an up and coming wine country. And, offering traditional Portuguese home cooking with a typical Portuguese stew and rustic meats. Within a day it was a land that stole our hearts. Here are our tips on how to explore Alentejo, and to experience Portugal food travel, through a wine glass.

Torre do Frade – Alentejo Wine

Torre de Palma Wine Hotel

How About Some Alentejo Wine With Dinner?

Other Portuguese Travel Resources

Recommended Portugal Food And Travel Guides

Our Portugal food guide only scratches the surface of what there is to do and eat in Portugal. We tried to cover some of the best food cities in Portugal and offered recommendations for Portuguese food and wine tours. For more information, please check out one of these Portugal travel guidebook options, which do offer a little more information than a Portugal travel blog can.

Here are the recommended Portugal Travel Books: Lonely Planet offers a good Portugal visitors guide for backpacker and budget travelers. Fodor’s and Frommer’s also publishes some well-regarded Portugal travel guides. For us, we tend to like the DK Eyewitness Guides. Their Portugal guidebook and other guidebooks we’ve used from them in the past are lovely to look at and give great maps and diagrams. They make traveling to Portugal easier. All of these Portugal tourist guide options offer great recommendations.


Where to Stay in Portugal

Portugal Travel Guide – Hotels

This may be a Portugal food travel guide, and I am going to continue to tell you where to find the places to eat in Lisbon until you promise me you will go to Cervejaria Ramiro. But, because we’ve stayed all over Portugal, from luxury hotels to boutique hotels to wine hotels (yes wine hotels), we’ve put together our recommendations on where to stay in Portugal.

The first thing is deciding where to go in Portugal. Then, we’ve written detailed descriptions of all of the places we’ve stayed around Portugal to help with your Portugal travel plans. I honestly don’t know which place I loved most. The fact is, there are so many unique options of where to stay in Portugal, particularly when you get out of the big city of Lisbon, and you start exploring the countryside. That makes any Portugal trip magic! We offer reviews and recommendations below on some of our favorite Portuguese hotels. 

Check our review of Where To Stay In Portugal

Portugal Travel Videos