Old school Portuguese pubs and restaurants
Drink like a Tuga! Of course, your guide book recommends a number of places to experience ’authentic’ Portuguese style, but none compare to the small unnamed haunts you can find that, while aesthetically bare, offer unadulterated views into the daily lives of Lisbon dwellers.
These are places where people go for snacks and drinks in between daily to-dos. Great for relaxing at low prices, these old school tascas, or taverns, offer just what you need and don’t bother dressing it up with touristy gimmicks and pandering.
Vai Tu
A neighborhood bar that hosts everything from sardine fries, to fado nights, to dinner parties. Oh, and cheap beer. Don’t be intimidated upon entering, you might be the only foreigner, but the crowd won’t bite and is quite welcoming.
Rua Bica Duarte Belo, 6-8
Bica
Ginjinja das Gáveas
In Bairro Alto, this small but active tavern serves as a popular meeting point for young locals. With super cheap beer and ginjinja at just €1 each, you can toss back a few without yet emptying your pockets at this buzzworthy hole-in-the wall locale.
Rua das Gáveas, 17
tel. (+351) 213 468 557
Amigo António
A true Portuguese tasco, Amigo António’s authentic atmosphere provides more than sweet glasses of Vinho Verde (green wine). Although the place really is nice for hanging at the bar and tossing back cheap drinks, you can grab a bite here as well.
Located in the winding streets of Alfama, finding the place is its own challenge – of course, you will be greatly rewarded.
Rua São João da Praça, 76
Alfama
Open everyday 12h - 24h
tel. (+351) 218 866 537
Casa de Índia
An absolute local favourite, this always-busy restaurant near Praça do Camões serves up time-honoured Portuguese recipes. One of the oldest places in the city, its rather misleading namesake stems from the establishment’s history as an old Indian spice shop.
The menu is typical Portuguese and the counter-top bar is a lively place to stop for a beer or sangria while you watch the locals hang out and chat.
Rua do Loreto, 49
Bairro Alto
Open Monday to Saturday 09h – 02h
tel. (+351) 213 423 661
O Pirata
A number of quick and tasty snacks on offer at this place, but you cannot avoid the locally popular mixed drink of red wine and ginjinja (Portuguese cherry liquor).
This wine and snack bar makes for a refreshing stop during a day of walking the streets of downtown. A small place where you’ll find locals chatting over drinks.
Sink in for an afternoon of people-watching and leisure before stepping back into the streets.
Praça Restauradores, 15
Baixa
Open Monday to Saturday 11h – 21h
tel. (+351) 213 427 869
A Tendinha
This is a tiny café that’s great to stop into for a small, typically Portuguese lunch or snack, but it’s perhaps more appreciated for its selection of Portuguese wines, cherry liquors, and cocktails.
A fine example of the kind of place that locals make a daily visit into, you’ll enjoy the sounds of friends who meet here throughout the day exchanging stories over drinks and simply prepared refreshments.
Praça D. Pedro IV, 6
Open Monday to Friday 07h – 14h
tel. (+351) 213 468 156