After living in downtown Lisbon for over four years and counting, we’re sharing our picks for the best restaurants in the Baixa neighborhood. Our top spots serve traditional Portuguese food, cheap eats, pizza, ramen and pastries. Try one of our favorite Baixa restaurants or try them all.
So you’ve just arrived in Lisbon and you enter the Baixa – Lisbon’s low-lying, post-earthquake district. You walk down Rua Augusta, the district’s famous walking street that leads to the city’s Augusta Arch and Praça Comercio. Along the way you’re greeted by various hawkers attempting to entice you into their restaurants – the kind of restaurants that have menus in 12 different languages and serve tapas and paella (two things that are certainly not Portuguese).
Those restaurants exist among an overabundance of chochtke stores selling all manner of souvenirs – cork, tiles, ceramic roosters and so many magnets – all celebrating Portugal and all made in China. The neighborhood also has an array of exploitative businesses – kebob shops, French bakeries, chain clothing boutiques and CBD stores. We liken it to a Caribbean cruise port and, sure enough, behemoth cruise ships that dock at Lisbon’s nearby cruise terminal usher thousands of tourists into the Baixa each and every week.
But, believe it or not, even in this tourist-flooded district, one of the most traveled in all of Europe, there are still good places to eat.
Discover our picks for the top restaurants in Lisbon (including but not limited to Baixa).
Our Favorite Baixa Restaurants
Regardless of the glut of magnet stores and tourist trap restaurants, the Baixa is a real Lisbon neighborhood. It’s a place where people have lived since the city was rebuilt after the epic 1755 earthquake. In fact, we’ve lived in the historic neighborhood for more than four years.
We’ve eaten at a lot of Baixa restaurants during those and we’re now revealing our favorites. Some are well known throughout the city while others hide in plain site among the aforementioned magnet stores. They’re all places where locals like us actually eat.
A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira | Traditional Tasca
Despite its Baixa location or perhaps because of it, A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira attracts a blend of Lisbon residents and tourists. The seemingly simple tasca has a compact dining room with a dozen or so tables topped with checkered tablecloths, a bar filled with Portuguese pastries and a wall decorated with Luso memorabilia.
Part of the the tasca’s magic happens in the upstairs kitchen behind a glass window. After a dumb waiter transports plates topped with local favorites like pataniscas de bacalhau and porco do Alentejo com migas to the dining room, the rest of the happens when servers deliver those plates.
A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira is located at Rua dos Sapateiros 230, 1100-581 Lisboa, Portugal.
Café Martinho da Arcada | Oldest Restaurant in Lisbon
This humble cafe/restaurant has fed locals in various iterations since it opened on the edge of Praça do Comércio in the late 18th century. Today, more than 200 years later, Café Martinho da Arcada feeds both locals and tourists on an equal opportunity basis. This happens in three areas – a casual cafe, a more formal dining room and an expansive outdoor patio. And, while the indoor dining room is classic, there’s something special about sitting underneath the Praça do Comércio portico with views of the river and surrounding square.
Dishes, like Bife á Martinho and Bacalhau à Martinho, are well prepared, made from quality ingredients and well priced for an eatery located on such prime real estate. The same applies to classic Portuguese desserts like Café Martinho da Arcada’s popular Merengue de Maçã. The restaurant also offers midday pratos do dia (i.e. plates of the day) like leitão assado (roast suckling pig) and sardinhas (i.e. sardines), which are a great value.
Café Martinho da Arcada is located at Praça do Comércio 3, 1100-148 Lisboa, Portugal.
Confeitaria Nacional | Oldest Bakery in Lisbon
Confeitaria Nacional has been making Lisbon sweeter since Balthazar Roiz Castanheiro opened the confectionery business in 1829. Several generations later, the local institution is still family-owned. More than a simple cafe, Confeitaria Nacional’s mirror-lined space is an elegant destination for pastry lovers of all ages.
The bakery serves dozens of Portuguese pastries from eclairs to egg chestnuts in a multi-story space. During the holiday season, locals stock up on bolo rei, Portugal’s iconic Christmas cake. Confeitaria Nacional also serves lunch. And, yes, pasteis de nata are on the menu.
Between meals, you can sate your afternoon hunger with one of Confeitaria Nacional’s underrated petiscos like croquetes or rissois. The bakery’s bolo de arroz is one of Daryl’s guilty pleasures.
Confeitaria Nacional is located at Praça da Figueira, Praça Dom Pedro IV 18B, 1100-241 Lisboa, Portugal.
As Bifanas do Afonso | Lisbon Street Food Icon
The excitement of eating at the original As Bifanas do Afonso bifana begins when you glance through the shop’s window at the top of the hill on Rua da Madalena and see a bubbling cauldron filled with pork. Don’t be surprised when you also see a long queue. Hordes of people line up every day (except Sunday when the iconic bifana stand is closed) to order Lisbon’s signature stewed pork sandwich plus an imperial (i.e. small Portuguese beer).
The original As Bifanas do Afonso is located at Rua da Madalena 146, 1100-340 Lisboa, Portugal. As Bifanas do Afonso has opened a second Baixa location in the Lisbon Art Stay Hotel which is located at Rua dos Sapateiros 158, 1100-580 Lisboa, Portugal.
Prado | Chef-Driven Bistro
Prado’s name, which translates to meadow, belies the restaurant’s location in a former fish cannery. Trellised plants in the rear add a lush verdancy to the space while massive windows allow the sun to wash the dining room with natural light during the day. Lunch time is a great time to appreciate Chef Antonio Galapito’s seasonal farm-to-table dishes.
Night time is also a great time to experience Galapito’s seasonal take on Portuguese cuisine with dishes featuring octopus, squid, Alentejo pork and razor clams. This is when couples, as well as groups of friends, convene at the restaurant and order plates that are both creative and shareable. It’s also a great time to check out the Prado Wine Bar which happens to be located right by the restaurant.
Prado is located at Travessa Pedras Negras 2, 1100-404 Lisboa, Portugal.
Prado Wine Bar is located at Rua das Pedras Negras 35, 1100-404 Lisboa, Portugal.
Oven | Contemporary Indian & Nepalese Food
Open since 2021, Hari Chapagain’s Oven is an Indo-Nepalese restaurant that’s upscale enough to garner a Michelin listing. The stylish bistro space fills every night with diners looking for something better than the average South Asian fare served at hundreds, if not thousands, of Lisbon restaurants. For us, though, the large window in the front of the restaurant makes Oven a wonderful sunlit lunch destination.
Chapagain’s Nepalese heritage appears all over Oven’s menu. That menu is centered around curries and grilled items cooked in the restaurant’s tandoori ‘oven’ which appears prominently in the restaurant’s open kitchen. Standout dishes include Himalayan rose curry flavored with a complex array of spices and a surprisingly wonderful appetizer of paneer – a whole piece of soft cheese regaled with verdant herbs and spice. The unique food is all presented beautifully.
Oven is located at Rua dos Fanqueiros 232, 1100-232 Lisboa, Portugal.
Penta Café | Tostas and Bolos
Could there be a more comforting lunch combination than grilled cheese and cake? Penta Cafe offers wonderful versions of both. The working man’s cafe sells these items by the centimeter and, for the daring, the meter.
Staff at the family-owned shop cut tostas, i.e. Portuguese panini-style grilled cheese sandwiches, from enourmous boules of bread in measured sizes that range from 10 centimeters to a full meter. They do the same with beautiful, giant, rich, tasty cake loaves baked in flavors like russo (essentially a stacked napoleon with puff pastry, powdered sugar and egg yolk custard), brigadeiro (chocolate) and banana custard.
We once brought a 10-cm piece of the cafe’s deep chocolate brigadeiro cake to a party and it was a big hit. On another visit, we ordered a half-meter tosta mista (ham and melted cheese sandwich) that we ate for lunch and had enough left over for three more meals at home. One last thing – bring cash since Penta Café doesn’t take credit card payments.
Penta Café is located at Rua Áurea 115, 1100-053 Lisboa, Portugal.
Discreto | Modern Tasca Near the Cruise Terminal
You’ll find Discreto in the low fringes of Alfama, adjacent to the river, just a few steps from the Lisbon Cruise Terminal – it’s a location that we consider to be Baixa-adjacent. The menu features gussied up Portuguese dishes like hearty arroz coelho (rabbit rice) and a fine version of bacalhau à brás. It also has fun shareable dishes like one that pairs grilled leeks with goat cheese.
This fare may sound tasca-esque. It is. But Discreto’s intimate space, which belies that humble description, is a great place to enjoy a romantic meal.
Discreto is located at Arco Portas do Mar 9, 1100-035 Lisboa, Portugal.
Pizzico Pizzeria | Neapolitan-Style Pizzeria
Lisbon has a lot of pizzerias and at least a half dozen of them are in the Baixa neighborhood. Our favorite is Pizzico Pizzeria despite its location on a block filled with touristic eateries. (Warning: You may have to barrel past a few aggressive restaurant touts to get to the pizzeria.)
Open since 2023, Pizzico cooks more than a dozen Neapolitan pizzas using an oven imported from Naples and Italian ingredients that include organic flour, meats, cheese, tomatoes and even mushrooms. After eating seveal pies for ‘research purposes’, our favorites are the porky Amatriciana, the spicy Maciste and the puttanesca-esque Marini.
Pizzico Pizzeria is located at Rua dos Correeiros 113, 1100-051 Lisboa, Portugal.
Velho Macedo | Traditional Portuguese Food
Velho Macedo fills the Portuguese food gap between casual tascas like A Merendinha do Arco Bandeira and contemporary restaruants like Prado (see both above). With a history that dates back to 1920, it’s a traditional restaurant that serves a roster of Portuguese food favorites including dishes, like the francesinha, which are more typically served in northern cities like Braga and Porto.
Don’t be deterred when you see a menu translated in multiple languages. Velho Macedo is the real deal. In fact, we were the only non-Portuguese diners in the crowded dining room during our most recent visit. Dishes like arroz de pato (i.e. duck rice) and alheira don’t disappoint. The same sentiment applies to desserts like the restaurant’s decadent yet earthy toucinho de céu.
Velho Macedo is located at Rua da Madalena 117, 1100-319 Lisboa, Portugal.
Terraço Editorial | Wine Bar with a Rooftop View
Located on the top floor of the Pollux housewares department store, Terraço Editorial has a library of wine options plus a varied food menu. You can say that about a lot of wine bars in Lisbon. But this bar sports a view, just above the terracotta Baixa rooftops, with an excellent vantage of the the Santa Justa elevator and Carmo convent ruins.
While Terraço Editorial is open all day long until the wee hours of the night, golden hour is the ideal time to visit. The best move it to arrive early with the goal of scoring a table with a view. You can then watch the sun set while enjoying a shareable cheese plate and a glass (or two) of Portuguese wine.
Terraço Editorial is located at Rua dos Fanqueiros 276 piso 8, 1149-031 Lisboa, Portugal.
Panda Cantina | Portuguese Ramen Shop
Panda Cantina may seem like a curious entry since it’s not at all Portuguese and has multiple locations around town. But, if you’re looking to eat among a young Portuguese crowd, this is the place to go.
Expect a queue when you dine at Panda’s original Baixa location. We don’t know why locals can’t slurp enough of the Chinese-style noodle soups that are served three ways – with beef, pork or tofu. Ordering bowls of ramen here involves selecting from a heat scale of one to five. (Warning: These heat levels should be taken seriously.)
While it’s not at the top of our favorite Lisbon ramen shops, meals here are quick, fun and don’t break the bank. And once again, the young, hip Portuguese crowd loves this place.
The original Panda Cantina is located at Rua da Prata 252, 1100-052 Lisboa, Portugal.
Natraj | Solid Indian Food
A statue of Nataraja greets visitors at Natraj’s Baixa location. While we’re not sure why that statue isn’t of Annapurna, the Hindu goddess of food, we are sure that Natraj serves solid Indian food that tastes great in the restaurant as well as well as para levar (i.e. for takeaway).
Although Natraj has an extensive Indian food menu, the restaurant excels at preparing Punjabi food. (We learned this from an Uber driver and agree with his assessment.) Our favorite dishes are chicken tandoori and lamb punjabi. Both pair well with garlic naan and basmati rice. As a bonus, the restaurant will serve these and other dishes spicy upon emphatic request.
Natraj has multiple Lisbon locations. The Baixa restaurant is located at Rua dos Sapateiros 171, 1100-577 Lisboa, Portugal.
Chez Béa | Crêpes and Cider
There’s no debate that France is the best place to eat crêpes – especially in Brittany where the pancake variant originated. Eating the French food favorite at Baixa’s Chez Béa is a great alternative even though Lisbon is more than 800 miles from Brittany. The family that owns Chez Béa has Bretagne roots.
Chez Béa serves both savory buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes as well as salads, bowls and ice cream. Chez Béa also serves cider imported from Brittany. Pairing that hard apple beverage with a savory galette makes for an ideal lunch.
Chez Béa is located at Rua das Pedras Negras 32, 1100-226 Lisboa, Portugal.
Imprensa Cocktail and Oyster Bar | Oysters & Cocktails
Oyster bars weren’t yet a thing in Lisbon when the second Imprensa Cocktail and Oyster Bar opened in the city’s Baixa neighborhood back in 2022. And, while there’s now more competition in the city’s oyster bar space, Imprensa remains popular due to its simple combination of classic cocktails and freshly shucked oysters sourced from nearby Setúbal.
This Baixa bar menu includes natural wine, beer and cider but, let’s be honest, those beverages are afterthoughts. The true joy is to eat Imprensa’s salty bi-valves outside as the breeze flows from the Rio Tejo and the trams whiz down Rua da Prata.
Imprensa Cocktail and Oyster Bar is located at Rua de São Nicolau 24, 1100-547 Lisboa, Portugal.
Cerveja Canil | Brew Pub
Despite its name, Cerveja Canil serves beer to people and not dogs. (Cerveja Canil litterally translates to Beer Kennel.) Open since 2019, the brew pub brews serves 32 beers on tap every day. Many of those beers are brewed locally by Canil while others are sourced from other Portuguese breweries as well as globally.
Canil tends to fill up during its weekday happy hours, with crowds spilling on to the brew pub’s small outdoor space. Beyond beer, food options include burgers, sandwiches and Portuguese bar snacks.
Cerveja Canil is located at Rua dos Douradores 133, 1100-213 Lisboa, Portugal.
Various Specialty Coffee Shops | Flat Whites & Brunch
Baixa didn’t haven many, if any, specialty coffee shops or trendy brunch spots when we moved to the neighborhood in 2021. Things have changed in a big way – there are now dozens of cafes that cater to tourists looking to start their days with pancakes and cups of joe. We avoid most of those cafes with a 10-foot pole.
That being said, there are a handful of Baixa coffee shops that we genuinely like. And, as a bonus, they all serve croissants and/or more substantial brunch items. One serves ginormous donuts. These are our favorites:
Discover more Lisbon coffee shops.
Gelateria la Romana and Santini | Gelato Shops
Althoguh Lisbon has more pastelarias (i.e. bakeries) than ice cream shops, finding ice cream in Baixa is easy. Many of the neighborhood’s ice cream shops are chains, including our two faves – Gelateria la Romana and Santini. The orginal Gelateria la Romana is located in Rome (Italy) while the original Santini is in Estoril.
We’re partial to creamy gelato flavors like croccante all’amerena, pistachio and stracciatella when we order cones at Gelateria la Romana. However, we tend to order seasonal fruit flavors like melon, pineapple and strawberry when we go to Santini. We’re yet to order a bad flavor at either shop.
Gelateria la Romana is located at Rua de São Nicolau 44, 1100-549 Lisboa, Portugal.
Santini is located at Rua do Carmo 88, 1100-581 Lisboa, Portugal.
Where to Shop in Baixa
Despite the plethora of magnet shops and chain stores in Baixa, the neighorhood has more than a few worthy retail establishments that cater to food enthusiasts. These are our favorites:
Getting Around Baixa
Things to Do in Baixa
All roads lead to Baixa for many Lisbon travelers. If your’re one of those travelers, here are some worthwhile activities to do while you’re in the neighborhood:
Where to Stay in Baixa
The concentration of boutique hotels in Baixa is intense. Friends have stayed at the following hotels and have reported positively on their experiences:
