There is an endless list of wonderful places to eat in Lisbon; you'll find something to devour on almost every street corner in this sunny city. But you don't need us to tell you about celebrity chefs or the restaurants that are booked up until next year - you can get that information anywhere online. Instead, we've picked out the specific local plates you need to get your teeth into and exactly where to find them at their best. Enough pasteis de nata (well, never enough, but you know what we mean), these are the morsels that will make your mouth water at the mere memory. Of course, there are many (many) more, but these are our firm favourites.

restaurant

Este Oeste

Lisbon, Portugal

Located in the Culture Centre of Belém, the menu here is divided into “west” (featuring European dishes with an emphasis on Italy) “east” (largely focusing on Japan) and “fusion”, an imaginative global combining. But it’s the padella este oeste – sea soup with udon noodles cooked in a wood-fired oven – that really stands out as here. Simply incredible.

Address

Praça do Império, 1449-003 Lisboa, Portugal

+351 215 904 358 Go to website

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restaurant

Azenhas do Mar

Lisbon, Portugal

Okay, so this one is in rather a lot of guidebooks – but with good reason. It does divine fish and has a beautiful view, but most importantly, they serve a delight that roughly translates as “seafood in bread soup with garlic”. You need to order it to understand.

Address

2705-104 Colares, Portugal

+351 219 280 739 Go to website

restaurant

Salsa e Coentros

Lisbon, Portugal

In the neighbourhood of Alvalade are some of the most typical Portuguese restaurants and patisseries that are well worth a look-in. But what brings us to Salsa e Coentros time and time again is the partridge empanada with turnip rice. While you wait, order the fava beans with coriander.

Address

R. Cel. Marques Leitão 12, 1700-337 Lisboa, Portugal

+351 218 410 990 Go to website

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restaurant

Sem Palavras

Libson, Portugal

Also in Alvalade is this informal taverna touting fresh seafood and a beef-loin sandwich (“prego do lombo”) that we’d leave the house for no matter how big a storm was raging outside. Get the best of both worlds and order prawn and the octopus salad to start – and probably an extra sandwich to take away with you.

Address

Av. Rio de Janeiro 48, 1700-111 Lisboa, Portugal

+351 21 846 1958 Go to website

restaurant

Tasquinha do Lagarto

Lisbon, Portugal

Whipping up traditional childhood dishes, eating here will leave you feeling like you’ve just been fed by the Portuguese grandmother you (probably) never had. Everything is homemade; we recommend “cozido à Portuguesa” (Portuguese stew) and grouper rice.

Address

R. de Campolide 258, Lisboa, Portugal

+351 213 883 202 Go to website

restaurant

Pharmacia

Lisbon, Portugal

It might not be on an actual rooftop, but it fills all the other prerequisite – it’s up high atop a steep hill (a challenge to walk down tipsy, by the way), there’s plenty of sunshine to be had on the astro-turfed patio and tanned waiters will bring you endless cocktails. Best of all, once you’ve enough mojitos, you can head inside for dinner in the quirky restaurant.

Address

Rua Marechal Saldanha no.2 1249

+351 213 462 146 Go to website

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Home

Farmers’ markets sprouting up in almost every neighbourhood means fresh produce is the order of the day in Lisbon. Weather permitting (the capital enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year), you can’t leave without having a good old picnic on the beach. Head to your local market and pick up some requeijão (a Portuguese cheese made with goat’s milk), black olives, morcela de arroz (smoked meat and rice in the shape of a chorizo), alheira de Mirandela (a Jewish sausage) and a selection of canned fish – unlike the lacklustre tuna variety you may be used to, expect colourful tins packed with the likes of sardines, horse mackerel, anchovies, octopus and eel.

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