10 typical restaurants for less than €15
There are still some typical restaurants in the centre of Lisbon where you can eat cheaply, sometimes with a full menu, for less than €15. These are called “tascas” or “cantinas” in Portugal.
You’ll notice them:
- This is the type of restaurant where the menus are written in marker on a paper tablecloth,
- Where the menus read: “1/2 portion or 1 portion” – 1 portion is perfectly sufficient for two people,
- And we remind you that the “cutlery” corresponds to the snacks (olives, pâtés, cheese, butter, bread, etc.) placed on the tables at the beginning of the meal and charged for.
If this is your first visit to the capital, read this article: If you are coming to Lisbon for the first time
Now let’s eat!
A Licorista e o Bacalhoeiro | Baixa Chiado
Specialising in traditional cuisine, A Licorista offers tasty dishes at reasonable prices. Here are some of the dishes served at the restaurant for under €15:
Bacalhau à Brás: a dish of crumbled cod mixed with onions, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and olives. This is a very popular dish in Portugal and costs around €13.
Arroz de Polvo: a dish of rice cooked in an octopus broth, served with tender, tasty pieces of octopus. This dish costs around €14.
Pastéis de Bacalhau: Salt cod and potato fritters, fried until golden and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This starter costs around €3.
All of these dishes are very popular in Portugal and A Licorista prepares them using fresh, quality ingredients. The restaurant also offers a selection of Portuguese wines to accompany the dishes.
🕐 Monday to Saturday 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 11pm
📍R. dos Sapateiros 218, 1100-587 Lisboa
A Provinciana | Baixa Chiado
This restaurant, or rather this tasca, is a perfect example of “no fuss, no muss”. A typical Portuguese menu with a soup starter, a main course (cod, pork, sardines, etc.), a drink and a coffee for less than €15.
If you’re lucky, you might even find the famous ‘Arroz de Cabidela’, a traditional dish from the Minho region.
To make it, chicken is cut into pieces and cooked with onions, garlic, spices and vinegar. The chicken blood is then added to give the dish its characteristic colour and flavour. The rice is then added and left to simmer in the sauce until it is cooked and has absorbed all the flavours of the dish.
It may sound scary, but once you try it, you’ll love it!
It’s not uncommon to see queues to get in, but don’t hesitate to ask for a Uma Imperial at the bar, Sagres or Superbook. You choose which side you’re on!
🕐 Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 3.30pm and 7pm to 10pm
📍Tv. do Forno 23, 1150-193 Lisboa
Cerqueira Restaurant | Martim Moniz
Not far from Praça Martim Moniz is this small, unpretentious restaurant with unbeatable prices. I wouldn’t recommend the chicken, but fish such as sea bream or swordfish (espada) are the most interesting dishes on the menu. Fresh, perfectly grilled and ideal for a low-calorie meal at a low price.
Dishes between €10 and €14
🕐 Monday to Friday 18:00 to 23:00 | Saturday-Sunday 12pm to 3pm – 6pm to 11pm
📍CC de Sant’Ana 49, 1150-301 Lisboa
Frangasqueira Nacional | Principe Real
This small restaurant with limited seating is famous for its grilled meats, especially the grilled chicken, of which you just can’t get enough.
This is a whole chicken marinated in a sauce of garlic, lemon, olive oil and herbs, then slowly grilled over a charcoal or wood fire.
The chicken is brushed with the marinade as it is cooked to give it a richer, tastier flavour. The end result is a juicy, tender chicken with a crispy, golden skin.
Of course, the best part is the sauce. You can’t have a good barbecue without a good sauce (o piri-piri for us)! The restaurant also serves pretty mixed salads to go with the dishes.
The atmosphere is relaxed and lively, and we love the few tables outside.
Grilled whole marinated chicken for €8.
🕐 Monday, Thursday to Saturday 6.30pm to 10pm
📍Tv. Monte do Carmo 19, 1200-276 Lisboa
A Merendeira | Santos
This Portuguese snack bar is open every day/night until 7am and offers a menu for €6.30:
- The famous caldo verde (cabbage soup), pão com chorizo (bread with chorizo), drink, rice pudding and coffee.
It’s fresh, simple and hearty. Much healthier than any fast-food restaurant.
A real institution for us Portuguese, thousands of pão com chorizo, cooked in a wood-fired oven, are sold every week. A must after an aperitif, to get you home first and ensure a good night’s sleep.
🕐 Open every day from 11am to 7am
No credit cards / Cash only
📍Av. 24 de Julho 54, 1200-657 Lisboa
Other places to eat after midnight
O Bitoque da Mouraria | mouraria
Bitoque is a traditional Portuguese dish consisting of beef steak, usually served with chips, rice, salad and a fried egg. The meat is marinated in a sauce of garlic, olive oil, white wine and bay leaves before being grilled or fried. A simple but effective dish, just like this address.
You’ll find several typical dishes, such as the famous francesinha, at a lower price but with generous portions!
🕐 Monday to Saturday, 9am to midnight
📍R. das Olarias, 1100-380 Lisboa
O Cartaxinho | avenida das liberdade
This small, friendly restaurant serves traditional Portuguese dishes such as the Carne Alentejana pictured here.
Carne Alentejana is a traditional dish that takes its name from the region in the south of the country. It’s a dish that combines pork and clams, offering a contrast between tender meat and fresh seafood.
In this typical Alentejo recipe, the pork is marinated in garlic, white wine and spices and then fried in a pan with onions and bacon. Clams are then added until they open, giving the dish a marine flavour.
This dish is often served with fried potatoes and a green salad. It’s a hearty and delicious dish that offers a unique blend of flavours and textures.
The average price of this dish is €10.
🕐 Sunday to Friday, 12pm to 10.30pm
📍R. de Santa Marta 20B, 1150-295 Lisboa
O Trevo | Bairro Alto
This small, family-run restaurant serves simple, tasty food, with specialities such as cozido à portuguesa and frango no churrasco (grilled chicken) and, above all, the famous bifanas.
A bifana is a pork sandwich topped with Portuguese mustard, onions and other ingredients, according to taste. The name “bifanas” comes from the Portuguese word “bife”, which means “steak”.
To make bifanas, we cut pork into thin slices and marinate them in a sauce of garlic, bay leaves, white wine and other spices. The slices are then grilled or fried until golden and tender. The sandwiches can be served with chips, salad or other accompaniments.
It’s a quick and tasty option for lunch or a late snack.
Average price of a bifana €4
🕐 Monday to Saturday, 7am to 10.30pm
📍Praça Luís de Camões 48, 1200-283 Lisboa
Super Mário | Baixa Chiado
Not far from the Bairro Alto you’ll find this tasca serving our favourite dry rice with carrots. Also rice with tomato and the delicious Polvo a Lagareiro (octopus with garlic and olive oil) at prices from 1/2 dose to 1 dose.
Average price per person with house wine and dessert €15
🕐 Monday to Saturday Lunch to 3pm and 7pm to 10pm
📍R. do Duque 9, 1200-158 Lisboa
Epilogue
All prices are indicative and may vary.
We hope that these places will allow you to discover some of Portugal’s gastronomy at a lower cost, in typical Lisbon restaurants. And that you, like us, will enjoy discovering these particularly authentic addresses.
