The best restaurants in Portugal aren’t just about Michelin stars – though there are plenty. What matters is flavor: bold, local, and often seriously inventive. Whether it’s grilled sardines by the sea or a tasting menu in a Lisbon townhouse, the country’s food scene is all about freshness and authenticity.
Traveling to Portugal for the food? You’re in for a treat. From boundary-pushing chefs in Lisbon to beach bars serving just-landed seafood in the Algarve, here’s our pick of the best Portugal restaurants right now.
Location: Rua do Choupelo, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto
Sitting high above the Douro, The Yeatman’s restaurant is as much about the view as it is about the food, though both are spectacular. With two Michelin stars and a serious reputation, this is one of Portugal’s top fine-dining experiences. The dining room looks out over Porto’s historic Ribeira district, but your attention won’t stray far from the plate. The seasonal tasting menus lean heavily on the Atlantic – think sea urchin, tuna belly, turbot – served with finesse and paired with wines from one of the most extensive cellars in the country.
Service is impeccable, the setting elegant but unstuffy. And yes, there’s a fish-focused tasting menu that’s worth every course. This is the kind of place you plan a night around. If you’re basing yourself nearby, check out our guide to the best areas to stay in Porto.
Fresh seafood is a feature at The Yeatman in Porto © The Yeatman Hotel
Location: Praça dos Poveiros, Porto
A Casa Guedes is proof that great food doesn’t have to come with starched napkins or a hefty price tag. This humble, no-frills spot near Porto’s Jardim de São Lázaro (not Ribeira – watch that mix-up) is a local legend, thanks to one thing: the pork sandwich. Layers of slow-roasted pork shoulder, dripping with juice and topped with creamy Serra da Estrela cheese, packed into a crusty bread roll – it’s pure comfort in your hands.
More café-bar than sit-down restaurant, Casa Guedes keeps it simple, quick, and delicious, earning its place among the top Portugal restaurants for its legendary pork sandwich alone. You’ll likely queue, especially around lunch, but the line moves fast and the payoff is worth it. Pair your sandwich with a cold beer and grab a seat outside if the weather’s kind. It’s one of the tastiest bites in Porto, no question.
Location: Bairro do Avillez, Rua Nova da Trindade 18, Lisbon
Mini Bar doesn’t do boring. Run by Michelin-starred chef José Avillez, this wildly inventive restaurant sits inside Bairro do Avillez, a food-focused concept space in the heart of Chiado. The experience? Part fine dining, part theatrical spectacle. You’ll get dishes like exploding olives, seaweed cones stuffed with tuna tartare, or a foie gras bonbon masquerading as dessert.
Menus are presented in “acts,” echoing the drama on your plate. There’s serious technique behind the playfulness, and every course is delivered with purpose and precision. Whether you opt for à la carte or a full tasting menu, you’re in for surprises. The mood is lively, the lighting low, and the vibe pure Chiado cool. After dinner, you’re a short walk from Bairro Alto – Lisbon’s nightlife engine. Check out our guide to the best areas to stay in Lisbon if you’re planning to keep the night going.
Mini Bar, Lisbon is one of the best restaurants in Portugal © Paulo Barata
Location: Penha Longa Resort, Estrada da Lagoa Azul, Linhó, Sintra
Midori is one of Portugal’s most refined Japanese dining experiences – and the first ethnic restaurant in the country to earn a Michelin star. Tucked inside the luxe Penha Longa Resort just outside Sintra, it blends Japanese precision with Portuguese soul. Expect multi-course tasting menus – seven or nine acts – where dishes like smoked tuna nigiri, turbot with nasu dengaku, and mackerel tataki with tomato gazpacho show off flawless technique and seasonal produce.
The setting is intimate, service is tight, and the kitchen balances subtlety with flavor in every bite. Don’t skip the sake jelly for dessert – it’s delicate, refreshing, and a perfect finish. This is the kind of meal worth making a night of, especially if you’re staying nearby.
Location: Avenida Ria Formosa, Cabanas de Tavira, Algarve
Noélia isn’t just a restaurant – it’s a rite of passage for food lovers in the Algarve. Set along the waterfront in Cabanas de Tavira, just outside Faro, this laid-back spot serves seafood that’s elegant without trying too hard. At the helm is chef Noélia Jerónimo, whose inventive yet grounded approach to Portuguese cuisine has made her one of the most respected names in the country.
The menu changes with the catch of the day, but locals (and chefs from across Portugal) rave about the octopus fritters and the John Dory with coriander rice. Both are standouts – clean, bold, and deeply satisfying. There’s a short but solid wine list, and desserts stay classic.
One of the best restaurants in Portugal is Japanese Midori © Midori
Location: Praia da Caneiros, near Ferragudo, Algarve
Perched on stilts above the sand at Praia da Caneiros, Rei das Praias blends beach-shack charm with fine-dining precision. It’s just outside Portimão, and if you visit off-season, you might have the whole golden cove to yourself. From the outside, the wooden structure looks quirky – even rustic. But inside, white tablecloths and polished service set the tone for one of the Algarve’s most reliable seafood restaurants.
Start with oysters or clams swimming in garlicky olive oil, then go big with salt-baked sea bass or the rich, briny cataplana – a traditional seafood stew cooked in a domed copper pan. The catch is local, the cooking unfussy but spot-on, and the view? Straight off a postcard, minus the crowds if you time it right.
Location: Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo
Herdade do Esporão isn’t just one of the best in Alentejo – it’s one of the best restaurants in Portugal, full stop. Set on a vast wine estate near Reguengos de Monsaraz, the restaurant champions hyper-seasonal, zero-waste cooking under the leadership of chef Carlos Teixeira. Almost everything you’ll eat is grown or raised on the estate, and every dish reflects the rhythms of the region.
Menus shift with the seasons, but expect things like acorn-fed black pork with roasted roots, or tomatoes picked that morning paired with estate-made olive oil. There’s a vegetarian tasting menu, too – rare for this meat-loving region. Naturally, wines come from Esporão’s own cellars, and the pairings are flawless.
The space is minimalist, all stone and light, with vineyard views that stretch to the horizon. This is destination dining at its most grounded. Book ahead – it’s no longer a secret.
Rei das Praias on Praia da Caneiros in Algarve © Rei das Praias
Location: Rua Dr. Aresta Branco 17, Beja, Alentejo
Adega Típica 25 Abril nails what Alentejo does best: bold flavors, no fuss, and big portions. This beloved tavern in the heart of Beja isn’t flashy, but the food speaks for itself. Start with a spread of tapas-like petiscos – this isn’t Spain, but Portugal’s answer is just as tasty. Expect sharp sheep’s cheese, slices of smoky chouriço, and tiny black olives served with thick wedges of rustic local bread that’s good enough to make a meal of on its own.
If you’ve still got room, the grilled meats are some of the best in town – especially the black pork. Everything pairs beautifully with a glass (or bottle) of hearty Alentejan red. The setting is old-school and cozy, the kind of place where lunch lingers into late afternoon.
Looking for more regional flavor? Check out our guide to the best pousadas in Portugal for historic stays that match the vibe.
Location: Quinta de Lemos, Viseu
Tucked away in the Dão wine region, Mesa de Lemos is a destination restaurant that takes local seriously. Set among the vineyards of Quinta de Lemos, this Michelin-starred spot is helmed by chef Diogo Rocha, who works exclusively with Portuguese ingredients – often sourced from the estate or nearby farms. The tasting menus are elegant, restrained, and full of surprises. Think smoked eel with green apple, or partridge with chestnut and wild mushrooms.
The dining room is sleek and minimalist, putting the spotlight on the plates—and the views. Wines are naturally from the estate’s own cellars, and the pairings are spot-on. Despite the upscale setting, there’s no pretense here – just genuine hospitality and exceptional food. Among Portugal restaurants, this one stands out for its quiet sophistication and vineyard-to-table ethos. It’s a bit out of the way, but that’s part of the appeal. Book a lunch and spend the afternoon soaking up the vineyard calm. This is Portugal at its slow, refined best.
Location: Rua Santa Catarina 86, Leça da Palmeira
Fava Tonka rewrites the rules of Portuguese dining. Set in Leça da Palmeira, this intimate spot serves bold, seasonal, and entirely vegetarian food that’s anything but predictable. The kitchen leans into fermentation, fire, and texture, transforming local produce into vibrant, deeply satisfying dishes.
You might start with a beetroot tartare layered with cashew cream, or roasted carrots balanced by citrus and spice. Every plate is a masterclass in restraint – nothing is there by accident. The wine list champions organic and natural producers, most from Portugal, and the staff are passionate without the hard sell.
The space is minimalist but warm, with a quiet energy that lets the food do the talking. Even if you’re not vegetarian, you’ll leave convinced. In a town better known for surf and seafood, Fava Tonka stands out – for all the right reasons.
Location: Avenida da Liberdade 1681, Leça da Palmeira
Casa de Chá da Boa Nova is Portugal’s most dramatic dining experience. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, this two-Michelin-star restaurant is perched directly above the Atlantic, where waves slam into the rocks just meters from your table. Inside, chef Rui Paula crafts seafood-driven tasting menus that are as precise as they are poetic.
The kitchen delivers dishes like scarlet shrimp in dashi, turbot with caviar, and oyster with seaweed granita – elegant without being fussy, deeply connected to the coast, and paced like a well-told story. The experience unfolds slowly, deliberately, and always in sync with the rhythm of the sea.
Book at sunset for full effect. With architecture, food, and nature in perfect harmony, this is one of the most unforgettable meals you’ll have in Portugal – if not anywhere.
Location: Largo do Serralho 4, Guimarães
Right in the historic center of Guimarães, A Cozinha is a refined tribute to northern Portuguese cuisine. Chef António Loureiro earned a Michelin star here by sticking to a simple principle: cook with purpose. That means seasonal, sustainable ingredients – many from small producers in the region – transformed into dishes that are both rooted and reimagined.
Tasting menus might include reinvented classics like cured cod with chickpea textures, suckling pig with apple, or desserts made with pumpkin and olive oil. It’s refined, but never sterile. The restaurant itself is modern and serene, tucked into a quiet corner just steps from the city’s UNESCO-listed old town.
Wines lean toward lesser-known northern varieties, and the staff are happy to guide you. This is one of Portugal’s best examples of contemporary cooking that doesn’t lose sight of its origins.
Location: Calçada da Galeria 13, Tavira
At A Ver Tavira, chef Luís Brito doesn’t just follow Algarve tradition – he refines it. Set above Tavira’s old town with panoramic views, the restaurant offers a tasting menu that shifts with the tides and seasons, but always keeps one foot in the region’s culinary roots.
Expect layered flavors rather than flashy presentation: grilled squid meets black garlic and seaweed, while carob, herbs, and lamb echo the wild backcountry. Dishes are precise without being overdesigned. It’s confident cooking that quietly surprises.
The setting is relaxed but polished, with terrace seating that earns its own round of applause, especially at sunset. This isn’t the Algarve of sardines and sangria; it’s a slower, smarter approach to the south. If you want to know what modern Portuguese food looks like, this is a fine place to start.
Fresh oysters in Algarve, Portugal © Dre Roelandt
Location: Vila Vita Parc, Armação de Pêra, Algarve
Ocean doesn’t just live up to its name – it dominates the fine dining scene in Portugal with two Michelin stars and a view of the Atlantic that’s just as impressive as the food. Located inside the luxurious Vila Vita Parc resort, this is where chef Hans Neuner turns local ingredients into world-class tasting menus with serious flair.
The dishes are ambitious but rooted – razor clams with yuzu, Iberian pork with fig, goose barnacles with fermented garlic. Every element has a reason to be there. Service is smooth but personal, and the wine pairings are among the best in the country.
The dining room is understated and quiet, letting the plates and the sea take center stage. If you’re after a blowout dinner that captures the flavors of Portugal with global finesse, Ocean is the one to book. It’s not casual – but it’s unforgettable.
Location: Rua Pedro de Santarém 73, Santarém
You don’t expect one of the most inventive Portugal restaurants to be tucked into a sleepy street in Santarém – but Ó Balcão has never played by the rules. Chef Rodrigo Castelo earned a Michelin star here by championing the Ribatejo region’s overlooked ingredients and giving them a bold new voice on the plate.
River fish, foraged herbs, freshwater prawns – this is food you won’t find anywhere else in Portugal. Think smoked eel with wild greens, or lamprey rice reworked with astonishing delicacy. Even the humble sável (shad) gets the fine-dining treatment. Dishes are daring but respectful, and the room is cozy and unfussy – like someone quietly rewriting the rules from the inside.
It’s not a showy place, but the flavors speak volumes. If you want to see what real regional innovation looks like, Ó Balcão is where Portugal's future meets its forgotten roots.
written by
Olga Sitnitsa
updated 13.05.2025
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