Going to Portugal for 10 days next month (Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve) and I want to eat my way through the country. I know about pasteis de nata obviously, and I’ve had bacalhau before, but what are the regional dishes that tourists usually miss?
Like is there a specific thing I should be ordering in Porto that’s different from Lisbon? I’ve read about francesinha but it looks… intense. Is it actually good or more of a novelty? And what about the Algarve, is the seafood scene as good as people say or is it mostly tourist trap restaurants near the beach?
Okay, this is finally my area of expertise because I live in Lisbon and create food/travel content about Portugal
You absolutely have to try bacalhau, but not in a touristy restaurant, should be definitely in local one. Portuguese people joke that there’s a different bacalhau recipe for every day of the year, so there are endless versions to discover.
And honestly, don’t stop at bacalhau — Portugal is amazing for seafood in general. In Lisbon I really like places like Trindade, and Alcochetano is fantastic too, especially if you like turbot.
As for pasteis de nata, I’ve tried them almost everywhere and my personal favorite is still Manteigaria.
And francesinha… I know this is controversial, but it’s not really my thing either
