“Lisbon is a city of discovery. Every time I go back, I discover something new.”

— Chef George Mendes

Here is Michelin-starred chef George Mendes’ guide for his perfect day of eating, drinking, and shopping in Lisbon.

Portugal is one of my favorite places. It really started with my upbringing and my childhood. I traveled here for the first time in the 1980s with my family. As I began to discover Portugal more and more, I fell more in love with the city, the landscape, and the architecture. As an adult, I began to really connect with my roots, my upbringing and the way my mother and my father would cook Portuguese dishes. Today, I connect with it from a cooking standpoint and then the sheer beauty of it as a country.

Lisbon Street in Alfama | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.

Lisbon is a beautiful, modern city. When I first came here in the 1980s and ‘90s, it was underdeveloped and with a lot of poverty. There weren’t many as many boutiques, shops, museums, or fine dining restaurants as there are now. After the World Expo was here in 1998, more attention was paid to Lisbon. There was a lot of new construction with more modern structures and you started to see more retailers infiltrate the city.

There is still so much historical architecture in the old parts of Lisbon from the Romans and the Moors. Then you also have what I refer to as the '5th Avenue of Lisbon' along Avenida da Liberdade with Prada and other major retailers that you see in New York City.

“Let yourself get lost in Lisbon. It is all about discovering the city, wandering the streets, and taking in the architecture. Every time I return, I find something new.”

A Ginjinha for their signature cherry liqueur | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink. — A Ginjinha for their signature cherry liqueur | Photo Credit: *©Find. Eat. Drink.*

What To Drink

The most popular wine to drink is Port, but don't miss the Vinho Verdes, the wines from Alentejo, as well as red wines from the Douro region. You also have to try the more fortified, strong spirits like Aguardente, which is known as Portuguese moonshine. It is made all over the country and is served as a digestif. Ginjinha is a delicious cherry liqueur and there are a lot of special little shops and bars all over Lisbon that sell it.

Sovina Beer at Museu da Cerveja | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink. — Sovina Beer at Museu da Cerveja | Photo Credit: *©Find. Eat. Drink.*

The craft beer movement in Portugal is also growing with so many different beers to try. Superbock and Sagres are basically the Budweiser of Portugal and you have to try them, just to say you did. But there are other smaller craft beers like Sovina and Letra. They make a series of different IPAs, ales, and lagers.

BREAKFAST

MANTEIGARIA

Breakfast is really simple in Portugal. In the Chiado, get a coffee and pastry at Manteigaria. They make beautiful Pastéis de Natas, which are the egg custard tarts.

Rua do Loreto 2, 1200-242 Lisbon
T: +351.213.471.492

EXPLORE

Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink. — Photo Credit: *©Find. Eat. Drink.*

The Chiado neighborhood is up on a hill, so after breakfast I take a leisurely stroll down towards the river to the Cais do Sodre district.

SNACK

MERCADO DA RIBEIRA

This is an indoor market and food hall. The market has produce and tropical fruits from all over Portugal and other parts of the world, collard greens, kale, mountains of different varieties of potatoes, onions, and peppers. Down the corridor is the seafood market. It is really great to see it early in the morning -- in fact, the earlier you visit the better. You can kill time walking the stalls and looking at all the varieties of fish.

The food hall is in the middle and they have all these little restaurants for sandwiches, or mistas, which are mixed sandwiches. They also have hamburgers, soups, salads, and enormous plates of charcuterie. It is the perfect little lunch hall. What you eat really depends on what you are in the mood for.

Avenida 24 de Julho 49, 1200 Lisbon
T: +351.213.461.199 | www.timeoutmarket.com/lisboa

GETTING AROUND

Lisbon Metro | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink. — Lisbon Metro | Photo Credit: *©Find. Eat. Drink.*

It is a little bit of a long walk to my favorite lunch spot, but you can take the Metro. I really love using the public transportation in Lisbon, it is pretty great.

LUNCH

CERVEJARIA RAMIRO

Located on Avenida Almirante Reis, one of the main avenues, this is my favorite seafood and shellfish restaurant of all time. This is the perfect lunch spot. Start with a beautiful platter of hand-sliced Iberico ham from black pigs [Pata Negra]. Then order gooseneck barnacles and four or five different varieties of shrimp from all over Portugal. They have langoustines and many different clams to choose from as well. They also do traditional Portuguese dishes, but the super, uber-fresh seafood cooked in seawater is their specialty. Sit at the table for two to three hours and pig out.

Avenida Almirante Reis Nº1 - H, 1150-007 Lisbon
T: +351.21.885.1024 | www.cervejariaramiro.pt

SHOPPING

A Vida Portuguesa

After lunch, take a stroll along Avenida Almirante Reis. It is a great way to work off all that food. But before your stroll, stop into A Vida Portuguesa, which is just around the corner from Cervejaria Ramiro.

I love shopping here. It is such a wonderful shop with all things Portuguese. They have kitchen supplies, plateware, glassware, spices, spirits, olive oil, tableware, table cloths, decorative frames, all kinds of porcelain, furniture, and pottery. It is an insane place and the perfect place to shop, digest your lunch, and get ready for your nighttime plans.

Largo do Intendente Pina Manique 23, 1100-285 Lisbon
T: +351.211.974.512 | www.avidaportuguesa.com

DINNER

TABERNA DA RUA DAS FLORES

I love coming here for dinner. My friend chef André Magalhães owns it. The restaurant has about 8 tables in a very narrow room. You have to get here on the early side, because a line forms down the street and often they’ll tell you they aren't able to seat you. There is a little chalkboard menu and the food is Portuguese. Or you can order whatever André wants to give you.

Rua das Flores 103, 1200-194 Lisbon
T: +351.21.347.9418

FADO MUSIC

Lisbon Street Art | Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink. — Lisbon Street Art | Photo Credit: *©Find. Eat. Drink.*

After dinner I like to listen to Fado music, the Portuguese songs of sorrow and hope. They are usually performed by a female and a guy playing an instrument, the guitar. Amália Rodrigues was one of the most famous fadistas and she passed away in the late nineties. In the old district of Alfama, there are all these different places to listen to music.

SOUVENIR

GALO DE BARCELOS

You have to bring home the Portuguese mascot, the Galo de Barcelos, which is a ceramic rooster. It is the Portuguese version of the Japanese ceramic cat with the arm waving. It is a sign of good luck. The folk lore story is that there was a criminal who was going to be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. They were in a court room and he said that if the dead rooster crowed, then it would prove that he was an innocent man. The dead rooster crowed and that is how it became a Portuguese symbol of luck. They are all over Portugal. There is one on the chef’s counter at Aldea and we have them decorating Lupulo as well.

Where I Stay

ABOUT GEORGE MENDES

Chef George Mendes is a first-generation American born to Portuguese parents. He brings his passion for all things Portuguese to New York City as the owner and executive chef of the modern Portuguese-inspired, Michelin-starred restaurant Aldea. Mendes is also the author of the cookbook My Portugal: Recipes and Stories, featuring 125 recipes showcasing dishes from his favorite coastal country, Portugal [Buy It].

ALDEA
31 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
T: 212.675.7223 | www.aldearestaurant.com

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Chef's Perfect Day in Lisbon