7 Portuguese Dishes To Try
1. Pastel De Nata
The best-known food from Portugal is arguably the iconic Pastel de Nata (or Pastéis de Nata in plural form). This simple but absolutely delicious custard tart was invented in (or possibly before) the 18th century by monks at the Hieronymites Monastery in Belem, near Lisbon (hence Pastéis de Nata are sometimes called ‘Pastéis de Belem’). The monks used egg whites to starch laundry and then found a use for the leftover egg yolks: to make tasty little pastries.
They are fairly ubiquitous in Portugal – you’ll see them in lots of places. If you want to try the original monk’s recipe, go to Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, in the outskirts of Lisbon.
Whether you have the original or not, these delicious little tarts are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee in the afternoon. My favourite Pastel de Nata experience was at A Brasileira in Lisbon. This is a lovely coffee house in the Chiado area, dating from 1905. It was glorious to sit out on the sunny terrace with a glass of wine and a soft, warm Pastel de Nata. Bliss!
And you don’t need to be in Portugal to try these – check out these ideas of destinations to try Pasteis de Nata around the world.
2. Sardinhas Assadas
Before my first trip to Portugal, all I knew about Portuguese cuisine was that the sardines were good. Gilled sardines, or sardinhas assadas, are a simple pleasure. Sardines on toast was something we had as kids in the UK, but the mushy kind we had from tins were not quite the same as the succulent, fresh kind you’ll find in Portugal.
For a small country, Portugal has a whole lot of coastline: 943km on continental Portugal alone. Sardines are fished all around the Portuguese waters, and the season for the best fresh sardines is in the summer months.
I first saw these little silver fishes being grilled whole in the Algarve region, which is known for having great sardines. And they look wonderful: silvery skin turned to caramel stripes from the grill.
However, my most memorable dish of sardinhas assadas was from a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant in Lisbon. Belcanto does a tasing menu inspired by the produce of Portugal and one course was a tiny, neat version of sardines on toast, served as a canape. It was a lovely fresh mouthful!
3. Bacalhau à Brás
While sardines are a well-known food from Portugal, before my most recent trip to Lisbon and Porto, I hadn’t realised that cod is also a very traditional Portuguese food.
Every restaurant I went to, I asked for a recommendation and more often than not, I was recommended a cod dish – so I ended up eating cod four times in five days!
My favourite cod dish was called Bacalhau à Brás. I was told by the waiter this is a classic Portuguese dish, and great comfort food – and he was absolutely right about the comfort food part.
Bacalhau à Brás is made with flakes of cod, onion and thin strips of potato and is bound together with eggs. It is soft and warm, with a mix of salt from the fish and sweetness from the onion. It is often garnished with olives, but the one I had was served topped with an egg yolk, which I was told to stir in. This really added some sticky richness to the dish and made it feel quite indulgent. I tried this at Tapisco, in the Principe Real region of Lisbon.
7 Portuguese Dishes To Try
1. Pastel De Nata
The best-known food from Portugal is arguably the iconic Pastel de Nata (or Pastéis de Nata in plural form). This simple but absolutely delicious custard tart was invented in (or possibly before) the 18th century by monks at the Hieronymites Monastery in Belem, near Lisbon (hence Pastéis de Nata are sometimes called ‘Pastéis de Belem’). The monks used egg whites to starch laundry and then found a use for the leftover egg yolks: to make tasty little pastries.
They are fairly ubiquitous in Portugal – you’ll see them in lots of places. If you want to try the original monk’s recipe, go to Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, in the outskirts of Lisbon.
Whether you have the original or not, these delicious little tarts are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee in the afternoon. My favourite Pastel de Nata experience was at A Brasileira in Lisbon. This is a lovely coffee house in the Chiado area, dating from 1905. It was glorious to sit out on the sunny terrace with a glass of wine and a soft, warm Pastel de Nata. Bliss!
And you don’t need to be in Portugal to try these – check out these ideas of destinations to try Pasteis de Nata around the world.
2. Sardinhas Assadas
Before my first trip to Portugal, all I knew about Portuguese cuisine was that the sardines were good. Gilled sardines, or sardinhas assadas, are a simple pleasure. Sardines on toast was something we had as kids in the UK, but the mushy kind we had from tins were not quite the same as the succulent, fresh kind you’ll find in Portugal.
For a small country, Portugal has a whole lot of coastline: 943km on continental Portugal alone. Sardines are fished all around the Portuguese waters, and the season for the best fresh sardines is in the summer months.
I first saw these little silver fishes being grilled whole in the Algarve region, which is known for having great sardines. And they look wonderful: silvery skin turned to caramel stripes from the grill.
However, my most memorable dish of sardinhas assadas was from a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant in Lisbon. Belcanto does a tasing menu inspired by the produce of Portugal and one course was a tiny, neat version of sardines on toast, served as a canape. It was a lovely fresh mouthful!
3. Bacalhau à Brás
While sardines are a well-known food from Portugal, before my most recent trip to Lisbon and Porto, I hadn’t realised that cod is also a very traditional Portuguese food.
Every restaurant I went to, I asked for a recommendation and more often than not, I was recommended a cod dish – so I ended up eating cod four times in five days!
My favourite cod dish was called Bacalhau à Brás. I was told by the waiter this is a classic Portuguese dish, and great comfort food – and he was absolutely right about the comfort food part.
Bacalhau à Brás is made with flakes of cod, onion and thin strips of potato and is bound together with eggs. It is soft and warm, with a mix of salt from the fish and sweetness from the onion. It is often garnished with olives, but the one I had was served topped with an egg yolk, which I was told to stir in. This really added some sticky richness to the dish and made it feel quite indulgent. I tried this at Tapisco, in the Principe Real region of Lisbon.
