Lisbon is rapidly establishing itself as one of the world’s most exciting culinary destinations.
Our Community Manager, Hugo Campbell-Davys, highlights his latest discoveries of must-visit eateries, offering insights into the city’s dynamic and ever changing food scene – from the rebirth of an incoming Portuguese establishment to innovative contemporary restaurants. These carefully selected recommendations showcase the finest dining experiences Lisbon has to offer.
Fismuler Lisbon
Three ex-El Bulli chefs are behind this exciting addition, which originally launched in Madrid in 2016 and has since opened a location in Barcelona.
The Lisbon outpost is housed in the ME Lisbon hotel (found alongside the Eduardo VII Park). Expect a large scale, industrial-chic, minimalist-styled dining room (open all-day) – to feast on multi-course sharing plates – from a daily changing menu – of hearty seasonal fare with new takes on classic Spanish and European dishes inspired by Nordic cooking techniques.
Popular dishes include tortilla de ortiguillas, truffled chicken wings with egg yolk and sweet potato and their famous cheesecake, made with three different varieties of cheese.
Barbela
Acclaimed experimental Portuguese chef Leo Carreira has quietly unveiled his latest project, a seafood-driven restaurant in Lisbon’s Santos-O-Velho. Known for his bold, boundary-pushing approach, Carreira honed his craft in some of the world’s most revered kitchens, including Mugaritz and Nuno Mendes’ Viajante, before making his mark in London with Londrino – a critically acclaimed debut redefining Portuguese cuisine.
He went on to open The Sea, a pioneering hybrid concept combining fishmonger, seafood bar, and chef’s table, where he introduced groundbreaking techniques such as dry-aged fish and omakase-style tasting menus.
Returning to his native Portugal, Carreira channels that same spirit of innovation into Barbela. The striking new space features a 40-seat dining room, a Japanese-style crudo bar, and a New York- inspired speakeasy. Its menu seamlessly blends Portuguese and Japanese influences, reimagined through Carreira’s signature experimental lens.
Bica do Sapato
Set within a vast, renovated warehouse on the banks of the River Tagus, the restaurant was originally founded and co-owned by acclaimed actor John Malkovich.
Once one of Lisbon’s most iconic dining destinations of the early 2000s, this celebrated institution has now reopened after a six-year hiatus. The reimagined venue preserves its Euro-vogue aesthetic, blending lofty, minimalist design with a contemporary edge, and can welcome up to 300 guests across two floors. The ground-floor restaurant showcases modern Portuguese cuisine under the direction of chef Milton Anes (formerly of LAB by Sergi Arola and José Avillez at Tavares).
Above, the mezzanine hosts a more relaxed space: a modern tasca serving inventive takes on traditional Portuguese snacks and sandwiches. Open from early morning until late at night.
