Lisbon, Portugal Food Tour
Our first day in Portugal began with a walking foodie tour in Lisbon, and rightfully so. By the end of the trip, the super simple, very fresh food, was one of my surprise takeaways and highlights of my time in Portugal. Their food is deliciosa!
We met up with Joao, or John, who my friend found on Air B&B and he was the best guide!! I loved his selections of what he had us try and it immediately cured my FOMO on the first day, checking off of my list the things we had to try in Portugal! I’ll break it down one by one below.
Ginjinha - Our welcome drink and what the locals said we must try is a sweet liquer made from Morello cherries soaked in a distilled spirit. It’s sweet and sometimes even served in a chocolate cup. Although this drink can be found everywhere in Lisbon, he took us to one where the quality of the cherries is very good. Salud! Let the fun begin!
Bifana - This was a very simple pork belly sandwich paired with a refreshing beer and a really fresh bread that resembled Ciabatta. It was so simple made with garlic and paprika and the secret ingredient of lard….that’s what made it so juicy! I really enjoyed the simplicity of this and is something I’d probably eat weekly if I lived in Lisbon.
Samosa - We walked through some narrow cobblestone streets into a cozy residential area to find Resstaurante Cantinho do Aziz that has a Portuguese menu with Mozambican influences. My friends who eat samosa regularly, said this was by far the best they’ve ever had! It was so crispy, hot and fresh, and stuffed good with flavor. Our samosa was paired with a refreshing wine and a side of some famous hot sauce made in-house that can now be found on Amazon! I enjoyed this dish as well…so much so I forgot to take a photo before we dug in!
Cod Fritters - We saw cod everywhere and thought it’s not a fish from their ocean and comes from up North, they are something the Portuguese can eat 365 different ways for every day of the year. They are imported regularly and are prepared in so many different ways. We had ours fritter style and it was paired with a clean green white wine in a famous pub in the middle of one of Lisbon’s Squares. I think my favorite thing about this stop was just hanging out with the locals and doing what the locals do!
Main Course - Then came the main course, and it was probably one of my favorite meals in Portugal! Hidden in an average looking building I would have just walked by, John took us inside to the most beautifully decorated building and a bustling restaurant off to one corner. And here is where we had it all…our first meal in Portugal! Olives, bread, cheese, chick pea cod salad that was to die for and I don’t normally eat chick peas, a Portuguese soup with egg inside that hit the spot, and the best flaming chorizo sausage I ever had packed with the perfect flavor. It was sooooooo good! Again, everything was paired with Portuguese wine and John brought out chicken gizzards which normally I don’t care for, but this was the only one I ever had that was soft in texture. I was pleasantly surprised.
Pastel De Nata - Finally, came dessert and what Portugal is famous for - Pastel De Nata! Everyone told me this is what I must try and I see why! It is like a light, flaky, and fresh crispy cup holding a generous amount of creamy custard and torched on top like a creme brulee. This dessert has so much history to it and is one of the symbols of Portugal. We went to a spot where they were making them fresh on-site and it was amazing!!! Paired this one with espresso and it was the perfect way to end the tour! Deliciosa!
John was wonderful. I give him my highest recommendation for his food tour and if I ever get the chance to return to Portugal, he also does a wine tour!
What I loved about his tour was that it was a walking tour. That helped to keep my body feeling great after every stop stuffing my face! :) And along the way, he shared the history of the town, his passion for the Portugese people, and was kind to answer all of our questions since it was our first day there and we were trying to take it all in!
After about three and a half hours, from one foodie to another, I had to share something also made fresh in Hawai`i using local ingredients from home because I knew he would appreciate it. I know that’s what I appreciated about the food we tried. It was all made fresh with simple great ingredients, by local people, and that’s what made it so simply deliciosa!
From now on, wherever I visit in the world, I’ll be looking for a food tour with a local to spend my time there getting to know the history, the culture, it’s people, and a deep dive in with their food. And like John, besides the food you will eat, they can point out to you all the places you should try for the duration of your stay.
finding peace by piece:
If you’re someone who wants to try “what you’re supposed to try” in a new place, but don’t know where to begin, booking a food tour takes out a lot of the planning, stress, or waiting in line, to simply give you a taste of everything. Then you can decide what you love and go from there.
