🍽️ Portuguese cuisine: 10 national dishes and what to order first

Portugal is easy to recognize by its smell. In June it smells of grilled sardines, in winter of roasted chestnuts.

Figuring out the menu can be tricky. Dish names aren't translated, portions are surprisingly large, and half the items you'll only find in tasca-style taverns. The national tourism office publishes dozens of official recipes for local cuisine (as of 09/2026, official tourism office recipes), and they show how little the country borrows from its neighbors.

We've put together ten dishes that cover Portuguese cuisine completely. For each one we've added the season and an honest catch.

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Our picks: ten dishes and their seasons

💡 In short:

Start with soup or bacalhau: a basic introduction to the local flavor.
In Porto, order francesinha; in Lisbon, save room for pastel de nata.
Respect the season: look for grilled sardines in June, chestnuts with sweet potato in winter.
Seasons verified on the official VisitPortugal and Visit Azores websites (as of 09/2026).

Dish	Main flavor	When to order
Caldo verde	cabbage, potato, smoked sausage	year-round
Bacalhau à Brás	salted cod, egg, potato	year-round
Cozido à Portuguesa	slow-cooked meat and sausages	year-round
Arroz de Polvo	octopus, broth, chili	year-round
Carne de Porco à Alentejana	pork, clams, cilantro	year-round
Sardinhas assadas	charcoal-grilled fish	June, festival season
Batata-doce assada com castanhas e bacon	sweet potato, chestnuts, bacon	fall and winter
Francesinha	meat, cheese, tomato-beer sauce	year-round, Porto
Bifana	pork in a white roll	year-round
Pastel de Nata	custard, puff pastry	year-round

1. Caldo verde

Bowl of green caldo verde soup with sausage

Caldo verde is made from a cabbage variety called couve-galega. It has no head; the leaves grow on tall stalks, so they're cut into thin strips and added to a thick purée of potato, onion, and garlic. A slice of smoked chouriço sausage goes in at the very end to give the soup its smoky flavor.

The portion looks modest, but the potato makes it filling. If you want to understand the country's basic flavor, start with this soup: it's the most affordable item on the list. Order caldo verde as a first course and save the main dish for later.

Season: year-round, in all taverns
Price: the cheapest item on the list
The catch: the portion is small, not enough for a full meal

2. Bacalhau à Brás

Serving of bacalhau a bras with olives and herbs

Cod doesn't live in Portuguese waters, but local cuisine is unthinkable without it. Salted dried fish (bacalhau) is brought from the north, soaked for a couple of days, and only then cooked. The tourism office's official recipes follow the same procedure (as of 09/2026, bacalhau à Lagareiro recipes).

Bacalhau à Brás is assembled like this: potatoes are cut into thin matchsticks, the fish is pulled apart by hand and fried with onion, and at the end beaten egg is poured over everything. Olives and parsley are added before serving. The same fish is used for a casserole with cream (Bacalhau com Natas) and for baked fillets with potatoes (Bacalhau à Lagareiro).

Who it's for: if you don't know what to order at an unfamiliar restaurant, go with bacalhau and you can't go wrong
Not for: if you watch your salt intake, the dish will seem very salty
Price: mid-range, more than soup and less than meat dishes
The catch: the fish needs soaking, so making it at home requires advance preparation

3. Cozido à Portuguesa

Bowl of cozido with meat, sausage and vegetables

Cozido à Portuguesa is cooked in one large pot. Different cuts of meat, sausages, and bacon simmer for hours, and near the end cabbage, potatoes, onions, and carrots go in. The boiled vegetables are served as a side along with rice. The name refers to the cooking method, not to a specific region.

If you travel to the Azores, try the local version. In the Furnas valley, the pot is buried in the ground and cooked by volcanic steam for about six hours (as of 09/2026, official Azores tourism office website). No water is added at all; the broth comes entirely from the ingredients themselves.

Where to find it: meat restaurants in Lisbon, Porto, and the Azores
The catch: the dish is heavy and not at all suitable for vegetarians
Tip: some restaurants cook cozido only on certain days, so ask your server

4. Arroz de Polvo

Rice with octopus in tomato sauce in a bowl

For this rice dish, a small octopus is boiled whole so the meat stays tender. The rice is cooked in the octopus broth, and carrots, tomato, onion, garlic, and a little chili are sauteed in olive oil. It's served in a deep bowl, and the sauce remains loose.

Locals consider the dish a delicacy, but visitors don't always love it. If you prefer fluffy, separate-grain rice, order grilled octopus instead: many restaurants prepare it right alongside. Always mop up the octopus sauce with bread.

Who it's for: people who love seafood and aren't put off by unfamiliar textures
Price: above average, an item from the expensive end of the menu
The catch: the rice comes out moist rather than fluffy

5. Carne de Porco à Alentejana

The name is misleading: pork with clams is most often ordered in the Algarve, while the marinade originated in Alentejo. The meat sits overnight in a paste of garlic, red pepper, and salt, then is seared until crusty with white wine. Potatoes are cut into cubes, boiled until half-cooked, and finished by frying.

The clams go in last so they have time to open. The dish is served with cilantro and a generous pour of olive oil. In the Algarve, portions are especially large; one is enough for two people.

Where to find it: restaurants in the Algarve and Lisbon
The catch: the dish is very rich, so order it for lunch rather than dinner
Tip: ask for fresh clams; cheaper versions skimp on them

6. Sardinhas assadas

In June, Portugal switches to sardines. Festivals in honor of Saint Anthony take place across the country, fish is grilled over coals right on the streets, and the smell fills the surrounding blocks. Sardines are eaten with your hands, along with dense cornmeal bread (broa), and washed down with cold beer.

Restaurants serve sardinhas assadas year-round, but the summer ones are noticeably fattier and tastier. If you make it to a street festival, arrive when it opens and don't grab a table in the most touristy neighborhoods: it's pricier and louder there.

Season: June, the Santo António and São João festivals
The catch: sardines have lots of small bones, so you need to debone them carefully
Tip: get the bread; it cuts the charred bitterness

7. Batata-doce assada com castanhas e bacon

Baked sweet potato wedges with herbs on a wooden board

Sweet potato, chestnuts, and bacon are baked in the oven, generously drizzled with olive oil and finished with a sprig of rosemary. The recipe is simple, so it's easy to recreate at home. If you're renting an apartment, buy the ingredients at a local shop and make it yourself.

In fall and winter, roasted chestnuts are sold on the streets of Lisbon, and that's the same flavor in its simplest form. The dish rarely appears on restaurant menus; it's more often made in family kitchens. The sweet-and-salty combination isn't for everyone.

Season: fall and winter, chestnut season
The catch: sweet potato with bacon strikes people as unusual, and the dish is hard to find in taverns

8. Francesinha

Sandwich with melted cheese and egg in tomato sauce

Francesinha was invented in Porto. Between two slices of white bread go ham, mortadella, steak, and pork belly; the whole construction is covered in a spicy tomato and beer sauce, topped with cheese, and put in the oven for a couple of minutes. A fried egg goes on top, along with a portion of french fries.

Seafood versions exist too, but the classic remains meat-based. The dish is eaten at any time of day, from breakfast to late dinner. If you're in Porto for just one day, put francesinha on your lunch plan.

Where to find it: restaurants in Porto; other cities make it less often
The catch: it's extremely dense and high in calories, so a walk afterward is mandatory

9. Bifana

Bifana with pork in a bun and french fries

Bifana is considered the Portuguese's favorite snack. Pieces of pork are first seared and then braised in a wine or beer sauce with spices and garlic, then tucked into a split white roll. It's quick to make, easy to eat on the go, and often taken to work.

If you want more sauces and vegetables, go for a cachorro-quente: a roll filled with a sausage, lettuce, shoestring potatoes, and several sauces. For bifana, head to ordinary snack bars rather than restaurants with a river view.

Price: the cheapest hot dish on this list
The catch: in its classic form it's just meat in a roll, no vegetables

10. Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata with a burnt caramel crust in hand

Pastel de Nata is sold in every bakery: a puff pastry tart filled with custard, often dusted with cinnamon. The original recipe is kept at the Pastéis de Belém cafe at Rua de Belém 84-92, next to the Jerónimos Monastery. The cafe has been baking this dessert since 1837 using the monastery's recipe (verified 09/13/2026 on the official website). The cafe is open every day, and there's a line even in the rain.

The original version is called Pastel de Belém, and its custard is denser than the usual kind.

Tickets to the Jerónimos Monastery on Tiqets

Where to find it: any bakery, but the original is only in Belém
The catch: the dessert is very sweet, and one pastel is never enough

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to eat in Portugal?

Prices depend on the location. Lunch in Lisbon's tourist center is more expensive, while a tasca on the outskirts is almost half the price. Soups and bifana cost the least, while meat dishes like cozido are pricier. Always check current prices on the restaurant menu, as they change every season.

Which dish should I try first?

Start with caldo verde or bacalhau à Brás. Both dishes are on almost every menu, are inexpensive, and give you a basic sense of the cuisine. If you're in Porto, make francesinha your first order.

When is sardine season in Portugal?

The peak is in June, when festivals honoring Saint Anthony and Saint John take place across the country. That's when sardines are grilled on the streets and served especially often in restaurants. Sardinhas assadas are on menus year-round, but in summer the fish is fattier and tastier.

Where can I eat the original pastel de nata?

The original recipe is kept at the Pastéis de Belém cafe at Rua de Belém 84-92 in Lisbon. They've been making it since 1837 using the Jerónimos Monastery's recipe (as of 09/2026, Pastéis de Belém). You'll find a regular pastel de nata in any bakery in the country.

What should I order in Porto?

In Porto, order francesinha and bifana. The first is served in almost every restaurant in the center, while the second works as a snack between sightseeing stops. Round out your meal with a local porto, and finish with a pastel for dessert. If you stay for two days, you'll have time to try bacalhau baked with cream.

Below is a video where the author visits Lisbon snack bars and tries the local food.

In short: what's worth booking

Portuguese cuisine is built on fish, potatoes, and generous portions, so plan your meals ahead. If you have two days in Lisbon: go for caldo verde and bacalhau, and save pastel de nata for your walk to Belém. If you're heading to Porto: order francesinha and bifana. If you love seafood: look for arroz de polvo and grilled octopus.

Food tours in Lisbon and Porto are easy to compare on GetYourGuide, and for hotels near the central markets, check Trip.com.

What to order in Portugal: 10 dishes from Caldo verde to Pastel de Nata