🍽️ Tastes of Portugal: 10 dishes every tourist needs to try 🇵🇹

Getting to know the cuisine of new countries is always interesting and a little exciting: what if you don’t like it? The first time I was in Portugal, I looked with curiosity at the local soups – they come in different colors and usually have a puree-like consistency. This turned out to be quite surprising, as well as the fact that they love meat and poultry no less than we do, but… they cook it differently. And you can get lost in the menu of fish and seafood, which is quite logical, because Portugal is washed on both sides by the ocean.

And how do you figure out what to order? Don’t panic: now I’ll tell you about the most popular dishes in Portugal that you should definitely try. I’ll give each of them my gastronomic assessment, and you share your impressions in the comments. And by the way, I definitely don’t recommend reading this text on an empty stomach. 

Caldo verde

This soup is based on an unusual cabbage variety for us – galega (couve-galega). This curiosity grows on tall stems and does not curl into heads. When preparing caldo verde, the Portuguese cut cabbage leaves into thin strips and add them to a vegetable puree broth made from potatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil. Green soup is usually served with spicy sausage chouriço. Mmmm.. Yummy!

Cost per serving: from 2.50 euros.

My rating: This is my favorite Portuguese soup. Highly recommend!

Bacalhau a Bras

Cod is not found off the Portuguese coast, but locals have been able to add more than a hundred recipes using this fish to their cuisine. Bacalhao, which is how cod is called in Portugal, is sold in the form of a huge salted carcass. They soak the fish for a couple of days, and then create culinary masterpieces with it. And just imagine, even residents of Norway, in whose waters cod lives, come to Portugal to learn from the experience of cooking this fish. 

My favorite dishes: Bacalhau com Natas – cod and creamed potato casserole, Bacalhau à Lagareiro – fish fillet with baked potatoes, and, in fact, Bacalhau à Brás. For this dish, potatoes are cut into small strips, fish is crushed by hand, and then fried together with onions. At the end, add an egg beaten with a fork. Before serving, Bacalau a Brash is decorated with olives and parsley. 

Cost per serving: from 9 euros.

My rating: I love it! And I advise all tourist tourists: if you don’t know what to order in a restaurant, take bakalu. You definitely won't regret it.

Cozido a Portuguesa

Couzido a Portuguesa is a very satisfying and time-consuming dish to prepare. It uses different types of meat, traditional sausages and bacon, which are simmered for a long time in one large pan. At the end, cabbage, potatoes, onions and carrots are added there. Boiled vegetables are served as a side dish along with rice. 

By the way, some restaurants prepare this brew in Portuguese only once a week. It’s also interesting that in the village of Furnas in the Azores, this dish is prepared underground in a natural steam bath, which is formed due to volcanism. 

Cost per serving: from 15 euros.

My rating: Tried it only once. In the version of the restaurant in the village of Lapa there was almost no meat, but they didn’t spare the boiled lard, so I didn’t like it. But I heard a lot of positive reviews about Kuzida, especially in the Azores version. Try it and share your experience.

Arroz de Polvo

For this dish, choose a small octopus so that it can be boiled whole. Carrots, tomato pulp, seeded chili peppers, onions and garlic are fried in olive oil. Rice is cooked with this vegetable mixture in the broth that remains after cooking the octopus. Serve rice with octopus in a deep bowl and fill it with rose water.

Cost per serving: from 16.50 euros.

My assessment: To be honest, I prefer grilled octopus and fluffy rice, but many here love Aroz de Polva, and the locals even consider it a delicacy.

Carne de Porco à Alentejana

This dish was invented in the Algarve region, so why is Alentejo in its name? All because of a special method of preparing meat, which was invented in Alentejo. The pork is marinated overnight in a paste of garlic, red pepper and salt. Then it is fried until crusty, adding white wine. Potatoes are cut into cubes, boiled until half cooked and also fried. The clams are added to the pork and allowed to open. Potatoes are served with meat and shellfish swimming in olive oil. The dish is garnished with fresh cilantro.

Cost per serving: from 9.50 euros.

My rating: Amazingly delicious! But I recommend taking it for lunch and not dinner, because it’s very fatty.

Sardinhas assadas

In June, Portugal is filled with the aroma of fried sardines. At festivals that take place throughout the country during this time, fish is grilled. It turns out very juicy and aromatic. But you can try fried sardines not only at holiday markets – they are served in restaurants all year round. It is customary to eat fish with traditional corn and wheat bread. A glass of cold beer will be a great addition to the dish. 

Cost per serving: from 8 euros.

My rating: Very tasty! I love sardines, both grilled and pan-fried.

Batata-doce assada com castanhas e bacon

I really wanted to add something with chestnuts to the top. And I chose this dish. To create a culinary masterpiece, chestnuts with sweet potatoes and bacon are baked in the oven, generously sprinkled with olive oil and adding a couple of sprigs of fragrant rosemary. The recipe is very simple. And if you rent an apartment in Portugal, you can easily prepare this dish yourself by purchasing all the ingredients at a local store.

Cost per serving: from 7 euros.

My rating: Quite an unusual combination for my taste buds. And it’s unlikely that I could eat this often, but it was interesting to try, so I advise you to do it too.

Francesinha

The Portuguese managed to turn French toast with sausage and cheese into something of their own – unique, tender and satisfying. Different types of meat are laid out between toasted slices of white bread: ham and mortadella, beef steak and pork belly. This multi- layered structure is filled with spicy tomato-beer sauce, covered with cheese and put into the oven for a couple of minutes. Usually “little Frenchman,” as the name of the dish is translated, is served with fried eggs on top and a portion of French fries. I’ve also seen that Francesinha is also prepared with seafood, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Cost per serving: from 7.50 euros.

My rating: I liked it. Francesinho can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Highly recommend.

Bifana

This is a favorite snack of the Portuguese, the recipe for which is very simple. The white bun is cut into two parts and pieces of pork are placed there, which are first fried in a frying pan and then stewed in a sauce made from wine or beer with spices and garlic. 

Cost per serving: from 3.50 euros.

My rating: Very dry for me. Like a classic burger, you want to add cheese, vegetables and sauce. If I have to choose from local fast food, I prefer their hot dogs – Cachorro-quente. The bun contains not only sausage, but a lot of sauces, salad and thin strips of potatoes.

Pastel de Nata

I saved this famous Portuguese dessert for the end. Puff pastries filled with custard are prepared all over the country. But you can try the cake according to the original recipe only in one cafe in Lisbon. It is located next to the Jeronimos Monastery, where Pastel de Belem was invented – this is the name of the original version of the cake. You shouldn’t be surprised by such exclusivity of the dessert: there are many monasteries in Portugal, so every town has baked goods that are unique to it.

Cost per serving: from 1 euro.

My rating: Don't limit yourself to buying just one pasta, because you will definitely want more!