The traditional cuisine of Lisbon is known as being country style, hefty, and simple. Servings are usually quite opulent, and most of the traditional dishes consist of fish, meat, rice, and potatoes. Salad is not that popular, and used in modest amounts.
Lisbon is full of little and simple restaurants which offer affectionate dishes out of traditional family recipes.
The people of Lisbon love to go to restaurants. Especially at lunch time, restaurants in the city are usually totally overcrowded. The traditional lunch time goes from 1:00pm to 3:00 pm. The typical dinner starts at 8:00pm.
Many restaurants offer half servings of their dishes at lunchtime. Small niblets on the table like olives, cheese, tuna fish pasty, bread and butter, must be payed extra.
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Lisbons most popular dish is the “Bacalhau”. A stockfish with many different ways of cooking. Bacalhau is cheap and delicious. Another popular dish are roasted sardines. Cheap and delicious as well as Lisbons stockfish. In general sea food is very popular and common in Portugals capital.
Lisboans prefer to have their meat well done. Steak is usually quite chewy in simple restaurants. Lamb is one of Lisbons most popular types of meat.
Chicken and pork are common as well. Lisbons pigling is crispy roasted and a true delicacy.
The desserts of Lisbons cuisine are use to be very sweet, but delicious. Rice pudding is one of those desserts, which enjoys an enormous popularity among the Lisboans. But there are also caramel puddings and milk creams.
The most popular beverage of Lisbon is wine. Probably much more popular than beer. There is a huge assortment of red and white wine in almost every restaurant. House wine is always the cheapest one, and the fizzy “Vinho Verde” should only be tried well cooled.