The best seafood restaurants in and around Lisbon
Lisbon lives by the Atlantic, and it shows at the table. The Portuguese are devoted fish-eaters, and a proper seafood feast here (a platter of prawns and clams, a cold imperial beer, the shells slowly piling up) is one of the city’s great, unhurried pleasures. These are the places we send travellers to, in the city and along the coast.
One local rule before you go: at a proper marisqueira, follow the regulars and finish a shellfish feast with a prego: a small steak sandwich. It makes no logical sense after all that seafood, and it is somehow perfect.
In the city
Ramiro. The most famous seafood house in Lisbon, and deservedly so. The quality and variety are exceptional, the service quick and warm. Your next imperial arrives before the last is quite finished, almost like magic. Expect a queue from early evening; it’s part of the ritual, and worth it. Avenida Almirante Reis 1H, Anjos
Marisqueira do Lis. A few doors from Ramiro, and the locals’ quiet alternative: the same fresh seafood and well-poured beer, a celebrated prego, and. Crucially, none of the queue. Avenida Almirante Reis 27B, Anjos
Pinóquio. In the tourist heart near Restauradores, yet it never took the easy road. Still serious about its craft: the Ria Formosa clams steamed with garlic and coriander, and crab that arrives already cracked, so all that’s left to do is enjoy it. Praça dos Restauradores 79
Nunes Real Marisqueira. In Belém, a classic marisqueira with cold draft beer and a fine spread of the freshest fish and shellfish: a short walk from the custard tarts, and a world away from the crowds. Rua Bartolomeu Dias 120, Belém
Along the Cascais coast
Furnas do Guincho. Perhaps the finest table on the Guincho road: a beautiful space inside and out, attentive service, and seafood of the highest order. Much of it from the restaurant’s own beds among the rocks below. Estrada do Guincho, Cascais
Mar do Inferno. Perched above the dramatic Boca do Inferno, this one keeps a warm, family feel. Lourdes and her sons receive you like old friends and steer you to whatever came in that morning; the local clams and the Berlengas barnacles. Sometimes of astonishing size, are always a good idea. Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália, Boca do Inferno, Cascais
On the Sintra coast
Azenhas do Mar. Set beside a sea-pool carved into the cliffs at Colares, this is as fresh as seafood gets: the owner, João Pedro, gathers the barnacles from the rocks himself. The Atlantic comes so close it can splash the terrace. Part of the magic of eating here. Piscina das Azenhas do Mar, Colares (Sintra)
Half the pleasure of a seafood feast is having the right table booked and the timing handled. Exactly the kind of detail we love to take care of. If a food-led journey through Lisbon and its coast appeals, start a conversation, and we’ll set the table.