11 Must-Try Foods in Portugal (From Someone Who Spent a Month Eating Her Way Through the Country)

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I spent an entire month in Portugal, eating and drinking my way through every city I visited. By the end of it, I had a very clear sense of what every first-time visitor absolutely needs to try — not just the obvious stuff, but the dishes that genuinely tell you something about the country and its people.

Not every dish on this list will be for everyone. But I think they're all worth trying at least once. My restaurant recommendations skew heavily toward Porto, where I spent most of my time — but I've included notes for Lisbon and Coimbra where I can.

1. Sardines

I'll be honest — the freshly grilled version isn't my personal favorite (fish bones and I have a complicated relationship). But sardines are one of the most deeply traditional foods in Portugal. Locals make them at home, traditional restaurants grill them all day, and you'll often see them being cooked right in the front window as you walk past. You have to try them.

My preferred version, unexpectedly, is the canned one. I know how that sounds — but canned fish has a long, proud history in Portugal, both as a staple at home and as a celebrated export. There are entire stores and even museums dedicated to it. If you try nothing else, try sardines in spicy tomato sauce.

Where to eat: Most traditional restaurants serve the grilled version — follow your nose. For the canned variety, Conserveira de Lisboa in Lisbon is an institution worth visiting even just to look around. The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines ("O Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa"), also in Lisbon, is a wildly fun shop that looks like a circus. In Porto, the Mercado do Bolhão is a great place to sample — ask the fishmonger for a tasting platter of different tins.

2. The Francesinha (Sandwich)

The Francesinha is Porto's most famous dish, and it demands to be experienced in person. A French immigrant created it in the 1950s, attempting to adapt the croque-monsieur to local tastes — and what emerged was something far more excessive and entirely Portuguese. It typically contains steak, fresh sausage, cured sausage, and ham between two slices of bread, all covered in melted cheese, topped with a fried egg, and drowned in a spiced tomato and beer sauce. Served with fries. It's not an everyday meal, but it might be the best brunch of your life.

Where to eat: It's found all over Portugal but is most prominent in Porto. Two spots across the street from each other are both worth knowing: Café Santiago and Lado B Café (the latter has a good vegetarian version). Brasão has three locations and offers slightly better steak cuts and a more upscale take. Com Cuore near São Bento does a gluten-free version.

3. Cataplana (Seafood Stew)

The cataplana is both a dish and the copper cookware it's made in — two large clamshell-shaped halves that clamp shut during cooking, trapping the steam and intensifying everything inside. The dish originated in the Algarve and is typically a deeply flavorful stew of mixed seafood with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, white wine, and herbs. Think of it as Portugal's answer to cioppino.

Where to eat: You'll find it at most traditional restaurants. If you make it to the Algarve, try it there — that's its home. In Porto, Lagostim does a version with octopus instead of fish that I particularly liked.

4. Polvo (Octopus)

I don't think I saw a single menu in Portugal without octopus on it. The country is one of the highest per-capita consumers of octopus in the world, and the cooking here does it justice. The most traditional preparation is boiled, then grilled, then brushed with olive oil and served with potatoes. I also loved the Galician style — thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil and paprika — wherever I could find it.

Where to eat: Nearly everywhere. Specific highlights: Vinhas D'Alho in Porto does a beautiful Galician-style appetizer and an elegantly plated entree over spinach with stunning river views. Refeitório da Baixa in Coimbra was one of my favorite restaurants in all of Portugal — their octopus with baby vegetables was exceptional. For the traditional preparation, food halls like Time Out in Lisbon or Mercado Beira-Rio in Porto are reliable options.

5. Bifanas (Pork Sandwiches)

A bifana is Portugal's perfect quick lunch — thinly sliced marinated pork, simmered until tender, tucked into a papo seco (a Portuguese roll with a wonderfully crispy crust). Sometimes there's melted cheese. There's usually mustard on the side. The best versions add piri piri to the simmer, giving the meat a gentle heat that makes it hard to stop eating.

Where to eat: Found at casual cafés and small local spots throughout the country. In Lisbon, O Trevo does thick, juicy ones — arrive early or be prepared to wait. In Porto, the chain Conga is well-known for a reason: super thinly sliced, perfectly spiced, and they offer a meat-only platter with fries if you'd rather skip the bread.

6. Chanfana (Goat or Lamb Stew)

Chanfana is a dish you might not encounter unless you seek it out — which is exactly why I'm including it. It's a traditional farmer's recipe of goat (sometimes lamb) marinated in red wine and slowly braised until the meat is falling-apart tender and deeply flavored. It's the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you don't eat goat more often.

Where to eat: This is native to the Coimbra region, so you'll need to head there to find the real thing. A Cozinha da Maria, right in the center of Coimbra, does an excellent version for lunch or dinner.

7. Tripas à Moda do Porto (Tripe Stew)

The people of Lisbon are called alfacinhas — little lettuces. The people of Porto are called tripeiros — tripe eaters. One theory is that during the height of Portugal's great maritime age in the 15th century, quality meat was used to supply the fleet, and organ meats were what remained for the people of Porto. Rather than resent it, they made it a point of civic pride. Porto recently celebrated 600 years of making this dish, and it's still on menus everywhere in the city.

Is it for everyone? No. But trying it is part of understanding Porto.

Where to eat: Adega São Nicolau near the river does one of the best versions I tried — better sourced, better seasoned, and slow-cooked with large chunks of pork alongside the tripe. If you want a smaller introduction, Dama Pé de Cabra serves a tiny individual pot alongside other meats — a good way to dip your toe in.

8. Charcuterie and Portuguese Cheese

Yes, charcuterie is everywhere — but Portuguese charcuterie deserves its own mention. The local prosciutto is excellent, but what sets Portugal apart are the sheep's milk cheeses. Some are served in thick slices at breakfast cafés with just a pinch of salt. Others come as small whole wheels with a spoon to scoop the soft cheese from the center — typically at wine bars. And almost always alongside: pumpkin jam. I have no explanation for why pumpkin jam specifically, but it works better than it has any right to, and you should ask for it if it's not already on the table.

9. Rabo (Oxtail)

Oxtail isn't uniquely Portuguese, but I saw it on menus constantly throughout the country — which makes sense, since it's a traditionally humble cut that rewards long, slow cooking and Portuguese kitchens are very good at exactly that. It's rich, deeply flavored, and falls off the bone when done right.

Where to eat: In Porto, Bacalhau on the riverfront does a beautiful oxtail and beef cheek combination. Adega São Nicolau, just steps away up the hill, does a traditional stew version. Sagardi is technically Basque, but their slow-cooked whole oxtail pieces are outstanding and worth knowing about.

10. Bacalhau (Cod)

You'll notice the word bacalhau on almost every restaurant sign in Portugal, and you'll quickly realize this country has an unusual and deeply historical relationship with cod. There's reportedly a book of over a thousand Portuguese cod recipes. The fish itself is, I'll be honest, one of the least exciting to me — mild, basic in texture, and not even native to Portuguese waters (most of it comes from Norway, often salted or dried before it arrives). But the history behind it is genuinely fascinating: Portugal's connection to cod dates to the 14th century, and during the 20th century dictatorship, large government campaigns promoted bacalhau as an affordable staple. The Portuguese have never really stopped eating it since.

Try it once — prepared well, it's perfectly good. And then next time, order robalo (sea bass).

11. Pastel de Nata (Custard Tart)

The pastel de nata is Portugal's most famous food export, and for good reason. These small egg custard tarts — flaky pastry shell, silky filling, slightly caramelized on top — were created in the 18th century by monks at Lisbon's Jerónimo Monastery, who used large quantities of egg whites to starch religious habits and needed somewhere for the yolks to go. The recipe spread, and now you genuinely cannot walk a city block in Portugal without finding one.

Not all are created equal. I've had cold ones, runny ones, oily ones. The good ones are warm, flaky, and set just right.

Where to eat: For history, go to Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon — open since 1837, right near the monastery where it all started. The chain Fábrica de Nata is consistently good across multiple locations. Manteigaria is another reliable chain, though often without seating. My personal favorite is Nata Sweet Nata in Porto, right on the river — always fresh, always warm, and with an unexpectedly large selection of coffee and tea that makes it worth lingering. Com Cuore in Porto does a gluten-free version, if that's useful to know.

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