Are you looking for the best coffee (flat white or cappuccino) and the most amazing food in Lisbon, Portugal? Then bare with us!! In case you stop reading here, make sure to still go to Nannarella for the best gelato in Lisbon…
Last year, we lived in Lisbon for a month and used our time there to explore as many cafés as possible and try out some really good restaurants.
But first, coffee!
BUNA Specialty Coffee
Buna is located in a small street a few minutes away from the city centre. You can enjoy their coffee with a tasty piece of (vegan) banana bread. Also, if you’re looking for a good vegan cappuccino or flat white, they serve Oatly oat milk! The café is not super big but you can also work on your laptop there.
Hello, kristof
Hello, Kristof is the place to work on your laptop! At certain times of the day, it can get difficult to even find a spot. Though it is not only a good place to work, they also serve really good coffee and have tasty breakfast and cakes! Their vegan selection is not as big but for sure super tasty.
Café são
Café São has an amazing selection of food both for breakfast and lunch. I was at first sceptical about their coffee but it turned out to be super tasty as well! They have seats right next to the window, where you can enjoy your ice coffee and watch the people walking by.
Boutik
Next to Café São you will find a small surfer style fashion boutique with a café – Boutik. I guess they serve the best smoothie and poke bowls in Lisbon! Also, the selection of fresh bagels is delicious. And to be honest, who can say no to a smoothie bowl for 6€?
Melbourne Coffeehouse
Grabbing a coffee at Melbourne coffeehouse is literally like having a coffee in Australia. If you miss the Australian vibes, make sure to get your dose of flat white there. Not only the coffee is good, but the food you can get there is also extremely tasty. Felix had a croissant with salmon and liked it a lot. Also, they serve freshly made juices that are to die for.
EleEla Café
Next to our AirBnb was EleEla Café, which turned out to be one of our favourite cafés in Lisbon. Their coffee is amazing and they serve croissants not only normal croissants but also vegan croissants! The café is quite small but normally you can find a spot and you can even work on your laptop.
comobá
The place to work from if you’re looking for an inspiring atmosphere! The café is basically divided in two. In the front part you are not allowed to work on your laptop but only to enjoy your food and coffee. In the back of the café, everyone is working on their laptops and drinking coffee.
COpenhagen coffee lab
We’re always a bit sceptical when it comes to cafés that have several branches in a city – Copenhagen Coffee Lab was one of them. Although, the atmosphere is not the same as in a small coffee shop, the cappuccino and flat white you get there is very good! Also, they sell amazing sourdough bread.
Fábrica coffee Roasters
Last but not least on our speciality coffee list, Fábrica Coffee Roasters. They have several cafés around Lisbon and Porto, serving really good coffee! If you’re looking for a place to work, this is not the right café in Lisbon. Though, if you’re looking for a place to take a break from exploring the city and just having a nice coffee, go check Fábrica Coffee Roasters out!
Fuel you body with the most amazing food that makes you happy!
Nannarella
If you skip every recommendation on this list, this should be the only one not to skip!
At Nannarella, you can get literally, one of the best gelatos we ever had. So, when you’re in Lisbon, walk to Nannarella and order your ice cream there. Also good to know: You pick a cone size and then you can choose how many different flavours you want, we normally went with three.
Atira-te ao Rio
RESERVE A TABLE!
This is one of the best places to have dinner in Lisbon. It is on the other side of the river Tagus, hence, you have to catch a ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas. Trust us, it is worth the ride! Two things, make sure to arrive for sunset because you will have an amazing few over Ponte 25 de Abril towards the west. Secondly, you have to reserve a table, this restaurant is so popular, especially in summer.
Pastéis de belém
This is where the famous Pastéis de Nata originally come from – Belem. Pastéis de Nata/Belém are egg custard tart pastries, normally dusted with cinnamon. You always get a pack of cinnamon and can add it yourself. The café Pastéis de Belém is located a 20 minutes tram ride outside of central Lisbon.
Vegan nata
Don’t worry, we also got you covered when it comes to vegan Pastéis de Nata! Vegan Nata has two different locations, one in the city centre and one next to Campo do Ourique. In my opinion, these are not the best vegan Pastéis de Nata I had in Portugal but they are quite good! Unfortunately, we didn’t take a picture of the vegan Pastel de Nata I ate.. so the picture you see here is from another shop.
Campo do ourique
Campo do Ourique was our favourite food hall in Lisbon. We have also been to Time Out Market but in our opinion, it was too noisy and expensive. When we went to Campo do Ourqiue the opposite was the case. There are many different food stalls where you can get everything from Falafel, over steak, to vegan fish. Campo do Ourique is located 45 minutes outside the city centre but you can use it to walk up an appetite and for the way back take the iconic tram 28E!
Koppu ramen
You might be thinking, why would I get Ramen in Portugal, right? Well, Asian cuisine is actually very popular in Portugal, especially in Lisbon. You will find a lot of Japanese and Asian Fusion restaurants all around the city. On one of our last days, we went to Koppu Ramen for dinner and literally, it has been one of the best Ramen ever. The restaurant is very small, so make sure to reserve a table but then you will be treated to really good food!
Mezze
We can not tell you how much we loved the food at Mezze. As the name already tells, you can order a lot of tiny dishes to share which put together are a whole meal. Mezze offers a wide variety of middle eastern dishes ranging from meaty plates to a lot of vegan options. Even though it is located a 45-minute walk from the city centre, it for sure is worth the walk! The people at the restaurant are super friendly and the food is amazing!
Zappi
If you’re craving some really good Pizza, this is the place to go to. But also when you’re in the mood for a salad and some pizza rolls, you won’t be disappointed at all! Zappi is open almost all day and you can also enjoy a coffee there but we have only been there for dinner. They don’t only offer ‘normal’ Pizza but also have a wide variety of vegan Pizza.
Boa-bao
When we lived in Augsburg, we often cooked Pad Thai as we had the best Asian supermarket right next to our apartment. After living in Portugal for 3 months without eating Pad Thai, the craving was real! If you’re also craving Pad Thai, you should check out Boa-Bao. The food was really delicious. In my opinion a little too oily, but really good for sure! Also, they have a large variety of vegan options.
If there are more cafés and restaurants we should check out next time we’re in Lisbon, make sure to comment below!
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