A glitch fare took me to Portugal pt 2
•so much to eat•
If you love food, Lisbon will not disappoint.
Starting with the breakfast spread at my hotel (Vincci Liberdade): consistently delicious. Every morning there was plenty of freshly squeezed juices, breads, pastries, meats, various cheeses, fresh fruit and made-to-order hot items like omelettes. I really dislike when hotels skimp on their breakfast offerings, do it right or not at all and Vincci Liberdade did not disappoint.
Now if you need coffee to function, don't worry, so does the rest of the country it seems. You can find it easily since there are cafes and kiosks on every corner like Banana Cafe (lovely staff who were patient with my basic Portuguese). Starbucks is there, however I prefer to go local when I travel, but if you must go to Starbucks check out the one at Rossio Station. It’s beautiful to look at and of course, has free wifi if you need it.
I ended up having my best espresso from the Galp gas station on Avenida Brasilia in Belém for 65 euro cents, which was very unexpected. A gas station-go figure!
Image courtesy of Google Maps
Speaking of Belém, it is home to the original Pastéis de Belém (you may know them as pasteis de nata). Thanks to its secret egg tart recipe that was created in the early 1800s by monks from the Jerónimos Monastery, it is a must visit stop if you love pastries. The tarts live up to their name and will likely make it difficult for you to eat pasteis de nata from other bakeries afterwards. Insider tip: get in the take away line. It may look long, but looks are deceiving. The line moves fast and the staff are professional, organized and very friendly.
If you love seafood, Lisbon will make you even happier. It's abundant and fresher than fresh, which makes sense given its coastal location. Bacalhau (codfish) is well loved by locals. It’s pretty easy to find everywhere, so I won’t highlight any one particular spot. I may or may not have great pictures of my dishes, whoops!
Next up: ice cream. There are some really unique flavours to be enjoyed. Of course, you can get the usual suspects but why not marscapone vodka lemon? That's the one I had and wow…so good. The nameless gelato shop (yes, it really does not have a name) is located at Rua do Chão da Feira 7, near the São Jorge Castle entrance right across from the #737 mini bus stop. Enjoy the goodness.
Last but not least, the one thing I had to have: BBQ. I've had Portuguese BBQ before but I truly don't think anyone is truly ready for how good it is in Lisbon. I found Frangasqueira Nacional, a well loved local spot, tucked down a little side street close to my hotel (it has since moved a few blocks away). It's small but you can't miss the smell. There's chicken, sausage, turkey sticks, and a few delicious sides like basmati rice, made-in-house potato chips and fresh tomato salad. You can try it all without breaking the bank. For 7€ I got half a chicken (they don't offer smaller pieces) and a couple of sides. The portions were more than generous, so no complaints there.
It's mainly take away, which is a perfect set up for walking down Rua da Escola Politécnica. After 7ish minutes of strolling (I do walk fast), you'll end up at Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara which is known for its gorgeous sweeping views of the city. Every time I went, whether day or night, crowds were minimal. There are picnic tables for public use, a beautiful fountain, gardens, music and always older gentlemen playing games (not sure which ones but they looked serious!).
I regret not taking more photos of places I ate at but hey, sometimes you just want to be in the moment. I like that there is something for everyone in Lisbon, even if you have dietary restrictions ,which is nice.
One thing I really enjoyed about eating in Lisbon-the restaurants/cafes never made dining solo awkward. No weird looks or repeated questioning. It was always a laid back experience which I appreciated and again, felt safe.
Of course, I had to build up an appetite somehow….hello shopping!
