Eat and Drink the Flavors of Lisbon – My Journey Through the Tastes and Traditions of Lisbon

On a cool rainy morning, I grab my umbrella, hop in a Bolt car and head to Praça da Figueira to experience the tastes and traditions of Lisbon.

It is a busy Monday morning, people are heading to work, stores are opening their doors, a man at the metro station is calling out to people to buy umbrellas. Here I am, hiding under the cover of a closed store waiting for a few minutes to join more tourists who are also eager to roam the streets of Lisbon. 

A few minutes later hiding from the drizzle, I cross the street to meet the tour guide and the rest of the group. An enthusiastic tour guide greets us and off we go.

We start by enjoying delicious Berlim cake, coffee with milk, and Portugese bread (also known as bread of God) at a cafe that has been in the same family since it opened in 1829. How cool is that?

A lot of customers walk in and out of the store as we enjoy our Portugese breakfast, and I can understand why. That Berlim cake will wake up your morning senses.

After that delicious morning treat, we find ourselves back on the streets of Lisbon, with trams finding their way around, tuk tuk drivers picking up tourists for fun rides, and people trying to capture the heart of Lisbon on their cameras and phones. 

We cross the street and round the corner to Lisbon’s first grocery store that was built in 1890. Outside on the curb, our guide shares some history of the grocery store with us.

At this time, it’s a few minutes past 10am, and we are in Portugal, so why not grab a shot of Ginjinha. Ginjinha is a local Portugese cherry liquor. 

Tip: If you ever try Ginjinha, don’t gulp it down, just sip sip sip. You will thank me later.

The Church of Sao Domingoes captures our attention between enjoying the Ginjinha and heading towards Rossio train station. I’m glad we didn’t miss the beautiful architecture inside this gorgeous church.

We make our way through the bustling Rossio train station, head down a long flight of stairs, pass a yellow tram, and into a cute Portugese cafe to try some sandwiches.

Is it lunch time yet? Yes, please. Come over with me to Restaurante O Gateiro. I am not sharing my food, but do yourself a favor and ask for bacalhau bras, which is rice in tomatoe sauce with beans and octopus. 

Don’t forget to also grab the golden french fries with Alheira, which is made with chicken, bread, and spices. Round that all up with some Portugese red wine, and you’ve got yourself a winning Portugese afternoon.

Don’t leave just yet, your afternoon is not complete without a visit to the Timeout Market, to grab a delicious pastel de nata.

….and that is how we completed our adventure enjoying the tastes and traditions of Lisbon.