Eating Lisbon: from tascas to natas

The essentials: bacalhau (codfish, a thousand ways — à Brás is the gateway), bifana (pork sandwich, €3, best at dive counters), grilled sardines (June especially), and the pastel de nata — warm, with cinnamon, standing at the counter.

Where locals eat: tascas — family-run lunch rooms with paper tablecloths and a daily prato do dia for €8–10. If it has photos of the food outside, keep walking.

Markets: Time Out Market is the curated hit-list (good, loud, touristy); Mercado de Campo de Ourique is the neighborhood version with half the crowds.

Rhythm & rules: lunch 12:30–15:00, dinner from 20:00 — kitchens genuinely close in between. The bread/olives brought unasked (couvert) are not free; wave them away guilt-free if unwanted. Tipping: round up or ~5–10% for good service, never obligatory.

Vegetarians: traditional menus are meat/fish-heavy, but Príncipe Real and Arroios have Lisbon's best modern-veg scene.