What Portuguese Food Is Really Like (& 18 Dishes To Try)
Reality check before we dive in: Portuguese food is generally simple, fresh, and comforting rather than spicy or sauce-heavy. If you’re expecting Thai/Mexican “boom-pow” flavours every meal, you’ll think it’s plain. If you lean into great ingredients, grills, stews, soups, and the right regional spots, you’ll eat very well. This guide sets expectations honestly and shows you how to order for maximum flavour. There are hundreds of Portuguese dishes (and more than 365 ways to cook bacalhau alone), but most …
The Vegan’s Guide to Portugal
If you’re visiting Portugal or planning to move here, you may be wondering whether it’s vegan-friendly. Truthfully, Portugal isn’t always the easiest place for vegans. Most traditional Portuguese dishes contain either meat or fish, and to not include either is pretty much unthinkable. Even soups like caldo verde, which is mainly made of cabbage and potato, usually includes at least one obligatory slice of chouriço. Then there are the traditional cakes and pastries, which typically use a lot of eggs. …
Where to Get Mexican Food Ingredients in Portugal
If there’s one thing that many people crave when they move to Portugal, it’s good Mexican food. And there’s the thing: it’s hard to get good Mexican food not just in Portugal but in all of Europe. Some people saying that it’s hard to get good Mexican food outside of Mexico or the southern US states. While there are Mexican restaurants in most European cities, Mexican food is much more of an occasional choice rather than the norm as it …
25+ Portuguese Desserts To Say Yes To
“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” is a question that doesn’t need to be asked in Portugal. Why? Because it’s just assumed you will be having dessert: a meal, and especially a meal out, just wouldn’t be a proper meal if it didn’t have dessert as well. The dessert menu usually has around 5-10 items on it, and the menus don’t tend to differ hugely from one restaurant to another. Desserts like pudim flan and molotov almost always …
Porto For Foodies: 10 Regional Dishes to Look out for
I’ve spent a lot of time in Porto, and a lot of that time was spent eating. Over the years I’ve tried everything on this list, often making special pilgrimages to find each of the dishes. Hopefully it’ll help you, fellow foodie, make the most of your time in Porto. Loosen those belts foodies! Porto has some great regional dishes, many of which you’ll struggle to find in the rest of Portugal. Francesinhas, hot dogs, tripe, and Port – food …
20+ Portuguese cakes and pastries to try before you die
When it comes to Portuguese pastries and cakes, most people have heard of the pastel de nata (or Portuguese custard tart as it’s often called outside of Portugal). It’s probably the best Portuguese cake, but it’s far from the only one. There are hundreds of different Portuguese cakes and pastries, and that’s before you take into account regional variations. I’ve tried lots of them (hence all the photos) and I’m here to share some of my favourites. The following is …
Algarve Foods: 10+ Local Dishes You Have to Try
While most people visit the Algarve for its warm weather and beautiful beaches, the region’s gastronomy is a hidden gem, offering a rich array of regional Portuguese dishes that you probably have never heard of before. Even within Portugal, Algarve cuisine isn’t particularly renowned, particularly when compared to the food of the North and Alentejo. Yet, there are quite a few regional dishes that are absolutely deserving of your attention — and your palette. The Algarve proudly presents iconic dishes …
Portuguese Breakfast: What the Portuguese Eat & What you should Eat
While there’s no set “Portuguese Breakfast” like there is an “English Breakfast” or “German Breakfast,” there is a theme to what the Portuguese eat for breakfast. And it’s not pastéis de nata, surprisingly. They might feature later in the morning at around 11 am for lanche da manhã – although it’s just as likely to be another Portuguese cake or pastry as a pastel de nata – but they’re rarely the first thing that the Portuguese eat. However, if you’re …
Azores Food: 20+ Azorean Dishes You Have to Eat
If you’re visiting the Azores, the first question you have is probably: what should I eat? Don’t worry! I had exactly the same one. I’ve travelled across all 9 islands of the Azores, sampling all of the wonderful different foods that these islands have to offer. This is a unique chance to try Azorean cuisine, which is very hard to find outside of these islands. There are some restaurants specialising in Azorean food in mainland Portugal, but overall, Azorean dishes …
Portugal for Vegetarians: A Survival Guide
Even by European standards, Portugal is not an easy country for vegetarians. With the exception of fish dishes, meat features in almost every traditional dish: even dishes that could be vegetarian often have meat stock added for flavour. Despite the amazing selection of vegetables, vegetables aren’t really a focus in Portuguese food — the emphasis is on the meat or the fish instead. So much so that in many dishes the vegetables are sometimes boiled from frozen and unseasoned aside …