Where to eat in Lisbon and get a taste of Portugal’s culinary renaissance

Portugal boasts a rich culinary history and a growing number of Michelin stars; its capital caters to all tastes, with nods to Asia at high-end restaurants and local snacks at hole-in-the-wall joints

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Sun-seekers chill out in Praca do Comercio, a square lined with cafés and restaurants near Lisbon’s waterfront. Photo: Chris Dwyer

Published: 12:31pm, 22 Jun 2017Updated: 5:48pm, 22 Jun 2017

With an average of 260 days of blue skies a year, Lisbon is Europe’s second sunniest capital. In recent years it has also become a culinary shining light as Portuguese cuisine has reclaimed its position as one of the most important around. We have much to thank this country of barely 10 million people for.

Starting your day with coffee and marmalade? The Portuguese took the former to Brazil and introduced the latter to England. That sublime tempura in Japan? Thank the Portuguese for perfecting the technique centuries ago.

If you’re feeling spicier, chilli didn’t exist in India until the Portuguese trading ships landed there, and vindaloo even takes its name from “vinha de alhos” or wine and garlic, the two original ingredients.

As for egg tarts – available in Macau and all over the world – we’ll get to them with help from a taxi driver and a monk.

Henrique Sa Pessoa of Lisbon’s Michelin-rated Alma restaurant.

One man who has helped lead the recent Portuguese culinary renaissance – or renascimento – is Henrique Sa Pessoa. He’s the Jamie Oliver of Portugal, a celebrity chef with a serious following and an impact far beyond the kitchen. Unlike Oliver, he also holds a Michelin star, at his elegant Lisbon restaurant, Alma.

Alma means “soul” and its menu features contemporary Portuguese cuisine with Asian touches, a combination that saw Alma win that star within just 10 months of opening in 2015. Sa Pessoa says: “This year in Portugal we went from having [a total of]14 Michelin stars to 21. It really shows the momentum building across the country. In Alma we seek to serve much more than a meal: we serve emotions, identity, knowledge. In the end, we seek to develop a kitchen with depth, a consequence of our experiences.”