{"id":16871,"date":"2018-11-29T10:03:58","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T10:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devourlisbonfoodtours.com\/?p=1647"},"modified":"2018-11-29T10:03:58","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T10:03:58","slug":"eat-like-a-local-in-lisbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/eat-like-a-local-in-lisbon\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Tips to Eat Like a Local in Lisbon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even if staying for a short time<\/a>, you want to feel deeply connected with your destination. Part of that connection comes through food.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On these six tips to eat like a local in Lisbon, we at Devour Lisbon are focusing on cultural eating habits. Eating like a local in the Portuguese capital means enjoying a meal, no matter how short on time you are. It also means being picky but not a fussy eater. And, above all, it means enjoyment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Want<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit: rafaela.marquesc<\/a>; Text overlay: Devour Lisbon Food Tours<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Sit to Eat Lunch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At a table or the counter, Lisboetas<\/em> sit to eat no matter how quick the meal. Workers get one hour to lunch and they make the most of it around the table. Here they\u2019ll discuss politics, another coworker, the state of the health system, more politics, education, the latest gossip, and, especially on Mondays, last Sunday\u2019s football match if they\u2019re hardcore fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Eating like a local in Lisbon means sitting down for a meal, even if it’s just a sandwich. Photo credit: Kent Wang<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Know What A \u201cQuick Meal\u201d Really Means<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A sandwich for lunch? Not unless it\u2019s a bifana<\/em><\/a> or a prego<\/em> and you\u2019re in the mood for Lisbon street food.<\/a> If a local is having a sandwich for lunch at a restaurant, then it\u2019s most likely complemented by a bowl of soup. A \u201cquick meal\u201d by Lisbon standards is the middle ground between fast food and a prolonged dinner. It\u2019s a dish that\u2019s part of the daily specials and ready to go, may be part of a menu that includes a drink and a coffee, and requires swift service. Always at the table, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Go for the Lunch Menu<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese in the big cities eat out for lunch on weekdays. Workers get an additional daily bonus to their income to cover lunch expenses and most prefer to eat out. Packing a meal was a trend during the 2011-2015 economic crisis, but you\u2019ll notice it less now. Besides, with such great weather most of the year who wants to be stuck at the office for an extra hour?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most tascas<\/em><\/a> and snack bars (caf\u00e9s that also serve quick meals) are strategically located near office buildings and all have their version of lunch menus. They cost under \u20ac10 and include one main dish that you can pick from the specials\u2019 list, a drink, sometimes a salad or soup, and a coffee. Dessert is usually optional and alcohol drinks aren\u2019t included. When in doubt where to eat a good and affordable lunch, choose the place with the most \u201csuits\u201d between noon and 3 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People
Even with just one hour to lunch, Lisboetas<\/em> still sit to enjoy their meal and a conversation. Photo credit: J\u00e1nos Sz\u00fcdi<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Special Occasions Are What You Make of Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Going out to dinner with friends or family to celebrate a special occasion is common. The range of what \u201cspecial occasions\u201d mean for the Portuguese is wide. It can be a birthday, a farewell party, or just getting a group of friends together that miss each other. It can also mean trying out a new restaurant. The point is to find an excuse to share a meal, and it\u2019s never too hard to find one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. The Portuguese Art of “Petiscar”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Portuguese have whole meals just with petiscos<\/em> and drinks. These can go on for hours unless it\u2019s a busy restaurant and the waiter is desperate to free a table. First, choose a place with the best petiscos<\/em> in Lisbon.<\/a> Then, prepare to order and share. We at Devour Lisbon suggest you try every petisco<\/em> on the menu and then order a second dose of your favorites. Food (almost) becomes secondary as conversations at the table take over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Octopus
A little bit of onion and fresh herbs is all you need to make a delicious Salada de Polvo (octopus salad). Photo credit: monde_delicieux<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. Don\u2019t Overthink the Food but be Picky<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lisboetas<\/em> look more for the price\/quality balance than a menu that wows them. Of course, if a restaurant gets both things done right, they\u2019ll forever recommend it to friends, family members, and any tourist who might ask them for a nice place to eat. Flavor matters, respect for food matter, and the quality of the ingredients matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a pickiness that\u2019s best observed at pastelarias<\/em> and bakeries. Pay close attention to local customers. Before ordering they\u2019ll carefully browse the pastry-filled refrigerated counter (or the bread on shelves if it\u2019s a bakery). Some are less vocal, so they\u2019ll press their finger against the window pointing to the exact pastry they want. Others are more explicit and they\u2019ll describe in detail not just the pastry they want but how they want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you coming to Lisbon?<\/strong>
Don’t waste a single meal\u2014check out our ultimate foodie guide to
where to eat in Lisbon<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand the \u201cmore cooked\u201d or \u201cless cooked\u201d level, the employee will usually pick up one of the pastries with a tong, rotate it in different angles so the client has a better look, and only after it passes all the tests is the pastry served. It may sound exhausting, but the client gets exactly what they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pastries
Locals are picky about their pastries and they take a while to browse until they find the perfect one. Photo credit: Sandra Henriques Gajjar<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Eating like a local truly goes a long way in taking your travel experience from “good” to “great.” On our Tastes & Traditions of Lisbon Tour<\/a>, we’ll skip the tourist traps and head off the beaten path into some of the city’s last remaining truly authentic neighborhoods. There, you’ll sample countless beloved bites at the family-run places that have been making them for generations, and come away with a deeper understanding of Portuguese food culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even if staying for a short time, you want to feel deeply connected with your destination. Part of that connection comes through food. On these six tips to eat like a local in Lisbon, we at Devour Lisbon are focusing on cultural eating habits. Eating like a local in the Portuguese capital means enjoying a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":16619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1722,1723],"tags":[9,1724,1725,1440,1727],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDevour Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/eat-like-a-local-in-lisbon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learn How to Eat Like a Local in Lisbon with these 6 Tips\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Knowing how to eat like a local in Lisbon goes beyond a list of must-visit restaurants. 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