YLB’s Top 5 Seafood Restaurants

A plate of cooked fish with lemon wedges, small potatoes, and grilled vegetables on a decorative portuguese plate.

Lisbon is a city where the river meets the sea, making it a great place for seafood! You can get a great pescitarian dish at most places, and I love a grilled dourada (seabream) or ameijoas (clams) from a local tasca but here are my top places where seafood is the main attraction.

If you’re feeling a bit lost and can’t tell your peixe from your polvo, you can check out our handy Seafood Guide so you know exactly what you’re ordering.

A meal with a pan of chickpea and seafood stew, grilled fish, and a side salad with mixed greens and vegetables.

Choco Do Bairro

Known mostly only to locals in the neighbourhood of Campo Do Ourique, I hope including them here doesn’t change that too much, but it’s too good to gatekeep. A regular haunt of mine, this affordable place run by a husband (kitchen) and wife (front of house) team is where I come when I want a nice piece of clean, fresh grilled fish, without any fuss. As inferred by the name, it’s the best place for choco (cuttlefish) outside of Setubal, I love it in their chicpea stew (pictured). I recommend the curry prawns also.

R. Ten. Ferreira Durão 55 A, Campo de Ourique

Interior view of a restaurant in Lisbon with a water view through large windows, tables set with blue tablecloths, white plates, glasses, and napkins, and some people walking outside.

A Vela (Associação Regional de Vela do Centro).

When the weather is nice, there’s nowhere else I want to be than indulging in a long lunch at A Vela. A little pricier than it’s 2 neighbours, but it’s worth it. I think I’ve eaten most things on the menu at this point (our seafood guide is here) and I’ve yet to be disappointed. It’s also a favourite of mine to take visitors. The staff are a 10 out of 10, the waiters speak multiple languages, they’re patient but lightning fast and on top of every detail despite the chaos of how busy it can be. All you have to do is choose your fish, drink your wine, and watch the sailboats float by.

Av Brasilia Doca de Recreio Belem PAV. A.R.V.C, Belem Waterfront

A modern, circular bar with white high chairs, set with plates and drinks, in a Lisbon restaurant with brick arch ceilings and a colorful leaf-shaped chandelier.

Peixola

This is all things seafood but not in your traditional Portuguese way, it’s more of a modern vibe. Don’t let the pretty plating fool you into thinking there’s no substance - The tuna tataki is seared just right and the miso polvo (octopus) with tom yum is delicious. The layout has most of the seating along the circular bar which dominates the space, making it best for a party of two, and even better if you’re venturing out solo.

R. do Alecrim 35, 1200-014 Lisboa | Website

Bowl of cooked mussels garnished with chopped onions and green herbs.

Moules & Gin

As expected by the name, a decent range of gin (by half or full measures), and fresh mussels perfectly cooked in a variety of sauces to choose from (fraiche is my personal fave). Served in a modern setting with decent service, it’s hard to have a bad night here.

R. Correia Teles 56, 1350-094 Lisboa | Website

A white plate with cooked shrimp and prawns garnished with a lemon wedge and a metal spoon, set on a blue tablecloth. Portuguese seafood.

Cervejaria Ramiro

Ramiro doesn’t really need an introduction. This Portuguese institution was made famous when Anthony Bourdain fell in love with it, and he was no dummy when it came to culinary satisfaction. But we can’t just credit the late-and-great Bourdain, it’s been a favourite with locals since it opened in 1956. The dishes here lean on the crustacean and shell-fish side of the seafood spectrum and I highly recommend the spider crab to share with friends.

Bestie Tip: Loud and bustling, this is better with a group of mates rather than a romantic dinner. It may be 3 floors but it is wise to still book ahead.