The best seafood restaurants in and around Lisbon
Lisbon lives by the Atlantic, and it shows at the table. The Portuguese are devoted fish-eaters, and a proper seafood feast here (a platter of prawns and clams, a cold imperial beer, the shells slowly piling up) is one of the city’s great, unhurried pleasures. These are the seafood and fish restaurants in Lisbon we send travellers to, in the city and along the coast.
One local rule before you go: at a proper marisqueira, follow the regulars and finish a shellfish feast with a prego: a small steak sandwich. It makes no logical sense after all that seafood, and it is somehow perfect.
In the city
Ramiro. The most famous seafood house in Lisbon, and deservedly so. The quality and variety are exceptional, the service quick and warm. Your next imperial arrives before the last is quite finished, almost like magic. Expect a queue from early evening; it’s part of the ritual, and worth it. Avenida Almirante Reis 1H, Anjos
Marisqueira do Lis. A few doors from Ramiro, and the locals’ quiet alternative: the same fresh seafood and well-poured beer, a celebrated prego, and. Crucially, none of the queue. Avenida Almirante Reis 27B, Anjos
Pinóquio. In the tourist heart near Restauradores, yet it never took the easy road. Still serious about its craft: the Ria Formosa clams steamed with garlic and coriander, and crab that arrives already cracked, so all that’s left to do is enjoy it. Praça dos Restauradores 79
Nunes Real Marisqueira. In Belém, a classic marisqueira with cold draft beer and a fine spread of the freshest fish and shellfish: a short walk from the custard tarts, and a world away from the crowds. Rua Bartolomeu Dias 120, Belém
The modern fish houses: Chiado and Campo de Ourique
Lisbon’s younger kitchens have taken the same Atlantic catch in a new direction: raw, cured and marinated, as well as grilled.
Sea Me. A “modern fish shop” in the Chiado, with the day’s fish laid out on ice by the door. The kitchen moves easily between Portuguese tradition and a lighter, sushi-bar precision, and the octopus rice is reason enough to book. Rua do Loreto 21, Chiado
Peixaria da Esquina. Chef Vítor Sobral’s corner fish house in Campo de Ourique, one of the city’s most liveable neighbourhoods. Fish served raw, cured and marinated with real imagination (mackerel with citrus and ginger, tuna with mango), alongside the cataplanas, açordas and rice dishes of the Portuguese table. Rua Correia Teles 56, Campo de Ourique
Along the Cascais coast
Furnas do Guincho. Perhaps the finest table on the Guincho road: a beautiful space inside and out, attentive service, and seafood of the highest order. Much of it from the restaurant’s own beds among the rocks below. Estrada do Guincho, Cascais
Mar do Inferno. Perched above the dramatic Boca do Inferno, this one keeps a warm, family feel. Lourdes and her sons receive you like old friends and steer you to whatever came in that morning; the local clams and the Berlengas barnacles. Sometimes of astonishing size, are always a good idea. Avenida Rei Humberto II de Itália, Boca do Inferno, Cascais
Both sit on the coast road of our private day along the Cascais coast, which ends with lunch by the sea.
On the Sintra coast
Azenhas do Mar. Set beside a sea-pool carved into the cliffs at Colares, this is as fresh as seafood gets: the owner, João Pedro, gathers the barnacles from the rocks himself. The Atlantic comes so close it can splash the terrace. Part of the magic of eating here. Piscina das Azenhas do Mar, Colares (Sintra)
It makes a fine ending to a day in Sintra.
Across the river: Costa da Caparica
A short drive south of the city, over the 25 de Abril bridge, Costa da Caparica is where Lisbon goes for fish at the weekend: long beaches, a slow pace and tables where nobody hurries you.
Sentido do Mar. A seafront table on Praia do Norte, loved for very fresh fish and a Japanese hand with it: sashimi and sushi sit beside the grilled catch, in generous portions. Book ahead in summer. Rua Muralha da Praia, Praia do Norte, Costa da Caparica
Apeixonado. For those who like to choose their own supper. Inside the municipal market you pick your fish at the stall, it is weighed in front of you and taken to the grill: sardines, horse mackerel, sea bass, red mullet or sole, depending on the day’s catch. Unpretentious, and all the better for it. Mercado Municipal, Praça da Liberdade, Costa da Caparica
Further south, beyond the Arrábida hills, Sesimbra still lands its catch straight off the boats: it is one of the stops on our Arrábida wine tour from Lisbon.
Questions we are asked about eating fish in Lisbon
What is the best fish restaurant in Lisbon?
There is no single answer, and any Lisboeta will argue the point. Ramiro is the famous one and earns its queue. Nunes Real Marisqueira in Belém is where locals go for a proper shellfish spread. For fish rather than shellfish, the tables along the Cascais and Sintra coast are hard to beat, because the catch travels no distance at all.
What should I order at a Lisbon marisqueira?
Order by what came in that morning rather than by the menu, and remember that shellfish is sold by weight, so trust the waiter and don’t be alarmed by the scales. A classic spread runs to prawns, clams cooked with garlic and coriander, and percebes when the sea has allowed them, with a cold imperial beer alongside.
Do I need to book a seafood restaurant in Lisbon?
For the well-known tables, yes, and often several days ahead. Ramiro famously doesn’t take bookings, which is why the queue exists. The coastal restaurants fill quickly at weekends and through the summer, so an early reservation is worth the trouble.
Half the pleasure of a seafood feast is having the right table booked and the timing handled. Exactly the kind of detail we love to take care of. If a food-led Lisbon holiday along the city and its coast appeals, or a longer tailor-made journey through Portugal, start a conversation, and we’ll set the table. Heading north as well? Our companion guide covers the best seafood restaurants in Porto.