While finding vegetarian foods in most countries is usually not an issue, finding DELICIOUS food isn’t always as easy. If you are a vegetarian who is traveling to Portugal, you might be worried about finding amazing food in a country that is otherwise known for its seafood-and meat-based cuisine. Through some research and local suggestions, we ate some incredibly delicious vegetarian food that allowed us to dwell in Portugal’s delicious food scene.
If you are a Vegetarian, and planning on visiting Portugal’s main cities of Lisbon and Porto, here are some culinary experiences that are absolutely worth trying!
O Carniceno
Where: Porto
Dining Experience: Casual
Overview:
A hip restaurant located inside Zero Box Lodge, a unique bank-vault-themed hotel. At first glance, the menu for this restaurant did not seem too appealing for vegetarians. But upon our hotel’s recommendation, we decided to give it a try. Boy, were we glad we did! There were only a few vegetarian appetizer and entrée options, but everything we ordered was cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were some of the best we have had and the vegetable ratatouille was cooked to perfection. While this restaurant is certainly not one that caters to vegetarians, the quality of cooking and ingredients made it one of the better dinning experiences we had in Porto
Especie
Where: Porto
Dining Experience: Semi-Formal (great for a more romantic or fancy dinner)
Unlike O Carniceno, Especie is a purely vegetarian restaurant. We’ve been to many all-vegetarian restaurants in several different cities, but this was one of our favorites. The Thai curry and homemade paratha were to die for and the many other menu options all looked excellent as well. To top it off, the backyard garden seating provides a beautiful ambiance that makes this spot a great place for a more romantic dining experience. If there’s an option on this list, you should try when visiting Porto, it is this one!
Braso Cervejara
Where: Porto
Dining Experience: Lunch
If you’ve researched food to try in Portugal, you almost certainly will come up across the country’s famous dish Francesinha. Francesinha is a layered sandwich with meat and cheese soaked in a beer and tomato sauce. While there are not too many vegetarian versions of this dish, Braso Cervejara serves up a version with imitation meat.
I have to admit, I found the concept of this local dish too heavy for my liking. This being said, if you want to try the dish (and you should!), this is the place to go! While it may not be for everyone, it’s nice that there is a restaurant serving a vegetarian version of this dish.
Fabbrica di Pasta Fresca - Chiado
Where: Lisbon
Dining Experience: Semi-formal dinner or lunch spot
After a long day of walking through the hilly streets of Lisbon, we felt like we needed a carb re-load! To our surprise, the Italian food at this restaurant was incredibly authentic and well-made. Everything from the service to the wine, to the texture of the freshly made pasta was exceptional!
Emparna Empanada
Where: Lisbon
Dining Experience: Quick Bite
We casually came across this place while walking through Lisbon’s most photographed street (Rua da Bica de Duarte Belo). Despite not being too hungry, the amazing smell of the freshly made empanadas lured us in. The pit stop did not disappoint as these were some of the better empanadas I had in a while. There were several good vegetarian choices, and after trying a few, I wish I had time to come back for some more!
Home Cooked Vegetarian Dinning Experience
Where: Lisbon
Dining Experience: Dining Experience
If you love food, and want to experience several local Portuguese dishes, reinvented for vegetarians, you have to partake in Chef Mateus 3 hour dinning experience.
The experience can be booked through airbnb experiences and is truly worth every penny. For about $35, you will get to try several courses of some of the best food you will ever eat! We were not sure if this experience would be worth three hours of our limited time in Lisbon, but it without a doubt was.
Pastel de Nata (Nata)!
Where: Anywhere
Dining Experience: Quick Bite
Last, but not least, id be hard-pressed to write a food article about Portugal without mentioning the country’s famous dessert Nata. If you haven’t tried a Nata before you are in for a treat. These small egg custard pastries have the perfect crunch-to-soft consistency and melt in your mouth with every bite.
The famous local pastry can be found almost anywhere in Portugal and there truly is no bad time to grab one. You simply can not leave the country without trying one!
