STUDIO 15

Roasted chestnuts are popular street food in Portugal. Called castanhas assadas ("roasted chestnuts") in Portuguese, it's sold starting around November throughout autum and winter.
Traditionally, newly harvested chestnuts are eaten around a bonfire on when "Dia de São Martinho" (St. Martin's Day) is celebrated across the country (november 11th).

The dish has origins in the Beira region of north-central Portugal, just north of Lisbon, but this is widespread rustic Portuguese cuisine.

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This traditional slow-boiled meat plate bursts with savory porky, beefy flavor. Often included are sausages like chouriço, smoky farinheira (made from wheat flour, pork fat, and seasonings), and morcelo (blood sausage); hunks of beef (and/or pork and/or chicken); pig ears and trotters; and meat-scented cabbage, potatoes, rice, and beans (most of it cooked in the same salted water as the meat).

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You can have a tast of it in "Os Courenses" every Thursday and Saturday.

This is the best Pica-Pau in Lisbon - from Pinoquio. The literal translation of Pica-pau is woodpecker but this is beef.

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Look for it in Pinoquio.

A loaf of bread, a few slices of pork and a gravy often runnig down your fingers. It may sound easy, but making bifanas is an art that not everyone dominates.

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Try them in:

• Trevo

• Café Beira Gare

In 2019 the winner of the best Pastel de Nata was "Santo António" Pastry shop. You can click the image below and find your way to taste one in their shop nearby the Lisbon Castle.

Pastel de nata (or Portuguese custard tarts or simply egg tart as many people have taken to calling them),  is one of the symbols of Lisbon and Portugal. The Lisbonans are true fans of this dessert (I'm no exception) they savor at any time accompanied by an espresso or a latte. Nowadays, this pastry is known all over the world and its fame keeps growing.

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The members of the jury taste all the cakes blind, without knowing the participating establishments, which makes this competition fairer and harder to win. The aspects considered in the evaluation are:

• Appearance

• Touch of the dough

• Flavour and consistency of the crust

• Filling

• Overall flavour

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The most award-winning pastel de nata is Pastelaria Aloma with the following track record:

• Winner (2012, 2013, 2015 & 2024)

• Runner up (2019, 2021)

Portuguese that is Portuguese likes a good cod! After all, there are a thousands of ways to cook and serve this delicacy.

One of the most traditional is perhaps the boiled cod fillet, served with chickpeas, egg, parsley and chopped onion.

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With so many lovers of this fish in Portugal, it is no wonder that there are so many restaurants dedicated to the faithful friend. So here are two options of where you can have a taset of it in Lisbon:

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1. Laurentina o Rei do Bacalhau (link)

2. A Casa do Bacalhau (link)

Olive oil, garlic, coriander, lemon and of course the best clams. These are the main ingredients of one of the most typical dishes of Portuguese cuisine. It is said to have origin in the region of Extremadura, but quickly ran the country.

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Although it is a year-round dish, it's on warm, sunny days that it tates best, especially with a round of draught beer!

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You should be able to taste them in any seafood restaurant.

As a result of the 1820 liberal revolution, all convents and monasteries in Portugal were shut down in 1834, the clergy and labourers expelled.

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In an attempt for survival, someone from the monastery offered sweet pastries that rapidly became known as Pastéis de Belém.

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In 1837, the baking of the “Pastéis de Belém”began following the ancient ‘secret recipe` from the monastery. Passed on and known exclusively to the master confectioners who hand-crafted the pastries in the ‘secret room’, this recipe remained unchanged to the present day.

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https://pasteisdebelem.pt/en/

This dish, much appreciated by the majority of Portuguese people, is seasonal. Although it's possible to find sardines all year round, their season is from June to September and in these months they are fresh and it's well worth trying a delicious and succulent dose of grilled sardines.

Some of the places where they tend to be very good are:

Ze da Mouraria (Link)

Although the highlight of the place is cod, the sardine leaves nothing to be desired.

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Tasca do Jaime (Link)

It is one of the busiest places during the Santo António season in the lively neighborhood of Graça and has been for over 30 years.

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O Pitéu (Link)
A gastronomic reference in one of the most typical neighborhoods of Lisbon, the Graça neighborhood, with excellent quality and fresh cuisine, both in terms of fish and meat.