Food in Portugal is varied and served in generous portions.  All tastes and pockets are catered for, from small back-street ‘tascas‘ (cafés) to luxury restaurants. There are also restaurants in shopping centres, with buffet style meals. These are in Cascaishopping, Oeiras Parque.  In Lisbon the Colombo, Vasco da Gama and Amoreiras shopping centres.

Here is a brief guide to some Portuguese dishes.  Many restaurants serve a set price lunch with starter, main course, dessert, coffee and includes good quality house wine. Some fish and shellfish dishes are expensive.  When menus mention PV (preço variado) it means varied price and it is charged by the weight.

Popular dishes:

• Ameijoas a bulhão pato – clams cooked in a tomato sauce.
• Arroz de pato – rice and duck baked
• Arroz de marisco – shellfish rice cooked in a sauce
• Arroz de polvo – octopus cooked with rice in a sauce
• Arroz de tamboril – rice with mokfish in a sauce
• Bacalhau com natas – codfish baked with potatoes in a cream sauce and grilled
• Cozido a Portuguesa – boiled meats, rice, greens, sausages
• Carne de porco a Alentejana – cubes of seasoned pork with clams
• Dobrada – tripe and beans
• Feijoada – pork with beans