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A Tasca da Sé
Terracotta and brown-tiled and handily near the cathedral, this small and welcoming family restaurant offers delicious home-cooked dishes.
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A Tasca do Manel
Tiled and wooden, this is a hip tasca (tavern), always packed and lively, with tasty traditional fish and meat dishes.
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Ad Lib
While there are myriad hotel restaurants on and around Av da Liberdade, Ad Lib stands out by offering quality cooking in stylish surroundings. The shredded codfish salad entree is a highlight and either the meat or fish mains will serve you well. The short wine list includes some decent half-bottles.
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Alfaia
This cosy spot serves tapas, sandwiches and hearty Portuguese fare, though port is the main event here. Grab a seat at one of the peaceful outdoor tables for premium imbibing.
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Antiga Casa de Pasto Estrela da Sé
A stone's throw from the cathedral, this tavern has retained its antique decor. Secret political meetings once took place in its wood-panelled booths, which have existed since 1814. The food is quite simple but very tasty. It's an ideal place for an intimate (or even clandestine) dinner.
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Baralto
Traditional Portuguese cuisine with a few unique options (vegetarian lasagne, paella) in a cosy setting.
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Bota Alta
This is a popular restaurant that serves traditional Portuguese food and very good wine. The two dining rooms are decorated with rustic artefacts and original art work but it's the food that brings the locals out: by mid-evening there is usually a line forming outside this much-loved eatery.
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Café Martinho da Arcada
In business since 1782, this tiled, yellow-and-white-tableclothed place was once a haunt of Pessoa, Portugal's greatest 20th-century poet. Although the literary lions have moved on, Martinho's outdoor tables beneath a colonnade make a fine spot for a traditional meal.
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Casa da India
Despite the name, this is a traditional joint with a Portuguese menu. It's popular and lively, always busy, and the gambas á guilho (garlic prawns) are divine.
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Casa Suiça
A long-established favourite doing a brisk trade with tourists outside and sedate elderly locals inside.
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Cervejaria da Trindade
A typical 19th-century cervejaria (beer hall), this one is a must with its colourful azulejos (tiles) and feverish atmosphere. Drop in for anything from a quick beer to a steak and fries dinner, but get there early - it's usually packed every night.
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Chez Degroote
Away from the tourist crowds, this good-value restaurant has colourful walls, wrought-iron chandeliers and nicely prepared dishes. Straightforward specialties feature roasted meats or fish (sea bass, salmon).
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Clube de Fado
Overpriced, mediocre food and touristy feel; some fine fado artists in an arched, colonnaded hall. Popular with groups.
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Com Alma Caffé
Indeed, this newcomer to the dining scene has a lot of alma (soul). Modern moulded furniture contrasts with the exposed stone walls. On offer is good Mediterranean fare, and on weekends DJs or world music groups add to the scene.
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Ena Pai
The bustling Rua dos Correeiros has lots of good-value places, catering to hordes of office workers at lunchtime and a legion of tourists at night. Ena Pai is a typical, no-frills venue with a rapid turnover of customers for its simple, unadorned, good-value fare (which even includes vegetables).
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Espalha Brasas
There's a string of waterfront restaurants and bars around the Docas area, under the thundering Ponte 24 de Abril, which gives the area some On the Waterfront cachet. It's worth wandering along the strip to see what takes your fancy, but one of the nicest, with delicious food and especially good salads is Espalha Brasas.
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Fidalgo
Award-winning, sitting-room, with bottle-lined walls, Fidalgo is a lively, sophisticated, gay-friendly, buzzing choice. It offers interesting, well-executed fish and meat dishes and delicious desserts.
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Lautasco
Lautasco has a wonderfully romantic location, tucked in a leafy, decorated courtyard. Grilled salmon is among the favourites.
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Luca
This modern Italian restaurant packs in local businesspeople for lunch, and those in the know for dinner. There is lovely organic (Portuguese) olive oil on every table, pastas are made fresh, the seafood risotto is a (very generous) highlight. Desserts are irresistible and they serve Lavazza coffee for a great post-meal pick-me-up.
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Mestre André
A charming neighbourhood restaurant with small tables under a star-spangled ceiling, André has tasty bacalhau con nata (cod with cream) and cheesecake made with Portuguese cheese.
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O Fumeiro
Faithful to the cooking of the Beira Alta region of Portugal, this restaurant is about the use of smoked meats (the name means 'smokehouse') as can be judged by the sausage-lined interior. Rustic and hearty, the food is heavy going and best when combined with copious amounts of tinto (red wine).
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Pap'Açorda
It's ironic that Lisbon's hipsters clamour to score a table at an eatery that is named after the humble stomach-filling dish açorda (bread-soup). While you should book ahead, perhaps the best part of the experience is checking out the scene from the bar while you wait. Note, it's best to stick to the less adventurous dishes here.
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Pastéis de Belém
Sublime, divine traditional pastéis de Belém custard tarts, with the eggiest, lightest, crispiest tarts, served warm with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. The recipe is secret, but these tarts taste like they've been made by angels. Founded in 1837, the traditional tiled tearoom is pretty.
