Lisbon: Culinary Backstreets - Lisbon Awakens

Begin your culinary journey in Lisbon by traveling back in time for a taste of the “Age of Exploration,” a golden period when Lisbon became the center of a global empire, awash in power and holding the keys to the spice trade. Search for a taste of those distant roots in the simple offerings of a classic pastry shop beside the 18th-century Estrela Basilica.

From there, make your way up to the out-of-the-way Campo de Ourique neighborhood, where your story leaps to contemporary times in this well-preserved “village” in the city. Have a belly-warming shot of ginjinha, a smooth, sour-cherry liqueur that is a traditional local eye-opener, on your way to one of Lisbon’s finest traditional markets. Explore the old artisans – fishmongers, butchers, greengrocers, bakers – working alongside more modern, boutique offerings recently added to the market.

Visit one of the neighborhood’s favorite lunch spots, where you will start your lunch with a variety of traditional seasonal specialties, for example, legume salads, octopus and chickpeas with that Portuguese staple, bacalhau, salt cod. Then, head to a hidden-gem neighborhood restaurant upholding their family’s culinary traditions for generations. Visit a private club with a very unique story and that serves a mean vindalho (a meat dish that’s the Portuguese ancestor of Goan vindaloo). Along the way, enjoy a tasting of signature Portuguese cheeses and wines. Sample savory pastries at a historic bakery, a spot as beautiful as the pastries are delicious. Finally, no day in Lisbon would be complete without a pastel de nata, the famous local custard tart, with a stop at a tiny neighborhood shop that serves one of the city’s best.

Not suitable for

• Vegans

What to bring

• Comfortable shoes

Know before you go

• Lisbon has many hills and cobblestone streets
• Some dietary restrictions can be accommodated
• Tour includes almost a dozen stops over 5.5 hours
• Wear comfortable walking shoes