Best Fado Restaurant in Lisbon
During your stay in Lisbon you can not miss a Fado show, the most typical musical genre of the country. If you combine it with a good dinner, it will be a night you will not easily forget.
Lisbon | ©Lisa Fotios
To get to know the essence of a country or a city it is not enough to visit its monuments. We all know how many attractions Lisbon has, but also that the Portuguese capital exudes a particular aroma of melancholy, romanticism and beauty.
All these characteristics are part of Portugal's most famous musical genre: Fado. Declared a World Heritage Site, this type of music was born in the popular neighborhoods of the country, so it is not strange that it is still present in areas such as Alfama or Barrio Alto, in Lisbon. Many restaurants offer their customers dinners accompanied by the best fado performers in a combination that no one should miss.
Lisbon Fado Tour with Dinner
Enjoy a walking tour and taste the best of the Portuguese gastronomy
Tour Lisbon's most iconic and picturesque neighborhoods with a local guide. End your tour in a typical Fado house while enjoying a delicious homemade meal with Portuguese wine.
This activity is ideal if you want to delve into the Portuguese culture through the five senses. You will be able to walk with a local guide through the old neighborhoods of Lisbon, such as Alfama and Mouraria, where Fado was born. For about 4 hours, you will learn about the history and cultural importance of this musical genre, as well as the influence it has had on society.
Once you finish the tour, with your reservation to this Fado tour you will have the opportunity to sit at the table of a traditional Fado house and enjoy typical and homemade dishes, accompanied by a good regional wine.
And if you want to continue enjoying the musical talent and its fusion with the local gastronomy, here is a list of places and recommendations for you to enjoy the Portuguese capital at its best.
Recommended if... you want to live a fully Portuguese experience, based on the best of its gastronomy and the most traditional of its music.
1. Tasca do chico, a Fado institution in Lisbon
The Barrio Alto is one of the most bohemian areas of the city. There is located one of the most popular places to dine while enjoying the best fado, Tasca do chico.
This place is characterized by a traditional aesthetic and for hosting the new talents of the fado genre, which has made it a real institution for those who want to listen to these songs.
The entrance is free, although you will be obliged to pay for a drink. If you want to have dinner, I recommend the delicious sausages they make and accompany them with a glass of red wine.
The popularity of this place means that it is always very busy, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays from 21:00 onwards, when the performances take place. Don't forget to book or arrive well in advance to avoid being left without a seat.
Practical information
- Address: R. Do Diário de Notícias, 39
- Hours: Monday to Sunday from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am
2. One of the best options in the heart of Alfama: the Fado Clube
The Clube de Fado has positioned itself as one of the most exclusive places in Lisbon to listen to this musical genre. If you have taken a guided tour of Alfama, you may have passed through its door without suspecting that inside it hides a great restaurant and musical performances that are considered some of the best in the city.
On the gastronomic side, the restaurant offers traditional Lisbon food and stands out for its varieties of cod and octopus dishes.
Three different singers perform every night, offering much of the best possible Fado repertoire. The total evening usually lasts about 2.5 hours.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to go to Clube de Fado is that reservations may be necessary. It is also a place with higher prices than others in the same area, but the quality of the performances and the food makes up for it.
Practical information
- Address: Rua São João da Praça, 94
- Hours: every day from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
3. The family atmosphere of Mr. Fado of Alfama
The best thing about Mr. Fado de Alfama, located in the neighborhood that appears in its name, is the almost family atmosphere inside. It is a very small place, which favors customers to get involved in the show but makes it difficult to find a free seat.
When dinner is over, the owners of the restaurant spend a few minutes explaining some of the secrets of fado and its variants. Then the performances begin, usually consisting of three different artists.
The magic of the place and the quality of the fado artists make Mr. Fado de Alfama one of the best places to enjoy dinner and fado. Almost all customers choose the option of a closed menu for about 45 € which includes three courses plus, obviously, the show.
Practical information
- Address: Rua dos Remedios 176 Alfama
- Opening hours: from 7:30 p.m. to midnight
4. The great tradition of the Parreirinha of Alfama
If you are looking for a restaurant to dine while listening to a good fado, there is little in Lisbon with as much tradition and tradition as the Parreirinha de Alfama. The restaurant is run by one of the country's most renowned fado singers, Argentina Santos, and often brings together some of the most important voices of the genre on its stage.
During its more than 60 years of history, the restaurant has achieved a well-deserved reputation for both its food and performances. The restaurant's beautiful decoration, especially the tiles on the walls, is also worth admiring.
The so-called fado menu costs 45 € per person, although there is also the option of ordering dinner à la carte, which will usually increase the price considerably.
Practical information
- Address: Beco do Espírito Santo, 1
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
5. The great gastronomic proposal of Adega Machado
The history of this restaurant began in 1937, when the fado singer Maria Lourdes Machado and her husband opened it in Lisbon's Bairro Alto. Today the place presents a much more modern look, as it was thoroughly restored in 2012.
In addition to the splendid performances it offers, the Adega Machado stands out for its gastronomic offer. There you will be able to try some specialties such as grilled dried cod loins or glazed cod slices, two dishes hard to forget and that makes this visit one of the best activities you can do in Lisbon at night.
The Adega Machado also offers the option to book a package called Fado Inside the Box. This is a series of performances that take place in the evening (around 17:00) with a duration of 45 minutes. Instead of dinner, this option offers a tasting of appetizers and wine.
In the evening you will be able to choose (if you book early and have gone to Lisbon in summer) to sit on the beautiful terrace or inside.
Practical information
- Address: Rua do Norte, 91
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 7.30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
6. Casa de Linhares: fado and codfish
Casade Linhares is considered one of the best places in Lisbon to enjoy a Fado dinner.
Part of its dishes feature one of the star ingredients of Portuguese gastronomy, **cod. ** It is also popular for its rice broth and cheese boards. Unlike other places of this type, in Casa de Linhares there is no closed menu, but you can choose to order a la carte or tasting menu.
As for the fado performances, during dinner there are usually between 4 and 5 passes and there is no shortage of songs that show different styles of fado to the most classic.
Practical information
- Address: Beco Armazéns do Linho 2
- Hours: 8:00 pm to 1:00 am daily
7. Restaurant O Faia, a piece of fado history
Founded by the famous Lucilia do Carmo in 1974, O Faia is considered one of the most prestigious restaurants to dine while listening to the best Fado songs. Not only will you experience a special atmosphere, but the food and service are simply fabulous. During the meal there are interspersed with performances of about 20 minutes by four different singers.
It is necessary to book well in advance if you want to go to this beautiful restaurant in the Barrio Alto. The price for dinner plus the show is about 55 euros.
Practical information
- Address: Rua da Barroca, 54-56
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am
8. A Severa, a classic of the Lisbon scene
One of the most classic restaurants with Fado performances in Bairro Alto is A Severa, inaugurated in 1955. If you decide to go there, keep in mind that its price is higher than other places and that it requires a minimum consumption of about 30 € per person.
The commitment to high quality gastronomy, with delicious dishes of both meat and fish, is one of the reasons for the success of this restaurant. Obviously, to this must be added the sensational fado show by candlelight.
Practical information
- Address: Rua das Gáveas, 51/61
- Hours: Thursday to Tuesday between 8:00 pm and 2:00 am
9. A Baiuca: fado in a tavern
If you want to dine while listening to fado, but don't feel like doing it in a formal setting, A Baiuca may be your choice. More than a restaurant, the place retains all the characteristics of a typical Lisbon tavern. Among other things, this means that it does not have too many tables, so you will have to book in advance.
Although it also has a terrace in the square, to listen to the fado show it is better to book inside. The singers alternate and, at times, there are even spontaneous performers from the neighborhood.
The menu, unlike that of other Fado restaurants, is not closed, and for dinner you can choose from the dishes on the interesting menu. In any case, the portions they serve are abundant and their cod is excellent.
Practical information
- Address: Rua São Miguel, 20
- Opening hours: opens at 19:30 in the evening and closes at 23:30 at night.
10. A new concept of fado in Povo Lisboa
Povo Lisboa tries to keep the spirit of the traditional Portuguese taverns in order to become a meeting point for Lisboners. In that attempt could not miss the fado or, as the people in charge of the place point out, the "new fado".
If you decide for this restaurant you will find a great show in an environment not designed for tourism. The restaurant is quite small and the food, although unpretentious, is very correct.
To enjoy their evenings you only have to pay a small entrance fee of 4 € per person, to which you will have to add what you consume inside. The performances are divided into two shifts, one at 20:00 hours and another at 22:00. The singers come out every 20 minutes to perform four songs each time.
Practical information
- Address: Rua Nova do Carvalho, 32-36
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, the restaurant is open from 12:00 to 15:00. In the evening, the restaurant is open from 18:00 to 2:00 (Sunday to Wednesday) and from 18:00 to 4:00 (Thursday to Saturday).
Fado in Chiado: if you just want to listen to fado without having to have dinner
Although the option of dinner with a Fado show is widespread in the city, if you just want to enjoy the music you will also have options.
The most outstanding one is called Fado in Chiado, a show that takes place in a concert hall located in the neighborhood of that name. Each session lasts about 50 minutes, with the participation of 2 singers and 2 guitarists.
What is Fado
Fado goes beyond its mere musical conception. For many, this genre represents an entire country, Portugal, and its songs reflect part of the experiences of its inhabitants. Thus, there are those who call fado "the soul of Lisbon".
The word fado comes from the Latin "fatum", which means destiny. It is considered that this musical style was born in the poor neighborhoods of the capital and its lyrics usually express feelings such as fatalism, frustration or the well-known saudade (nostalgia or melancholy).
Fado is usually sung by a single person accompanied by a guitar called viola. After a period of certain decline, fado has recovered part of its presence in the Portuguese capital, where it has become a real tourist attraction.