10 Best Food Tours in Lisbon

Lisbon is a city that you can not only visit and see, but also taste. Join me to review the best gastronomic tours of the Portuguese capital.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

8 min read

10 Best Food Tours in Lisbon

Food in Lisbon | ©F Delventhal

If you have come to visit Lisbon, I am sure you have done it not only for its enormous cultural heritage, but also for its excellent gastronomy and its products with denomination of origin. If you want to know what to see and do in Lisbon this time I will give you all the details of its gastronomic tours.

From typical tastings to selected wine tastings, through experiences aboard tuks. Lisbon is a city that invites you to enter its streets and get to know the delicacies around every corner. I hope you come with an appetite because let's get started!

1. Gastronomic tour in small groups

Beers| ©Susanne Nilsson
Beers| ©Susanne Nilsson

If you want to have a first approach to Portuguese food and you don't feel like being on big guided tours, but you find it useful to be guided by an expert in the field about all the typical flavors, I recommend you to book a gastronomic tour of Lisbon for small groups in your passage through Lisbon.

These tours usually have no more than 15 participants and, accompanied by a guide specialized in cooking, you can visit the most emblematic places in the center of Lisbon, tasting not only delicious regional snacks, but also some samples of wine and the famous port liqueur. Undoubtedly an experience that will help you understand the basis of this renowned cuisine.

General information

  • In which area is it? It is usually a tour of between 5 and 10 locations in the center of Lisbon.
  • How much does it cost? Approximately 70€.
  • How long does it take? About 3 hours.

Book a gastronomic tour in Lisbon

2. Tasting of Belem pastries made by yourself

Francesinhas| ©Nachokunz
Francesinhas| ©Nachokunz

If this is the first time you come to Lisbon, you should know that you are in one of the richest cities of European gastronomy, with Mediterranean touches that make it not only rich but also healthy. And if what you really like is cooking, I recommend you to book a cooking class.

Specifically, in this activity you will learn how to cook the famous Belem cakes or cream cakes, the most famous and typical dessert in Portugal, named after the famous Belem neighborhood.

But not only that, the class also includes the preparation of another typical dish of the country that will not be revealed until you meet the master chef. And, of course, you will taste all your preparations.

General information

  • How much does it cost? From 51€.
  • How long does it last? About 2 hours.
  • What is included? Coffee or tea.

Book a cooking class of Belem cake

3. Tapas and Port Gastronomic Tour

Tapas in Porto| ©Salomé Chaussure
Tapas in Porto| ©Salomé Chaussure

Maybe a good plate of Portuguese stew or a caldeirada are true delicacies within the typical food of Lisbon and all Portugal. However, if what you want during your vacation is something lighter and more varied, there is nothing better than doing the authentic Lisbon tapas tour.

Walking through one of the most historic neighborhoods, Mouraria, accompanied by an expert, you will discover with a group of no more than 12 tourists the most popular bars and taverns in the area.

And not only you will taste tapas with grilled meats, sardines and other typical preparations, but you will make it better with a glass of local wine or port wine that, even if you do not drink it directly in Oporto, will contain all its essence.

General information

  • How much does it cost? Approximately 80€ .
  • How long does it take? About 3 hours.

Book a gastronomic tour in Lisbon

4. Private tour, ideal to try new flavors with your family

Salmon at Casa de Linhares| ©Rogério V
Salmon at Casa de Linhares| ©Rogério V

If you come with your family or an intimate group of friends and do not want to be in the tourist chaos of downtown Lisbon tasting food, one of your best options may be to hire a private gastronomic tour for your family or intimate group so that you can have a person specialized in Portuguese gastronomy.

This type of tour will take you exclusively to all the most popular food places, covering transfers for the whole private group, so you won't have to worry about anything else but tasting delicious dishes in the most charming neighborhoods of Lisbon.

On the other hand, if you feel like touring part of the city with a guide just for you, but also tasting typical flavors and a gastronomic tour is not enough, you can book a private tour of Lisbon where a stop at a restaurant is also included. This way you won't have to give up any experience.

General information about Lisbon

  • In which area does the gastronomic tour take place? You will visit different neighborhoods in a private car such as Mouraria, Chiama or Alfado.
  • How much does it cost? Depending on the number of people, between 80€ and 100€. The private tour costs around 60€.
  • How long does it take? Approximately 3 hours and a half.

Book a private tour of Lisbon

5. Wine and seafood tasting in Lisbon harbor

Wine tasting at Taylor's| ©GryVeb
Wine tasting at Taylor's| ©GryVeb

Lisbon boasts one of the most important river cities in the Iberian Peninsula thanks to being the mouth of the Tagus River, which offers numerous cruises on the Tagus. This, and its close proximity to the ocean, make it have a great variety of fish and seafood that is an undoubted part of your gastronomy.

If you are a sea lover and want to do a tasting of all these star products, there is nothing better than hiring a gastronomic tour with a tasting of local wines to enjoy the best seafood in Lisbon. In this type of tour you have the option to move by ferry through the different locations of the river ports and taste a fresh product accompanied by a delicious glass of wine.

Of course booking a wine tasting in Lisbon only and leave the seafood on the side is also possible. In these cases it is usually combined with traditional sausages and cheeses.

Information

  • In which area is the wine tasting with seafood? Port of Lisbon and different locations by ferry.
  • How much does it cost? Around 65€ and 50€ for the wine tasting only.
  • How long does it last? Between 3 and 4 hours. The wine tasting only 2.

Book a wine tasting in Lisbon

6. Gastronomic tour by tuk

Belen Cakes| ©André Luís
Belen Cakes| ©André Luís

If you want to live a different and original experience while tasting the best of Lisbon, I recommend a type of tour that is becoming more and more popular. Often, gastronomic tours, unless you hire the VIP or private option, require you to make your way to the different venues on foot or by public transport.

To save you this step, one of the alternatives is to move by tuk, a fun means of electric transport that will take you and a small group of up to 6 people to all the gastronomic stops to taste in a comfortable and agile way the essential delicacies of this beautiful city.

General information

  • Where are you located? In the main neighborhoods.
  • How much does it cost? Around 100 euros.
  • How long does it take? Approximately 3 hours.

Another fun way to tour the city is to hire a segway tour of Lisbon with food tasting, with which you can get to know in an ecological way the corners of the city and know at the same time the typical Portuguese gastronomy.

Book a segway tour in Lisbon

7. Get to know the old town of Lisbon tasting its most traditional food

Grilled Fish| ©Maxim Sinelshchikov
Grilled Fish| ©Maxim Sinelshchikov

They say that one of the most beautiful places in Lisbon is its old town, formed by winding streets full of history and tradition. If you are looking to soak up this atmosphere and taste the essence of its gastronomy, there is nothing like dedicating the time it deserves and take a walking tour around this area with a local guide in groups of no more than 10 people.

I know. It is not as comfortable as driving from place to place, but I assure you that it has a much more special charm and, in addition, you can be more in contact with the local people. Besides, the guides are usually locals who know their way around and will take you to the most famous places as well as to hidden corners full of flavor.

General information

  • Where is it located: in the old town; both Cidade Baixa and Barrio Alto.
  • How much does it cost?: between 100 ¤ and 150 ¤.
  • How long does it take?: about 4 hours.

8. There is also room for vegans in Lisbon

Vegan Sushi| ©Olga Berrios
Vegan Sushi| ©Olga Berrios

Portuguese gastronomy is as much about meat and smoked meats as it is about seafood and seafood products. However, this does not have to be restrictive for all tourists.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, Lisbon also has a place for you because you can find authentic tours that will guide you and orient you on the most reputable places where typical food is prepared without any animal products in groups of up to 10 people.

Veganism has evolved a lot in recent years and the best chefs have adapted all the traditional recipes of Lisbon to make them suitable for all palates. The guide will take you around and explain how they adapt these healthy and original recipes.

General information

  • What area is it in: most tours focus on the Mouraria neighborhood.
  • How much does it cost: around 70€.
  • How long does it take: about 3 hours.

9. Support local restaurants in Lisbon

Eating at Cervejaria Ramiro| ©Betty L
Eating at Cervejaria Ramiro| ©Betty L

Lisbon is characterized by a unique and intimate atmosphere. Many of its neighborhoods, such as Alfama, are made up of beautiful streets with tiny places that hide real delicacies.

If you want to get out of the big gastronomic routes and support family restaurants, you can decide to take a tour of the hidden gastronomic corners of Lisbon.

You can go through the lost alleys of Alfama to discover places that are not usually in the tourist guides but that have been offering the most traditional dishes to all residents of the area for generations. Undoubtedly an incredible experience of conscious tourism.

General information

  • What area is it in: most of the tours focus on the Alfama neighborhood.
  • How much does it cost: around 70€.
  • How long does it take: about 3 hours.

Book a gastronomic tour in Lisbon

10. Excursion and wine and cheese tasting in Sintra or Setúbal

Pena Palace| ©laredawg
Pena Palace| ©laredawg

Sintra is a region that is only 30 minutes from the center of Lisbon and has an incredible variety of products with which the typical Portuguese recipes are made.

If you are on vacation in Lisbon, you can not miss the opportunity to spend a day to make an excursion to this place and meet all the raw materials of Sintra, among which are the wine and cheeses.

In this place you will find many wineries that produce their own wine with denomination of origin and offer tours of their facilities, ending in a tasting of their best bottles and accompanying with a series of cheeses in the area. You can also book an excursion to Setúbal from Lisbon, another nearby area.

General information about Setúbal

  • Which area is it in: there are different tours to the wineries in Sintra or Setúbal.
  • How much does it cost: between 130€ and 150€.
  • How long does it take: about 6 to 7 hours including travel.

Book an excursion to Setúbal from Lisbon