Where To Find The Best Street Food In Lisbon

What one calls street food in Lisbon is not the same as what you may consider street food in the United States. In fact, Lisbon street food is not just food you get on the street. In this capital city, street food is served in bars, cafés, and restaurants as well as on the streets.

However, some of the best street food in Lisbon is found on the streets of the city. Food trucks, small kiosks, food carts, and booths are by far the most authentic if not the most delicious place to find street food. Whether you are looking for bifana, Portuguese bread, pizza, hot dogs, or tacos, you can find it all on the streets of Lisbon.

Choosing what to eat can be intimidating in the beginning, but once you have eaten at a few of the Lisbon street food joints, you will be an expert on the Lisbon street food scene. At first, you may just want to follow the locals because they know exactly where to get the best. After all, they probably eat there every day.

But if you would rather not spy on the locals, try some of our favorite street food choices. We did our own homework and reviewed some of the top places to get street food in Lisbon so you do not have to go all "secret agent" to get something tasty to eat.

But before you venture out to street food heaven, drop your bags and backpacks at one of our Lisbon luggage storage spots. Browse without a heavy load and eat to your heart's content!

The Best Street Food Vendors in Lisbon

Street Food Markets

Soi

Near the train station in the city center, Soi is not just a street food vendor but also a restaurant where you can get full-service meals. Whichever you prefer, you can choose to grab and go or relax and be served.

The difference is that Soi sells almost all Asian foods like pad thai, spring rolls, curries, and soups. In fact, it is one of the most popular Asian Lisbon street food vendors in the city.

Time Out Market

Across the street from Soi along the banks of the Tagus River, this famous market is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city with hundreds of vendors and thousands of spaces to sit.

Everything here is made fast, and you can eat it with your hands, which is one of the hallmarks of what makes it street food. From fresh fruit and veggies to tasty oven-baked Leberkas (bologna sandwiches), this market has it all. This is a great place to bring children to eat also, after a fun day in Lisbon with the kids.

Cafes

A Padaria Portuguesa

You can find this bakery franchise all over Lisbon, in all of the major neighborhoods. The French style of service with street food suggestions chalked up on a blackboard to choose from gives you the feeling that you are in Paris instead of Lisbon.

The biscuits, baguettes, and croissants are served all day long and the mil folhas for dessert are unforgettable. The cream filling is decadent, and the pastry sheets are crispy and light. Be sure to try their Pao de Deus or Bread of God.

The Pizza Wizard

Forget all the other places that sell street food in Lisbon if you are looking for some pizza. Locals call it the magic pizza and with the thick cheeses, tangy sauce, and tempting flavors, you will not need to try any other.

Every pizza is crispy on the outside and fluffy inside with varied deliciously tempting toppings like chorizo, pulled pork, farinheira with onion, and black olives with capers and bacon. They even have a vegetarian. Wash it all down with a soft drink or Wizard tea.

Fast Food Vendors with Street Food

Crispy Mafya

If you are craving some American street food in Lisbon like fried chicken, you will love the Crispy Mafya out of all the Portuguese cafés and vending booths. This place serves chicken waffle burgers that are out of this world delicious. But you don’t have to stick to just chicken.

Crispy Mafya also has cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese, French fries, and salads. While you are at it, try some of the Lisbon street drinks like Wild Wild West with bourbon and peanuts, Fresh Prince with cucumber and gin, or the Sensual Seduction with ginger, tea, and vodka.

Pizza a Pezzi

Pizza a Pezzi has some of the best street food in Lisbon. The little hole in the wall eatery serves squares of thin-crust Italian pies with a variety of toppings near the bar and club districts of Bairro Alto and Principe Real. It can get incredibly busy there too.

Also, since the pizzas are baked as ordered, you will be getting the freshest ingredients any time of day. The most popular is the zucchini with bacon, courgette, and thick gooey mozzarella cheese. Or try their seasonal prosciutto and basil roll.

Best Bars for Street Food

French Tacos & Company

Have you ever had a French taco? This bar boasts street food in Lisbon with a twist. Belgian beer with savory French tacos on a sunny terrace outside the bar or inside with the gang. The halal meats, homemade cheese sauce, and Belgian sauces bring these tacos to life.

Some of their amazing sauces include Cordon Bleu, Carne picada, minced meat, and poulet marine. You can also choose from pimento preta, pitta kebab, barbecue, Hannibal, and Samurai. Don’t miss out on their great selection of beer though.

Delirium

Enjoy over 200 choices of beer on the terrace at Delirium where you can also have some sensational street food as well. You will love the relaxed atmosphere inside and out of this place out of all the bar and club districts. And while you are there, shoot a game of pool.

Try the burgers, which are freshly made with Belgian bread and tasty beef. The chicken wings are also fantastic. Be sure to try the hummus, fish burger, or one of the vegetarian dishes with one of their hot drinks.

Restaurants with the Best Street Food

Casa Brasileira

Not to be confused with Café A Brasileira in Chiado, this delightful restaurant has an equally privileged location in Rua Augusta where you can watch Lisbon's animated pedestrian thoroughfare in the downtown district. You can grab your own food and have a seat on the terrace so there is no waiting or just take it to go.

In the glass counter, you will see all the street foods the restaurant offers like shawarma, rolls, fish cakes, and chicken pies. For dessert, they have a variety of pastries, biscuits, and cakes to enjoy with plus a huge variety of cakes, biscuits, and other sweets.

Wurst

This may be the only Lisbon street food restaurant in Lisbon with organic products locally produced. Wurst is a family eatery run by Martin and Maria from Austria who insist on serving their country's favourite foods. In fact, they do not serve anything they would not feed their own family.

Try the original frankfurter, smoked and boiled or grilled with horseradish and mustard, or the leberkas meatloaf with a rich sauce. The white sausage with a citric taste is also a splendid choice. They also have vegetarian alternatives.

Vending Booths

Grab & Go

The best street food vending booth in Lisbon, Grab & Go, is a vending machine station, but it boasts quite a variety of snack foods from chips to sandwiches and soft drinks to Bohemian beer. And since these are machines with no live workers, it is cheaper and you can go anytime you get hungry because they are always open.

However, there are going to be limited options sometimes when they are between fillups and right after rush hour. But most of the time, you can get bifanas, hot dogs, pregos, and all sorts of chips, dessert foods, and drinks.

Hamburgueria da Parada

Your street food experience is not complete until you have tried a burger at Hamburgueria da Padaria at the Teofilo Garden in Campo de Ourique. This deliciously simple street food does not taste simple with its juicy and perfectly seasoned burgers and toppings.

This place attracts a lot of street food fans from locals as well as visitors to the gardens. The menu includes all sorts of tasty sandwiches from bacon burgers with cheese to a wrap version that has very few calories. They even offer a vegetarian burger.

Street Food Trucks in Lisbon

Weeel Kiosk

The Weeel Kiosk at Cais do Sodré railway station is a hit with locals so you know it has some sensational froyo. This dessert is sold all across Lisbon from quirky little portable kiosks in old-fashioned VW camper vans. They use natural yogurt, fresh fruit, and low-fat milk from local vendors.

Weeel Yogurt is offered in a tempting array variety of flavors as well as the typical vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. They do not use much sugar so the calorie count is low if you are worried about that. This dessert kiosk is healthier than most street foods in Lisbon.

Hot Dog Lovers Kiosks

Since 1986, Hot Dog Lovers Kiosk has been serving their famous dogs in Avenida da Liberdade or you can find them on a truck that drives around Lisbon towards Belém (don't miss the Belém Tower while there).

There are seven varieties from simple to bacon and cheddar. Besides their delectable hot dogs, they also serve nachos, quiche, empanadas, and pastel de natas. And you can choose from soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee, or an adult beverage to drink.

Lisbon Street Food

Pastel de Nata

Pastel de Nata, which is a puff pastry with rich egg custard, you can only get the original at Pastéis de Belém, where they have been serving it since 1837. The ancient secret recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos brings locals and tourists from all over every day for this unique pastry.

However, they sell similar ones all over Lisbon that can fool even the biggest pastel de nata fans. Try one at the Hot Dog Lovers Kiosks or the Grab & Go. No matter where you get it, the egg custard pastry is famously delicious.

Bifana (Pork Sandwich)

The bifana is a traditional Portuguese sandwich made with pork fillets. If you are a garlic fan, the best bifanas are those with thick chunks of garlic crushed on top so it soaks into the bread and the meat. Most locals eat their bifana with a Belgian beer or soft drink.

This pork steak sandwich braised in a savory sauce is wedged in a fresh bread roll and dusted with flour. This sandwich is so well-liked in Lisbon you can find them at McDonald's. They call it the McBifana. But you will not find them at your local fast food joint. You will have to visit Portugal to get one of these at the McDonald's drive-thru.

Prego Sandwich (Beef Sandwich)

Not a fan of pork? Try the prego sandwich instead. Stop by one of the markets or almost any restaurant or cafe for one of these delicious steak sandwiches. First, they marinate skirt steak overnight and then fry it up and put it on a soft roll.

The roll itself is slathered with butter, garlic, parsley leaves, and the thin slices of steak are then placed in between to soak up the juice. These are typically served with french fries or salgados, which are deep-fried salty snacks, and a cold beer or soft drink.

From Portuguese Pastries to House Specialty Bifana

There are plenty of other places to get in on the Lisbon street food scene, but you should check where the locals go to get it because they know where the best spots are. Choose a succulent meaty snack or roasted chestnuts. Munch on potato chips dipped in delicious curry mayonnaise. It's all fabulous! But no matter where you decide to go for street food or what kind of food you choose, do not miss out on the other must-see attractions in the city.