Portugal is a compact country—roughly the size of Indiana—with no two mainland destinations more than a half-day’s drive apart. It’s also a treasure trove of gorgeous landscapes, fascinating cultures, and delicious food. And did I mention it gets 3,000 hours of sunshine a year? As a Lisbon native who has spent the past decade covering the country’s restaurant scene, I may be a bit biased, but what I can say is this: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place for a meal-driven road trip than Portugal. Here I offer you my ultimate guide.
Do like I do and start in the capital city of Lisbon, where you can get acquainted with the country, rent a car (convertible optional but highly recommended!) and prepare to uncover Portugal’s endless varieties of unique regional cooking, including all the fresh-caught seafood and fluffy egg tarts you could ever hope for.
Drive along cliff-backed beaches and quiet fishing villages in the Algarve, through gently undulating landscapes dotted with cork trees in Alentejo, across rugged mountaintops in the Centro region, and over vineyard-covered hills in the Douro Valley. Along the way try the country’s famous convent sweets (pastries made by nuns since the 15th century), fish stews, juicy pork dishes, and wine—so much wine.
My best advice? Take your time and don’t be afraid of getting lost: Each wrong turn and detour can bring you to another breathtaking village, always with a heavenly place to eat nearby.
Where to eat in Lisbon
Spend a few hours in the sunny, laid-back Portuguese capital and you’ll immediately understand why so many people are visiting right now. Coexisting with the historic pastel-tiled buildings, vintage trams, and narrow cobblestone streets is one of the fastest-evolving food cities in Europe, powered by youthful, progressive energy and an entrepreneurial spirit. At lunch, unpretentious tascas—the unadorned neighborhood restaurants serving traditional rustic food— are filled with locals, always in search of well-cooked comfort and honest prices.
Try O Pitéu da Graça (Largo da Graça 95 96, 1170-165 Lisbon) or Tasca da Esquina (R. Domingos Sequeira 41C, 1350-119 Lisbon) for the Platonic ideal, or visit the newly opened Suzana (R. São Sebastião da Pedreira 167, 1050-227 Lisbon) in Lisbon’s office district of Picoas. Here 30-year-old chef Zé Saudade e Silva is on a quest to preserve some of the city’s most traditional recipes with his own subtle updates, like coelho com maionese de miúdos (super juicy rabbit legs dipped in garlicky, unctuous giblet mayo), raia com arroz de coentros (smoky, succulent skate wings with fragrant, fluffy cilantro rice), and abanicos de porco preto (thin strips of finger-licking charred Iberian pork served with glorious thick-cut chips).
At night the elegant squares are pulsing with life, spilling into and out of tried-and-true, family-run places. Head to the neighborhood of Benfica to taste some of the freshest charcoal-grilled seafood, from cuttlefish to grouper to sole, at restaurant Solar dos Leitões (Tv. Marques Lésbio 20, 1500-444 Lisbon), which has been run by the Leitão family for more than 35 years. Don’t skip dessert; their cinnamon-dusted homemade rice pudding is velvety and luscious.
Where to eat in Algarve
About a three-hour drive from Lisbon.
As you amble your way south, take in the wild and dramatic Alentejo western coastline with its sand dunes and towering cliffs. You’ll pass by the town of Monchique, which sits in a range of mountains clad in heavy pine, oak, and eucalyptus forests. There restaurant Tasca do Petrol (EN267 Corgo do Vale, 8550-145 Marmelete) is unmissable: a 50-year-old family place that serves rustic sharing dishes—from the famously flavorful local sausages (your checklist includes morcela, chouriço, and farinheira) to clay pot lamb slow-cooked in a wood-fired oven.
As soon as you reach the seaboard, the scenery changes abruptly: sun-kissed golden sand beaches and whitewashed houses with Moorish terraces. The Algarve has some of the finest seafood in the country; choose from the tender stuffed squid or xerém (corn porridge with clams) at mom-and-daughter restaurant Prato Cheio (R. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro 23A, 8600-571 Lagos) in Lagos, or juicy oysters and clams overlooking the ocean at Casa da Igreja (R. de Cacela Velha 2, Cacela Velha) in Cacela Velha. Both feasts are complete only if you finish them off with Dom Rodrigo or morgado, traditional sweets made of egg yolks and sugar.
In between meals stroll around the Olhão Market (Mercados Municipais, Av. 5 de Outubro, 8700-412 Olhão) for a visual feast: sun-dried octopus eggs and scarlet shrimp from the Atlantic Ocean, fresh figs and oranges, and all manner of local nuts and cheeses. One should never leave the market without a bottle of locally made piri-piri—a complex Portuguese sauce made with crushed chiles, lemons, and red bell peppers.
Where to eat in Alentejo
About a two-hour drive from Algarve, and a two-hour drive from Lisbon.
The drive to Alentejo sets the tone for the second half of your trip: a gentler, slower pace. You’ll encounter tranquil villages and empty roads, and you’ll stumble upon hilltop castles, impregnable forts, Roman bridges, and majestic churches. When you get to Alentejo, Portugal’s largest region, roll down your windows to take in the rich scent of its many olive groves.
The late Maria de Lourdes Modesto, an Alentejo native who was Portugal’s most beloved TV chef for years, once said that the food here “is the most Portuguese of Portuguese food”—honest, unpretentious, and endlessly delightful. Grab a counter stool at Botequim da Mouraria (R. da Mouraria 16A, 7000-585 Évora) in Évora’s city center, let couple Floribela and Domingos Canelas serve you their famous sopa de cação (firm white-fleshed dogfish cooked in broth infused with garlic and coriander) or ensopado de borrego (pieces of lamb slow-simmered in a broth made with bay leaves and cloves and served with intentionally stale bread ideal for sopping) and you’ll leave feeling like a member of the family.
At night, as you go farther north to Estremoz, all roads lead to Mercearia Gadanha (Lgo Dragões de Olivença 84, 7100-457 Estremoz), a restaurant/wine bar/grocery store opened by Brazilian chef Michele Marques, which has been a standby for creative contemporary takes on classic Alentejo flavors for over a decade. Taste the chewy pão alentejano (a traditional country bread made with natural yeast), fruity olive oils, nutty sheep cheeses, and acorn-fed pata negra—a fatty, nutty cured ham sourced from the oak forests along the Spanish border. Then it’s time to feast family-style with heaping portions of slowly cooked pork cheek and roasted octopus, washed down with a bottle or two of the region’s famous local Talha wine. Made using an ancient Roman technique that involves fermenting and storing grapes in clay pots called amphora, this wine can taste quite wild and unexpected, but always balanced and low in ABV.
Where to eat in Beira
About a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Alentejo, and a three-hour drive from Lisbon.
Drive north and you’ll be in Beira, the territory between the Tagus and Douro rivers. Your first stop in the region is Figueira, which is one of the Aldeias do Xisto—a network of 27 “schist villages” built on the forest-covered slopes of the surrounding mountain ranges and named for the rock used to construct them. Figueira, like many of these villages, was completely abandoned for years but has recently been repopulated by families searching for tranquility.
The Pereira family moved back to the 16-inhabitant village from Lisbon in 2012 to open restaurant Casa Ti’Augusta (Rua Principal, 6150-718 Sobreira Formosa) and resurrect some of the regional dishes that were almost extinct: melt-in-your-mouth afogado da boda (roasted goat meat) and plangaio—a rarefied local sausage made with pork fat, flour, and pig spine bones. (Fear not, the bones get cooked down until soft and puréed first—and the result is succulent and delicious.)
After a much-needed nap, zigzag your way to the unforgettable Douro Valley, joyriding its steep hills and twisting valleys wrapped in precious vineyards. The region is known primarily for port, the sweet fortified wine that has been produced here exclusively for two thousand years, and dotted with wine-producing farms called quintas. One of these is Quinta do Bomfim (Largo do Videira, 5085-060 Pinhão), which has been in the Symington family for the past five generations, and where you can find one of the newest restaurants in the region: Bomfim 1896 (Quinta do Bomfim, 5085-060 Pinhão). Michelin-starred chef Pedro Lemos recreates the tastes and smells of a traditional Douro open kitchen, cooking most of his dishes in a wood-burning oven. Don’t miss the fall-apart milk-fed lamb with bulgur and gravy, or the sundae: two scoops of the fluffiest vanilla ice cream with a rich dark chocolate sauce and a crunchy cacao crumble topping with local ruby port.
Where to eat in Porto
About a one-hour drive from Beira, and a three-hour drive from Lisbon.
Our last destination may be Portugal’s second-largest city, but Porto is made for exploring on foot. So park your car and walk in the town’s historic center. You never know quite what architectural wonders you’ll encounter down its cobblestone streets, narrow alleys, and stone steps: medieval churches with exquisite blue-and-white-tiled facades; cutting-edge modernist structures like the iconic Casa da Música concert hall; and the region’s famous port lodges, where you can sip all kinds of port while learning about the wine’s storied history and taking in the stunning river views.
After your explorations settle in at the riverside restaurant Semea (Cais das Pedras 15, 4050-265 Porto) in Cais das Pedras where chef Vasco Coelho Santos cooks dishes based around the grill and open fire. Get the tarte de chalota (savory shallots sweetened with balsamic vinegar and layered over buttery puff pastry), arroz de costela mendinha (lightly caramelized oven-fired rice with slow-cooked sirloin), and pescada com pil-pil e cogumelos (hake cooked to golden skin perfection and doused in a creamy, garlicky sauce with mushrooms). There’s only one item for dessert and you should definitely order it: rabanada. A take on the traditional Portuguese French toast, it’s crispy and cinnamony on the outside, custard-like on the inside, and served with goat’s-milk ice cream.
Seeking the seaside? Salta o Muro (R. Heróis de França 386, 4450-155 Matosinhos), beside the Matosinhos fish auction, is your go-to for exceptional grilled seafood—and nothing else. An after-dinner sunset stroll along the breezy Matosinhos boardwalk is the quintessential conclusion to your trip. Just be sure to walk nice and slow. You’ll want to make it last.