These Are My 3 Favorite Vegetarian Restaurants In Lisbon. One Is a Hidden Gem!
As a tourist guide who travels by the palate, you should check these these out.
I worked in Lisbon for the last 5 years as a tour guide.
From walking tours, Tuktuk Tours, Executive Black vans, and even boat tours after I got my Skipper License. I’ve done.
Honestly, I spent more time of my life wandering on the streets of that city than anywhere else in the world. But that’s for another talk.
It doesn’t matter the reason why you’re in Lisbon or where you came from, one thing is for sure.
You have to Eat.
And Lisbon will for sure satisfy your desire if you know where to look for.
I realize I could talk about all the traditional old-school restaurants with famous and amazing Portuguese cuisine. And I will, probably in another article.
But since there are thousands of articles on that already.
Today, I wanna talk about the restaurants that helped me stay on track when I decided to adopt a vegetarian Diet.
Not only that, also made me start loving stuff from vegetarian cuisine.
(such as Seitan, which I always hated. Tofu btw I still can’t appreciate, that’s tasteless IMO)
Since most of my days working as a tour guide never had a “correct schedule”.
Sometimes I spent 16 hours plus going around the country with clients never knowing when I would stop.
I rarely had time to prepare food and carry it around with me. And always ended up sneaking into a random restaurant to eat.
Most of the time my only rule of choice was:
I pay local.
Which means the lunch had to cost less than 10€.
12€ maximum if the drink is not included.
Anything over this budget was either a tourist trap, a good restaurant, or a restaurant for dinner (such as the 2nd in this list).
But for a daily lunch meal in Lisbon. Anything above 12€ for a menu is overpriced.
(there are some very old-school hidden places in non-tourist neighborhoods where I could have full meals for 4.50€/ 6€, but that’s for the locals)
And before we continue I just wanna state that none of this is a paid ad.
It is just an honest recommendation on vegetarian food, from someone who happens to be a tour guide in the city. Enjoys traveling the world by the Palate, appreciating high-quality food.
And also realizes that when you follow a vegetarian diet. If you don’t find these gems, you’ll probably end up eating, fries, an omelet, or an overpriced salad on some other place.
Since that’s the idea most have of “vegetarian food”.
I don’t care if it’s high-end gastronomy or dirty bars around the corner. if the food is good, people must try.
Jardim das Cerejas — (Garden of the Cherries)
This small hidden gem is in the middle of the most crowded area of the city, Chiado.
Actually, it took me longer than it should to encounter.
Only after a Saturday when the 3rd one on this list (which is my favorite) was closed. A friend from work said “Go there, it’s open”, and I went.
Even being one of the last ones I discovered in the city. It climbed the ranks for me pretty fast.
The small room with about 15 tables is pretty charming, decorated with some very nice pieces from the same artist, and plants. It creates a calm ambient.
The Restaurant works with a Buffet-Style Menu. And you pay for drinks.
They have a normal range of sodas, beers, wines, and juices.
You Pay 9,5€ (Dec/2023) to “access”, and you can eat as much as you want.
The Salad table has a decent range to choose from.
And they even had Paparis or Papadum, (I don’t know the right name) that very very thin, North Indian crunchy flatbread that makes everything better. It is amazing, try it.
Aside from the salad table, there are some chafing dishes on the other side.
With some very tasty veg recipes.
My favorite ones in there are sweet potato with mushrooms and vegetables mix. And the eggplant filled with fries and white sauce.
Go and try, the owners are a couple from Kazakhstan, If I’m not mistaken, and pretty cool people.
Adress: Calçada do Sacramento 36, 1200–394 Lisboa
The Green Affair — Chiado
Compared to the other two in this list, this could be considered “The Fancy One”.
The stunning front, a calm, chilling atmosphere. Decoration style, plants, and elegant color scheme with black/emerald green, allied with carefully assembled visual appellative dishes,
Will make sure you feel like you are in a high-end gastronomy experience.
All are plant-based and with fair prices.
Your palate will thank you.
The Green Affair works with La Carte, you have the menu, which some dishes change according to the season. And some others don’t.
The sauces and textures are just made to be felt.
I would say all the times I went there was for dinner, I spent about 25€ /pax.
They do have a brunch in the morning, which I have no idea how it is. And a Lunch- menu, that I also never tried.
But on the 10-plus times I’ve been there, neither I nor whoever was with me left disappointed.
It’s amazing quality for the price.
And before everything else.
Order the Cauli Flower Wings….Jezzz the crunchiness on that…
Exact address: Rua Serpa Pinto 15A, 1200–443 Lisbon. (I think they also have another around Saldanha, but I’ve never been)
A Colmeia. (The Hive)
Okay, this restaurant is a little bit different.
It’s my favorite one, and deep down I probably feel bad for sharing this super secret gem on the internet.
Simple and hidden, yet so amazing that people deserve to know about it.
I could put them in the “apartment restaurants” of Lisbon.
Lisbon has a few restaurants, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese, and vegetarian, that are “completely hidden”.
Nowadays they are official restaurants. But before they were just apartments/houses from (in most cases) immigrant families who opened the doors and cooked for whoever showed up to eat in the hope of making some cash.
The need for this “illegal activity” was over and now they keep the style going.
(There are some Chinese ones in Mouraria, another neighborhood of the city, that will have daily lines of 30-plus people waiting for a seat since they have 5/6 tables at max.)
But it’s worth every minute of wait and it’s real home-made food, for the price of almost nothing.
A Colmeia , It’s almost like one of these.
You look at the small building entrance that is totally not visually appealing as you can see in the photo up there.
Enter and climb to the 2nd floor asking “Is this the right place?”
The restaurant works with a “self-service” menu style. The prices go from 6€ with 3 items on the plate. Up to 9€ with 5 items on plate plus juice, dessert (all made with 0 sugar), and everything included.
It’s pretty accessible.
You choose how many “items” you want on your plate, and they assemble the plate for you with what you point out.
It has a little bit of a refectory vibe.
Salad, filtered water, and tea are free if you want.
And the only drink that’s not natural they sell is beer. Aside from that only natural juices.
The dishes vary from day to day. It’s a vegetarian and macrobiotic restaurant, but on Wednesdays, they have one codfish option.
After you make your plate and pay you sit down and enjoy your meal in the “apartment-style room”
I would say A Colmeia is not only my favorite vegetarian restaurant in Lisbon, but probably my favorite restaurant of all.
The simplicity allied with the well-prepared tasty and healthy food. Is what made me have lunch in that place 90% of my days.
And the Seitan they have there. damm…that Seitan.
It’s honestly one of the things I miss the most about not living in Lisbon right now.
Address: Rua da Emenda 110, 1200–170 Lisboa
Lisbon sure is one of the best cities in the world to travel to, there is always something happening and some new thing to discover.
If you’re planning to go over there , even if you’re not 100% vegetarian, give it a try on one of those.
I can guarante you won’t regret. and your body will thank you.
_________________________________________________________________
If you enjoyed this and wanna hear from me again:
Follow my Medium Profile (To improve on writing, selling, and build habits to become your fittest version)
See ya! Have a nice day and enjoy !
-DGaspar.
Other Articles From Author You Might Like:
How To Achieve Your Goals? Kill Yourself.
The only viable way to achieve what you want, and reach where you want.medium.com
Here Is An Important Lesson About Nutrition From Going Vegetarian, Use It.
Relax, I’m not the vegan who survives on sugar, cigarretes and chips believing it’s healthier than others for not…medium.com
What Should You Eat To Lose Weight?
If you are struggling with weight and are looking for a solution, this might help youmedium.com