Octopus is almost a national favourite in Portugal, and its one of the dishes I’m asked about most. If you wonder around downtown Lisbon, you’ll no doubt see it on menus, advertising boards, and even on eye catching plates. Yet, where do you find the best octopus and authentic dishes in Lisbon?
How Popular is Octopus in Lisbon?
Octopus is widely used in Portuguese cuisine, you’ll find baked octopus, octopus salad, stews, and rich rice dishes to name just a few varieties. Lisbon is a great place to try them all. You’ll find lots of restaurants both traditional style and more modern, featuring it on their menus.
However, it can be a bit of a challenge to find places that serve perfectly cooked and authentic octopus. Especially if it’s your first time visiting the city. With that in mind, I’ve created a small guide to eating octopus in Lisbon, what dishes you need to try and my personal favourite places to try them!
The Best Octopus Dishes to Eat in Lisbon and Where to Find Them
First up, a small bit of advice. Restaurants with large picture menus, or even menus printed in multiple languages tend to be very touristy. The food can be less than great quality, and the prices are often very high for what you get. I always recommend avoiding these types of restaurants for anything other than your usual international fare.
You’ll need to find a good restaurant that knows how to put together the perfect octopus dish to really make the most of the experience! Here’s my list of favourite restaurants in Lisbon serving great octopus!
Traditional Octopus Dishes
Now, lets explore the traditional octopus dishes. These dishes have featured for decades in Portuguese cuisine and are some of the most traditional you’ll find.
Polvo à Lagareiro – Baked Octopus with Potatoes
Starting with the classic Polvo à Lagareiro, octopus tentacles baked or grilled with plenty of garlic and olive oil and served with baby potatoes.
Where to Eat Baked Octopus in Lisbon
1. Pica Pau Restaurant – Príncipe Real
One of my favourite places to eat Polvo à Lagareiro is at Pica-Pau Restaurant. A lively restaurant specialized in traditional Portuguese dishes. Their octopus is cooked to perfection and served with roast peppers, potatoes, and corn bread. They have a static menu, so the dish is available year-round.
2. Adega das Gravatas – Carnide
Adega das Gravatas is another restaurant that makes a notoriously good Polvo à Lagareiro. You will get a plate of a whole grilled octopus served with smashed potatoes and mixed veg covered in a garlicky olive oil. The emblematic hall decorated with thousands of ties is filled with both locals and tourists. It’s located on the outskirts of Lisbon but totally worth the journey.
3. Tasquinha do Lagarto – Campolide
Tucked away in the Campolide neighbourhood, Tasquinha do Lagarto is a traditional Portuguese tasca. So, paper table cloths and house wine served in jugs are to be expected, as well as a fantastic Polvo à Lagareiro which is one of their specialties. The tentacles are cooked to perfection, tender, with the ends slightly charred. The octopus is paired with fluffy potatoes and a healthy portion of blanched green beans.
4. O Velho Eurico – Alfama
The Lisbon favourite O Velho Eurico has a fabulous Lagareiro Style Octopus with lots of crispy garlic and olive oil. They serve chef quality traditional Portuguese dishes in an eclectic environment in Alfama. Booking in advance is imperative as they are always filled!
Salada de Polvo – Octopus Salad
This traditional Portuguese octopus salad combines tender octopus meat with chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers coated in a dressing made with olive oil and vinegar.
Where to Eat Octopus Salad in Lisbon?
5. Quiosque de São Paulo – Cais do Sodré
This iconic red kiosk near Cais do Sodré serves a delicious octopus salad. It combines big chunks of cooked octopus and finely diced peppers and onions, coated in a zingy vinaigrette. They serve it with slices of crusty bread which is perfect to mop up the delicious salad dressing. The portion is on the small side, but they also have a variety of Portuguese petiscos, sandwiches, and snacks that you can pair it with. It’s from the same people behind Taberna da Ruas das Flores, so you can expect the same great quality!
6. Faz Frio – Príncipe Real
Located in the heart of Príncipe Real, Faz Frio has over 150 years of history and one of the best octopus salads you will eat in Lisbon. Think the softest slices of octopus mixed with diced onions, red and green peppers, coated in a vinaigrette made with the perfect ratio of olive oil and vinegar. This salada de polvo paired with their homemade bread is simply perfection. Portuguese petiscos are the stars in Faz Frio, but you will find a couple of mains and a handful of sides to choose from. They don’t take reservations so keep in mind you might have to queue a little bit before you get seated. But I assure you it’s worth every minute spent waiting.
Arroz de Polvo – Octopus Rice
If you enjoy octopus, you cannot miss the Portuguese Octopus Rice. Think a risotto like dish made with sliced octopus, short grain rice, tomatoes and onions, cooked in plenty of broth.
Where to Eat Octopus Rice in Lisbon
7. Tasca Zebras – Bairro Alto
In Tasca Zebras the octopus rice is served malandrinho (the Portuguese word to describe rice served with plenty of broth) and in traditional terracotta bowls. This small tavern located in Bairro Alto is a self-declared Portuguese comfort food and home cooking restaurant. Their octopus rice definitely reflects that, as well as its blue tile decorated walls!
8. Petisco Saloio – Campo Pequeno
Petisco Saloio is another great place to have an authentic Portuguese octopus rice. A creamy rice served with generous amount of octopus meat and fresh coriander. They are located in the Campo Pequeno neighbourhood so it’s a great spot to taste traditional Portuguese food in a less touristy part of Lisbon.
Modern Octopus Dishes in Lisbon
For those looking for not so traditional octopus dishes in Lisbon, there are several options to choose from. From your trendy gastro bars to a chef’s stall at Time Out Market.
9. Tapa Bucho – Bairro Alto
Tapa Bucho is a small plates restaurant located within walking distance from Rossio. Their Octopus Rice is a client favourite, served on the crispier side and topped with a squid ink aioli.
10. Tasca Baldracca – Mouraria
This modern tasca located in Mouraria has its roots in Portuguese, Spanish, and Brazilian cuisines. The atmosphere is vibrant and so are the dishes which the staff members will encourage you to share! Their Galician-style octopus is not to be missed – think grilled octopus dressed in olive oil and paprika and served with potatoes.
11. Bar Alimentar – Príncipe Real
Also in the small plates domain, Bar Alimentar serves italian-inspired dishes, among them there’s a delicious Octopus Fregola (a type of pearl couscous from Sardinia) with saffron aioli.
12. Tasca Pete – Graça
This tiny spot near Graça combines the simplicity of a traditional tasca with inventive dishes and natural wines. It seems that they always have an octopus dish on their menu that’s constantly changing. In two different occasions I ordered the octopus risotto and a grilled octopus with a corn purée, and they were both fantastic.
13. Sea Me – Time Out Market
Tucked inside the vast Time Out Market, Sea Me has the concept of a modern fishmonger. One of their most popular dishes is the octopus ‘hot dog’. The sausage is replaced by a whole grilled tentacle, it’s amusingly delicious!
14. Marlene Vieira – Time Out Market
The renowned chef Marlene Vieira serves a reimagining of the classic Lagareiro Octopus. A juicy grilled octopus tentacle served on a bed of mashed potatoes and spinach.
These are some of my favourite Lisbon restaurants where you can find octopus. What are yours? Let me know in the comments!
If you won’t be coming to Lisbon anytime soon, you can have a go at my Portuguese Octopus Recipes: