Cacilhas and Almada travel guide for food and wine lovers
It’s part of our job to introduce you to the best things in Lisbon which you just can’t miss when you travel to Portugal. But, way beyond the more obvious activities, places and even dishes, we take it as part of our mission to invite you to also explore neighborhoods in and around Lisbon which tend to be less visited by international travelers. Why? Because this is often where you’ll be able to meet local people, get acquainted with Portuguese lifestyle and enjoy an authentic vibe which is often elusive in more touristic areas.
After having shared travel and food guides for Lisbon neighborhoods such as Marvila, Benfica, Ajuda or Alvalade, today we’d love to take you to the southbank of the Tagus river, to Cacilhas and Almada. To reach margem sul, as we refer to it in Portuguese, it only takes about 15 minutes by boat from the super central station of Cais do Sodré, right across the street from the popular Time Out Market. As such, there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t hop across the river, if nothing else, for the sake of enjoying a meal there, with extraordinary vistas towards Lisbon.
The boats known as cacilheiros take you to the port of Cacilhas, which is part of Almada. Being a municipality, Almada includes other localities, such as the popular beach area of Costa da Caparica. But, for the sake of our virtual trip there today, we’re exploring the areas roughly between Cacilhas and the imposing statue of Christ the Redeemer (known locally as Cristo Rei), and which encompass Almada’s city center. This is the area most visitors on a day trip end up exploring and, even if the area isn’t all that vast, there’s plenty to see, do and eat around here.
Strolling by the riverfront, Cais do Ginjal, is by far the most common activity for those crossing to Almada. You could easily walk between Cacilhas’ dock and the Sanctuary of Christ the King, going up the hill taking the Boca do Vento panoramic elevator – that is, after stopping for a drink and a bite somewhere along the way.
When you come to Almada we’d suggest taking some steps away from the waterfront, and visit Almada’s historic center. Nearby, you could also visit Casa da Cerca, which is a contemporary art center by Almada’s municipality. Overall, this is a great spot to avoid the crowds which often concentrate in Lisbon’s city center, knowing that there’s plenty of Portuguese culture to soak up around here.
Food wise, us locals associate Cacilhas to seafood restaurants and outdoor terraces, perfect for a complete meal or simply for a beer with a snack of tiny shrimp. Besides fresh fish and other sea creatures, there are plenty of other tasty options you can sample around here:
Where to eat seafood in Cacilhas and Almada
Farol de Cacilhas
As mentioned above, Cacilhas is a great place for seafood and those living in the Greater Lisbon area sure know about that. Farol is one of Cacilhas’ most iconic seafood restaurants and one you just can’t miss, as it’s the first establishment you’ll see when you step out from the boat which would have taken you here. Farol de Cacilhas has been open for over 100 years, having become known for the quality and variety of its seafood. Even if it’s neither lunch or dinner time, you’ll see plenty of locals at Farol de Cacilhas, particularly sitting by the counter, enjoying a cold beer and a serving of tiny shrimp which around here are snacked on almost as if they were peanuts. This is the kind of vibe which is increasingly lacking in Lisbon’s city center’s seafood restaurants, so if you care for this kind of thing, do not miss out.
📍Largo Alfredo Dinis, 1, Rua do Ginjal 5, 2800-252 Almada
Cabrinha
Way before it became a restaurant in the 70s, Cabrinha used to be a warehouse, where barrels of wine were kept to be loaded inside the cod fishing boats which used to dock on this side of the river before going out on big trips. Nowadays, everyone knows Cabrinha as a temple for fresh seafood and a trip to Cacilhas is worth it for the sake of a meal here alone. On any given day, Cabrinha usually has around twenty different types of seafood, prepared in some of the most traditional Portuguese ways. This is exactly how this marisqueira sells itself “as the biggest and best seafood restaurant in the district of Setúbal”.
📍Beco do Bom Sucesso 4, 2800-677 Almada
Vale do Rio
It started as a grocery store, it moved on to being a simple eatery focusing on petiscos, known in Portuguese as casa de pasto, and it is now an incredible seafood house. Vale do Rio has a good variety of fresh seafood just as its neighbors above, but it also focuses a lot on fresh fish to be simply charcoal grilled as per the Portuguese tradition. Meat lovers can also have a good time around here, as Vale do Rio cares about its steaks too. The good news is that, no matter how popular this establishment is, it offers incredible value for money. This is a restaurant not to be missed when you visit Cacilhas.
📍Largo Alfredo Dinis, 12 a 14, 2800-252 Cacilhas
Cova Funda
Enjoying a seafood meal doesn’t have to be synonymous with going to a fancy place or spending big bucks, and Cova Funda is proof of that! This no-frills restaurant is particularly pleasant during summer, when you can take advantage of the outdoor sitting, surrounded by the enticing smells of fresh fish grilled over charcoal right there by the road-side. A very Portuguese experience can be had at Cova Funda, where you can simply ask the staff to recommend you what’s best on the day you visit. If you come here during warmer months, sardines tend to be a good bet.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis 101, 2800-270 Almada
www.facebook.com/people/Cova-Funda-Restaurante/100063669665959
Solar Beirão
Seafood dishes and small servings of traditional Portuguese food, aka petiscos, is what Solar Beirão is all about. That, of course, also means delicious seafood based petiscos such as salada de polvo (octopus salad), gambas à guilho (garlic prawns), berbigão à Bulhão Pato (cockles with Bulhão Pato sauce, the kind of sauce we most commonly prepare with clams) and fritada de peixe (mixed fried fish). Given the variety you’ll find at Solar Beirão, this is the kind of place you’ll best enjoy with a group of friends or, at least, a date who also loves to eat.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis 17, 2800-270 Almada
www.facebook.com/SolarBeiraoRestaurante
Petisco da Lata Bistrô
Unlike the restaurants mentioned above, Petisco da Lata Bistrô is also a sea-centered restaurant but, in its case, it uses canned seafood instead of fresh catches. When you travel to Portugal, it’s important to acknowledge the importance of the seafood canning industry and how incredible our tinned seafood is – please do not mistake it for the cheap stuff you often get in other parts of the world. Just like wine, for example, canned seafood can come in all sorts of varieties, with price ranges to match. At Petisco da Lata Bistrô you can try fish straight out of the can, but also some of their creations which always included tinned goods as part of the recipe.
📍Rua da Judiaria 22A, 2800-125 Almada
https://petiscodalata.business.site
Best restaurants for Portuguese food in Cacilhas and Almada
Boteco.47
Hands down, one of our favorite eateries in Cacilhas, Boteco.47 is a down-to-earth place with genuinely good, honest food. João Paulo Zortéa used to be the chef of Atira-te ao Rio, a popular restaurant by the riverside of Cais do Ginjal, which we explore below. As he wanted to develop his creativity even further, he decided to open Boteco.47 where he can now delight diners with casual petiscos and chilled vibes. Besides the usual menu, with Portuguese and Brazilian items which breath in influences from the chef’s country, they add three new dishes every day, so there’s always a good reason to go back to Boteco.47 for a drink and a bite.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis 47, 2800-676 Almada
Atira-te ao Rio
Along with Ponto Final (which we virtually visit below as well), Atira-te ao Rio is Cacilhas’ waterfront most popular restaurant. It could happen that a place with such a privileged view would tend to neglect its menu. After all, you could still come here for a drink and it’d be worth it. But, luckily, that’s not the case, as Atira-te ao Rio has breathtaking views but awesome food too! It started with a more traditional Portuguese menu and, nowadays, you can clearly feel an effort to serve a more contemporary Portuguese cuisine, always favoring fish and seafood. This is a pleasant place for lunch but we’d argue that even more so for an early dinner, as you can enjoy your meal watching the sunset and the golden light colors that make Lisbon show its best side.
📍Rua do Ginjal 69, 2800-284 Almada
Tasquinha dos Ramos
If you don’t know what a typical Portuguese tasca is, find out here. Now that you know that these are some of the best places to enjoy genuine Portuguese food, you can be rest assured that Tasquinha dos Ramos is a beautiful option for a great meal in Almada. Right next to Almada’s popular Feijó church, Tasquinha dos Ramos’ menu is chock full of traditional Portuguese specialities. From cod fritters, regional Portugueses cheeses or octopus salad as a starter, to mains like grilled fish, açorda with prawns and recipes featuring Iberian black pork. Doing justice to what Portuguese folks expect from a proper Portuguese restaurant, Tasquinha dos Ramos’ dessert list doesn’t disappoint, and includes classic Portuguese desserts such as arroz doce (rice pudding), baba de camelo (caramel mousse), pudim flan (flan with egg yolks), and more.
📍Praceta Guerra Junqueiro 11, 2810-076 Almada
www.instagram.com/tasquinhadosramos
O Mirrita
Just like Tasquinha dos Ramos above, O Mirrita is another great option for traditional Portuguese food in Almada. This is no tourist eatery, so you know that, when you come here, you’ll eat like the Portuguese do. That means enjoying a simple but juicy bitoque for a weekday lunch, or splurging a little more on a seafood meal on a special occasion. One of O Mirrita’s specialities is bife à lagareiro, that is beef steak with garlic infused olive oil sauce, something usually done with octopus or salted cod. If you go to Almada during the warmer months, grab a seat by the outdoor terrace and order “uma imperial e uns caracóis”, that is, a draft beer and a plate of snails – a quintessential summer experience around here.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis 111, 2800-270 Almada
www.instagram.com/o_mirrita_cacilhas
Kurika Cervejaria
Kurika embodies the spirit of the classic Portuguese cervejaria, which literally translates as beer house, but that actually represents much more than just ales. Cervejarias are usually known for their range of snacks to be enjoyed with drinks, and also tend to be associated with good steak. This stands true at Kurika Cervejaria, as here you can enjoy well prepared meats, but also fish and seafood appetizers and mains. If you’re looking for a cool place to grab a beer when you visit Almada, come to Kurika. You’ll see that you’ll probably end up ordering something to eat too.
📍Rua Cap. Leitão 34a, 2800-132 Almada
www.instagram.com/kurika.cervejaria
Galeria
What a gem of a restaurant in Almada! If you know nothing about Portuguese cuisine, this is the kind of establishment which you can visit and leave with a good impression of what traditional food from Portugal is all about! Besides typical recipes, at Galeria they prepare old school dishes which aren’t easy to come across around Lisbon. Good examples of that would be sames de bacalhau (salted codfish bladders) served with chickpeas, or octopus and red wine stew with sweet potatoes, similar to how it’s traditionally cooked in the Azores islands in the Atlantic. Come hungry as the food is great and the portions, as per Portuguese protocol, are rather generous too.
📍Rua António Sérgio 3, 2805-342 Almada
https://galeriarestaurante.com
Ponto Final
Quite probably, the most popular of all restaurants in Cacilhas. Ponto Final’s instagrammable location has contributed to its rise to fame, which was solidified when the restaurant was featured in one of the closing scenes of the acclaimed Netflix series Money Heist. Looks and views aside (which is something actually not to dismiss, as here you get to dine right by the river with a splendid view of Lisbon and the 25 de Abril bridge), Ponto Final’s food is actually very much worth it too. They serve fresh fish and their cod fish pataniscas have managed to gather quite a reputation. Indoor seating is very limited, but this is the kind of place you want to visit to sit at the terrace by the river anyway – don’t forget to make a reservation.
📍Rua do Ginjal 72, 2800-285 Almada
www.instagram.com/pontofinalrest
Meating Steakhouse
Because not everything is seafood in Cacilhas and Almada, Meating Steakhouse is a place developed keeping meat lovers in mind. They focus primarily on beef, offering different cuts according to taste and budget. Besides beef cooked to taste, their range of starters is a good representation of Portuguese cuisine, yet not excluding international and contemporary touches. You can get your juices flowing with Azeitão cheese au gratin with tomato jam, or pastéis de massa tenra, a typical minced meat turnover, followed by a satisfying steak. Meating Steakhouse’s menu also includes vegetarian options and a rather generous list of desserts.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis 72 e 74, 2800-269 Almada
Amarra Ò Tejo
We end our list of restaurant recommendations in Almada with a more up-sclare option, Amarra Ò Tejo where, as they say, “the stunning view over Lisbon and the Tagus is the appetizer to your meal”. The view from here is different than from other riverside restaurants along Cacilhas and Cais do Ginjal, as Amarra Ò Tejo is situated on top of a hill, near Almada’s castle. Their cuisine is traditional Portuguese at its essence, bringing in lots of contemporary and international influences, which translate into well-executed flavorful dishes and pretty platting, as to match the beauty all around.
📍Largo 1º de Maio 2, 2800-120 Almada
Best cafés and bakeries in Cacilhas and Almada
Pastelaria Repuxo
In the heart of Almada, Pastelaria Repuxo is your typical neighborhood Portuguese coffee shop, where the glass counter is decorated by an enticing variety of typical Portuguese pastries. That includes pastel de nata, sweet bean tarts and queques, but also savories like puffs and chicken pies. The friendly service is bound to make you feel like you’re one more resident of Almada.
📍Praça Gil Vicente 3, 2800-098 Almada
www.facebook.com/PastelariaRepuxo
Pastelaria Golfinho
Even though this establishment is officially a café and pastry shop, they stand out not only because of their sweets and baked goods, but also because they serve very good value for money daily specials. It’s common in Portugal to have pastelarias double as humble eateries for lunch, and they actually tend to be great places where to try home style Portuguese food. Pastelaria Golfinho announces their daily specials on Facebook. The dishes tend to be simple but very flavorful. Besides lunch hours, you can come here for breakfast or an afternoon coffee break with a typical pastry.
📍Rua Cap. Leitão 10, 2800-132 Almada
www.facebook.com/pastelariagolfinhoalmada
Pastelaria Páscoa
Run by Mr. José Costa Páscoa and his wife, Pastelaria Páscoa has been open since 1956. Just like Pastelaria Golfinho above, it also serves very good meals during lunch hours. But, most of all, this is a pastelaria you should visit for a Portuguese style breakfast, with sweet and savory options, or for a cup of coffee and a sweet treat any time of the day.
📍Av. Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira 28, Almada
O Melhor Croissant da Minha Rua
O Melhor Croissant da Minha Rua is a croissant focused chain. Indeed they’ve picked just one product, but they’ve managed to specialize themselves and get pretty good at what they do. At O Melhor Croissant da Minha Rua you’ll find straightforward plain croissants, but you can also choose your fillings, from decadent chocolate hazelnut spread or Portuguese favorite doce de ovos (sirupy egg jam), to savory combinations like the ones pictured here.
📍Av. Dom Afonso Henriques 19a, 2800-012 Almada
https://omelhorcroissantdaminharua.com/as-nossas-lojas
Drinking in Cacilhas and Almada: bars and wine stores
Boca do Vento – Cocktail Bar e Tapas
If the views of Lisbon and the Tagus river from Almada are breathtaking, it could only make sense to have at least one strategically located bar and terrace around here. Boca do Vento is it! Located right next to the public lift by the same name, this is a cocktails and tapas bar, where you can hang out sipping a drink while enjoying the vistas. It’s particularly pleasant during summer, when the sun takes a long while to go down, bathing Lisbon in golden colors – this is the perfect time for a postcard perfect photo of your Portugal trip.
📍Rua do Ginjal 72, 2800-202 Almada
A Cerca
A Cerca is the most iconic bar in Almada Velha, the oldest part of town. Besides drinks, a few petiscos and grilled sandwiches, they put together events such as live music and DJ sets. This is definitely a fun place to go to if you, for example, spend the day in Cacilhas and want to spend the night in Almada.
📍Rua da Cerca 1, 2800-050 Almada
https://pt-pt.facebook.com/acerca.almada
Garrafeira de Almada
There are a few specialized stores to purchase wine around Almada, and Garrafeira de Almada is one of the most complete. They stock a very good selection of table wines, Portuguese fortified wines, and other alcoholic beverages like gin, vodka, whisky and more. Did you know that in Portugal you are allowed to drink outdoors? If instead of going to a restaurant or bar you’d like to purchase a bottle of wine and set up your own drinking spot, we’d recommend coming here and then sitting by the grass at Jardim do Rio, right below the panoramic elevator of Boca do Vento. The views are the same (if not better) than some of the restaurants we recommend above, and you’ll only spend a fraction of the money.
📍Av. Prof. Egas Moniz 2, 2800-088 Almada
Rolha Wine House
To drink in on take home, Rolha Wine House is a great spot in Cacilhas with a beautiful selection of wines, gin and small platters of food ideal for sharing. Every now and then they organize wine tastings – the schedule is shared on their Instagram below. During special events at Rolha, you can order your wine and food a la carte, or opt for one of their tasting combos, featuring drinks and a selection of petiscos. If they have a tasting going on, reservations are very recommended.
📍Rua Cândido dos Reis n° 119 Cacilhas, 2800-270 Almada
www.instagram.com/rolhawinehouse
Sabores de Monsanto Gourmet
Sabores de Monsanto is a good store to purchase wine, but it’s more than just a wine store. If you’re planning to have a drink and a bite to eat at home, you can stock up here and enjoy a variety of Portuguese gourmet products. Here you’ll find a good selection of regional Portuguese cheeses, cured meats and breads, but also fruit preserves, confectionery, liqueurs and more.
📍Rua Cmte. António Feio 45 B, 2800-561 Almada
www.facebook.com/SaboresDeMonsanto
Do you feel inspired to take a day trip from Lisbon for the sake of going out to eat? If so, we have many more suggestions for you! Feel free to reach out to us anytime via Instagram for further tips! If you go out to eat in Cacilhas or Almada, please share your photos and tag us: @tasteoflisboa #tasteoflisboa
Feed your curiosity on Portuguese food culture:
Day trips from Lisbon that we locals also enjoy
Best seafood restaurants in and around Lisbon
Top ten seafoods you must try in Portugal
Lisbon tips for food-loving solo travelers
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