Most romantic spots in Lisbon for foodies
As author Alan Wolfelt once wrote, “Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” We couldn’t agree more! Those who love food as much as we do, know how much of a source of joy tasting appetizing things can be! And what’s better than eating something you love? Doing it with someone you love quite as much!
If you’re looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day here in Lisbon, we’d love to suggest some mouth-watering spots and ways to surprise your lover. Of course the concept “romantic” and how to materialize it are very subjective things, so we have included a good variety to see if something tickles your fancy.
Always highlighting experiences over material things, here are Taste of Lisboa’s suggestions of the most romantic places in Lisbon for foodies:
Seen LX: for romance with a view
If you fancy an elegant outing on Valentine’s Day, this restaurant and bar in Avenida da Liberdade will probably be right up your alley! Here the atmosphere is stylish yet cool, while affording some of the best views over the city. Start your evening with a signature cocktail by head bartender Lucas Jaques. The food menu has been developed by acclaimed Chef Olivier, and it presents dishes with influences from Portugal, Brazil and Japan. This hotspot in Lisbon sure has the right ingredients to warm up your date!
📍Avenida da Liberdade 185 9º floor, 1260-050 Lisbon
From The Vine: for cheesy declarations of love over lunch
We all know there are plenty of opportunities to sample different Portuguese wines when you visit Lisbon. But From The Vine is Portugal’s first wine tasting bar and, as specialists in this matter, they’re capable of offering a superior wine exploration experience. This project was developed to highlight Portugal’s wine regions and they specialize in wine tasting flights, where you can compare wines from different areas. From The Vine curates a two-hour wine and cheese lunch which could make for a lovely daytime outing on Valentine’s Day. This tasting journey will take couples across six different Portuguese wine regions, as the drinks are paired with cheeses and charcuterie from all over Portugal. The VIP experience broadens the experience to ten regions, carefully selected by a wine expert who’s available to answer questions as you sip.
📍Travessa do Fala-Só 15C, 1250-096 Lisbon
Soão Taberna Asiática: to take your date on a “trip” to Asia
Taking a loved one out to dinner can be romantic, but so can be inviting him or her on a trip! If your schedule or budget don’t make it easy to hop on a plane right now, it can be a fun idea to go out for a Valentine’s dinner that makes you travel through the senses. There are several options for that here in Lisbon, depending on your and your significant other’s taste. If you happen to have curiosity for Asia as a whole, Soão in the area of Alvalade can deliver a great meal, plus make you curious about traveling. Taste delicious dishes from Japan, India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia and Laos, while you plan (or at least fantasize about) a trip towards Orient together. This kind of ambiance can be quite inviting to talk about adventure plans!
📍Avenida de Roma 100, 1700-352 Lisbon
Eneko Lisboa: for those in love with Michelin stars
Eneko Atxa, from the Basque Country, is considered one of the best chefs in the world, and this is his restaurant in Lisbon. Atxa’s Portuguese address has afforded him one of his total of six Michelin stars. Away from the touristic centre, in an unassuming spot in the neighborhood of Alcântara, Eneko Lisboa surprises those who get to go in, with industrial-chic decor and two separate areas and menus. At Basque, the dishes served are unpretentious recipes from the Basque Country, in northern Spain, where the chef is from. While at Basque the vibe is more informal, at Eneko Lisboa things get a little more fashionable. Here you’ll get to try some of the most iconic dishes that have made Chef Atxa famous at his Spanish restaurant near Bilbao. While you can ask for dishes a la carte at Eneko Lisboa, this is the kind of restaurant where ordering a set menu and putting yourself in the hands of the chef and his team can be truly worth it!
📍Rua Maria Luísa Holstein 15, 1300-388 Lisbon
Barü.Ba Pastry: for true sweethearts
There is no lack of options for lovers with a sweet tooth in Lisbon, but on Valentine’s Day you may want to splurge on something a little special. Introducing Baru, where pastry chef Juliana Penteado crafts delicate pastries with essential oils. Besides packaged sweet and savory cookies, Baru usually has three weekly specials. Their space is tiny and you’re invited to ask for your selection to go. The offer is not wide, but the quality is incredible. Not only Baru’s pastries taste really good, they are beautiful and very different from what you’d usually find at a typical Portuguese pastelaria. Think of a classic French mille-feuille with the twist of lavender oil, raspberry tart with lemongrass essential oil, blood orange entremet with cardamom, and many other unique creations that keep surprising regular customers week after week. The take-away boxes are super cute, and certainly match the refined looks of Baru’s pastries, often finished with edible flowers.
📍Calçada da Estrela 5, 1200-661 Lisbon
Topo Martim Moniz: for trendy drinks and medieval views
Martim Moniz is a busy district of downtown Lisbon, but when you hop into the elevator at Centro Comercial Martim Moniz and head towards the rooftop, it’s time to chill and take in the breathtaking views. Topo, which is Portuguese for top, can be perfect to begin your special evening, or even to head to for a night cap. Topo’s young and trendy vibe contrasts with the view towards São Jorge’s castle, which is warmly lit up at night. Besides fashionable cocktails, Topo’s menu includes world inspired tapas perfect for sharing, as well as tacos, burgers and a few other main dishes like steaks and pasta. If you’re open to exploring the drink’s menu, we recommend browsing the Lisbon themed cocktails, which include Elétrico 28 (a citric and spiced drink with whisky, black beer, lemon juice and egg white) and Chiado (a fruity and smoky blend with tequila, mezcal, citrus, mango and cardamom).
📍Centro Comercial Martim Moniz 6 Esq, Martim Moniz Square, 1100-341 Lisbon
Orteá Vegan Collective: brunch and flowers
Orteá, formerly known as O Botanista, is one of Lisbon’s most popular vegan restaurants. Their plant-based brunch is flavorful, nutritious and incredibly pretty! If you can’t decide if you want to take your date out for brunch or buy some flowers, go to Orteá for an all day vegan brunch, which also happens to be free of gluten and refined sugars. Think scrambled tofu, pancakes, yogurt and granola, home-made breads, cashew based cheeses crafted in house, guacamole and fruit preserves, served in a stunning way that includes colorful edible flowers. Cheer with a mimosa while enjoying this green oasis in the heart of the city.
📍Rua Dom Luís I 19C, 1200-109 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/ortea_vegancollective
Bocae: to ignite emotions with wines and perfumes
On Valentine’s Day, many will say or even sing “love is in the air”. It sounds so idyllic that it could be a metaphor. But science tells us that pheromones, the chemical substances which are secreted to the outside by an individual and are received by a second individual of the same species, have lots to do with attraction. Attraction may not be the synonym of love, of course, but who would turn their head away from a little sexual excitement particularly on a date such as the 14th of February? If you are into exploring the world of scents, Bocae organizes olfactory gastronomic experiences, very well suited for couples who’d like to try something different. Independent perfumer Cláudia Camacho, aka The Fragant Lady, runs unique wine tasting experiences (with food pairings featuring Portuguese petiscos), where the world of perfume and beverage scents meet.
📍Rua dos Lusíadas, 5, 1300-365 Lisbon
Red Frog Speakeasy: to sip in secret
Not only is Red Frog often highlighted as the best bar in Portugal, this speakeasy has also made it to the list of 100 best bars in the world! Red Frog operates behind a closed door. You need to ring the bell and be let in for an experience that will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time and into a different place! With over thirty carefully crafted cocktails in its menu, Red Frog delights its visitors not only because of their signature drinks served in an inviting candle-lit lounge, but also because of the secret vibe that helps set the mood. Red Frog is a discreet spot and once inside, there’s a secret room which can only be accessed if you push one of the fake walls at the back. If you get hungry sipping Red Frog’s surprising cocktails, they also have a small food menu with appetizers great for sharing, as well as a few main dishes.
📍Praça da Alegria 66b, 1250-004 Lisbon
Maxime: for a sexy night out
This iconic restaurant and cabaret bar could be perfect for daring couples. The restaurant at Maxime, which markets itself as “the sexiest hotel in Lisbon”, has an amusing schedule of events that includes stand up comedy and cabaret shows, which openly explore the spicier side of life. Maxime’s cabaret is all about celebrating diversity, and welcomes on stage musicians, dancers, magicians, mentalists, drag queens and other performers. While the show goes on, enjoy a set dinner with fish, meat and vegetarian options available. Good food meets great entertainment with the possibility of extra “dessert”. Well, we’re talking about Maxime Hotel where themed rooms like Burlesque or Bondage invite you to burn dinner’s calories…
📍Praça da Alegria 58, 1250-146 Lisbon
www.maximehotellisbon.com/maxime-restaurante-bar
Bspa by Karin Herzog: for a chocolate couple’s treatment
Technically, you can’t eat this experience. But it sure has the key ingredient to open up your appetite! Book yourself for a couple’s treatment at the Altis Belém Hotel & Spa and enjoy a sweet moment with your partner. Allow yourself to be pampered and enhance your physical and mental well being! This fashionable boutique spa facility offers several opinions of treatment for couples, but if you’re both into food, we would definitely recommend a facial or massage involving chocolate. You can also enjoy a meal at the spa’s restaurant, which offers dishes crafted by Michelin-starred Chef João Rodrigues, responsible for the much praised Feitoria restaurant inside the same hotel.
📍Altis Belém Hotel & Spa Lisbon, 1400-038 Lisbon
www.altishotels.com/EN/Spas-Lisbon
Cinemateca Portuguesa: for a movie and dinner
Going out for a movie and dinner is many couple’s idea of a low-key yet fun date. If this is the kind of plan you’d like to enjoy for Valentine’s Day, we recommend heading to Cinemateca Portuguesa, instead of a commercial movie theatre at a mall. The biggest institution in our country dedicated to movie restoration and curated film programs is centrally located between Avenida da Liberdade and Rato. Not only do they have several rooms screening a variety of movies, they also house 39 Degraus, a bar and restaurant. Here you can grab a pre-movie drink or a full meal afterwards. 39 Degraus’ menu includes appetizers, fish and meat main dishes and a few vegetarian options, as well as a surprising variety of delectable and fun cocktails named after films and fictional characters. Movie buffs will have a happy ending at this cine-gastro-bar!
📍Rua Barata Salgueiro 39, 1269-059 Lisbon
Landeau Chocolate: to promote oxytocin and give in to life’s little pleasures
If you want to ask that special someone out on Valentine’s Day, but dinner reservations may be a tad too bold of a move, an afternoon coffee or hot beverage could be a good idea. You don’t have to go to the usual café where it may be crowded and noisy. Pick somewhere with a little more ambiance, like Landeau, either inside LX Factory or in the Chiado district. Landeau’s atmosphere is warm and lovely and, no matter what happens, your date will have a hard time resisting what has been referred to as a “devilishly good chocolate cake!” Landeau’s thick and luscious hot chocolates are equally divine. No matter how your date goes, a sweet aftertaste is always guaranteed!
📍LxFactory, Rua Rodrigues Faria, nº 103 1500-401 Lisbon
📍Rua das Flores 70, 1299-195 Lisbon
Lisbon’s miradouros: to share a bottle of wine with stunning vistas
Romantic gestures and a fat wallet don’t necessarily go hand in hand. If you like spending time outdoors and you’re not a fan of big “productions” for Valentine’s Day, we recommend grabbing a bottle of wine, two glasses, and seeing the sun as it goes down over the city. It’s no secret that Lisbon has plenty of miradouros, that is, viewpoints from where you usually get to enjoy colorful views of the typical terracotta rooftops, the river on the horizon and, depending where you go, one of the city’s bridges towards the south bank of the Tejo river. If the day is chilly, don’t forget to bring a blanket and make the evening cosier!
📍See our favorite viewpoints in Lisbon here!
Belém: to see the stars together
While Belém can be one of the most touristic areas in Lisbon, it can also be one of the most romantic! We have put together a perfect romantic itinerary for the neighborhood of Belém, which includes food, drinks and stars! We suggest packing some food from home and starting the day with a leisurely walk by the river, past the Discoveries monument and the Belém Tower. Once you’ve opened up your appetite, the gardens across the street from Jerónimos Monastery are extensive and welcoming, and the perfect spot for a picnic! Dessert can easily be sorted out, and you’re right next door to the birthplace of Portuguese custard tarts, the celebrated Pastéis de Belém. From here to Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium is only a 10 minute walk, and this is where couples in love will get to see stars together. Apart from temporary exhibitions, this planetarium has a projector with 32 star projectors, capable of displaying more than 9,000 stars, as well as the Milky Way, star clusters and nebulae. So when you say “baby, I’m going to make you see stars”, you will really mean it!
📍Neighborhood of Belém – head there from downtown Lisbon abroad tram 15.
What’s your idea of a romantic outing? Let us know your best date ideas for Valentine’s Day in Lisbon via Instagram or Facebook. Please tag us: @tasteoflisboa #tasteoflisboa
Feed your curiosity on Portuguese food culture:
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