The best African dishes you can try in Lisbon
Featured photo by NIT
We are living during a time when Lisbon is finally recognized globally as a great destination because of its food scene. And the fact that Lisbon is a great place to eat out extends beyond just traditional Portuguese cuisine.
As the Portuguese capital receives more tourism influx, and the whole country is generally becoming more open to the rest of the world thanks to the powers of globalization, you’ll find that the number of international restaurants in Lisbon keeps growing. But, for several decades even before Portugal’s tourism boom, some of the best food you can have in Lisbon, besides Portuguese food itself, is African cuisines, particularly from the nations once linked by the Portuguese Empire, such as Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Guinea-Bissau.
The relationship between Portugal and Africa is layered, stretching back centuries and marked by episodes of exploration, trade, and migration. This history is critical to understanding how African culinary traditions have become an integral part of Lisbon’s food scene today.
Photo by Portugal Travel Guide
The Portuguese explorations began more than 500 years ago, initially driven by economic ambitions and a strategic desire to explore alternative routes to the spice markets of India. This era saw the first Portuguese encounters with Northern Africa, establishing a pattern of influence that would extend down the western coast of Africa, around its southern tip, and onwards to the eastern shores. In the 15th century, the capture of Ceuta marked the beginning of Portuguese expeditions along the African coast, which later led to the establishment of trading ports that facilitated cultural exchanges, including culinary ones.
By the 20th century, during the decolonization period post-1974’s Carnation Revolution, there was a significant migration of Africans to Portugal. These communities settled predominantly around Lisbon, enriching the local culture with their diverse traditions, music, and even gastronomy, as we explore in person during our Lisbon Roots Food and Cultural Walk.
Photo by Cantinho do Aziz
Today, Lisbon’s food scene reflects this connection, with a multitude of restaurants offering authentic dishes from various African countries. The city’s African eateries were once upon a time created to serve folks from their own community, which means flavors were not altered or adapted to suit foreign palates, something we find absolutely great. But the truth is that, today, more than being places for African immigrants and their descendants, these restaurants have become a part of day to day dining in Lisbon, for everyone, whether you are of African origin or not.
We’d go as far as to say that Lisbon’s ability to showcase such a wide variety of African cuisines is unparalleled in Europe. It provides a unique opportunity to experience the legacy of the Portuguese-speaking African countries through their food, offering a taste of history and the enduring links forged between continents.
But, before we explore individual dishes and places where to try them, we need to clarify that for the sake of this article we are focusing on African cuisines and specific dishes from nations in Africa that Portugal had a connection with in recent history. However, it is important not to overlook the profound influence that North African Berbers, with Arab origins, had on the food culture not only of Portugal but, in fact, of the whole Iberian Peninsula. These early interactions with North Africans, namely the Moors, have left a lasting mark not only on some of the foods we still enjoy today but also on the Portuguese language, architecture, and arts. For a deeper understanding of this impact, you can read more in our detailed article about how Moorish culture shaped modern Portuguese cultural practices and cuisine.
Photo by Time Out Lisboa
When you travel to Lisbon, do not miss out on the opportunity to try some truly representative dishes from several African cuisines, which you may not as easily come across elsewhere in the world, and check our recommendations below for establishments that cook several African cuisines as authentically as it gets here in Portugal. Most of all, we hope that tasting these foods serves as a starting point to broaden your curiosity about African foods, learn how to discern between different cuisines from the various corners of such a huge continent and, hopefully one day, go there to eat these dishes at their places of origin. But, for now, let’s make the most of the African food scene right here in Lisbon.
The best African dishes you should eat in Lisbon
Cachupa | Cape-verdean hominy stew
Photo by Contacto
Cachupa, considered the national dish of Cape Verde, is a slow-cooked stew that features a medley of hominy corn, beans, and an array of meats or fish. There are in fact two versions of this hearty dish: cachupa rica (literally “rich cachupa”), loaded with various meats like pork, chicken, and chorizo, symbolizing abundance; and cachupa pobre (“poor cachupa”), simpler and made primarily with fish.
The making of cachupa starts the night before it is to be served, with corn and beans soaked overnight, softening them in preparation for cooking. The next day, these grains are simmered slowly alongside chosen meats or fish and a mix of local vegetables such as manioc, sweet potatoes, yams, green bananas, cabbage, and kale. This lengthy cooking process allows all the ingredients to fuse their flavors, creating a wonderfully satisfying stew with lots of depth. Cachupa is fairly complex, as it is savory but with hints of sweetness from the corn and sweet potatoes.
Originating from the necessities of a colonized people, cachupa beautifully blends the influences from African, Portuguese, and even Brazilian cuisines. It arose from the age of discovery and the subsequent transatlantic exchanges, as corn was brought to the African continent from Brazil, another Portuguese colony at the time. In fact, even the name of the dish is associated with the South American continent. Interestingly, the etymology of cachupa might connect to the Spanish cachupín, a term for a Spaniard established in the Americas, hinting at the broader colonial exchanges of the period. As such, cachupa reflects a fusion of global influences while maintaining its distinct local essence.
In Cape Verde, cachupa is often served at gatherings and special occasions. The leftovers are even transformed and enjoyed as cachupa refogada (literally “sauteed cachupa”) the next morning, topped with a fried egg, becoming a much liked breakfast. Here in Lisbon it may be harder to come across cachupa refogada unless you get invited to the home of someone of Cape-Verdean origin, but you can certainly taste cachupa in many restaurants, such as the ones we recommend below.
Moamba de galinha | chicken stew with palm oil
Photo by 24Kitchen
Moamba de galinha, or chicken muamba, is the treasured national dish of Angola that embodies the essence of Central African cuisine. This mouthwatering chicken stew consists of a medley of local ingredients and spices, with red palm oil (óleo de dendê) as its base, infusing the dish with its distinctive flavor and bright color.
The origins of moamba can be traced back to the Bantu peoples of Central and Southern Africa, with its recipe evolving over centuries as it passed through various cultures and regions. In Angola, as in many African countries, the natural environment and available resources play a significant role in shaping the diet, with staples like cereals, legumes, and tubers being central to everyday meals. Moamba’s key ingredients include okra, garlic, and hot chili peppers, simmered with chicken in palm oil. This results in a hearty stew usually accompanied by funge or pirão (as it is known both in Angola and Brazil), a staple side made from cassava or corn flour, which is ideal to absorb the rich sauce of the moamba.
In Angola, moamba is commonly served for Sunday lunch, a time reserved for family and more elaborate meals. Here in our city, we’re lucky to find moamba on a daily basis, in some of the best Angolan restaurants in Lisbon. Like several other dishes from the African continent, moamba also made it across the Atlantic and there are now variations of it in the Caribbean and both Central and South America, which descended from the recipe once upon a time brought over by enslaved African people.
Mufete | grilled fish with Angolan sides
Photo by Nazaré Catering on Facebook
Mufete is another emblem of Angolan cuisine, particularly appreciated in Luanda, where it originates from the bustling sandbar known as Ilha de Luanda. What was once upon a time a dish reserved for special occasions, like weddings and holidays, mufete is now more commonly enjoyed regularly, both in Angola and even here in Lisbon.
Central to mufete is the grilled fish, typically a locally caught tilapia, horse mackerel, or sardine, depending on availability or preference. The dish is served in two main variants: a light version featuring just the grilled fish accompanied by a tangy onion salsa, and a full version which is a wonderful ensemble including sides like beans, sweet potatoes, plantain, and cassava. Each component adds a distinct texture and flavor, making this deceptively simple dish a true feast for the senses.
Interestingly, the word mufete itself is derived from mu’fete, a term in the Quimbundo language, which is part of the Bantu language family spoken in Angola. This term straightforwardly means “grilled fish”, even though, as you can see and hopefully taste soon, mufete is much more than just that!
Calulu | stew with dried fish or meat
Photo by Taste Atlas
Even though you can also find this dish in Angola or, in the case of the Lisbon dining scene in Angolan restaurants, calulu is considered the national dish of São Tomé and Príncipe.
This stew combines either fresh or dried fish (or, on occasions, it could also be dried meat), with a variety of vegetables like okra, tomatoes, eggplants, and a mix of greens such as sweet potato leaves or cassava leaves. Traditionally, calulu is savored alongside rice or funge, a cassava porridge that complements the stew’s robust flavors.
Calulu‘s preparation is fairly simple. To begin with, the fish or meat must be adequately rehydrated if dried, just like it happens with bacalhau in Portugal. Calulu’s main flavor derives from sautéing onions and garlic in palm oil, resulting in a base where the remaining ingredients, including the animal protein and other vegetables, are afterwards simmered.
This recipe is such a symbol of São Tomé and Príncipe, that it is common to serve it to guests as a warm delicious welcome. But, curiously, some theories point that the origin of the name of this dish have to do with kulúlu, a word traditionally used by the Bacongo people to describe a portion of food set aside at the end of a meal by women for their husbands. Some linguists have challenged this version proposing that another likely origin of the word calulu as in the name of the dish has to do with the names of vegetables as, for instance, yam’s leaves are also sometimes known as calulu (or callaloo in Jamaica).
Caril de camarão & caril de caranguejo | Mozambique style seafood curries
Photo by Gastrossexual
Mozambique’s culinary spectrum illustrates the connections of its colonial past. The connection of Mozambique with India, often promoted via the Portuguese, is particularly evident in its use of spices and preparation of dishes like seafood curry. The strategic location of Mozambique along major maritime routes made it a pivotal point for the exchange of goods, including spices from the East. This, coupled with Portugal’s colonial presence in both Goa and Mozambique, fostered a unique connection which really shows when it comes to cooking. The Portuguese only made it to Mozambique and India in the 16th century but the spices they eventually brought over to Mozambique from the sub-continent definitely ended up becoming essential to the local cuisine of Mozambique.
Mozambique’s mouthwatering curries, specially prawn curry (caril de camarão) and crab curry (caril de caranguejo) make good use of some of those fragrant spices, brought to life in a creamy sauce made with coconut. Seafood curries are one of Mozambique’s most famous specialties and, here in Lisbon’s Mozambican restaurants, thanks to the gorgeous availability of fresh seafood, you can find many delicious variations.
Chamuças | samosas
Photo by Time Out Lisboa
Chamuças, known as samosas in English, are another great example of the culinary connections between India, Mozambique, and Portugal. This popular snack illustrates the complex web of historical interactions facilitated by Portuguese colonial trade routes. Even though most folks associate these triangular fritters with India, samosas originated in Central Asia, nevertheless it is true that they have been popularized worldwide mostly by Indians. Here in Portugal, chamuças are ubiquitous thanks to the Mozambican diaspora.
Samosas were introduced to the Eastern African coast, where they were transformed according to the availability of local ingredients, eventually including fillings like shrimp, fish, chicken, pork and beef, flavored with local spices. We truly believe it is worth sampling Mozambican samosas, to understand and literally taste the differences between these and those you’d normally get to eat in India or Indian restaurants abroad, where often vegetarian fillings are given preference versus animal proteins.
Matapa | cassava leaves stew
Photo by Diário Económico
Some call it a stew, some call it a curry: matapa is crafted with cassava leaves, which are ground into a fine paste to form the base of this dish. Often enriched with a variety of seafood such as clams or other shellfish, Matapa also includes onions, tomatoes, and red chili flakes, as well as ground peanuts or peanut butter, which contribute towards its creamy texture.
Traditionally, matapa is simmered just long enough for the cassava leaves to wilt and marry their flavors with the aromatic sauté of onions in oil, at which point the other ingredients are integrated. Young pumpkin or spinach leaves may also be added, contributing to the stew’s vibrant green hue and infusing it with additional nutrients. This dish is typically served over rice, making it a fulfilling meal which, if we look into the variety of ingredients it involves, is in a way also the culinary materialization of Mozambique’s very own cultural identity.
Grilled chicken dishes: peri-peri, cafreal and Zambeziana
Photo by MMO
If there is something you can usually count on in Mozambican restaurants that is amazing grilled chicken! We’re not just talking about the popular peri-peri chicken (here’s where to find it in Lisbon), but also chicken cafreal (frago à cafreal) and chicken Zambeziana (frango à Zambeziana or galinha à Zambeziana).
Peri-peri chicken originated in Africa, specifically in Mozambique and South Africa, where the peri-peri (also known as piri-piri) chili peppers are cultivated. The sauce made from these fiery peppers is combined with other ingredients to marinate the bird which is then grilled, or to brush it after it comes out of the grill. While commonly associated with Portuguese cuisine due to Portugal’s historical ties with Mozambique, and also because of the Portuguese imagery which the popular chicken chain Nando’s invokes, peri peri chicken is as African as it comes.
Cafreal, another spicy chicken dish, is a product of the Goan region in India but found a parallel version in Mozambique, showcasing the Portuguese influence in both regions. Cafreal refers to a style of cooking where chicken is marinated in a mixture of spices including coriander, chili, garlic, ginger, and other condiments, then grilled or fried. This dish reflects the adaptation of African culinary techniques combined with Indian flavor profiles, modified in Mozambique according to the local taste.
Galinha Zambeziana (also known as frango Zambeziana), or Zambezian chicken (pictured above), from the Zambezia province of Mozambique, is marinated in a blend of lemon, coconut milk, and peppers, then grilled. This dish of enticingly succulent chicken is uniquely Mozambican and we’re happy we can fairly easily come across it here in Lisbon as well, in some of the restaurants we recommend up next.
The best African restaurants in Lisbon
Where to eat food from Cape Verde in Lisbon
Tambarina
📍Rua Dr. António Cândido 15 C, 1050-075 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/tambarinarestaurante
Djairsound
📍Rua das Janelas Verdes 22, 1200-869 Lisbon
Cachupa da Tia Alice
📍Estrada da Luz 98, 1600-141 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/cachupadatiaalice
FOX COFFEE “O Rei da Cachupa”
📍Rua António Pedro 177, 1000-038 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/rei_da_catchupa
Associação Caboverdeana
📍Rua Duque de Palmela 2 8° andar, 1250-098 Lisbon
Recommended Angola food restaurants in Lisbon
Casa de Angola
📍Travessa da Fábrica das Sedas 7, 1250-096 Lisbon
www.facebook.com/casadeangola.net
Gingolé
📍Rua Vieira da Silva 14-A, 2675-216 Odivelas (very close to Lisbon)
Most popular Mozambican cuisine restaurants in Lisbon
Cantinho do Aziz
📍Rua de São Lourenço 5, 1100-530 Lisbon
Roda Viva
📍Beco do Mexias 11 R/c, 1100-349 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/rodavivarestaurante
Chiveve
📍Rua Andrade Corvo 5D, 1050-007 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/chiveverestaurante
Zambeze
📍Edifício EMEL, Mercado, Calçada Marquês de Tancos, Largo Chão do Loureiro, 1100-340 Lisbon
Mixed and fusion African cuisine restaurants in Lisbon
Jango Taste of Africa
🍴A journey through the flavors of 5 different African countries, featuring recipes from Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau. An amazing opportunity to sample the most popular foods from the latter two countries, as fully dedicated Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe restaurants are harder to come by in Lisbon.
📍Colombo Shopping Center, Av. Lusíada, 1500-676 Lisbon
Casa Mocambo
🍴A space where a cafe and restaurant serving fusion dishes from the lusophone world, meets an art gallery. Here you can taste muamba or cachupa, but also partake in parties, book launches or movie nights.
📍Rua do Vale de Santo António 122A, 1170-378 Lisbon
Sofia’s Place
🍴More than “simply” Cape-Verdean cuisine, Sofia’s Place aims to be “a celebration and elevation of Afro gastronomy experience”.
📍Rua de São Bento 67, 1200-816 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/sofia.s.place
O Nelson
🍴Serves typical dishes from Angola, Mozambique and Cape-Verde, as well as Portuguese style grills of meat and fish.
📍Rua da Beneficência 59, 1600-059 Lisbon
www.instagram.com/africanoonelson
Geographia
🍴In their own words, this is “food that speaks Portuguese”. That includes not only dishes from Portuguese speaking countries in Africa, but also Brazil, Goa and East-Timor.
📍Rua do Conde 1, 1200-608 Lisbon
https://restaurantegeographia.pt/en
Mambo
🍴Fusion restaurant featuring Angolan, Cape-Verdean and Senegalese cuisines, run by three partners from these countries. They have a strong focus on street food with a twist, which sets them apart from the restaurants listed above.
📍Rua da Silva n8, 1200-447 Lisbon
To learn more about Portugal’s food culture and Lisbon’s dining scene, follow our regular publications on Taste of Lisboa’s Instagram!
Feed your curiosity on Portuguese food culture:
World foods you didn’t know were Portuguese
Best peri-peri chicken restaurants in Lisbon
Portuguese foods inherited from the Moorish occupation
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