Where to find Portuguese food and drinks in Australia
There’s a theory that claims that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Australia back in the 16th century, even though Dutch navigators are normally associated with the “discovery” of this continent. Either way, it was three centuries later when the first Portuguese settlers started arriving in Sydney.
Nowadays, there are a little over 50,000 Portuguese migrants and Australians with Portuguese heritage in Australia. While this doesn’t sound like a lot for such a vast territory, one thing is for sure: no matter where they go, the Portuguese tend to be so attached to their culture and eating habits that they certainly don’t let go of them easily. This translates into keeping cooking family recipes at home and, in some cases, even opening food businesses to spread the love for Portuguese food.
If popular food chains like Nando’s, Oporto and Ogalo (not explored in this article) have popularized Portuguese-style BBQ chicken all over the country, pastel de nata has also become a staple not just in Portuguese pastry shops but a little all over the country in mainstream bakeries.
No matter if you’re craving sweet or savory, these are the best places for Portuguese food and drinks in Australia:
Best Portuguese restaurants in Australia
ADELAIDE
Hortas
Whether you’re in Portugal or in Australia, seafood always tastes better with a view towards the sea! At Hortas you can enjoy Portuguese tapas and contemporary Australian dishes in a stylish environment, overlooking the jetty of the beach of Port Noarlunga. It’s certainly not every day that you come across a menu that features Portuguese grilled sardines alongside kangaroo pie!
📍2 Saltfleet St, Port Noarlunga SA 5167
Lady Burra Brewhouse
Lady Burra prepares “traditional brewhouse fare with a Portuguese twist.” What does this mean? This brewery is currently the only operational microbrewery in the Adelaide CBD and, besides working on beer making, they also serve lunch and dinner. Their menu focuses on authentic home-style Portuguese dishes, with a big emphasis on tapas platters meant to be shared.
📍4 Topham Mall, Adelaide SA 5000
https://ladyburrabrewhouse.com.au
BRISBANE
Brisbane Portuguese Family Center
Everyone is welcome at the Brisbane Portuguese Family Center, not only to try Portuguese food but also to enjoy live music and the overall Portuguese vibes. A place initially meant to make the Portuguese community of Brisbane feel a little closer to their original home is also now a portal for those interested in Portuguese culture and food. They do not have a permanent menu, which results in plenty of opportunities to try different dishes from the repertoire of traditional recipes from all over Portugal.
📍339 Main Myrtletown Road Brisbane, QLD 4008
www.facebook.com/portuguesefamilycentrecommunityclub
The Brisbane Portuguese Club
Authentic Portuguese food at fair prices is what you’ll find at The Brisbane Portuguese Club. At this club started by the local Portuguese community but that is open to everyone interested in new experiences, not only you will enjoy Portuguese cuisine, you’ll also get a taste of our hospitality. Food, entertainment and a very special homely atmosphere is what this Portuguese Club of Brisbane is all about!
📍1449 Boundary Road, Ellen Grove QLD Brisbane, QLD, 4078
www.facebook.com/brisbaneportugueseclub
MELBOURNE
Bar Lourinhã
Little Portuguese place that houses an eatery and wine bar under the same roof. Their menu focuses on Mediterranean flavors with Portuguese and Spanish inspiration. No matter what you eat as your main meal, don’t forget to order a Ginjinha de Óbidos, the typical sour cherry liqueur here served inside an edible chocolate cup.
📍37 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
O Sol de Portugal
Food is not O Sol’s main business. In fact, this place is the headquarters of a Portuguese cultural and folk group. But with good times and good music there shall be good food, and that’s why O Sol de Portugal serves an ever changing menu of incredible home-made Portuguese dishes which they very authentically advertise in Portuguese on their Facebook page. Come here for the food and stay for the good vibes!
📍15 Brex Ct Reservoir, VIC 3073
www.facebook.com/GCFSolDePortugal
O Tuga Tastes of Portugal
From the beautiful Algarve in Southern Portugal, straight to Melbourne, O Tuga is a food truck that rolls around selling “fantastic Portuguese food”. We’re talking sandwiches such as prego and bifana, Portuguese custard tarts and more. Park your longings for Portuguese food near O Tuga and you’ll see how satisfied you’ll end up!
📍19 Freshwater Dr, Craigieburn VIC 3064
www.instagram.com/o_tugatastesofportugal
SYDNEY
Casa do Benfica
The authentic inspired Portuguese cuisine served at Casa do Benfica will work wonders to open your appetite before a match at Marrickville Tennis Club, where the restaurant is located. The unassuming looks of the surroundings may be misleading, but at Casa do Benfica you will indeed come across some of the most authentic Portuguese servings you are likely to find in Sydney!
📍Henson Park, 33 Centennial St, Marrickville NSW 2204
Charlie’s Deli
Charlie’s offers amazing value for money when it comes to delicious Portuguese food! This deli focuses on both Portuguese and Brazilian dishes. This means that alongside chicken coxinhas and acai bowls you will find imported sardines, salted codfish dishes, octopus, several styles of peri peri sauce and fabulous sandwiches with Portuguese meats and cheeses. When in Petersham, Charlie deserves your visit!
📍37 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham NSW 2049
https://www.facebook.com/Charlies-deli-507791292713034
Costa do Sol
Chef and owner João teams up with his partner Maria to offer diners “ a vibrant & cultural Portuguese dining experience”. While the Chef from Braga gathered experience working in several restaurants in Lisbon, Maria used to help in her family’s restaurant in Lisbon, where she eventually met João. Their 25 years of experience are now evident in a menu that blends traditional Portuguese and continental flavours, watered down by a beautiful selection of Portuguese wines.
📍102 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham NSW 2049
Frango Charcoal Chicken
The Fernandes family has ancestry in Angola and has applied the best barbecuing techniques from Portugal to deliver some of the tastiest grilled chicken you will find in the most Portuguese dense territory of Sydney, Petersham. When you visit Frango (which is the Portuguese word for chicken), you know what you came here for. Either grilled chicken served by the quarter, half or whole, or chicken burgers. Simple… and so good!
📍680 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164
Gloria’s Cafe
Gloria’s is “Sydney’s first authentic Portuguese restaurant”. Open since 1988, one thing is for sure, and that is that Gloria’s indeed serves genuine Portugueses dishes and irresistible sweets. Their vast menu includes breakfast items, Portuguese mains, desserts and, of course, an interesting selection of tapas perfect to accompany a glass of wine and lots of laughter with your friends.
📍82 Audley Street, Petersham NSW 2049
Silvas
Straightforward delicious Portuguese food in a nice ambiance complemented by great service – this is the experience at Silvas! At Silvas you can have the uber popular Portuguese peri peri chicken, which is also featured in many fast food chains across the country. Or you can go more traditional and taste a recipe of octopus, sardines or cod fish, which have even more potential to make you travel to Portugal with your tastebuds.
📍1/82-86 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham NSW 2049
Tasca Portuguese Cuisine
Discover some amazing Portuguese food at the Sydney Portugal Community Club. This restaurant’s menu is filled with Portuguese classics such as clams in white wine sauce, pork and clams Alentejo style, espetadas (the typical skewers from Madeira), grilled seafood and more. This family friendly establishment is also a great spot to take a sneak peak into the lives of the members of the Portuguese community in Sydney’s Little Portugal.
📍100 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204
www.sydneyportugalclub.com.au/tasca-restaurant
Vasco’s Chargrill Chicken
Vasco’s only serves free range chicken which its regulars will assure you hits the spot every single time! The menu is quite simple but this is exactly what you want when you visit this kind of restaurant: chargrill chicken, gourmet burgers, hot chips and fresh salads. They have two locations, in Parramatta and Beaumont Hills. In Parramatta’s store, Vascafe is open for breakfast, serving specialty coffee.
📍1/459 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150
📍Shop 4 / 70 The Parkway Beaumont Hills NSW 2155
Best Portuguese cafés and pastry shops in Australia
ADELAIDE
Pan Fresco – Portuguese Bakery
Open 7 days a week, this is your go-to place for Portuguese baked goods in West Lakes. They specialize in Portuguese bread, pastries and savory snacks, but also hot foods such as grilled peri peri chicken. Come here for Portuguese custard tarts and much more! Don’t be confused if you come across a bakery called Pāo Fresco (this time actually in Portuguese) as this is the exact same business.
📍290 Sportsmans Dr, West Lakes SA 5021
www.facebook.com/PaneFrescoBakery
Saudade – Portuguese Custard Tarts
Saudade sells what they claim to be “South Australia’s best custard tart”. Saudade bakes only one treat, Portugal’s favorite sweet, pastel de nata. And considering they’ve been doing it for a while, it’s easy to imagine they’ve gotten pretty good at it! Individual customers can get their pastel de nata fix visiting their store, but Saudade also does catering and wholesale. No matter what, the tarts are baked fresh every day and taste just as good as some of the best you would find in Portugal!
📍Mitcham Square, Shop 22/119 Belair Rd, Torrens Park SA 5062
BRISBANE
Lisboa Caffe
Handcrafted tarts prepared daily by Portuguese bakers are Lisboa Caffe’s highlight. They specialise in small batch gourmet tarts, and thus everything is prepared with lots of care and only the very best ingredients like cultured butter and organic eggs. Pick up your Portuguese sweet goods from the bakery itself or have them home delivered around Brisbane when you crave something sweet but feel like staying in. Apart from Portuguese custard tarts, Lisboa Caffe also bakes other Portuguese sweet and savory goodies such as almond tarts, goat cheese tarts and chicken pies.
📍2/220 Annerley Rd, Dutton Park QLD 4102
GOLD COAST
Custard Canteen
Making justice to its name, Custard Canteen sells flaky, melt-in-your-mouth custard tarts which are baked on site all day long, to deliver an irresistibly warm experience to its customers. Although this cafe has other items on their menu that are clearly not Portuguese, the custard tarts are their hero product, thus deserving a mention here.
📍1525 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221
MELBOURNE
Cafe Portugal
Housed at the Portuguese Association of Victoria, this cafe is open during the week for breakfast and lunch and, during the weekend, extends its service to dinner too! The menu features traditional Portuguese dishes that change every week.
📍201 Palm Springs Rd, Ravenhall VIC 3023
Casa Nata
This bakery by duo Ruben Bertolo and Nelson Coutinho is devoted to just one specialty: creamy pastel de nata. Launched fairly recently, during the infamous COVID19 related lockdowns, Casa Nata has managed to create a good following in times that have been decidedly difficult for hospitality businesses. Grab & go and delivery of these delicious Portuguese custards made as it should be, have guaranteed that Casa Nata is here to stay!
📍846 High St, Thornbury VIC 3071
PERTH
Portuguese Delights
Portuguese bakery and cafe that bakes at home daily everything they sell. Apart from their celebrated custard tarts, at Portuguese Delights you can find other Portuguese favorites not always represented abroad, such as chocolate pyramids, areias cookies, bolo de arroz (rice muffins) and seasonal cakes such as bolo rei for Christmas or folar for Easter.
📍3/2 Cooper Rd, Cockburn Central WA 6164
www.instagram.com/portuguesedelights
SYDNEY
The Best Chocolate Cake in the World
The Best Chocolate Cake in the World was created in Portugal more than 30 years ago by Carlos Braz Lopes who began serving the cake at his former restaurant. The first shop was open in Lisbon in 2002 and currently there are 9 The Best Chocolate Cake in the World stores around the world. This one in Sydney was the first one offering this unique chocolate cake abroad and opened in 2011.
📍145 Old Pittwater road, Brookvale – Westfield Warringah Mall – Shop 134B, NSW 2100
Natas & Co
This roaming business makes sure Portugal is represented in the food markets of Sydney. And what better ambassador of all things sweet than our iconic pastel de nata? Fresh, flaky and warm – this is how it’s served by Natas & Co to the community in Sydney.
📍See where they’re going to set shop next at:
Sweet Belem Cake Boutique
Located in the heart of Petersham, the so-called Little Portugal of Sydney, Sweet Belem specializes in traditional and modern Portuguese tarts and pastries. Their goal is to provide the best pastel de nata in Sydney and around and, for that, they only use free range eggs for their custard. Their incredible range of pastries will make any party or gathering sweeter. Do not overlook the miniature sweets, which will make trying as many things as possible much more doable!
📍35B New Canterbury Rd, Petersham NSW 2049
www.sweetbelem.com.au
The Portuguese Bakery
If you crave pastel de nata in Sydney, we’re pretty confident you will have plenty of spots which will be able to satisfy your craving and in a bonafide Portuguese way! When in Gymea, you can trust The Portuguese Bakery to deliver not only authentic Portuguese custard tarts but also other sweets and savouries, gluten free cakes, sourdough breads, sandwiches, pies, coffee and more.
📍18 Gymea Bay Rd, Gymea NSW 2227
www.instagram.com/bakerytheportuguese
Where to buy Portuguese foods and wine in Australia
ADELAIDE
San José Smallgoods
José Coutinho is a Portuguese who migrated to Australia when he was 18 years old. Now he counts over 35 years of experience producing artisan salumi, an art that he is deeply passionate about. The range of charcuterie you’ll find at San José Smallgoods is inspired by the flavours of Italy, Spain and Portugal, where José pulls inspiration from his childhood food memories. They sell directly to customers and also supply wholesale.
📍u4/12-14 Hamilton Terrace, Newton SA 5074
https://sanjosesmallgoods.com.au
MELBOURNE
Casa Iberica Deli
This deli dedicated to all good things from Portugal and Spain was established back in 1975 by a couple who migrated from the Portuguese island of Madeira. Not only they sell imported goods from the Iberian Peninsula, they also make some of their products in house, such as salami, chorizo and black pudding. They have embraced their mission to spread the love for Iberian flavors so fiercely, that Casa Iberia even offers cooking classes to teach dishes from Portugal, Spain and other countries from the Latin world.
📍154/156 Fulham Rd, Alphington VIC 3078
📍25 Johnston St, Fitzroy 3065
https://casaibericadeli.com.au
SYDNEY
Spanish & Portuguese Butchery
This business may not have the most creative name, but one thing is for sure, and that is that it delivers on what the name announces. This butcher shop and deli in Petersham sells high quality meats and a small selection of other products from Spain, Portugal and also Brazil. Visit their store or order online for home delivery!
📍83 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham NSW 2049
https://spanish-portuguese-butchery.business.site
Uva Negra
Uva Negra has a great selection of products straight from Portugal to Australia, which are distributed wholesale. Their main focus is Portuguese wine, including exclusive representation in Australia of Tapada de Villar and Conde Villar wines produced by Quinta das Arcas. Beyond wines their catalogue also includes other liquors, dry salted cod, sardines, olives, olive oil and a selection of Portuguese groceries.
📍5 Smidmore St, Marrickville NSW 2204
Have you gone out to eat Portuguese food in Australia? We’d love to read about your experience! Let us know how it was via Facebook or Instagram. Please tag @tasteoflisboa #tasteoflisboa
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Read more about where to find Portuguese food around the world:
🇨🇦 Where to find Portuguese food and wine in Canada
🇺🇸 Where to find Portuguese food and wine in The USA
🇬🇧 Where to find Portuguese food and wine in The UK
🇳🇱 Where to find Portuguese food and wine in The Netherlands
🇩🇪 Where you can find genuine Portuguese food and wine in Germany
We’ll love to see your photo shoots, to know about your insights, questions, suggestions and wishes on your food & culture experiences in Lisbon and Portugal. Please share with us via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag us @tasteoflisboa or #tasteoflisboa.
Feed your curiosity on Portuguese food culture:
Foods you didn’t know were Portuguese
Quick Introduction To Portuguese Wine (and Portugal’s Wine Regions)
How to identify the perfect Portuguese custard tart
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