Due to its long coastline seafood features prominently on restaurant menus. Typical Portuguese dishes include sopa de mariscos (shellfish soup made with vegetables and shellfish), caldo verde (green soup made with green cabbage leaves), caldeirada (fish stew cooked with vegetables) and porco altentejano (fried pork covered with a sauce of mussels stewed with tomato and onions). Another staple is bacalhau (dried codfish), which you will find everywhere. Portuguese grilled chicken is world famous and it is generally marinated in chili, garlic and olive oil. Puddings include arroz doce (Portuguese version of rice pudding) and nuvens (egg custard). Wine is the drink of choice in Portugal. There are good reds and whites and Mateus Rosé is a famous lightweight Rose. Portugal is also famous for its port wines; the best are produced around Oporto. Although Lisbon’s water tastes heavily of chemicals, it is safe for drinking. However, we recommend that you buy bottled drinking water. Portugal has an excellent range of local mineral waters.

Best Buys: 

Jewellery and handcrafted items from goldsmiths in silver and gold, leather goods, ceramics, wickerwork, tiles, cork goods, embroidery and tapestry.

Public Facitlities:  Located in most Metro stations & other heavily-travelled places in Lisbon. If there is an attendant on dauty, a 20 cent coin woudl eb an appropriate tip. Ladies’ toilets are ‘Senhoras’ and men’s are ‘Homens’.