Dining Out In Portugal

Whether you’re just visiting or planning to live in Portugal, learning some food vocabulary is going to be pretty important! 😆  As part of our Cooking and Eating unit, this guide should give you a good introduction to dining out in Portugal, or, in other words: comer foragoing out to eatCommunity Slow audio Play audio

Breakfast & Coffee

There are caféscafés, coffee shopsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine and pastelariasbakeriesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine , which are often part of the same establishment, for snacks and light meals. This is where you’ll go for um pequeno-almoçoa breakfastCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine or um lanchea snackCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine
Perhaps you’ll ask for um caféa coffeeCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine and the world-famous pastel de natacustard tartCommunity Slow audio Play audio . A pastel is usually a small tart or cake, which can be sweet, like the pastel de nata, or savoury, like the o pastel de bacalhaucodfish cakeCommunity . You’ll find a wide variety of delicious options to order at the pastelaria.
Unfortunately for those who like protein-rich breakfasts, it’s less common to find os ovoseggsCommunity on the traditional Portuguese breakfast menu, though they do appear in a number of dishes served later in the day.
There are many different typical coffee beverages in Portugal. If you just order um caféa coffeeCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine you will receive an espresso, unless you specify otherwise. Some of the other most common options are:

• um galãoCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine – Contains more milk than coffee, served in a tall glass
• uma meia de leiteCommunity Slow audio Play audio – A cup containing half milk and half coffee
• um abatanadoCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine – This is the Portuguese equivalent of an americano, which is espresso with extra water. At most cafés, this is the closest you will get to a full cup of drip coffee. If you want it with milk, ask for um abatanado pingadoan americano with a 'drop' of milkCommunity Slow audio Play audio . To further complicate things, not all places in Portugal use the term abatanado, so you can also just try asking for um americanoCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine

Tip: You may get a funny look if you order coffee before a meal instead of after… or if you ask for cream (natas) with your coffee! These practices are not common in Portugal. #estrangeiroproblems

Lunch & Dinner

For o almoçolunchCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine and o jantardinnerCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine , you might go out to um restaurantea restaurantCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine , but not all locations serving these meals use that name. Some smaller establishments offering light meals (usually lunches), have the name ‘snack-bar’, functioning as a hybrid of café and restaurant. There are also cervejariasCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine , named as such because, originally, these restaurants produced their own cervejabeerCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine .

Common Menu Items

Here are a few common foods you may see on the menu when dining out in Portugal:

• pica-pauCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine
  • Small pieces of pork, marinated in either beer or white wine and fried in olive oil. Includes lots of garlic and pickles and sometimes piri-piri hot sauce. Its name translates literally to “woodpecker”, probably because you eat them with a toothpick.
• moelasCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine
  • Similar to pica-pau but made with chicken gizzard (instead of pork), plus tomato pulp and paprika.
• caracóissnailsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine
  • Snails are a popular summer dish, often eaten with a toothpick and paired with an ice-cold beer. The simplest recipe involves boiling them with garlic, bay leafs, onions and salt, and seasoning them with oregano.
• camarõesshrimpCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine
  • Typically served boiled or fried
• bife à casahouse steakCommunity Slow audio Play audio
  • This steak often comes with an egg on top, accompanied by rice, fries, and salad. It can include other ingredients such as ham, cheese, sausages, pickles, as well as sauces made with beer, mustard, coffee, etc.
• a francesinhaCommunity
  • A very famous sandwich based on a French recipe, but born in the city of Porto. Ingredients include beef, ham, various sausages, and cheese, with a fried egg on top. The most important part is the sauce, which is poured on top while extremely hot. You’ll need a fork and knife for this sandwich!
• leitãosuckling pigCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine
  • Roasted and served with either fries or potato chips, plus a spicy molho de leitãoCommunity Slow audio Play audio , which is made with pepper, garlic, lard, among other ingredients. It also comes in sandwich form.

As you can see, it’s not always easy being a vegetarian in Portugal!

Common Appetizers

Whatever the choice, the entradasappetizers, startersCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine for lunch or dinner are usually the same:

• um cesto de pãoa basket of breadCommunity Slow audio Play audio
  • It can be just white bread or include other varieties such as tostastoastsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine and broa de milhocorn breadCommunity Slow audio Play audio
• as azeitonasolivesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine
  • Sometimes seasoned with olive oil, garlic and oregano
• a manteigabutterCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine
• patê de atumtuna patéCommunity Slow audio Play audio or patê de sardinhasardine patéCommunity Slow audio Play audio

A “finer” restaurant may also include:

• presuntoprosciuttoCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine
  • Sometimes paired with melon cubes
• queijoscheesesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine
  • Sliced cured cheeses or fresh cheese, pressed into a round shape
• rissóisrissolesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine
  • Half-moon shaped, deep-fried pastries, commonly filled with shrimp or meat
• enchidos fumadossmoked sausagesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine
  • Could be chouriços, morcelas (similar to black pudding), alheiras or farinheiras

Wait a Minute… I Didn’t Order This!

These entradas, also called aperitivosappetizersCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine , almost always appear “automatically” on the table to snack on while waiting for your meal. However, they are optional. If you do not want to eat or pay for them, just say:

• Pode levar as entradasYou can take the appetizersCommunity Slow audio Play audio or Não vamos querer entradas, obrigadoWe are not going to want appetizers, thank youCommunity Slow audio Play audio

Virtually all restaurants offer pratos do diadishes of the day, daily specialsCommunity Slow audio Play audio . Unlike the other dishes on the menu, these are not cooked to order, so the waiting time is shorter. They may also include fresher ingredients, such as fish.
Just in case you’re on a tight schedule, keep in mind that meal time can be rather sacred for the Portuguese, as they usually like to enjoy it without rushing! However, if you’re looking to fill up on grease, you can still find fast food in some areas. The English phrase is commonly heard in Portuguese conversation, but you’ll also hear its Portuguese equivalent, comida rápidafast foodCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine .

Beverages

Water is not offered automatically when dining out in Portugal. You can, of course, order a bottle of water, but remember that it’s not free. You should specify how many glasses you’d like if multiple people are sharing.
Your water can be com gássparkling, with gasCommunity Slow audio Play audio or sem gásstill, without gasCommunity , and frescacold, coolCommunity Slow audio Play audio Adjective, Feminine or naturalnatural, room-temperatureCommunity .
If you wish to drink wine, but you’re not sure about any of the wines on the list (or you just want a cheaper option!), you might ask for the vinho da casahouse wineCommunity . This wine is the choice of the restaurant and it’s usually a local wine, or from the region.

Payment and Tipping

In Portugal, a contathe billCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine is not brought to the table automatically. Depending on the establishment, you will either pay at the front counter before leaving, or you’ll need to let your waiter or waitress know that you are ready to pay. If you are paying by card, typically they will bring the card reader to your table, rather than taking your card.
What about deixar a gorjetaleaving the tipCommunity ? Unlike what happens in various other countries, tipping a certain percentage of the cost of the meal is not expected in Portugal.
Some people don’t tip at all, while others leave 1€ or 2€ on the table before they leave. If it’s a fancier place, or if you had great service, you’re always welcome to tip more. 5-10% is more than welcome, but if you tip more than that, you’ll certainly make the staff very happy!
If you do leave a tip, you can leave any amount you’d like, but anything less than 0.50€ could be taken as an insult. In some touristy areas, tipping is becoming more expected these days, but again, it’s not mandatory.
If you want to add a tip on your card, instead of using cash, you will often need to tell your server to add that amount before they run your card:
Posso incluir a gorjeta no pagamento com cartão, por favor?Can I add a tip to the card payment, please?Community Slow audio Play audio
That said, a few modern restaurants have the option for tip available on the card reader.

Food Shopping

We hope that gave you a good introduction to dining out in Portugal, but we’re not ready to stop talking about food yet!
For those who prefer home-cooked meals, you can find your ingredientesingredientsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine at merceariasgrocery storesCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Feminine and mercadosmarketsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine , which are for smaller, everyday purchases.
If you want to buy in bulk, find international products, or just have access to a wider variety and quantity of products, you can go to supermercadossupermarketsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine and hipermercadoshypermarketsCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Plural, Masculine , which are often found in larger shopping areas.
Tip: In Portugal, 24-hour convenience stores (aside from gas station shops 🤢) are not really a thing, so make sure you’ve got everything you need before the stores close (around 9:00pm, at least in Lisbon).

Differences between 🇵🇹 European and 🇧🇷 Brazilian Portuguese

If you’ve learned some Brazilian Portuguese in the past, keep in mind that there are many vocabulary differences when it comes to food. Here are a few common ones to keep in mind next time you’re shopping or dining out in Portugal:

• 🇵🇹 o pequeno-almoçobreakfastCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 café da manhã
• 🇵🇹 cafécafe, coffee shopCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 cafeteria
• 🇵🇹 o talhobutcher shopCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine |  🇧🇷 açougue
• 🇵🇹 geladoice creamCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 sorvete
• 🇵🇹 sumojuiceCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 suco
• 🇵🇹 a imperialsmall draft beer (Southern Portugal)Community Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine or o finosmall draft beer (Northern Portugal)Community Slow audio Play audio Adjective, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 chope
• 🇵🇹 massapastaCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Feminine   |  🇧🇷 macarrão
• 🇵🇹 o ananáspineappleCommunity Slow audio Play audio Noun, Singular, Masculine   |  🇧🇷 abacaxi