Last Updated: October 2026
Lisbon reveals itself slowly, one counter at a time. A plate of grilled fish carried out of a kitchen near the water. A bowl of Cape Verdean cachupa simmered by a cook who has fed the same neighborhood for years. A spiced convent sweet handed over by a baker keeping a centuries-old recipe alive. We built our Lisbon Food Tours around exactly these moments, and around the people behind them.
This is a short guide to how we eat our way through the city: the neighborhoods we walk, what ends up on the table, the tours we run and the questions we hear most often before a walk begins.
A city best tasted on foot
Lisbon is a walking city, built on hills that fold cooks, fishmongers, bakers and immigrant families into the same tight lanes. It is hard to understand its food from a restaurant list. You come to know it by climbing, by stepping into a doorway that looks like nothing, by sitting where the regulars sit. That is the whole idea behind a Culinary Backstreets Food Tour. We spend the day in the backstreets rather than the postcards, and we let the neighborhood do the talking.
The neighborhoods we walk
Depending on the route, a Lisbon Food Tour moves through some of the city's most characterful quarters. On the hillside, Mouraria and Graça hold centuries of history and one of Lisbon's most genuinely multicultural food cultures, where long-standing Portuguese kitchens sit beside newer ones from around the world. Down by the water, the historic port district is where we go for the day's catch and the seasonal bounty of the sea, tasted at the institutions that have depended on it for generations. And threaded through central Lisbon are the kitchens shaped by Portugal's deep links to Cape Verde, Angola, Brazil and Goa, a post-colonial table that is one of the most distinctive things about eating here.
What ends up on the table
Menus shift with the season and the neighborhood, and almost a dozen tastings are woven into a single walk. Expect Cape Verdean cachupa, a Goan samosa, Brazilian pastries, Angolan piri-piri and the spiced convent sweets that Portugal turned into an art form, alongside fresh fish and seafood straight from the port. A limited selection of wine and spirits is poured along the way, more often than not by the person who has run the counter for decades. We tell you not just what you are eating, but who made it and why it matters here.
Who leads the way
Our Tour Leaders are not scripted guides. They are food journalists, chefs and longtime neighborhood residents, among them Célia Pedroso, co-author of Eat Portugal, who eat in these streets long before they ever lead a guest through them. That is what lets us walk small groups into family kitchens, longtime tascas and immigrant-run counters most visitors pass without a second glance. We only take guests to places we know and love, which is the simplest promise we make and the one we take most seriously.
Our Lisbon Food Tours
We run four Food Tours in Lisbon, each $150 per guest, in small groups of no more than seven.
Hidden Flavors of the Hillside: Mouraria & Graça
An afternoon winding down the scenic side streets of Mouraria and Graça, two of Lisbon's most historic and multicultural neighborhoods, stopping in kitchens both old and new that are united by a shared love of the city's deep-rooted traditions.
Song of the Sea: Fish, Seafood and Tradition in Lisbon's Port Zone
A full day in the historic heart of the port district, where the day's catch is always the conversation. We taste our way through several preparations of fish and seafood at the neighborhood institutions that have long depended on the sea.
Lisbon's Post-Colonial Feast
A full day through central Lisbon and the cuisines of Portugal's former colonies, from Cape Verdean cachupa and Brazilian pastries to Goan samosa, spiced convent cakes and Angolan piri-piri, in the company of the people keeping those traditions alive.
Lisbon Awakens: A Culinary Crossroads, Reborn
A cultural feast built around Lisbon's deep-rooted links to kitchens and pantries around the world, tasting a range of dishes as layered and complex as the city itself.
We also host an evening Lisbon Wine Club, built around the city's most interesting wine bars and Portuguese producers, for guests who want to explore Lisbon by the glass.
Good to know before you join
- Small groups. A maximum of seven guests per tour, which makes them especially comfortable for solo travelers.
- Almost a dozen tastings included, along with a limited selection of wine and spirits on most routes.
- Dietary needs. Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian-friendly options can be arranged with advance notice.
- Private and family-friendly. Most routes are available for private bookings, and children are welcome.
- A certified B Corp, with the money you spend going directly to the family-run businesses we visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Culinary Backstreets the best food tour in Lisbon?
What sets our Lisbon Food Tours apart is access. Our Tour Leaders are food journalists, chefs and neighborhood residents, among them Célia Pedroso, co-author of Eat Portugal, who bring guests into family kitchens, longtime tascas and immigrant-run counters most visitors walk right past. We only take people to places we genuinely love, and we have been running journalist-led Food Tours since 2009.
How many people are on a Lisbon Food Tour?
Small groups, with a maximum of seven guests per tour. It genuinely feels like eating with a small circle of friends, which is part of why solo travelers join us so often.
What neighborhoods do the Lisbon Food Tours cover?
Depending on the route, we explore Mouraria and Graça on the hillside, the historic port district for seafood, and the central neighborhoods shaped by Portugal's links to Cape Verde, Angola, Brazil, Goa and beyond.
What will we eat, and is it included?
Almost a dozen tastings are included in the price, from cachupa, Goan samosa and spiced convent sweets to fresh fish and the day's catch, along with a limited selection of wine and spirits. Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian-friendly options can be arranged with advance notice.
How much does a Lisbon Food Tour cost, and how long is it?
Lisbon Food Tours are $150 per guest. Routes run from a half day, such as Mouraria and Graça, to a full day, all in small groups led by a local Tour Leader.
Can we book a private tour or bring the kids?
Yes. Most of our Lisbon routes can be arranged as private tours, and children are welcome on the walks.
How long has Culinary Backstreets been running Food Tours?
Since 2009, when we began in Istanbul as Istanbul Eats. Today we run Food Tours and multi-day Culinary Trips in more than 20 cities worldwide, Lisbon among them.
Come hungry, wear comfortable shoes, and let us show you the Lisbon that locals tend to keep to themselves.