DAY 1: LISBON
Lunch: JncQuoi
“We went into this restaurant twice in Lisbon. Although the area was pretty loud and hard to communicate allergens, the ambiance was beautiful. There was actually a DJ in the bathroom which was pretty cool! As for allergies, we stayed pretty safe by having buttered spaghetti and a chicken mushroom dish. Other than that, the meals offered were primarily seafood, which my sister and I could not eat. The food was great and the appetizers were pretty safe for our allergies, as shown in the picture.”
Dinner: Sinal Vermelho
“They offered authentic Portuguese food (primarily fish and meats). We also tried this delicious cheese and bread they laid out for us. The staff was attentive and actually showed us how to eat certain food the Portuguese way. They understood our allergies clearly.”
Sightseeing: Fashion Clinic
DAY 2: SINTRA + LISBON
Lunch: Sao Martinho
“This restaurant called Sao Martinho is in Sintra. We stopped after our castle tours to eat lunch here on our second day. It is primarily a sandwich place, so there was less of a nut allergy issue. Felt safer that way. The food was delicious and felt cool compared to the heat outdoors, as the stone on the wall looked like a cave. The waitress was attentive, yet the language barrier was still a little tough.”
Dinner: Guilty by Oliver
“The food was pretty decent and the service was good. However, she spoke a little bit of English so it was difficult to communicate with each other. I had the chicken tacos and nachos!”
Sightseeing: Pena Palace
Sightseeing: Cascais Beaches
DAY 3: ALBUFEIRA + MONTENEGRO + LAGOA
Hotels: Pine Cliffs Resort
“This hotel was great because on every menu, there were allergen ingredients listed right next to the meal. The food was so delicious and the hotel itself was stunning. I highly recommend!”
Lunch: Grill O Alentejano
“O Grill is a restaurant inside of the Pine Cliffs Resort. They had a very helpful menu, as the allergy ingredients were on the side of each dish. I ordered a burrito bowl and it was very delicious. Along with that, the staff spoke English well.”
Dinner: O Pescador
“This restaurant was hands-on about our allergies and is also inside of the Pine Cliffs Resort. Food was delicious. However, not many meal options for people who are allergic to seafood since it is a seafood place. The dessert options were limited as well. However, the ones that were nut and seafood-free were delicious and there were no problems with cross-contamination reactions.”
DAY 4: ALBUFEIRA + LAGOS
Lunch: Casa Algarvia
“This restaurant was very safe. I ordered spaghetti bolognese and the waitress was very attentive with our allergies. Although the restaurant had a lot of seafood options, you could still find dishes that work and are safe.”
Dinner: Taco Bell
“This Taco Bell was located in the Algarve Shopping Mall and we had it for dinner one night. Food was primarily the same as the US. I had no trouble with food allergies here.”
Sightseeing: Kayaking in Lagos
Sightseeing: Algarve Shopping Mall
DAY 5: ALBUFEIRA
Brunch: Zest – Mind, Body & Soul
“In the Pine Cliffs Resort, there is a restaurant called Zest. Beautiful ambiance. This is also more of a breakfast/lunch place. I had the avocado toast and they made sure nothing had nuts in it. Their menu was also very unique in that they stated if the dish had any allergens in it on the side of the title of the dish. This was very helpful throughout our travels, since this hotel did this for all of their restaurants. Usually my sister gets itchy mouth from avocado, but this place she didn’t get any. Delicious food. Highly recommend!”
Dinner: Yakuza
“This restaurant was one my favorites of the places I visited in Portugal. The food was delicious and the staff was very attentive to our allergies. We kept double-checking because sushi does have a lot of seafood, nuts, and cross-contamination, so we had to be extra cautious. All of the rolls we ordered were nut-free and they made sure of it. The only thing was that the dessert we ordered had nuts on the side when we specified to take the nuts out. Just be sure to always check the dish before eating. Overall, great food and helpful staff.”
DAY 6: PORTO
Dinner: Pizzeria Luzzo
“Italian is the way to go the majority of the time when having a nut allergy! My siblings and I love having pizza and pasta, which are pretty safe for nut allergies. This restaurant was unique in that we had to insert our meals into an iPad in order to place our meals. I’m not exactly sure if there was a section to disclose our allergies, but the waitress was very helpful and understood our allergies. Food was delicious! Would highly recommend.”
Hotels: Intercontinental
“This hotel was stunning as well and had very helpful staff. There were two restaurants inside of the hotel and both were delicious and had menus that were to the kids’ liking as well as adults’. Would highly recommend this hotel as well.”
DAY 7: PORTO
Breakfast: Intercontinental Hotel
Lunch: Los Takitos
“This restaurant is in the mall, along with other tiny fast-food places. Mexican is pretty safe with nut allergies, so I got chicken tacos. I asked if they used any nut sauce, but the woman did not speak English at all. The food was good, but the clarity of whether the food at nuts in it was not there.”
Dinner: Mercearia
“The views from this restaurant were impeccable. However, I ordered pasta and specified my nut allergy to the waiter and when I received it, the dish had pesto on top of it. We told them to take it back and they made it separately the second time. The waiter did not speak English well, so there was a miscommunication.”
