Nat’elier | Pastel de Nata
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“We actually did a cooking class here where we made pastel de natas that I highly recommend. I couldn’t eat them (as they have dairy), but it was really cool to make them! The class was located in their shop, and when we walked in, I noticed the vegan pastel de natas on their bakery shelf. After I finished the class (where everyone ended with the 3 pastel de natas that they made), our head chef swapped mine out with three of their previously made vegan ones. I was nervous to try after my last time trying pastel de natas, as they were not good, but these were very good! The cinnamon flavor came through, and the texture was so much better. They do rotating flavors of pastel de natas, and had a crème brule flavor that I ended up buying just to try, and I thought it was even better than the original flavor. It is located right by the Santa Justa lift, so if you want to try a good pastel de nata, I would highly recommend here! The class was also very good!”
Brilhante
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“Came here for dinner and it was a small but great restaurant. It was a smaller menu, so there were limited options for me, but the options were quite good. I started with oyster and then had a grilled tuna in a vegetable sauce with clam rice and some deconstructed salad. All of it was very good, and our waiter knew what was in all of the food, which was very helpful.”
Kiro Sushi
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“Got some sushi before catching a train. It was in a large center and had an ocean view! After letting them know mayo was safe for me (eggs aren’t dairy), they were able to accommodate me and substitute some of the sushi pieces with ones that were safe for me! Sushi was really good too!”
Osteria Bellosguardo
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“Good Italian meal since we were tired of fish. Pasta was fresh, and the bolognese sauce was good (Florentine style sauce). It was a little hard to communicate with the waiter, but he said if it didn’t list cream on the menu, then I was okay to eat it, and he could just put no cheese on it. The restaurant was packed, and the food was very good. My mom really liked her dish, which contained dairy too.”
Honest Greens
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“I would describe this like a Sweet Green, but better. It’s a chain all over Portugal and Spain, and so good! They have a QR code that leads to the allergen list on their menu, so I used that to get the Latin bowl and steak with chimichurri. The Latin bowl said that it had nuts in it, but after I asked, she said the sauce on top did, so I just had it with no sauce (I instead got the chipotle mayo that’s plant-based, very good). So nice to have an allergen menu, and the food had vegetables and didn’t feel heavy.”
Vegan Nata Chiado
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“I had vegan pastel de nata for the first time! While the crunchy crust was good, I did not like the filling in the middle at all. To be honest, I didn’t even end up finishing one. But it was so nice to be able to at least try the national pastry that is talked about so much.”
Solar da Madalena
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“My first Portuguese bifana! All bifana is pork, and this one was delicious. We had it on a tour, and the flavors were great. Mustard and piri piri sauce are additives to it to increase spices or add flavor. Highly recommend trying a bifana or multiple in Portugal as they are different from shop to shop.”
Nunes Real Marisqueira
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“So so good! Recommended to us by my mom’s work friend, and on the more expensive side, however, it was impeccable. We started with the vegetable soup and pan con tomate (some of the best we’ve had in the Iberian peninsula) and then I had the shrimp from the our favorites section of the menu (I think it was ‘a bravita’ a Portuguese way of preparing the shrimp with potatoes, garlic, egg yolk, and onion), absolutely delicious. I ate every bite, highly recommend! The menu had an allergy key, so it was very easy to know what I could order, and my waiter always confirmed that I could eat my ordered food with the chef. We finished off with pineapple for dessert, which was nicely ripe and perfectly sweet!”
Restaurante Solar do Kadete
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
“Traditional Portuguese food that was good, and that we had on a food tour. The chef confirmed that everything was dairy-free for me! We had the Bacalhau a Minhota, Arroz de Marisco, and Alheria. All the dishes had interesting flavors, and I enjoy putting the Piri Piri sauce on everything.”
Café Santiago
Location: Porto, Portugal
“Francesinha is a must in Porto, and Cafe Santiago is one of the best. We got there at 12:13 pm, and there was a wait. By the time we left, there were probably over fifty people waiting. No reservations, so be on time. They were able to confidently make mine dairy-free and even had the chef come out to confirm that I could eat oil. With how busy it was, I was impressed with how much care they took with me. It was really good, but so much food and heavy. I also included my mom’s Francesinha, so you know what a normal one is supposed to look like.”
Curioso Cocktail Bar
Location: Porto, Portugal
“Came here twice in the three nights we were in Porto. At cocktail/wine bars, I am very confident in knowing what I can and cannot have, so they are less of a concern to me. However, both my mom and I loved what we got and are determined to go back. They are unique, but delicious. Highly recommend for a pre- or post-dinner drink! The red pepper hummus did have walnuts on it (my mom ordered it, not me, and I didn’t want any, so we didn’t ask before ordering).”
Tapabento S.Bento
Location: Porto, Portugal
“Absolutely loved! When we walked into our reservation and when we sat down, the hostess and our waiter confirmed my allergy. The menu was clearly labeled with allergens, and the food was sooo good! It is located in an offshoot of the sao bento train station (which is gorgeous), but you need a reservation, as the hostess said to the people in front of us that there was over an hour and a half wait! We got the tortilla (which is an egg and potato dish, not the tortilla thought of in the US), traditional croquettes, the tuna tartare, and oxtail steamed dumplings. Our waiter was great in confirming that everything was safe for me to eat!”
Neptuno
Location: Colares, Portugal
“A must go! A local spot-meaning in the two and a half hours we ate lunch, we were the only non-native Portugese speaking people there, but not to worry, our waiter spoke English incredibly well. So amazing – both with allergies and the food. Neglecting the desserts, which I know I can never eat, everything was very allergy-friendly. It is either boiled or lightly salted with sea salt and then grilled on a charcoal grill. We had the goose barnacles (a must try-I don’t think I have had anything like that before but they were delicious and so fun), the grouper (so fresh and flaky), boiled vegetables (cabbage, green beans, and carrot) and potatoes, along with oysters (cool to try but I think PEI oysters are definitely better). Everything is fresh-caught and cooked to perfection, so that there is no need for spices or sauces (except for salt). A local place that our tour guide brought us to with beach views, with reasonable prices.”
Quinta Santa Julia
Location: Loureiro, Portugal
“A port house where we had a wine and port tasting along with a meal. The waitress did such a great job confirming my and everybody else’s allergies. We had a vegetable soup (very common in Portugal, and I promise it was better than it looks). A pork dish and an orange cake made from oranges from their own orange trees. All was very good!”
Enoteca 17•56 – Real Companhia Velha
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
“We had a late dinner with a great view! After informing them of my allergy, they took the couvert away since it had butter in it and switched my waiter with someone who spoke better English. He was able to confirm what I could and couldn’t eat with ease, and confirmed with the chef when putting in the orders that everything was safe. We started with the mini pizza (amazing, even without cheese) and shrimp tempura. I had the cod (a must in Portugal), with rice instead of mashed potatoes, asparagus on the side, and some sushi. The sushi was fresh and very good, but all of it was very good. This is a nicer place to eat, but in my opinion worth it.”
Taylor’s Port
Location: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
“Did a port wine tasting here, and you do the tasting in a garden where you can also add food. Our waiter let me know what I could eat, and we ended up getting the bread basket with homemade olive oil. The bread did contain seeds as a warning, but was very good.”
