How to order like a local at restaurants in Portugal
Eating in restaurants in Portugal is usually a very enjoyable and relatively straightforward and affordable experience. Even so, there are ways of getting even better value for money and making sure that you avoid leaving with a nasty taste in your mouth.
Here are my top tips for meals out in Portugal
Meal deals
Many restaurants serve a menu turístico / menu do día / diária (set menu) at lunchtime. This is usually great value in that you get a starter, which is often soup; a main course; a drink which may be a glass or even a jug of wine; and sometimes coffee and a dessert for a set price which can range from €5 to about €15 depending on the restaurant. If you head away from the touristy areas and find out where the locals are having lunch, you’ll get a better deal.
Dish of the day
Make sure you check what’s included and what isn’t before ordering. I’ve been caught out by ordering the prato do día (dish of the day), assuming that it was part of a fixed menu and merrily stuffing my face with olives, bread, soup and dessert only to find that each item has been charged á la carte. Instead of the cheap €14-for-two lunch I thought I was having, it cost me nearer €30.
Entrées
The first time I went to a restaurant in Portugal, I remember thinking how lovely it was that the waiter kept bringing little dishes of olives, cheese, octopus salad and other tasty treats to our table without being asked. I was with a group of people from work and we all happily tucked into them without thinking. Luckily, our company was footing the bill. It hadn’t occurred to any of us that we would be charged for food we hadn’t ordered but that’s the norm here.
If you’re not having a set menu, consider whether or not you want to pay for the extras. If not, send them back untouched to avoid any unpleasantness when the bill comes. The olives and bread are usually quite cheap but presunto and seafood aren’t.
Portions
Visitors to Portugal often say that the portions are huge but if you look around at Portuguese diners, you’ll probably notice that they are sharing the main course(s). You too can order one portion (dose) between two, unless it’s part of a set menu. If you prefer to keep your food to yourself and don’t want enormous amounts, look out for items that have a 1/2 or meia dose (half-portion) option on the menu.
Tipping
It’s not essential to tip, although waiters will certainly appreciate it. As a guide, 10% is fine but it’s also okay to just round up the bill.
Self-service
Self-service restaurants are becoming more popular, especially in shopping centres and motorway service stations. Look out for menus (meal deals) and check that what you are putting on your tray is from the right section, i.e. part of the deal. If they offer a menu that includes coffee, you may be given a ticket for your coffee when you pay for the meal, which you then hand over to the serving staff to claim your drink later.
Have you got any other useful hints and tips for ordering in restaurants to add? Please share them in the comments.
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[...] Portuguese restaurants, olives are generally brought to the table without you even having to ask, but you do have to pay for them. They’re usually very tasty, although the standard varies from restaurant to restaurant. Some [...]
[...] and by this point, we were too tired and hungry to search for an alternative. Plus, their menú turística (set menu) included the option of bacalhau dourada, which settled it for [...]
[...] Portuguese restaurants, olives are generally brought to the table without you even having to ask, but you do have to pay for them. They’re usually very tasty, although the standard varies from restaurant to restaurant. Some [...]
Thanks for the great info – now i just have to get there! thanks for visiting.
Found it!
Like with all customs; tipping is something travelers need to be aware of.
Absolutely! A subject you’ve covered so well in your post about Italy:
http://laavventura.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/to-tip-or-not-to-tip-in-italy/
[...] How to order like a local at restaurants in Portugal [...]
A few differences I’ve noticed from the UK relate to drinks.
In the UK you order drinks first (sometimes barely having time to check the wine list) and then the food. In Portugal first you order food and the decide on the drinks (usually to match your meal).
Also, while in the UK is acceptable to ask for a glass or jug of tap water, in Portugal a glass of water is usually just asked with the coffee.
That’s an interesting point, zebradestepe. I’ve often been frustrated by the delay in getting to the drinks order in Portugal because I’m used to the UK system. I think restaurants are likely to sell more drinks if they serve them while the customers are still deciding on their meal. That way, by the time the food arrives, they may well need another drink, or the wine they have chosen more carefully to accompany the meal. I think there are merits to both systems but it’s useful to understand the different ways of doing things so you can have more control over the proceedings.
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Hi Julie, living in Porto, I can say the cuisine varies from exceptionaly bad to exceptionaly good. The best advice to anyone is to get away from the touristic areas and try to find a small and cosy place, as they are usually the best. I just want to add, that – at least in Porto / Matosinhos – the portions tend to be HUGE. It depends a lot if you the menu says “Prato..blabla” or not. When it says prato, it will be on plate and it’s recommended as a single portion. When I’m eating out with my boyfriend, we are almost always ordering 1/2 dose for both of us and we’re still stuffed (and we’re no saladarians
)…). Of course, as anywhere, it’s better to know where to go. E.g. in Matosinhos, we have a favourite restaurant to have Arroz de Tamboril (Yum!!), but once we tried to have meaty dinner there and it was not so good (yeah, that’s another point, restaurants seem to be pretty specialized – some places are only for seafood / fish, some are more for meat – even if they have both in the menu…). Regarding the entry – I find it very nice and welcoming and mostly it costs up to 2 eur (bread and butter or olives..) So I’ll be rather chewing a piece of bread with olives and enjoying conversation than let my stomach grate. It’s really easy to say no though, you just need to know that it’s ok and they are used to it.
)… Closing line from my side should be that 95% of the time, I am more than satisfied with the food I’m getting and I’m more stuffed than necessary!
)
So … I hope I didn’t confuse you all too much
PS: Don’t miss the DESSERTS!
Hi Katarina, Thanks for your comment – good tip about the ‘pratos’ being for 1 person.
I like to have the bread and olives to nibble on and am happy to pay for them, too. And you’re right about the specialisations – I’ve learned to stick to certain dishes in certain restaurants but if I’m ever in Matosinhos, I’ll check out your recommendation.
There are hundreds of restaurants in Matosinhos and it’s being said that it is the right place to get fish. I love Arroz de Tamboril and we usually have it in restaurant called Mar na Brasa… me & my boyfriend share 1/2 dose and it’s perfectly sufficient (from my point of view).
Lovely post Julie . When we lived in Portugal, when eating out we would send back the starters we didn´t want/like, but I also never thought of not paying for something I hadn´t ordered. I think it´s a way for restaurants to make some extra money from little morsels we all like to eat!
Thanks, Sami. You can’t blame them for trying, I suppose but if you don’t know the system (or even if you do?) it’s easy to feel as though you’re being tricked!
Really useful tips – I heard many people complain about the bread olives and cheese issue, but once you know that’s just the way it works it’s fine and you can decide of you want them or not. Greedy thing that I am, I found it hard to refuse, and for most meals I simply settled in for the long haul, olives and all!
Me too! I usually have to olives – they’re cheap – and sometimes the other stuff but it’s best to check how much they’ll cost if you’re on a tight budget.
Let me start by telling you that whenever someone brings me something I have not ordered at all for starters and I eat it, I will not pay for it in the end, as I consider it an offer. Yes, I’m quite sure it isn’t an offer and that it might seem rude, but I’m tired of going somewhere to dine and not asking something and yet everything is put on the table, and that is as convenient and pleasant to me as a heart attack. Nope, if I want it, I’ll order it, and I’ll surely pay for it. As for portions… well, the farther away you move from bigger crowded venues, the better you’ll eat, at least when it comes to portions. The rural side is welcoming in every sense, and cuisine isn’t an exception, on the contrary. As a native, I can say that the traditional rip-off/smart ass exists everywhere, especially in bigger cities where they charge 6€ or more for a soup bowl, a slice of veggies/meat pie and a tad of salad on the sides while calling it a complete meal, which is a joke. There are however some very good food temples around the country, and I try to visit at least one while travelling to different cities, and the more rural areas are just great for good food and service. I can name some, like O Touciño, in Almeirim, which is a staple, or the Tromba Rija, in Leiria. It’s a sincere pleasure to read your articles, keep it up.
Thank you so much for commenting, João. It’s good to know that you’re still enjoying my blog. It’s also interesting to hear your position on the unsolicited food. I’ve never tried arguing it that way – my Portuguese doesn’t stretch to that sort of discussion – but I see your point.
I’ll make a note of your restaurant recommendations for future reference, thanks.