Canalha: Modern Portuguese Food in Lisbon
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Discover what it’s like to eat at Canalha. The seemingly humble restaurant is serving some of the most exciting Portuguese food in Lisbon.
Open on the edge of Belém since November of 2023 and helmed by acclaimed Chef João Rodrigues, Canalha is a bit of a chameleon. While many restaurants try to do so much that they don’t do anything well, somehow, Canalha seems to do everything well.
It’s a petiscaria with a compact menu of small plates and enchidos. It’s a tasca with two pratos do dia on weekday afternoons. It’s a marisqueira with an interesting range of Portuguese seafood. It’s a steakhouse with a small but premium selection of cooked meats. It’s a chef-driven restaurant with new interpretations of classic Portuguese ingredients.
And, despite its seemingly simple dining room, it’s also one of the hottest reservations in town.
Fun Fact
Canalha has bib gourmand status in the current Michelin guide.
Our Dinner at Canalha
We first dined at Canalha for dinner, sharing an exorbitant chuleton ribeye with friends. It was an enjoyable but rushed experience that started with fantastic scallops and one preciously plated anchovy that we somehow split between four people.
Reservations at Canalha come with a time limit. Due to our ignorance of that limit and our server’s extra slow pace, there was no time for dessert or a second bottle of wine. Clearly, a second meal was in order.
Fun Fact
Canalha literally translates to scoundrel.
Our Lunch at Canalha
Our second meal at Canalha, which coincided with Daryl’s birthday, was totally different than our first. For starters, we had a late-afternoon, weekday lunch reservation, which allowed us to linger longer. It also enabled us to order a prato do dia. That daily dish, arroz de pato, was a fine version of Portuguese duck rice adorned with chouriço and squares of thick pork belly. The other prato do dia, bacalhau à brás, looked equally fine when it sailed by us a few times. We plan to order the iconic Portuguese dish during a future meal.
Another difference involved our location. Sitting at the bar gave us a front row view of the action plus the opportunity to chat with both restaurant staff and other diners. Perhaps that’s why we ordered so many plates. Or perhaps we ordered so many plates because everything looked and tasted so good.
Our number one dish would have to be the Arouquesa beef carpaccio – an oval canvas of raw, beautifully marbled, thinly sliced, melt-in-your-mouth beef layered around a mountain of crispy potatoes. It was fun to watch Chef Lívia Orofino plate the dish and even more fun to eat the fruits of her labor.
We also enjoyed thick, juicy slices of porco presa Alentejana cooked to a beautiful deep rose hue. The pork matched the restaurant’s excellently curated wine list. The few glasses we enjoyed, a tight white from Minho, a rich red from Alentejano, a complex red from Dão and a lovely medium dry wine from Madeira, made for a special afternoon of dining.
And, unlike our first meal, we ended the second with a Portuguese dessert. That dessert, russett apple sabayon served with pistachio ice cream, provided an ideal ending to Daryl’s birthday lunch. We’re already planning our third and fourth visits.
Update
We have returned to Canalha for lunch multiple times. It’s ranks as one of our favorite Lisbon restaurants.
Canalha is located at Rua da Junqueira 207, 1300-338 Lisboa, Portugal.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
You can secure a reservation via the restaurant’s website up to three months in advance of your meal. We recommend making the reservation well in advance of your visit to avoid dining disappointment.
We recommend ordering two to four plates per person depending on your appetite and budget.
Expect to spend between €25 to €50 per person depending on how much you order. Of course, you can spend more if you want to try lots of plates or if you order a special bottle of wine.
No. Tipping is optional in Portugal.
Canalha doesn’t have a dress code.
Since Canalha isn’t located in the center of Lisbon, you’ll probably want to take a bus, tram or Uber when you travel to the restaurant.
🇵🇹 Lisbon Travel Checklist
Check out our guide to eating in Portugal as well as our picks for the best Portuguese foods and the best Portuguese desserts before your trip.
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