What to Eat and Drink at Time Out Market Lisbon

Important Update
Time Out Market Lisbon has re-opened with new health and safety procedures after being closed for several months due to COVID-19. Check the market’s website prior to your visit to confirm operating hours and potential stall changes.

What are food travelers to do when grounded due to a global pandemic? Well, if their grounding is in Portugal, one answer is to conquer Time Out Market Lisboa.

A top Lisbon attraction, the Time Out Market typically swarms with hungry crowds queuing for food and filling tables, especially during the warm summer months. Tourists love the market for what it is – a safe, clean place to sample a variety of dishes without the stress of translating menus, navigating maps and leaving tips.

Our History with Time Out Market Lisboa

After we moved to Lisbon, we avoided eating at Time Out Market Lisbon. While we appreciated the market’s culinary concept of curating food from first-in-class restaurants around the country, we chose to spend our time exploring the city’s vibrant restaurant scene instead.

Don’t get us wrong. The Time Out Market is NOT a tourist trap but it’s definitely more popular with people visiting Lisbon than with locals. As Lisbon residents, we’re able to easily find authentic dining experiences with cloth napkins and flowing wine for a fraction of the price.

But times are different now. Since we’re staying local this year while tourism takes a sabbatical, we’ve embraced the lack of crowds at normally packed destinations like the Pena Palace in Sintra and the Time Out Market.

Seeing a window of opportunity to visit Timeout Lisbon without crowds, we jumped. In other words, we made it a mission to eat our way around the popular Portugal market to find our favorite dishes.

Where is Time Out Market Lisbon?

Time Out Market Lisbon co-occupies a grand 19th-century market hall in Lisbon’s riverfront Cais do Sodré neighborhood. This building is conveniently located across the street from both the ferry terminal and a metro station. It’s also accessible by tram, bus and Uber.

Mercado da Ribeira, the building’s original tenant, occupies half of the building. With a history dating back centuries, this traditional Lisbon food shed was a major shopping hub in the city after the devastating 1775 earthquake.

Today, most Lisbon locals shop at neighborhood markets, chain grocery stores and Saturday bio markets like the Mercado Biológico do Príncipe Real. You’ll see locals filling up bags of fresh produce at Mercado da Ribeira but not as many as in prior years.

What Is Time Out Market Lisbon?

Opened by Time Out Lisboa Magazine in 2014, the Time Out Market isn’t a typical Lisbon market. Instead, it’s a modern food hall with dozens of stalls serving savory food, sweet desserts and liquid libations.

Some of these stalls showcase cuisine created by innovative Michelin starred chefs. Other stalls feature more humble Portuguese dishes and even eclectic global cuisine.

Most of the action occurs on the ground floor inside the market’s grand hall. Stalls line the periphery of the market while kiosks and tables fill the center.

Eating at Lisbon Time Out Market

Lisbon’s Time Out Market reminds us of sprawling food halls we’ve visited in cities like Amsterdam and New York. Though the vibe skews hipster, the range of food is varied enough to provide an introduction to the Lisbon food scene to all visitors regardless of age or hipness.

This is a market where a group of four can eat Bacalhau à Brás, Neopolitan Pizza, Pad Thai and Sushi at the same table while chugging Beer and sipping Port. It’s also a market where kids of all ages can munch on Pasteis de Nata and lick creamy Gelato cones.

In terms of pricing, we’d rate the market as moderate. Eating here won’t break the bank but it’s certainly not cheap compared to the city’s many value-priced tascas and Bifana stands. But it’s also less expensive than eating at the best restaurants in Lisbon, some of which have stalls at the market.

Lisbon Time Out Market Guide

We appreciate that the market’s diversity of options can be overwhelming to people unfamiliar with Portuguese food favorites and the country’s top chefs. That’s why we created this guide with market highlights and photos of the dishes that we’ve enjoyed eating at the Lisbon Time Out Market.

For the purpose of this guide, we’re breaking our recommendations into five categories – Chef-Driven Cuisine, Traditional Portuguese Food, Global Offerings, Desserts and Drinks.

Since Time Out is a curated market, you can’t make bad choices. But some dishes are better than others. We suggest that you start with our favorites and then find your own.

Chef-Driven Cuisine

At Time Out Market Lisbon’s Chef’s Kitchen, five of the nation’s most prestigious chefs serve dishes at affordable prices. Their five stalls line the market’s north end and we recommend that you sample a dish from each stall.

Don’t be skeptical and think that these chefs are just lending their names without direct influence on the food. Au contraire. We randomly encountered two chefs overseeing their stalls while we were eating their food.

Alexandre Silva (Stall #9)

Alexandre Silva isn’t just a theoretical top chef. He literally won Portugal’s Top Chef competition in 2012. His restaurant LOCO earned its first Michelin star six years later.

Dinner at LOCO in Lisbon’s Estrela neighborhood is a show stopper requiring advance reservations and a healthy credit card limit. A meal at his Time Out Market stall is much easier to coordinate and less expensive in cost.

We enjoyed eating Silva’s Pork Belly confit with mashed peas and bok choi. While the skin could have used a bit more rendering and crunch, the pork belly was tender. Plus, the pea purée’s sweetness proved an excellent match to the melty pork.

Miguel Castro e Silva (Stall #10)

Miguel Castro e Silva studied piano as a child in Porto before trading musical art for culinary art. This switch paid off, with e Silva achieving success and acclaim as a pioneer in modern Portuguese cuisine.

Eating at his Time Out Market stall provides an excellent opportunity to sample e Silva’s food without traveling to Northern Portugal. Options include iconic dishes like Bacalhau à Brás and Francesinha sandwiches as well as two of our personal favorites – Arroz de Polvo (octopus rice) and Tartaro de Atum (tuna tartare).

We loved Silva’s version of the working man’s Francesinha. Silva serves a simple version with melty cheese topping layers of meat and bread smothered with ‘francesinha sauce’.

Henrique Sá Pessoa (Stall #11)

Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa keeps busy helming multiple Portuguese restaurants, making TV appearances, publishing cookbooks and winning awards. Alma, with two Michelin stars since 2019, may be the star of his culinary portfolio, but don’t count out his self-named Time Out Market stall.

Unlike our €€€ meal at Alma in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood, a meal at Sà Pessoa’s market stall won’t cost an arm and leg. Popular dishes include the chef’s suckling pig and his 64° celsius egg served with prosciutto, asparagus and truffle oil potato purée.

Marlene Vieira (Stall #12)

Marlene Vieira is a champion of Portuguese cuisine. Her dedication started in Northern Portugal and continued when she cooked Portuguese food at a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York. Today, she shares her passion with customers at the Time Out Market in Lisbon.

Vieira proves that not all top Portuguese chefs are men while offering a fun selection of pesticos (snacks). Options include Pataniscas de Bacalhau (codfish fritters), Camarão Crocante (crispy wrapped shrimp) and Cogumelos Recheados (stuffed mushrooms).

João Rodrigues (Stall #13)

Although Chef João Rodrigues opened his Time Out Market stall in 2019, he’s far from a new kid on the block. He’s been the executive chef at Feitoria since 2014 and was instrumental in the Belém restaurant earning its Michelin star in 2011.

Rodrigues’ market dishes may be less gastronomic than the ones served at Feitoria but they are no less desirable. Customers can choose from a selection of simple, seasonal dishes like Bacalhau com à Brás de Tomate a Azeitona, Veal Cheeks and Roasted Octopus.

We ate Chef Rodrigues’ variation of Bacalhau à Brás, a dish we’ve sampled more than few times since we’ve lived in Lisbon. This is a dish that could use an upgrade and Chef Rodrigues does a brilliant job by augmenting the creamy potato cod hash with bright sundried tomatoes and bits of olive.

Traditional Portuguese Food

Eating traditional Portuguese food is a must for all visitors to Lisbon. Though the cuisine isn’t as famous as Italian food or Greek food, Portuguese food in Lisbon is accessible, affordable and downright delicious.

Time Out Lisbon Market is a great place for first-time visitors to sample traditional Portuguese food favorites. Dishes like Arroz de Pato and Bacalhau à Bras are available at the chef-driven stalls listed above. Another option is to try a dish or two at one of the following specialty stalls:

Manteigaria Silva (Stall #26)

More than an average delicatessen, Manteigaria Silva has been selling Portuguese products for over a century at its Baixia location and later at locations in Chiado, Belém and at the Time Out Market. Their offerings include cheese, charcuterie, bacalhau (salt cod), tinned fish and wine.

Visitors to Manteigaria Silva’s market stall can order charcuterie and cheese on boards, on salad and on toast. Channeling aperitivo sessions we’ve enjoyed in Bologna and Venice, we opted for a board with Presunto Grande Riserva and with a duo of Portuguese cheeses – Azeitao, a classic torta sheep cheese, and Brejo de Gaia, a red wine washed goat cheese.

Depending on your appetite, you can upgrade the size of your board. You can also choose a board with luscious pata negra ham if your budget has some squiggle room.

Monte Mar (Stall #5)

Not every visitor to Lisbon has time to take a day trip to Cascais and eat fresh seafood with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Monte Mar solved this problem when it opened two locations in Lisbon including a stall at the Time Out Market.

Eating Monte Mar’s Garlic Shrimp metaphorically transported us to the beach without the necessity of taking a train ride. The only two things missing were a view of the ocean and a spoon to scoop up the sauce.

O Prego da Peixaria (Stall #14)

Opened by the team behind Sea Me (see below) in 2013, O Prego da Peixaria sells traditional Prego sandwiches in Príncipe Real, Saldanha, Avalade and Algés, but that’s just part of this sandwich story. In addition to filling artisanal bread with meat, the local Lisbon chain sells a vegetarian Prego as well as Pesquetarian Pregos with tuna, cod, salmon and shrimp.

During our visit, we went old school and ordered a classic Prego with sirloin and herbal butter. Carnivores can go for Motard, Dandy, Geek, Yuppie or Hipster Pregos while truly adventurous eaters can try Pregos filled with various fruits of the sea.

Sea Me (Stall #8)

Open in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood since 2010, Sea Me embraces Portuguese snack traditions but with a nod to Japan and that country’s seafood precision. Diners at this upscale petisqueira (snack bar) can start their meal with Grilled Sardine Nigiri and end it with Tuna Prego sandwiches.

At the Time Out Market, no dish better fuses Portugal’s love for snacks and seafood than Sea Me’s Octopus Hot Dog. Easily eaten without utensils, this sandwich is unique. We liken it to a Portuguese take on a lobster roll.

Global Offerings

Confraria (Stall #17)

Japanese chefs create the best sushi in the world which makes sense based on the Asian country’s passion for raw fish. Despite its 7,000 mile distance from Osaka, Cascais’ Confraria does a fine job with sushi using locally sourced fish. The popular sushi restaurant also has a Lisbon restaurant plus a stall at the Time Out Market.

Choosing what to order at Confraria’s stall can be a challenge for sushi fans like us. Tempted by the stall’s colorful, reasonably priced combo platter, we instead ordered two signature rolls – the Acevichado Roll with tuna, avocado and a crunchy tempura center and the Confraria Roll featuring raw and grilled salmon plus Japanese mayo.

Ground Burger (Stall #18)

Ground Burger gets our approval with its menu focused on “Oldschool American Burgers and Craft Beer”. The popular burger joint slings burgers every day of the week at the flagship São Sebastião location as well as at the Time Out Market.

We’re partial to Ground Burger’s cheeseburgers classically made with Black Angus beef patties, cheddar cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard. When we’re extra-hungry, we order double cheeseburgers with grilled onions for double the yum.

Pizzeria ZeroZero (Stall #16)

After opening successful pizzerias in Lisbon’s Príncipe Real (2015) and Parque das Nações (2017) neighborhoods, Margarida and Rui Sanche opened their third Pizzeria ZeroZero location at the Time Out Market.

As the name suggests, Pizzeria ZeroZero makes its thin, crunchy pizza crust with a mixture of flours including Double Zero as well as Moida à Pedra and Semolina. Pizzaiolos bake each pie in a wood-fire oven to achieve their desired level of crispiness.

With a more limited menu, the market location offers ten pizzas as well as desserts and drinks. We enjoyed our Diavolo pie topped with huge (somewhat overgrown and slightly tough) basil leaves and spicy salami.

Each pie is big enough to share but you might want to eat one all by yourself. We won’t judge you either way since ZeroZero is one of the best pizzerias in Lisbon.

Desserts

Bettina Corallo (Stall #25)

Bettina and Niccolo Corrallo specialize in making people happy in Lisbon’s Príncipe Real neighborhood. The married duo sources beans around the world, many from São Tomé and Príncipe, and transforms them into first-rate chocolate and coffee.

Customers can start their Time Out Market experience with a cup of coffee at Bettina Corallo Chocolate Cafe and end it with dessert at the same stall. Dessert options include chocolate bars, chocolate brownies and chocolate salami. As for sorbet, that dessert comes in chocolate too.

Gelato Davvero (Stall #19)

Gelato Daverro is the real deal. We’re not just saying this because daverro translates to really in English and realmente in Portuguese. We’re saying this because Daverro’s gelato is some of the best ice cream in Lisbon and favorably compares to scoops we’ve licked in Italian cities like Bologna, Naples, Venice and Verona.

L’Éclair (Stall #46)

L’Éclair was high on our list at the Time Out Market. Considering that we’ve visited 40+ of the best patisseries in Paris, it’s fair to say that we love Parisian pastries – especially pastries handmade with ingredients like Valrhona chocolate, Iranian pistachios and Algarvian oranges.

Similar to the original L’Éclair that debuted in Lisbon’s Saldanha neighborhood in 2014, L’Éclair’s market stall sells a variety of filled choux pastries in flavors like salted caramel, lemon and raspberry.

Tempted to order a macaron, we stuck to our plan and ordered a wonderful Saint Honoré éclair. The crunchy caramel patê a choux pastry was topped and filled with cream. It was a good decision.

Manteigaria (Stalls #49+50)

Manteigaria bakes what many consider to be the best Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon. The über-popular pastelaria originally opened in Lisbon’s Bica neighborhood near Chiado in 2014 and later opened its second location at the market.

Pudim do Abade (Stall #47)

Although the Pastel de Nata is undeniably Portugal’s most famous dessert, it’s far from the only Portuguese dessert that spans the centuries. Pudim do Abade sells one of Portugal’s ageless desserts and it’s a pudding.

Similar to the Pastel de Nata, Pudim Abade de Priscos was invented by clergy and contains a lot of egg yolks. However, unlike tarts, this dessert requires utensils. We say pick up a spoon and dig in – this dessert is definitely spoon-worthy.

Miguel Oliveira updated the 19th-century recipe which included typical ingredients like egg yolks and sugar as well as less typical bacon fat. Based on the miniature pudding that we shared, we can’t imagine that the Abbot of Priscos’ original version of this custardy dessert was this good. Or was it?

Drinks

Beer Experience Super Bock (Stall #27)

Licor Beirão (Stall #31)

O Bar da Odete (Stall #28)

Just like the wine bar, Odete’s market kiosk exclusively serves Portuguese products. Red, white, rosé and bubbly – it’s all produced in Portugal. The same applies to ‘her’ Pata Negra Presunto (black Iberian ham) and cheese.

Taylor’s (Stall #30)

Taylor’s has been producing Port in Vila Nova de Gaia since 1692. Their kiosk at Time Out Market opened more than 300 years later.

Visitors who stop by this kiosk can sample a variety of Ports by the glass or as part of a curated Port tasting. Just like you can pick your Port, you can also pick your tasting.

Taylor’s offers five different tastings currently ranging in cost from €9.50 for basic non-aged ports, €28 for a duo of vintage ports and all the way up to €65 for a ‘century’ tasting of barrel-aged vintages. A range of ports varying in price, quality and age are available by the glass.

Not in the mood for a fine Port during the day? Try a cocktail instead. We’re partial to the Porto Tonico made with White Port and Tonic Water. This is one of our favorite cocktails to drink at home.

Souvenirs

Food travelers can kill two birds with one stone during a visit to the Time Out Market. Not only can they eat Portuguese food, but they can also buy authentic Portuguese souvenirs, both edible and otherwise.

A Vida Portugesa (Stall #45)

A Vida Portuguesa has been selling Portuguese products since it opened its first shop in Lisbon’s Chiado neighborhood in 2007. Since these products include kitchen utensils and edible treats, the store is an ideal fit for this Lisbon food market.

Plan to stock up on souvenirs and gifts when you pop into this market stall. Tiny tins of conserved sardines travel particularly well, but other portable options run the gamut from piri piri sauce to bath soaps.

Proposed Menu for Your Visit

Plan Your Lisbon Stay