Nelson Freitas' guide to Lisbon

Chef Nelson Freitas is the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23. He shares his favourite places to eat in Lisbon on his days off.

"Chef Nelson Freitas is the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23, a title he won last October at the Grand Finale in Milan, beating 14 other finalists from all over the world. Sous Chef at the Martin Berasategui restaurant Fifty Seconds in Lisbon, Freitas was under instruction from his Head Chef and mentor Filipe Carvalho, during the Competition. Here, Freitas takes us on a tour of his favourite places to eat in the Portuguese capital.

“Lisbon has been my home for the last five years and I couldn't be happier about this city. I literally have anything I could possibly need with a lot of quality and so much to discover. Great food, amazing people, with a lot of culture and beautiful weather,” Freitas says. “Tourism has been growing super-fast here over the last couple of years with a lot of people coming from all over the world, which is very good for the city and of course Portugal too”.

Below are Freitas’ favourite places to eat in Lisbon on his days off."

“The best sushi in Lisbon in my opinion. Traditional Japanese gastronomy with a lot of respect for the product and delicious flavours.”

“Very traditional Portuguese cuisine. Simple, humble but very good food and the staff always have big smiles.”

“The best place to eat seafood and drink a couple of beers. Established in the 1950s it is now one of the most emblematic places in all of Lisbon. Fresh daily seafood is the thing that makes this spot unforgettable.”

“A very small but beautiful restaurant with handmade pasta and some creative dishes. The constantly changing the pastas on the menu make me come back again and again to try them.”

“This spot, on the [Almada] side of the [25 de Abril] bridge, is also a very typical traditional Portuguese place but with the most beautiful sunset views. You can eat good food, drink good wine and at the same time watch the sunset by the river.”

“This is where I go when I want to taste some local products with a lot of tradition. Mushroom season is my favourite and I highly recommend the game at Belmiro.”

Belmiro
Rua Paço da Rainha 66,
Lisbon, Portugal
+351 218852752

“I really like Chinese food and this is the best spot in Lisbon to taste it. Beautiful interiors with traditional Sichuan cuisine makes this restaurant one of my favourites.”

“Wood-fired pizza by the river is what this restaurant is all about. It has an open kitchen where you can see your pizza being made with fresh ingredients and is really something.”

Casanova
Av. Infante Dom Henrique Loja 7,
Lisbon, Portugal
+351 218877532

“In Portugal you have to try the traditional codfish. For that you need to visit Maça Verde for the unforgettable lagarada de bacalhau which is mostly codfish, potatoes and of course, garlic. A very humble place with sincere and amazing food.”

Maçã Verde
Rua dos Caminhos de Ferro 84/86
Lisbon, Portugal
+351 965512266

“Situated in the heart of the city, Gambrinus has been a reference point in Lisbon´s culinary scene since 1936, with top quality products and excellent service, and of course, the best croquete in town.