Lets explore five food tours or cooking classes in Lisbon. Actually, I will give you more than five. Updated 4/22/2023.
Lisbon is known worldwide for having great food.
Taking a food tour in the first few days of your trip will help you identify some great restaurants and great dishes that you can keep coming back to during your trip.
Food tours and cooking classes are also a great way to get to know some of Lisbon’s neighborhoods and their history and culture.
Each of the following five companies offers a variety of food tours and cooking classes in Lisbon.
You will find different prices, different itineraries, and different neighborhoods to explore.
All of these companies seem willing to work with any dietary restrictions you have, as long as you notify them in advance.
In addition, they all take precautions to keep their clients safe on the tours.
Devour Tours
Devour Tours offers a Tastes and Traditions of Lisbon food tour for €79. This daytime tour takes 3 1/2 hours.
Devour also offers the Lisbon at sunset: Petisco’s, food and wine tour in the evenings. Mr. takes place in the Bairro Alto neighborhood, Which is known for its restaurants and nightlife. The three-hour tour costs €89.
Food Tours in Lisbon – Devour Tours
SIP Tours
Enrico Pignone – Local winemaker does wine and food tours. SIP TOURS | Taste of Portugal (sip-tours.com) Explore the Alfama neighborhood with your guide Enrico and experience six different wines and ginjinha.
With Locals
First, tour operator With Locals’ 10 Tastings of Lisbon offers a 3 hour tour for 40 euros per person. Private tour, only you and your guide.
They offer ten food and drink tastings, including three alcoholic drinks. Also, vegetarian options are available and can be customized to your preferences.
Tour starts at Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara in Bairro Alto. If needed, you can cancel up to seven days from the tour date.
With Locals also offers a 100% Personalized food tour for 53 euros per person. If you want to try wines, craft beer, sweets, street food, classic dishes, whatever you desire; although the price of this excursion may vary depending on what you might want to sample.
Their tour averages 6 – 10 tastings depending on your request. This is a three hour tour, just you and your guide.
In addition, With Locals also offers a Lisbon Wine and Tapas Tour for 53 euros per person. You are one on one with a guide, and you sample a shot of chocolate Ginjinha and two Portuguese wines, as well as two traditional Portuguese bites.
This tour lasts two hours. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. Meet at Esplanada de Mouraria and then head to Alfama. A full refund is allowed up to seven days in advance.
Taste of Lisboa
First, Taste of Lisboa’s most popular tour is the Lisbon Market, Food and Cultural Walk. This 3.5 hour tour kicks off at the Igreja (Church) de de Santo Condestável at 10:30 am, Tuesday through Saturday.
The tour has a physical difficulty level of easy, as it is all on flat land, exploring Campo de Ourique.
Among the stops on this tour are the market, a bakery that is well known for its great chocolate cake, a seafood restaurant, a restaurant that specializes in slow-cooked pork, and the cafeteria of the Fernando Pessoa Museum.
Cost for the tour is 75 euros for ages 13+, ages 6-12, 30 euros, age 5 and under no charge.
The minimum group size for your tour is eight. If eight people do not sign up, they will contact you 48 hours in advance and give you a full refund.
Let the tour company know of any dietary restrictions when you book, and they will work to accommodate your needs.
Taste of Lisboa also does the Lisbon Roots, Food and Cultural Walk. This 3.5 hour tour runs Monday to Saturday at 3pm. The group leaves from Largo de São Domingos, near Rossio Square.
This tour will involve uphill walking on cobblestones and climbing down steps. The tour covers a distance of 2km.
You will visit seven locals’ spots a little more off the beaten track, and in the process learn about local history, architecture, culture, and Fado music.
Taste of Lisboa also offers a Portuguese Cooking Class. The 3.5 class begins at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Size of the group will be between two and ten people.
All food and drink are included. Cost for the class is 70 euros for ages 10+, ages 5 – 9, 42.50 euros, age 4 and under no charge.
You get a two-in-one experience, a cooking class and a dinner. Learn how to prepare mouth watering snacks and main dishes that Lisboetas prepare in their homes and restaurants. And make new friends while doing it!
You could also opt for the Cooking Class with Market Tour. This five hour excursion takes place on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 9:30 am. Group size will be 2-10 people.
All food and drinks are included. Go to the market and gather the ingredients for your three course meal which includes a starter, a fish dish, a meat dish, and a desert.
Prices are 85 euros for over 10, ages 5 to 9, 42.50 euros, ages four and under free.
Taste of Lisboa will also arrange private tours or cooking classes.
Let the tour company know of any dietary restrictions when you book, and they will work to accommodate your needs.
Secret Food Tours
Another great option is Secret food Tours. You will start at a Garrafeira, or bottle-shop, to enjoy a Porto wine.
Next, have a Bifana sandwich and a local beer. Then, on to sandiness and Ginjinha, Lisbon’s cinnamon -cherry liqueur.
Also, you will enjoy cured meats and cheeses, petiscos and pasteis de nata, and finally a surprise dish.
Secret Food Tours chose to feature the Mouraria neighborhood, as it is one of Lisbon’s original neighborhoods, and was spared by the earthquake. Much of the architecture and tradition of the neighborhood goes way back, and the local tascas (taverns) serve fresh, homemade meals.
In addition, you can also purchase an upgraded Drinks Package, which includes an additional glass of red, white, or verde wine, an extra glass of Porto wine, and a shot of Aguardente de Medronha.
This tour is Monday to Saturday at 10:00am, leaving from Casa dos Bicos / Jose Saramago Foundation.
Note: At the moment, Secret Food Tours is only booking private tours. Contact lisbon@secrettours.com for pricing.
Treasures of Lisbon
Treasures of Lisbon offers a 3.5 tour in the Alfama neighborhood. This tour operates Monday to Saturday with tours beginning at 10am and 3pm.
Your tour includes 18 tastings, which is the most of any of the tours in Lisbon, and is also the only tour that claims to be “plastic-free.” And, you will meet your guide and begin the tour at one of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints, the Miradouro das Portas do Sol.
The excursion covers roughly 2 km. Physical difficulty rating is easy. Adults 60 euros. Children 4-12 30 euros.
Travelling Spoon Lisbon
Travelling Spoon is one of my favorite cooking classes anywhere in the world, because a local opens their home to you and together you cook one of their traditional meals.
Cristina is a mother and an elementary school teacher. Together you will cook dishes such as caldo verde – a hearty kale and potato soup. The main dish might be bacalhau com natas – salt cod cooked in a cream sauce, or carne de porco a Alentejana – pork cooked with clams and coriander. Desert will likely be arroz doce – a sweet rice pudding. Vegetarian meals are also an option.
This experience is only offered on Friday evening, or lunch or dinner on the weekends.
Options offered include:
In home meal, for one $58, for 2-4 people $48, for 5-8 people the price drops to $44 per person.
Cooking lesson + meal, $92 for one, $70 for 2-4 people, not offered for groups larger than four.
Travelling Spoon offers a Market tour only, for one $44, 2-4 people $36, 5-8 people, $34.
Next, they have a Market tour and in home meal, $92 for one, $86 for 2-4 people, $86 for 5-8 people.
Finally, they offer a Market tour plus cooking lesson and meal, $144 for one, $116 for 2-4 people, not offered for larger groups.
Alcohol is an additional $9 per person.
Foodie Meet-Up
Join local foodies at their meetups.
Also, you might want to see if the Time Out Market is offering any cooking classes while you are visiting.
Conclusion
Food should not be scrimped on. If it is within your budget, I recommend that you try at least one of these five food tours or a cooking class while you are in Lisbon..
With a cooking class, you can even bring the knowledge home with you and try to replicate the goodness in your own kitchen.
Also, make sure you sample the fresh seafood in Lisbon. Seafood has been a staple in this city for hundreds of years.
If you are still looking for ideas on things to do while in Lisbon, see my article 205 Things to do in Lisbon – The Ultimate Guide
