20 Must-Eat Sandwiches in Lisbon

After living in the Lisbon for seven years, we’ve eaten lunch at many of the city’s top restaurants as well as at traditional tascas. And, while we’re big fans of those eateries, sometimes we want a quick bite instead of a sit-down meal.

That’s when we grab a sandwich for lunch and a pastel de nata for dessert.

Fun Fact
Sandwich literally translates to sanduíche in Portuguese

The bifana holds a special place in our hearts since it was our gateway to Portuguese sandwiches. We fell in love the iconic sandwich soon after we moved to Portugal and have since eaten many more both in Lisbon as well as in other Portuguese cities. But the bifana isn’t the only Portuguese sandwich that we eat when we’re in the mood for a quick, cheap lunch. In fact, it’s not even our favorite Portuguese sandwich (more about that later).

Discover our picks for Lisbon’s best Portuguese sandwiches and find out where you can eat great versions of each. Not surprisingly, we’re starting this deep dive with an old fave.

Bifana

Both simple and satisfying, a bifana is essentially sautéed pork slices stuffed inside a roll. The best bifana stands cook their pork low and slow, making the addition of mustard and piri-piri sauce less of a necessity and more of a complement.

Most travelers eat at least one bifana when they’re in Lisbon. Anthony Bourdain, whom many consider to be the ultimate traveler, ate bifanas at Cervejaria O Trevo when he filmed No Reservations back in 2011. As for us, we go to As Bifanas do Afonso in Baixa and A Parreirinha do Chile in Arroios. Luckily and fingers crossed for the future, this ultra quick meal costs under €5.

Pro Tips
Plan to stand when you join the crowds at our favorite Lisbon bifana joints. Doing so is part of the experience. Also plan to pair your bifana with an imperial (i.e. small Portuguese beer).

If you prefer to sit while you eat and have a flexible budget, consider eating a bifana at Pigmeu in Campo de Ourique. The Michelin-selected restaurant serves its juicy pork inside Madeiran bolo do caco instead of standard sandwich rolls.

Where to Eat the Best Bifanas in Lisbon
As Bifanas do Afonso, A Parreirinha do Chile and Pigmeu

The prego is a great option for carnivores who don’t eat pork. In this Lisbon sandwich, beef is adorned with ingredients like garlic, onions and then cooked with wine before its stuffed inside a crusty roll.

There are two traditional prego sandwiches. The first, prego no pão, is all about the meat. The more decadent com ovo prego has a fried egg too. And, in a relatively recent develoment, pesquetarians have options (think tuna and cuttlefish) at spots like O Prego da Peixaria.

While most Lisboetas eat pregos for lunch or as a snack, don’t be surprised if you’re offered a prego for dessert. Eating the savory sandwich is a quirky way to end seafood meals at marisqueiras like Cervajeria Ramiro. Don’t worry – you can order a sweet Portuguese dessert like arroz doce (i.e. rice pudding) if that’s how you roll.

Where to Eat the Best Pregos in Lisbon
Café de São Bento, Cervajeria Ramiro, Galeto, Gambrinus and O Prego da Peixaria

Portuguese pork eaters have a second sandwich option and it’s a doozy. That sandwich, the sandes de leitão, is made with three ingredients: a crusty Portuguese roll, spit-roasted suckling pig and crispy cracklings. It’s tasty on its own and even tastier with a splash of molho (i.e. peppery sauce made with suckling pig fat) and a glass of sparkling wine.

When you’re in Lisbon, you can hypothetically take two buses and eat leitão sandwiches in Negrais. Located in the Sintra region, Negrais is a mecca for leitão lovers. However, the easier option is to stay local and eat excellent suckling pig at Afonso dos Leitôes. The casual restaurant serves its leitão in sandwiches, on plates and inside croquettes.

Where to Eat the Best Leitão Sandwiches in Lisbon
Afonso dos Leitões

The tosta is so simple that it shouldn’t be our go-to Portuguese sandwich and, yet, this toasted beauty is the sandwich we crave when we’re in the mood for comfort food. And, despite its simplicity, there’s not just one tosta worth eating in Lisbon.

The tosta mista, essentially a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, is the easiest to find. While its three primary ingredients (bread, cheese and ham) are basic, something special happens when a tosta mista is pressed in a panini grill, slathered with butter and sprinkled with oregano. We eat tosta mistas at cafes and quiosques and the occasional pastelleria. But the mista is just one variation of this crunchy, buttery sandwich staple.

We’re also big fans of the tosta de atum – Portugal’s answer to America’s tuna melt. Our favorite is served at Quico Friends Food in Parque das Nações. We like to add sliced tomato to our tostas de atum but that topping is optional.

Where to Eat Tasty Tostas in Lisbon
Penta Café, Quico Friends Food and Most Quiosques

Invented in Porto and allegedly inspired by France’s croque monsieur, the francesinha is a monster of a sandwich with meaty ingredients like steak, ham, chourićo and sausage. But here’s where the sandwich gets its uniqueness – the whole thing gets covered with melted cheese, smothered with a beefy tomato gravy and topped with a fried egg.

You could certainly take a three-hour train ride to the franceshina’s home city and eat the meaty mess at Cufra or another Porto sandwich shop. The easier option is to eat one of Cufra’s more than serviceable franceshinas at their Santa Francesinha stall on the top floor of the Vasco da Gama mall in Parque de Nacoes. Either way, you’ll want to use a fork and knife.

Where to Eat Francesinhas in Lisbon
Camada, Lucimar and Santa Francesinha

No dish better fuses Portugal’s love for snacks and seafood than the octo dog. Easily eaten without utensils and sold at the über-popular Time Out Market, Sea Me’s hot dog is unique. We liken it to a Portuguese take on America’s lobster roll.

This creative sandwich a great lunch choice for travelers who want to eat octopus every day when they’re in Lisbon. If that’s not you, you can eat a cachorrinho (i.e. Portuguese hot dog) instead.

Where to Eat Octo Dogs in Lisbon
Sea Me at Time Out Market

Just about every Lisbon neighborhood has a joint that sells frango asado to crowds who queue for flavorful grilled chicken every day of the week. The best ones spatchcock their chickens before they grill them at high heat. Upon request, they add additional marinade flavored with ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice and spicy piri piri oil.

Sandwich lovers can jon the piri piri party at Duíche, a hipster sandwich shop that serves its grilled chicken on bread with flamengo cheeese, tomato, pickle, bacon jam and a side of spicy piri piri mayo. Sure, the trendy sandwich costs as much as a entire bird but you can eat it without any utensils. Plus its combination of crunchy toasted bread, juicy chicken and creamy and spicy piri-piri mayo tastes great.

Where to Eat Piri Piri Chicken Sandwiches in Lisbon
Duíche

Global sandwiches weren’t easy to find when we moved to Lisbon in 2019. The best options were sold by a chain notable for its golden arches and a mediocre bagel shop. That situation has changed in a big way.

Today, Lisbon shops sell sandwiches from countries as close as Spain and as far away as Asia. These are our favorites when we want a taste of home or something more exotic:

Pastrami Sandwich

With roots in Lithuania and Romania, the pastrami sandwich became an American classic after Jewish immigrants introduced the sandwich to New Yorkers more than a century ago. In a fun foodie twist, the sandwich has jumped back over the pond and is now in Lisbon.

We first encountered pastrami sandwiches in Lisbon at Saturday morning food markets a few years ago. After Let’s Pastrami opened in Santos in 2024, it wasn’t long before Bibs and Kau joined the pastrami party. Kau’s version is our favorite. Rui Matias cures his brisket for 3 weeks to create a smoky, fatty pastrami experience that leans a bit toward Texas barbecue. (Mattias honed his smoking chops in Austin.)

Where to Eat Pastrami Sandwiches in Lisbon
Bibs, Kau Pastrami House and Let’s Pastrami

As Philly transplants living in Portugal, we developed a Philly cheesesteak recipe to satisfy our carniverous cravings. And, while that recipe is great, we now have an easier cheesesteak option, Delphi Cheesesteaks, when our cheesesteak itch needs to be scratched.

Delphi isn’t the only Lisbon restaurant that serves Philly cheesesteaks but it’s the only one that nails the recipe. Perhaps that’s because co-owner Mark Christine has Philly roots. Or maybe it’s because he’s culinarily obsessed. He even bakes his own Philly style rolls. Either way, Delphi’s cheesesteaks channel the Philly sandwich’s flavor and soul. Now, if we could find Tastykakes in Lisbon, then we’d really be set.

Where to Eat Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks in Lisbon
Delphi Cheesesteaks

It makes sense that katsu sandos would be in Lisbon. After all, Japanese food is super popular here thanks to the city’s large Brazilian population. Plus, when it comes to katsu sandos, a juicy fried and breaded pork cutlet is the most common filling. Other katsu sando fillings include chicken, egg and even high-grade Kobe beef. And it’s no secret that the Portuguese love pork.

In Lisbon, Japanese food options include sushi, ramen and omikase meals. There’s even a cafe that specializes in taiyaki. But, when it comes to Japanese sandwiches, the katsu sando is the one to eat.

Where to Eat Katsu Sandos in Lisbon
BouBous Sandwich Club and Katsu Asian Bistro

Thanks to Florence‘s All’Antico Vinaio and its panino con mortadella, Italian sandwiches are having a moment. Since the globally famous sandwich shop doesn’t have any locations in Lisbon yet, local sandwich shops are succssfully filling that void.

Vetrina serves its panino con mortadella on crunchy schiacciata replacing All’Antico Vinaio’s pistachio cream with pesto and its stracciatella cheese with burrata. Other shops like Foccaceria BM and Tempo Deli put their own twists starting with the bread and continuing with the toppings.

Where to Eat Italian Sandwiches in Lisbon
Foccaceria Bread Maniacs, Tempo Deli and Vetrina

Avocado toast is ridiculously easy to find in Lisbon but it’s not the only open-faced breakfast sandwich to eat during the best meal of the day. Some of the city’s brunch spots elevate the Australian sandwich with ingredients like poached eggs and spicy red pepper while others go different directions with their toppings.

Our favorite variation is the mashed pea toast at Lugar Nenhum. It doesn’t hurt that the Anjos breakfast spot serves excellent coffee drinks crafted with La Cabra beans. It fact, it’s a major plus.

Where to Eat Breakfast Sandwiches in Lisbon
Brunch Restaurants including Augusto Lisboa, Do Beco, Flat Cafe and Lugar Nenhum

We usually think of Amsterdam and London when we think about smoked eel sandwiches. In Amsterdam, the Dutch eat broodje paling at fish stalls overlooking canals while Londoners adore Jeremy Lee’s upscale smoked eel sandwich at Quo Vadis.

The Lisbon version sold at Bibs is topped with lettuce, pickles, tartar sacue and fresh dill. As is the case in both Amsterdam and London, smoked eel is this sandwich’s star ingredient.

Where to Eat Eel Sandwiches in Lisbon
Bibs

With roots in Iran and Turkey, the kebab has conquered Europe starting in Berlin and continuing all the way to Lisbon. The Portuguese city has dozens of kebab shops that serve pitas filled with meat and veg until the wee hours of the night.

The kebab is a a great sandwich option at any time but especially when you have late night muchies or if you’re nursing a hangover. Most Lisbon kebab shops are cheap and cheerful though some Turkish restaurants serve kebabs too.

Where to Eat Kebabs in Lisbon
Kebab Shops and Turkish Restaurants

With roots in New York City’s lower east side, the classic reuben isn’t kosher and it’s certainly not vegan friendly. Instead, it’s a sandwich that piles a melange of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing between two slice of rye bread.

Just like the pastrami sandwich (see above), the reuben has jumped the pond over to Portugal. It’s a tasty sandwich that’s fill the belly and warms the heart. You can eat one at Bibs in Santos or at Let’s Pastrami in São Bento. Both Lisbon sandwich shops serve fine versions.

Where to Eat Remarkable Reubens in Lisbon
Bibs and Let’s Pastrami

It wasn’t that long ago when a decent burger was the holy grail in Lisbon. We found one at Ground Burger back in 2019 and another at MBH Hamburguesería a few years later. Eventually, we fourd our personal favorite at Dallas Burger Joint. But these are far from the only burger joints in town.

The city now has a plethora of smash burger shops catering to both expats and tourists. We’re not huge smash burger fans but Street Smash Burger is our favorite of the lot. Terraço Editorial serves a great view along with its burgers. And, in The Weekend’s opininon, Burger Champ serves the world’s best burger. That’s an assertion that you should take with a big grain of salt.

Where to Eat Burgers in Lisbon
Burger Champ, Dallas Burger Joint, Ground Burger, MBH Hamburguesería, Street Smash Burger and Terraço Editorial

Somehow we missed eating roujiamo, China’s take on the hamburger, when we spent a month touring the Asian country in 2009. We’re making up for lost time thanks to our favorite Chinese restaurant in Lisbon – Zhang Lala.

Located in Parque das Nações, not far from Oriente station, Zhang Lala serves hand-pulled noodles and Lanzhou lamian to a mostly Asian crowd. We ordered roujiamo as a bonus bite during a lunch there and now we’re obsessed. We’re not saying that we’d travel to Zhang Lala specifically to eat our next rouijamo but we’re also not saying that we won’t.

Where to Eat Roujiamo in Lisbon
Zhang Lala

We grew up eating American-style pulled pork sandwiches in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Those sandwiches featured juicy pulled pork (from the shoulder or whole hog), creamy coleslaw and sliced pickles. The addition of tangy Carolina-style vinegar often provided the finishing touch.

Although Lisbon’s pulled pork sandwiches aren’t at that level, we’re happy to eat one once in a while at sandwich shops like Duíche and Vetrina. The Duíche version has flamengo cheese, caramelized onions, pickles and garlic mayo while the Vetrina version has pickles and arrugula. BBQ sauce completes them both.

Where to Eat Pulled Pork Sandwiches in Lisbon
Duíche and Vetrina

Brazilians get credit for a lot of Lisbon’s food culture. They serve feijoada (the dark Brazilian version) and picanha to the city not to mention pleasantly potent Caipirinha cocktails. They’ve also influenced the city’s sandwich scene.

While the beirute and bauru are popular in Brazil, the African-influenced acarajé served at Acarajé da Carol is the one to try in Lisbon. Its fried base is made with black eye pea paste instead of flour and it’s completed with vatapá (an Afro-Brazilian paste made with bread, coconut milk, palm oil and peanut and dried shrimp). Chunky salsa and hot sauce add extra flavor to the unique Brazilian sandwich.

Where to Eat Acarajés in Lisbon
Acarajé da Carol

Popular throughout Spain, montaditos are tiny tapas treats that can be eaten in a bite or two. The Spanish restaurant chain 100 Montaditos has globalized the sandwich by opening multiple locations in the Americas and Europe. Several of those locations are in Lisbon.

Montaditos come filled with a vast variety of hot and cold toppings. Since they’re cheap in cost and small in size, we recommend pairing several montaditos with a glass or two of wine, beer or sangria. It’s a great way to start or end a night out in Lisbon.

Where to Eat Montaditos in Lisbon
100 Montaditos

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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