Country menu guides
How to read a menu in Portugal
A Portuguese menu (ementa or carta) usually opens with entradas and sopas, then splits the mains into peixe (fish) and carne (meat), followed by sobremesas (desserts). Mains normally come with their sides, and many come in a cheaper meia dose (half portion). The bread, olives and spreads placed on the table before you order are the couvert: you pay only if you ask for them or eat them.
How the menu is organized
How to order: couvert, doses and sides
- Decide on the couvert first. Bread, olives or cheese may land on the table as you sit down. If you want them, enjoy them; if not, ask the waiter to take them away before touching anything. See couvert.
- Mains are complete. A Portuguese main usually arrives with rice, chips, boiled potatoes or salad — sometimes two of them — so there's rarely a need to order sides.
- Portions are large. Many restaurants offer a meia dose (half portion) at a lower price; one dose can often feed two light eaters.
- Fish by the kilo. In seafood places you choose a fish from the display; it's weighed and priced ao kg. Ask the weight and the price before it's grilled.
- Lunch deals. The prato do dia (dish of the day) or a lunchtime menu do dia is the best-value meal in most towns.
When the Portuguese eat
Lunch (almoço) typically runs from about 12:30 to 15:00 and dinner (jantar) from about 19:30 to 22:30 — earlier than in Spain. Many restaurants close between services, while cafés and pastelarias serve snacks all day.
Water, the bill and tipping
Ask for água da torneira if you want tap water: restaurants must make it available for free. Price lists must be in Portuguese (translations may be added) and every price must include IVA and any taxes. Ice and corkage can be charged only if listed. Tipping is not obligatory; people usually round up or leave some change. If something on the bill looks wrong, every establishment must have a livro de reclamações (complaints book), also available online.
Words you’ll see on the menu
| On the menu | Meaning |
|---|---|
| grelhado / na brasa | grilled / grilled over charcoal |
| assado (no forno) | roast (in the oven) |
| frito / panado | fried / breaded and fried |
| cozido | boiled; also a boiled-meat feast (cozido à portuguesa) |
| estufado / guisado | stewed |
| de cebolada | with slow-cooked onions |
| recheado | stuffed |
| à brás | shredded and mixed with egg, onion and thin fried potatoes |
| à lagareiro | roasted with lots of olive oil, garlic and crushed potatoes |
| com natas | baked with cream |
| à Bulhão Pato | clams with garlic, olive oil, coriander and lemon |
| mal passado / ao ponto / bem passado | rare / medium / well done |
| bacalhau | salt cod, soaked and cooked in many ways |
| polvo | octopus |
| lulas / choco | squid / cuttlefish |
| sardinhas assadas | grilled sardines |
| carapau | horse mackerel |
| dourada / robalo | gilt-head bream / sea bass |
| peixe-espada | scabbardfish — not swordfish, which is espadarte |
| amêijoas / mexilhão | clams / mussels |
| camarão / gambas | shrimp / prawns |
| percebes | goose barnacles |
| arroz de marisco | soupy seafood rice |
| cataplana | seafood or pork stew cooked in a hinged copper pan (Algarve) |
| porco preto | Iberian black pork |
| carne de porco à alentejana | pork with clams and fried potatoes |
| leitão | roast suckling pig |
| frango (piri-piri) | chicken (grilled with chilli) |
| vitela / novilho | veal or young beef / young beef |
| borrego / cabrito | lamb / kid goat |
| chouriço / presunto | smoked sausage / cured ham |
| alheira | smoked sausage of bread and meat, traditionally poultry or game |
| bifana / prego | pork cutlet sandwich / steak sandwich |
| francesinha | Porto's meat-stuffed sandwich under melted cheese and a beer-tomato sauce |
| tripas | tripe (tripas à moda do Porto) |
| caldo verde | kale and potato soup, often with chouriço |
| açorda / migas | bread-based dishes, soupy / pan-fried |
| queijo fresco / queijo da serra | fresh soft cheese / soft-ripened sheep's-milk cheese |
| grelos | turnip greens |
| feijão / feijoada | beans / bean and meat stew |
| batatas fritas / batata cozida | chips (fries) / boiled potatoes |
| pastel de nata | custard tart |
| pudim / mousse de chocolate | caramel custard / chocolate mousse |
| ementa / carta | menu |
| couvert | bread, olives and spreads brought to the table; charged only if asked for or eaten |
| entradas / petiscos | starters / small plates to share |
| sobremesa | dessert |
| espetada | meat skewer (Madeira) |
| menu do dia | set menu of the day, mostly at lunch |
| prato do dia | dish of the day, usually a good-value lunch |
| sopa do dia | soup of the day |
| dose / meia dose | full portion / half portion |
| acompanhamento / guarnição | side dish (often already included) |
| preço ao kg / ao quilo | priced per kilo |
| tasca / marisqueira | simple tavern / seafood restaurant |
| vinho da casa / jarro | house wine / jug |
| imperial / fino | small draught beer (Lisbon / Porto) |
| bica / galão | espresso (Lisbon) / milky coffee in a glass |
| água da torneira | tap water |
| sem glúten | gluten-free |
| IVA incluído | VAT included |
| livro de reclamações | official complaints book |
Charges and extras on the bill
| On the menu | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Couvert | Table starters | Bread, butter, olives or pâté brought before you order. By law nothing, couvert included, can be charged unless you asked for it or ate it. Send it back if you don't want it. |
| IVA incluído | VAT included | All displayed prices must include taxes and charges, so nothing is added at the end. |
| Água da torneira | Tap water | Restaurants must make tap water available free of charge. Bottled water is charged. |
| Gelo / taxa de rolha | Ice / corkage | Extras like these can be charged only if the price list shows them. |
| Gorjeta | Tip | Not obligatory. Rounding up or leaving some change is common; at table-service restaurants some people leave a little more for good service. |
Allergen traps
| Allergen | Where it hides |
|---|---|
| Fish | Sardine or tuna pâté in the couvert, salt cod in pastéis (bolinhos) de bacalhau, fish stock in rice and bread dishes. |
| Shellfish | Clams mixed into carne de porco à alentejana, seafood in açorda, cataplana and arroz de marisco. |
| Eggs | Most traditional desserts (pastel de nata, pudim, ovos moles, toucinho do céu), bacalhau à brás, the fried egg often served on a francesinha. |
| Gluten | Bread-based açorda and migas, alheira (made with bread), breaded panados, sandwiches like the francesinha and bifana. |
| Tree nuts | Almond sweets of the Algarve, almond in toucinho do céu and many convent desserts. |
| Pork (diet) | Chouriço in caldo verde and stews, pork with clams, feijoada, cozido; alheira may contain pork today despite its origins. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
Useful phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Uma mesa para dois, por favor. | A table for two, please. |
| Pode trazer a ementa, por favor? | Could you bring the menu, please? |
| O que recomenda? | What do you recommend? |
| Não queremos o couvert, obrigado / obrigada. | We don't want the couvert, thank you. (obrigado for a man, obrigada for a woman) |
| Pode ser meia dose? | Can I have a half portion? |
| Queria o prato do dia. | I'd like the dish of the day. |
| Sou alérgico / alérgica a marisco. | I'm allergic to shellfish. |
| Isto tem glúten? | Does this contain gluten? |
| Um jarro de água da torneira, por favor. | A jug of tap water, please. |
| A conta, por favor. | The bill, please. |
Dishes to know
- Bacalhau à Brás
- bacalhau com natas
- Pastel de nata
- Francesinha
- Caldo verde
- polvo a lagareiro
- sardinhas assadas
- Bifana
- arroz de marisco
- Cataplana
- frango piri piri
- alheira
- cozido a portuguesa
- ameijoas a bulhao pato
- Leitão
- Carne de porco à alentejana
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay for the bread and olives in Portugal?
Only if you ask for them or eat them. Portuguese rules say no dish, food or drink, including the couvert, can be charged unless the customer requested it or consumed it. Restaurants often bring bread, olives or pâté unasked; if you don't want them, ask the waiter to take them away before you touch anything.
Do you tip in restaurants in Portugal?
Tipping is not obligatory in Portugal, and you can refuse a tip that's added to the bill. Most people round up or leave some change. At a table-service restaurant with good service, some leave a little more, but there's no fixed percentage and service is not usually charged as a separate line.
What does meia dose mean on a Portuguese menu?
Meia dose means half portion. Many Portuguese restaurants, especially traditional ones, list two prices for a dish: dose (full portion) and meia dose. Portions are generous, so a meia dose is often plenty for one person, and a full dose can feed two. If no half portion is listed, it's still worth asking.
Is tap water free in Portuguese restaurants?
Yes. Restaurants in Portugal must have tap water and reusable glasses available to customers, and they may not charge for the water. Ask for "água da torneira". If you just ask for water, you will usually be brought a bottle of mineral water, which is charged as an item on the bill.
Why is fish priced per kilo in Portugal?
Fresh fish and shellfish are often sold by weight because sizes vary. The menu shows a price per kilo (ao kg), you choose a fish, often from a display, and the bill is based on its weight. Ask for the weight and the final price before it's cooked, so a large fish doesn't surprise you.
