Lisbon: Food & Wine Walking Tour with 14 Tastings

Summary

Lisbon food tour through Mouraria with codfish cakes, port wine, ginjinha and local stories

You’ll taste your way through Lisbon’s downtown and Mouraria neighborhoods with 14 different bites and drinks—from codfish cakes with green wine to bifanas with beer, port wine pairings, samosas, cheese and ham, plus Ginjinha liquor in an old bar. Expect laughs with your local guide and small surprises around every corner—a real slice of Lisbon you can feel.

What’s the experience like?

We kicked off the Lisbon food & wine walking tour right in Rossio Square, where the tiles are chipped but the energy is sort of contagious. Our guide—Miguel—had this way of weaving in little jokes between facts, like how the pigeons here know more about history than most locals. He handed us our first codfish cake (salty, warm, a bit crispy on the edges) with a glass of green wine that tasted almost fizzy. I didn’t expect to like it so much at 11am but hey—when in Portugal. The smell of frying batter kind of stuck to my fingers for the next block.

We wandered into Mouraria after that. The streets got narrower and suddenly I felt like we’d slipped out of tourist Lisbon into something older—there were old men playing cards outside a café, and someone’s radio was crackling fado music through an open window. Miguel stopped us at this tiny shop for bifana sandwiches—pork sliced thin and soaked in sauce—and a cold beer that honestly hit better than any fancy cocktail. He told us about how these sandwiches are “worker fuel” and then laughed when I tried to say “bifana” correctly (I didn’t). Somewhere along Praça Martim Moniz we tried a samosa too—apparently there’s a big Goan community here, which I never would’ve guessed.

By the time we got to the port wine tasting I’d lost count of what number snack we were on (Miguel said fourteen total but I think he was sneaking us extras). There was marmelada—kind of like quince paste—with cheese and ham stacked on crusty bread. The port was sweeter than I remembered from home; maybe it’s just better here? We finished in this old bar with Ginjinha shots—cherry liqueur that burned just enough to make everyone giggle. Someone spilled theirs and nobody cared. The light was starting to fade by then but I still remember how everyone lingered over their last pastry, not really wanting it to end.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Lisbon food and cultural walking tour

• Start at Rossio Square
• Pass Praça da Figueira
• Pass Praça Martim Moniz
• Explore traditional Mouraria district
• Taste Portuguese Codfish Cake with Green Wine
• Learn history of Port wine
• Try typical Bifana with cold beer
• Toast with Ginjinha in old bar
• Sample cheese, ham, exotic snack, and sweets
• End at Restauradores Square

Top questions

How many tastings are included in this Lisbon food tour?

The tour includes 14 different tastings between food and drinks.

Does the Lisbon food & wine walking tour include alcoholic beverages?

Yes, you’ll try green wine, port wine, beer, Ginjinha liquor and more during the tour.

Where does the Lisbon food tour start?

The experience begins at Rossio Square (Praça Dom Pedro IV) in central Lisbon.

Is lunch included on this Lisbon cultural food tour?

The tour includes multiple snacks and drinks throughout but not a formal sit-down lunch.

Are vegetarian options available on this food & wine walking tour?

This tour focuses on traditional Portuguese dishes which mostly include meat or fish; vegetarian options may be limited.

What neighborhoods does the Lisbon food & wine walking tour visit?

The route covers downtown Lisbon as well as the traditional Mouraria district.

Is public transportation nearby for this Lisbon tasting tour?

Yes, public transportation options are available close to the meeting point.

What’s included

Your day includes 14 typical petiscos (Portuguese snacks) paired with local wines and drinks: codfish cake with green wine, samosa with red green wine, port wine alongside marmelada, broa bread, ham and cheese; bifana pork sandwich with beer; Ginjinha liquor; plus coffee and pastry—all led by a local guide as you walk through downtown Lisbon and Mouraria.