{"id":16846,"date":"2018-11-18T11:00:41","date_gmt":"2018-11-18T11:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devourlisbonfoodtours.com\/?p=1325"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:11:48","slug":"sardines-lisbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether hot off the grill or straight from the tin, <strong>you have to try sardines in Lisbon<\/strong>.<\/span><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With hundreds of miles of Atlantic coastline, Portugal has always turned to the water to feed its people. You&rsquo;ll find seafood on the menu at most restaurants in Lisbon, and<strong> the city even holds a month-long festival<\/strong> starring the country&rsquo;s most iconic fish: the humble sardine. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s everything you need to know about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sardinhas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;including how to eat them, where to try them, and more.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39332\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1449px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Building with a neon sign about sardines in Portugal\" width=\"1439\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-scaled.jpg 1439w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-768x1366.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Portugal-neon-sign-1151x2048.jpg 1151w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1439px) 100vw, 1439px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Sardines are of utmost importance in all of Portugal, and there&rsquo;s a world for you to discover. Photo credit: Luke Schlotthauer<\/figcaption><\/figure><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">What&#039;s Included<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6901aa95e91ec\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1fc2de;color:#1fc2de\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1fc2de;color:#1fc2de\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6901aa95e91ec\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#Saintly_sardines\" >Saintly sardines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#Where_to_eat_grilled_sardines_in_Lisbon\" >Where to eat grilled sardines in Lisbon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#Canned_sardines_and_conservas\" >Canned sardines and conservas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#The_sardine_dilemma_Overfishing_and_restrictions\" >The sardine dilemma: Overfishing and restrictions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#Sustainable_alternatives_to_sardines\" >Sustainable alternatives to sardines<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Saintly_sardines\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saintly sardines<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what&rsquo;s the big deal about sardines in Lisbon?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It all started with Santo Ant&oacute;nio (Saint Anthony), Lisbon&rsquo;s patron saint. As the story goes, during one of his expeditions to Italy, he was having trouble converting the local people, so (naturally) he turned to the fish. <strong>Legend has it that the fish listened to his sermon<\/strong> and he took it as a sign of God. This miracle also convinced the locals to hear him out, and his mission was successful.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This story might explain why we associate Santo Ant&oacute;nio with fish, but why sardines in particular? There are various explanations, but the simplest one is that this fish, which is native to the country&rsquo;s coastline, has long been <strong>a symbol of Portuguese culture and pride<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Lisbon, June 13th is the Day of Santo Ant&oacute;nio. But the entire month of June is also one big celebration, known as Santos Populares. The streets of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alfama<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gra&ccedil;a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mouraria<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bairro Alto<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> come alive with colorful streamers, fado music, and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">street food<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stands selling the main attraction: freshly grilled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sardinhas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (sardines) served atop a slice of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bread, or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">broa de milho<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39333\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon.jpg\" alt=\"Sardines in Lisbon\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sardines-in-Lisbon-640x480.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Just add a generous sprinkle of salt and the sardines are ready for the grill. Photo credit: Alex Teixeira<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_eat_grilled_sardines_in_Lisbon\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where to eat grilled sardines in Lisbon<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&rsquo;re visiting Lisbon in summer, the smell of grilled sardines will tempt you everywhere you turn. <strong>The best time to try fresh sardines in Lisbon is between May and October<\/strong>. If you order them outside of these months, they&rsquo;ll probably be frozen. Make sure to ask before you order!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ultimate experience is eating sardines straight from an outdoor grill during the Santos Populares festivities. But if you&rsquo;re not visiting in June, we recommend going to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farol de Santa Luzia <em>(Largo de Santa Luzia 5)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&Uacute;ltimo Porto <em>(R. Gen. Gomes Ara&uacute;jo 1)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, both of which serve fantastic grilled fish all year round.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A word to the wise: while it&rsquo;s certainly worth trying sardines in Lisbon, they&rsquo;re not for everyone. Some people love the strong, fishy flavor, and the experience of deboning the fish right on your plate. But, if you take a bite and decide it&rsquo;s not for you, don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;at least you gave it a shot! You can celebrate Santo Ant&oacute;nio with a bowl of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">caldo verde<\/span><\/i> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">p&atilde;o com chouri&ccedil;o<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> instead.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39334\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Sardines in Lisbon\" width=\"1200\" height=\"796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines-1024x679.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Grilled_Sardines-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Enjoy the celebration of flavors that is eating freshly grilled <em>sardinhas<\/em> right in Lisbon. Photo credit: Yusuke Kawasaki<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Canned_sardines_and_conservas\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned sardines and<em> conservas<\/em><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&rsquo;s another style of sardines&mdash;and other fish&mdash;that&rsquo;s immensely popular in Portugal. We&rsquo;re talking about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conservas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or canned seafood. Unlike the large grilled sardines that you can order at restaurants or from street vendors, <strong>canned sardines are small, boneless, skinless, and ready to eat<\/strong>&mdash;whether straight from the tin, on a slice of bread, or tossed into a salad.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since they&rsquo;re <strong>usually preserved with olive oil, herbs, or spicy tomato sauce<\/strong>, canned sardines also have a different flavor than the grilled ones. It&rsquo;s still a strong taste, but the fishiness is somewhat masked by the other ingredients, making them more palatable for some people.<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conservas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are so popular here that it&rsquo;s easy to assume they&rsquo;re a Portuguese invention. But, they <strong>actually have their roots in France<\/strong>. Napoleon Bonaparte <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">used tinned foods to feed his troops<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the technique caught on in Portugal in the mid-19th century. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned fish became especially popular in the mid-20th century, and some of the most successful <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/canning-factory\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portuguese canning factories<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been in operation ever since.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39335\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas.jpg\" alt=\"Canned Sardines in Lisbon\" width=\"1200\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Canned-Sardines-Conservas-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">One of the many great things of canned sardines is that you can take them with you as a souvenir. Photo credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya<\/figcaption><\/figure><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where to find canned sardines in Lisbon<\/span><\/h3><p><strong>You&rsquo;ll find <i>conservas<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> all over Lisbon<\/strong>, from the colorful paper-wrapped cans at specialty shops to ordinary brands at the average supermarket. Our favorite places to buy them are the historic <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conserveiradelisboa.pt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conserveira de Lisboa<\/span><\/a>,<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loja das Conservas <em>(Rua do Arsenal 130)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The whimsical <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">O Mundo Fant&aacute;stico da Sardinha Portuguesa<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also a popular option, with locations all over the city, and country.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canned sardines are delicious, affordable, and make for a great <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lisbon souvenir<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you decide to pick some up at the supermarket, <strong>look for these brands: Minerva, Mann&aacute;, Ramirez, Bom Petisco, and Nuri<\/strong>. You&rsquo;ll also find canned tuna, mackerel, octopus, codfish, and many other kinds of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conservas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&mdash;we suggest trying as many as possible.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Local&rsquo;s Tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if you want to have a whole <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conservas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> feast, head to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sol e Pesca <em>(R. Nova do Carvalho 44)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the famous Pink Street in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/best-restaurants-cais-do-sodre-lisbon\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cais do Sodr&eacute;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. At this caf&eacute;, canned fish and seafood are the stars of the show.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39336\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/O_Mundo_Fantastico_da_Sardinha_Portuguesa_48680140396.jpg\" alt=\"O Mundo Fantastico da Sardinha Portuguesa\" width=\"1200\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/O_Mundo_Fantastico_da_Sardinha_Portuguesa_48680140396.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/O_Mundo_Fantastico_da_Sardinha_Portuguesa_48680140396-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/O_Mundo_Fantastico_da_Sardinha_Portuguesa_48680140396-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/O_Mundo_Fantastico_da_Sardinha_Portuguesa_48680140396-768x492.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Like a dreamland for Sardine lovers, you can find exceptional and colorful souvenirs in places like this. Photo credit: Ji Soo Song<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_sardine_dilemma_Overfishing_and_restrictions\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sardine dilemma: Overfishing and restrictions<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lots of Portuguese people would find it hard to imagine a world without sardines. Unfortunately, over the last several decades <strong>Portugal&rsquo;s sardine population has dropped dramatically, mostly due to climate change and overfishing<\/strong>. This has led the government to institute strict limits for the total quantity of sardines that can be caught and sold each year.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fact that sardines have traditionally been sourced from local waters makes them more sustainable than, say, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">salt cod<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is mostly imported from Norway. But <strong>as the temperature rises in the Atlantic, these fish are heading north<\/strong> to find cooler waters. Young sardines are especially vulnerable to these changes, and without them it&rsquo;s hard to replenish the population.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sardines are traditionally eaten in summer<\/strong> because their reproductive season is from October to April. Fishing is prohibited during fall and winter to ensure that they&rsquo;re able to reproduce. But as the population continues to decline, it looks like other solutions might be necessary.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39337\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines.jpg\" alt=\"Fresh fish\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fresh-Sardines-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">In today&rsquo;s world, it is important to be aware about responsible fishing. Photo credit: Javier Balseiro<\/figcaption><\/figure><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to find responsibly sourced seafood in Portugal<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you&rsquo;re ordering fish at a Portuguese restaurant or buying it straight from the market, how can you make sure it&rsquo;s sustainably sourced?&nbsp;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your best bet is to <strong>speak directly to your server, or fishmonger<\/strong>. Ask what they recommend, which fish is the freshest, and where it was caught. This will allow you to make a more informed decision before digging in. We also suggest checking out this <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">guide to Portuguese seafood<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to learn more about different kinds of fish in Portugal and their relative sustainability.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39338\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood.jpg\" alt=\"Responsibly sourced seafood\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Responsibly-sourced-seafood-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask where the fish is from, how fresh is it and what they recommend. Photo credit: Nguyen Linh<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sustainable_alternatives_to_sardines\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sustainable alternatives to sardines<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To avoid contributing to the problems above, one easy alternative is to eat other fish instead. <strong>Both <\/strong><\/span><strong><i>carapau<\/i> (horse mackerel) and <i>cavala<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> (chub mackerel) are similar in taste to sardines, but more sustainable<\/strong>. They&rsquo;re also highly traditional and authentic elements of Portuguese cuisine, and you can find them grilled, fried, or canned, just like sardines.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to try fresh mackerel in Lisbon, we suggest heading to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pateo 13 <em>(Cal&ccedil;adinha de Santo Est&ecirc;v&atilde;o 13)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Alfama or <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ponto Final <em>(R. do Ginjal 72)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Cacilhas. For Ponto Final, you&rsquo;ll have to take the ferry across the Tagus River, but it&rsquo;s worth it for the fantastic views of the city. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, keep an eye out for <\/span><strong><i>carapauzinhos fritos<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>: tiny fried mackerel<\/strong> that are usually served with tomato rice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, there&rsquo;s the simplest option of all: forgo the fish entirely at one of the many fantastic <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plant-based restaurants in Lisbon<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We know it&rsquo;s exactly not the same, but there are some places making truly incredible vegan versions of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portuguese seafood<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try the<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ldquo;sardinha&rdquo; melanc&oacute;lica <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">26 Vegan Food Project <em>(R. Horta Seca 5)<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;bacalhau&rdquo; com natas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Minha Av&oacute; <em>(Av. Ant&oacute;nio Augusto de Aguiar 74B),<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and see for yourself.<\/span><\/p><figure id=\"attachment_39339\" class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 1210px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel.jpg\" alt=\"Mackerel in Lisbon\" width=\"1200\" height=\"798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mackerel-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Mackerel is an easy, and typical, alternative to sardines in Lisbon. Photo credit: Sue &amp; Danny Yee<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><br><b>Are you coming to Lisbon?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Don&rsquo;t waste a single meal&mdash;check out our ultimate foodie guide to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/visit-portugal\/lisbon-travel-tips\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where to eat in Lisbon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p><p><em>Update Notice: This post was updated on August 14, 2024.<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether hot off the grill or straight from the tin, you have to try sardines in Lisbon.With hundreds of miles of Atlantic coastline, Portugal has always turned to the water to feed its people. You&rsquo;ll find seafood on the menu at most restaurants in Lisbon, and the city even holds a month-long festival starring the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":39340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1722,1723],"tags":[9,1762,133],"ppma_author":[2312],"class_list":["post-16846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink-in-lisbon","category-lisbon-blog","tag-lisbon","tag-sardines","tag-seafood"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Devour Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16846\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Devour Tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DevourToursCo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-18T11:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T09:11:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Melissa Haun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@devourtours\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@devourtours\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Melissa Haun\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/\",\"name\":\"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon - Devour Tours\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-18T11:00:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T09:11:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/43f3226eb3f89bd5ee67ea3dbb1bc8bf\"},\"description\":\"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Sardines are delicious. Photo credit: Olga Safronova\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/\",\"name\":\"Devour Tours\",\"description\":\"Food &amp; Drink Tours In Europe &amp; USA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/43f3226eb3f89bd5ee67ea3dbb1bc8bf\",\"name\":\"Melissa Haun\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/fb9261c40842a5aceec59a0cb3b200af\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c59522ede6a104145faf95b005638dec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c59522ede6a104145faf95b005638dec?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Melissa Haun\"},\"description\":\"Melissa first moved to Madrid to explore her interests in linguistics and communication, and quickly fell in love with the city's culture and cuisine. She's particularly passionate about Spanish vermouth and canned seafood, and makes it a point to drench absolutely everything in olive oil.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/author\/melissa\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Devour Tours","description":"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon","og_description":"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!","og_url":"devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16846\/","og_site_name":"Devour Tours","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DevourToursCo\/","article_published_time":"2018-11-18T11:00:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-09T09:11:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Melissa Haun","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@devourtours","twitter_site":"@devourtours","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Melissa Haun","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/","url":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/","name":"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon - Devour Tours","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg","datePublished":"2018-11-18T11:00:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T09:11:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/43f3226eb3f89bd5ee67ea3dbb1bc8bf"},"description":"Discover why sardines in Lisbon are such a big deal, where and when to eat them, plus alternative seafood dishes, including a vegan version!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wordpress-assets-devourtours.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sardines-2.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"Sardines are delicious. Photo credit: Olga Safronova"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/sardines-lisbon\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ultimate Guide to Sardines in Lisbon"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/","name":"Devour Tours","description":"Food &amp; Drink Tours In Europe &amp; USA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/43f3226eb3f89bd5ee67ea3dbb1bc8bf","name":"Melissa Haun","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/fb9261c40842a5aceec59a0cb3b200af","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c59522ede6a104145faf95b005638dec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c59522ede6a104145faf95b005638dec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Melissa Haun"},"description":"Melissa first moved to Madrid to explore her interests in linguistics and communication, and quickly fell in love with the city's culture and cuisine. She's particularly passionate about Spanish vermouth and canned seafood, and makes it a point to drench absolutely everything in olive oil.","url":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/author\/melissa\/"}]}},"modified_by":"Maika Cotton","authors":[{"term_id":2312,"user_id":15,"is_guest":0,"slug":"melissa","display_name":"Melissa Haun","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c59522ede6a104145faf95b005638dec?s=96&d=mm&r=g","first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Haun","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":"Melissa first moved to Madrid to explore her interests in linguistics and communication, and quickly fell in love with the city's culture and cuisine. She's particularly passionate about Spanish vermouth and canned seafood, and makes it a point to drench absolutely everything in olive oil."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16846"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16846"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42185,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16846\/revisions\/42185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16846"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=16846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}