I have just spent a week in Lisbon and have to admit that the Time Out Market was one of the highlights of the trip. In fact, the moment I heard about its existence I made the point of visiting it the first thing after arriving at the city. And, truth be told, it didn’t disappoint.
The Time Out Market existed as an extension to the Mercado da Ribeira at Cais do Sodré – which was a fairly traditional market that you’d expect from most places in Europe. It is very easy to get to – just take the metro to Cais do Sodré (green line) and it is pretty much right outside the station.
The food hall itself is a hotpot of restaurants in Lisbon, covering a wide variety of cuisines that you’d find in the city: from traditional seafood, to croquette, soup, and their signature desserts. It is a well curated mix so that you feel that all the stores have something different to offer.
As much as the choices are great and makes you feel like a kid in the candy shop, it can also be a bit overwhelming at first. Afterall, you are here for a meal and so what should you choose? This is why I have decided to write a quick piece on what I think are the great ones to try out, and what are less great. Do note that I haven’t visited every single one so I am only going to focus my recommendations on those that I have tried. But here it is:
Recommended:
- Miguel Castro E Silva (traditional Portuguese food)
- Marlene Vieira (traditional Portuguese food)
- Monte Mar (seafood)
- Manteigaria (pastel de nata)
- Recordação de Sintra (other Portuguese sweets)
Recommended:
For Food:
Miguel Castro E Silva (No-frill traditional Portuguese Food)
Majority of food stores at the TimeOut Market serve traditional Portuguese food one way or the other so it can be a bit difficult to decide. Personally I prefer Miguel Castro E Silva because they mostly stick to the basics with some of the popular Portuguese classics such as Bacalhau A Bras, Francesinha and Octopus rice. Their Bacalhau A Bras was particularly excellent, and their fried squids were very solid too. This place will make many tourists happy for sure.
Marlene Vieira (Portuguese Food)
Also an overall solid menu. I walked past them and immediately drawn in by their octopus. It did not disappoint.
Monte Mar (Seafood)
Seafood specialist with some solid seafood. Monte Mar is where you should go for roasted octopus and potato – and you will then get many people asking where you got it. They also have many other choices on their menu that I would be very happy to go back and try out.
For Drinks:
Tip: Given the popularity of the market you often have to wait for your meal. They will give you a device that buzzes when your food is ready for pick up. I’d therefore recommend that rather than buying drinks directly at the stalls, you get them from the bars at the center of the market: not only are there more choices (there are bars dedicated to wine, beer, and mixers / cocktails), but this also allow you to then sit down for a drink while waiting.
For Dessert:
Manteigaria (Nata)
Let’s admit it – there is no way you are visiting Lisbon without trying out their pastel de nata. And Manteigaria serves one of the best natas in town: I have been a die hard fan of Pasteis de Belem but the locals have recommended Manteigaria – and yes it is pretty awesome indeed. This is the only nata place in the market and you should definitely pay it a visit.
Recordação de Sintra (Portuguese sweets)
I have a massive sweet tooth so naturally I have taken interest in all the sweets stalls here in the market. Plus it is close to the entrance so you can’t really ignore it. There is a wide mix covering a large range of traditional Portuguese sweets – which in short are different variations of sweet egg yolks. They are dense, sweet and tasty – but probably best not to over buy. (p.s. Given Portugal’s obsession on egg yolk based desserts I do wonder where have all the egg whites gone… but that is for another post). I had their Nozes Douradas – which is a caramelized egg yolk with walnut, and it didn’t disappoint.
Okay / Not Bad :
Henrique Sá Pessoa (The chefy one)
Located towards the far end of the market. This stall has more of a “chefy” vibe. It served a mixture of meat and seafood, and appears to do a pretty decent fish and chips. I went for a black pork sandwich which I thought was pretty decent. I originally had it on the recommended list, but I have had to move it down because this place appear to have a fairly long waiting time. When I was there, I waited around 20 minutes for my food to come – an experienced that was also echoed by other travellers. So it is worth taking that into consideration when visiting at a busy time.
Susana Felicidade (Portuguese cuisines with a modern twist)
Susana Felicidade also serves up Portuguese cuisine with what I feel like a bit of a modern twist. The menu was clear and beautifully laid out, but I felt that there were too many repeat elements such as sweet potato puree which made it difficult for me to order multiple dishes from.
I went for the braised Iberian pork with sweet potato puree & crispy cabbage; and the Prawn bean stew with prawn oil and coriander rice. I felt that the pork was a on the salty side; and the prawn bean stew was good but nothing spectacular. Overall there were all well made though.
To avoid:
Croqueteria
Highly promising croquette stall – and I love a good croquette. I ordered a squid ink one while waiting for my order elsewhere and unfortunately it really wasn’t good – the croquette was already premade & fried so was served at room temperature rather than piping hot. The texture was also dense and claggy, and the filling relatively bland. Perhaps I should have chosen their traditional one, but I do think there are much better choices
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So that is it. There are definitely way more stalls that I would like to try out, such as the Japanese & asian fusion towards the right side of the market, or some of their burger places. But then I guess this is the charm of the market – there are so many choices that you can literally come back everyday and not get bored. I visited twice during my trip here, and If I do visit Lisbon again, I will certainly give that another go (or a few more).
Looking for things to do in Lisbon?
Check out where are the best places to eat
If you are spending a few days in Lisbon it is also worth booking a some activities – the most popular being boat tours, day trips to Sintra, and . It is also handy to get the Lisbon card for unlimited travel on public transport and free admission to various museums.
Find out more below:
Lisbon Card: 24, 48, or 72-Hour Pass
Guided Day Tour of Sintra, Pena, Regaleira & Cascais
Lisbon Sunset Boat Party Cruise with DJ and Open bar
Pena Palace, Sintra, Cabo da Roca, & Cascais Daytrip
Private Sightseeing Tour in a Vintage Tuk Tuk
Lisbon City Walking Tour with Food Tasting and Drinks
Henrique Sa Pessoa should be on the avoid list. Could be the slowest of all the stalls. Be ready to wait at least 30 mins for your order. After a week eating around Lisbon, it was not worth the wait.