5 of the best things to eat & drink...

BACALHAU À BRÁS

Hundreds of Portuguese dishes use salt cod but the most important is this one – matchstick fries held together with barely scrambled, just-cooked egg, flaked cod, parsley and olives (don’t miss crunchy salt cod croquettes, either).

CALDEIRADA

This stew would originally have been made by fishermen, using up the smallest fish. Now the layers of potato, tomato and peppers are topped with quite luxurious fish or seafood – just right with a glass of Portugal’s crisp white wine, vinho verde.

CAMARAO MOCAMBIQUE

The piri piri chillies which give these huge, sticky-sweet grilled prawns their heat (as well as the more famous chicken dish) originally grew in South America, but travelled to Africa with Portuguese traders during Portugal’s six centuries of colonial power.

PASTÉIS DE NATA

No visit to Lisbon would be complete without trying a wobbly centred, warm-from-theoven custard tart or three. Do as the locals do and have them for breakfast with uma bica, a short strong coffee, elevenses or as an afternoon snack.

OVOS MOLES

Literally translating as sweet eggs, ovos moles are vivid orange yolks cooked very slowly with sugar, most often used to fill beautiful, brilliant white sweets in the shape of fish, barrels and shells.