The best Portuguese restaurants in London don't just serve warm (delicious) Pastéis de Nata - far from it.
Instead, head to any of the (mainly Stockwell based) eateries for a celebration of oil-slathered anchovies, crisp and sharp port straight from the Douro Valley and warm, creamy mixed seafood cataplana so comforting we dare you not to eat more than your fair share.
Keep reading for Foodism's recommendations and remember to share your photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #foodismuk. All together now, desfrute de sua refeição - or, in other words, enjoy your meal.
5 best Portuguese restaurants in London
1. Grelha D'Ouro
Where? 151-153 S Lambeth Rd, Stockwell SW8 1XN
If there's a home of traditional Portuguese food in London, it's Grelha D'Ouro. The restaurant has been open for as long as Stockwell has been synonymous with Portugese restaurants, which is pretty much, well, forever. Serving both the vibrant Portuguese community of London and adventurous Brits looking for an authentic taste of chicken gizzards and pig's ear, you're in for a cosy evening - the furniture isn't too dissimilar to that of your mum's living room - with very generous portions. Feast on grilled sardines, caldo verde, aka Portuguese soup, and paella's twin sister, cataplana. Don't leave without tucking into a natas do ceu, which quite literally translates to 'cream from heaven', and a soul-shakingly strong Portuguese coffee. Delicious.
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2. TaTa Eatery
Where? 258 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4DG
Portuguese cuisine may only just have appeared on our radars in London, but it's undoubtedly been influential elsewhere: Macanese, Goan and Mozambican cooking have been shaped by the input of Portuguese colonists. To get a taste of one of these unique fusion cuisines without leaving London, head to TaTa eatery, where husband-and-wife chefs Zijun Meng and Ana Goncalves (trained and set up by Nuno Mendes, no less) are serving up Portugese-inspired Chinese food: think sweet rice ice cream sundaes and prawn tartare with caviar and egg yolk. You'll never have to search for the best Portuguese restaurants in London again.
3. Bar Douro
Where? Arch 35b, Flat Iron Square, Union Street, SE1 1TD
The Douro Valley, which surrounds the city of Porto, has a food and wine culture that's up there with the best of them. Restaurant founder Max Graham has some serious credentials, being from a long line of English port makers in the Douro, and the restaurant's menus are themselves inspired by Max's travels around Portugal. The dishes include local culinary secrets and incorporate only the finest Portuguese produce. There's no bar – giving all the more room to focus on the wine and port, natch – and the food revolves around small food at great prices. Winner. Plus, word on the grapevine: they've got a new City branch opening in the upcoming months. Go, go, go.
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4. Madeira London
Where? 130 Stockwell Road, SW9 9HR
Perhap the most famous of all Portuguese dishes is the mouth-coatingly moreish yellow custard tart known as pastel de nata. Attractively dotted with little patches of caramelised sugar, these cups of goodness are worth it for the Instagram kudos alone, particularly when they come from Madeira, which boasts a stable of cafés and restaurants across London. There are all the usual suspects, too: salt cod, sardines and excellent Portuguese wines.
5. Santa Nata
Where? Russel Street, Covent Garden
Covent Garden's latest opening comes is Santa Nata, a pastelaria with a difference. Dedicated to celebrating the very best of Portugal’s iconic (and bloomin' delicious) pastry, head down to watch the chefs in action and slurp flaky, custard-filled, saccharine-sweet pastries as you do so. Watching the art of the bake is quite magical: you could while away hours observing them delicately rolling, shaping and filling. You heard it here first.
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