Zé Varunca

Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré


Fans of this small Alentejan icon were aghast when it disappeared from Lisbon's foodie map in 2015. Thankfully, Zé resurfaced a year later in improved Bairro Alto digs. Regional products and classics (cozido de grão, a chickpea and meat stew; migas de bacalhau, a bread-based cod dish; and Estremoz-style tomato soup) incite riotous delight. Don't miss the bacon-pork-loin hybrid secretos de porco, either.

Reservations are essential.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré attractions

1. Igreja de Santa Catarina

0.14 MILES

Igreja de Santa Catarina is a gilded baroque masterpiece, originally part of a convent built in 1647. Pay particular attention to the stucco rococo…

2. Miradouro de Santa Catarina

0.17 MILES

Students bashing out rhythms, pot-smoking hippies, stroller-pushing parents and loved-up couples all meet at this precipitous viewpoint in boho Santa…

3. Igreja & Museu São Roque

0.19 MILES

The plain facade of 16th-century Jesuit Igreja de São Roque belies its dazzling interior of gold, marble and Florentine azulejos – bankrolled by Brazilian…

4. Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas

0.21 MILES

The eye-catching Casa do Ferreira das Tabuletas dates to 1864. Its trompe l’œil azulejos (hand-painted tiles) depict allegorical figures and the elements.

5. Convento dos Cardaes

0.24 MILES

The inconspicuous, graffitied white facade of this 17th-century fort-like convent contrasts with the rich blue-and-white tiles and gilded carvings of the…

6. Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara

0.24 MILES

Hitch a ride on vintage Ascensor da Glória from Praça dos Restauradores, or huff your way up steep Calçada da Glória to this terrific hilltop viewpoint…

7. Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar

0.25 MILES

Set in the same street where Júlio Pomar lives and works, this museum, with two spaces housing temporary exhibitions, feels like an art gallery showcasing…

8. Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara

0.27 MILES

This convent is small in size but grand in baroque decor. The inconspicuous box-like facade hides a chapel (1690s), and a church (1681) that survived the…