Best Fado Restaurant in Lisbon
During your stay in Lisbon you can't miss a Fado show, the country's most typical musical genre. If you combine it with a good dinner, it will be a night you won't easily forget.
Lisbon | ©Lisa Fotios
To really get to know the essence of a country or a city, it is not enough to visit its monuments. We all know how many attractions Lisbon has to offer, but we also know that the Portuguese capital exudes a particular aroma of melancholy, romanticism and beauty.
All these characteristics are part of Portugal's most famous musical genre: Fado. Declared a World Heritage Site, this type of music was born in the popular neighbourhoods of the country, so it is not surprising that it is still present in areas such as Alfama or Barrio Alto in Lisbon. Many restaurants offer their customers dinners accompanied by the best Fado singers in a combination that no one should miss.
Lisbon Fado Tour with Dinner
Enjoy a walking tour and taste the best of Portuguese gastronomy
Walk through Lisbon's most iconic and picturesque neighbourhoods with a local guide. End your tour in a typical Fado house while enjoying a delicious homemade meal with Portuguese wine.
This activity is ideal if you want to delve into Portuguese culture through the five senses. You will be able to walk with a local guide through the old districts of Lisbon, such as Alfama and Mouraria, where Fado was born. For about 4 hours, you will learn about the history and cultural importance of this musical genre, as well as the influence it has had on society.
Once you finish the tour, with your reservation to this Fado tour you will have the opportunity to sit at the table of a traditional Fado house and enjoy typical and homemade dishes, accompanied by a good regional wine.
And if you want to continue enjoying the musical talent and its fusion with the local gastronomy, here is a list of places and recommendations for you to enjoy the Portuguese capital at its best.
Recommended if... you want to live a fully Portuguese experience, based on the best of its gastronomy and the most traditional of its music.
1. Tasca do chico, a Fado institution in Lisbon
The Bairro Alto is one of the most bohemian areas of the city. It is home to one of the most popular places to dine while enjoying the best fado, Tasca do chico.
This place is characterised by a traditional aesthetic and for hosting the new talents of the fado genre, which has turned it into a real institution for those who want to listen to these songs.
The entrance is free, although you will be obliged to pay for a drink. If you want to have dinner, I recommend the delicious sausages they make, accompanied by a glass of red wine.
The popularity of this place means that it is always very busy, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays from 21:00 onwards, when the performances take place. Don't forget to book or arrive well in advance to avoid being left without a seat.
Practical info
- Address: R. Do Diário de Notícias, 39
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 7pm to 2am.
2. One of the best options in the heart of Alfama: the Clube de Fado
The Clube de Fado has positioned itself as one of the most exclusive places in Lisbon to listen to this musical genre. If you have taken a guided tour of Alfama, you may have walked through its door without suspecting that it hides a great restaurant and some of the best musical performances in the city.
On the gastronomic front, the restaurant offers traditional Lisbon food and stands out for its varieties of cod and octopus dishes.
Three different singers perform each evening, offering much of the best possible Fado repertoire. The evening usually lasts about two and a half hours in total.
One thing to bear in mind if you decide to go to Clube de Fado is that you may need to book. It is also a venue with higher prices than others in the same area, but the quality of the performances and the food makes up for it.
Practical information
- Address: Rua São João da Praça, 94
- Opening hours: daily from 8pm to 2am
3. The family atmosphere of Mr. Fado in Alfama
The best thing about Mr. Fado de Alfama, located in the neighbourhood of the same name, is the almost family atmosphere inside. It is a very small venue, which helps to get the customers involved in the show but makes it difficult to find a free seat.
When dinner is over, the owners of the restaurant spend a few minutes explaining some of the secrets of Fado and its variants. Then the performances begin, usually consisting of three different artists.
The magic of the place and the quality of the fado artists make Mr. Fado de Alfama one of the best places to enjoy dinner and fado. Almost all customers choose the closed menu option for around 45 €, which includes three courses plus, of course, the show.
Practical information
- Address: Rua dos Remedios 176 Alfama
- Opening hours: 19:30 to midnight
4. The great tradition of the Parreirinha of Alfama
If you are looking for a restaurant to dine while listening to a good fado, there is little in Lisbon with as much tradition and tradition as the Parreirinha de Alfama. The restaurant is run by one of the country's most renowned fado singers, Argentina Santos, and often brings together some of the most important voices of the genre.
During its more than 60 years of history, the restaurant has achieved a well-deserved reputation for both its food and its performances. The restaurant's beautiful decoration, especially the tiles on the walls, is also worth admiring.
The so-called fado menu costs 45 € per person, although you also have the option of ordering dinner à la carte, which will usually increase the price quite a lot.
Practical information
- Address: Beco do Espírito Santo, 1
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8pm to 2am.
5. The great gastronomic proposal of Adega Machado
The history of this restaurant began as far back as 1937, when fado singer Maria Lourdes Machado and her husband opened it in Lisbon's Bairro Alto. Today the place has a much more modern look, as it was thoroughly restored in 2012.
In addition to the splendid performances it offers, the Adega Machado stands out for its gastronomic offer. There you will be able to try some specialities such as the grilled dried cod loins or the glazed cod slices, two dishes that are hard to forget and that make this visit one of the best things to do in Lisbon at night.
The Adega Machado also offers the option of booking a package called Fado Inside the Box. This is a series of performances that take place in the evening (around 17:00) lasting 45 minutes. Instead of dinner, this option offers an aperitif and wine tasting.
In the evening you will be able to choose (if you book early and you went to Lisbon in summer) to sit on the beautiful terrace or inside.
Practical info
- Address: Rua do Norte, 91
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 7.30 pm to 2:00 am
6. Casa de Linhares: fado and codfish
Casa deLinhares is considered one of the best places in Lisbon to enjoy a Fado dinner.
Some of its dishes feature one of the star ingredients of Portuguese gastronomy, **cod. ** It is also popular for its rice and cheese platters. Unlike other places of this type, at Casa de Linhares there is no set menu, but you can choose to order à la carte or from the tasting menu.
As for the fado performances, during dinner there are usually between 4 and 5 shows and there is no shortage of songs that show different styles of fado to the more classical.
Practical information
- Address: Beco Armazéns do Linho 2
- Opening hours: 8pm to 1am daily.
7. Restaurant O Faia, a piece of Fado history
Founded by the famous Lucilia do Carmo in 1974, O Faia is considered one of the most prestigious restaurants to dine while listening to the best Fado songs. Not only will you experience a special atmosphere, but the food and service are simply fabulous. The meal is interspersed with about 20 minutes of performances by four different singers.
You need to book well in advance if you want to go to this beautiful restaurant in the Barrio Alto. The price for dinner plus the show is about 55 euros.
Practical information
- Address: Rua da Barroca, 54-56
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8pm to 2am.
8. A Severa, a classic of the Lisbon scene
One of the most classic restaurants with Fado performances in the Bairro Alto is A Severa, opened in 1955. If you decide to go there, bear in mind that its price is higher than other places and that it requires a minimum consumption of around 30 € per person.
The commitment to high quality gastronomy, with delicious meat and fish dishes, is one of the reasons for the success of this restaurant. And of course, there is also the sensational fado show by candlelight.
Practical information
- Address: Rua das Gáveas, 51/61
- Opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday between 20:00 and 2:00.
9. A Baiuca: fado in a tavern
If you want to dine while listening to fado, but don't feel like doing so in a formal setting, A Baiuca may be the place for you. More than a restaurant, the place retains all the characteristics of a typical Lisbon tavern. Among other things, this means that it does not have too many tables, so you will have to book in advance.
Although it also has a terrace in the square, to listen to the fado show it is better to book inside. The singers alternate and, at times, there are even spontaneous performers from the neighbourhood.
The menu, unlike that of other Fado restaurants, is not closed, and for dinner you can choose from the dishes on the interesting menu. In any case, the portions they serve are plentiful and their cod is excellent.
Practical information
- Address: Rua São Miguel, 20
- Opening hours: opens at 7.30pm and closes at 11.30pm.
10. A new concept of fado in Povo Lisboa
Povo Lisboa tries to keep the spirit of the traditional Portuguese taverns in order to become a meeting point for Lisboners. Fado, or as the owners themselves say, the "new fado", could not be missing in this attempt .
If you choose this restaurant you will find a great show in an environment not designed for tourism. The restaurant is quite small and the food, although unpretentious, is very good.
To enjoy their evenings you only have to pay a small entrance fee of 4 € per person, to which you will have to add what you consume inside. The performances are divided into two shifts, one at 20:00 and the other at 22:00. The singers come out every 20 minutes to perform four songs each time.
Practical information
- Address: Rua Nova do Carvalho, 32-36
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, the restaurant is open from 12:00 to 15:00. In the evenings, the restaurant is open from 18:00 to 2:00 (Sunday to Wednesday) and from 18:00 to 4:00 (Thursday to Saturday).
Fado in Chiado: if you just want to listen to Fado without having to eat dinner
Although the option of dinner with a Fado show is widespread in the city, if you just want to enjoy the music, you will also have options.
The most outstanding one is called Fado in Chiado, a show that takes place in a concert hall located in the neighbourhood of the same name. Each session lasts about 50 minutes, with the participation of 2 singers and 2 guitarists.
What is Fado?
Fado goes beyond its mere musical conception. For many, this genre represents an entire country, Portugal, and its songs reflect part of the lives and experiences of its inhabitants. Thus, some call fado "the soul of Lisbon".
The word fado comes from the Latin "fatum", which means destiny. This musical style is considered to have originated in the poor neighbourhoods of the capital and its lyrics often express feelings such as fatalism, frustration or the well-known saudade (nostalgia or melancholy).
Fado is usually sung by a single person accompanied by a guitar called a viola. After a period of certain decline, fado has recovered part of its presence in the Portuguese capital, where it has become a real tourist attraction.