Tracing the Roots of an Imperial Cuisine

Day 1

Welcome to Lisbon!

In the late afternoon, we’ll gather at our hotel for a welcome drink and begin getting to know our fellow travelers for the week. 

Afterward, we’ll take to the water: soaking in stunning vistas in a private cruise down the Tagus, getting a fuller sense of the local geography and history as we sail past palaces, monasteries and monumental squares.

Afterwards, our table awaits at a supper club of a well-known Lisbon chef serving elevated renditions of quintessential Portuguese fare.

Day 2

A Culinary Crossroads, Explored

We’ll start the day by awakening our senses at a classic pastry shop beside the 18th-century Estrela Basilica. From there, we’ll journey to the charming Campo de Ourique neighborhood, a “city within a city”, where we’ll spend the next several hours. Here, we’ll learn about some of Lisbon’s hidden histories. 

Later, on our way to one of Lisbon’s finest traditional markets, where we’ll visit several fishmongers, butchers, greengrocers, and bakers – tasting all the while. Then we’ll descend into the secret basement of a nearby bookseller which once stocked contraband literature during the dictatorship. At lunch time, we’ll try a few traditional seasonal specialties, and later, at a private association with a subversive past, we’ll dig into vindalho—a curry dish with ancestral roots in both Goa and Portugal. Then we’ll walk off our lunch and wind up at one of our favorite wine bars where we’ll be hosted for a private wine tasting paired with local cheeses and Iberian hams.

Day 3

Sweet & Sacred Delights

On the back of such a busy second day, we’ll enjoy a free morning – for either a bit of sightseeing, shopping, or just resting. Around lunchtime we’ll journey to Lisbon’s last active convent. Hiding behind the whitewashed walls in the city center, the convent is one of the few historic buildings to withstand the devastating 1755 earthquake and remains awash in original details. There we’ll have a light meal in the courtyard sampling cheeses and convent products made onsite. 

Our afternoon will focus on the darling of Lisbon’s pantry, the pastel de nata.   At one of our favorite bakeries in town, we’ll try our hands at making some famous custard tart and other beloved creations have emerged from Portuguese convents.

After indulging in our sweet creations, we’ll stroll the leafy center to an early dinner at a refined fish restaurant for a multi-course meal and a night of surprises.

Day 4

Sado Estuary, All About Fish

In the morning, after breakfast, we’ll drive south along the coast to the small port city of Setubal, situated on the Sado estuary, for a deep look at the fish industry, which has roots in ancient times. We’ll start by visiting Portugal’s largest (and best) wholesale fish and seafood market to get a better understanding of the true breadth of the country’s aquatic bounty. We’ll then have a snack at a lunch counter favored by some of our favorite fishmongers before boarding the ferry across the river for an afternoon on the Troia Peninsula.

There, we will have an exclusive visit to a remarkably preserved, Roman-era ruin, which in ancient times produced garum, a fermented fish sauce considered a delicacy by the Romans.  At a scenic spot among the ruins, we’ll have a late afternoon picnic, which starts with freshly shucked Sado Oysters and crisp white wines of the region.   The feast continues with a mix of local specialties including new age garum, fish dishes and fresh seasonal fruits from the market in the morning.  As the day wanes, we’ll head back to Lisbon. 

Day 5

Lisbon's Colonial Legacy on a Plate

Today we’ll have a full-day tour across central Lisbon, where we’ll learn about and discuss the cuisines, history and diversity of Portugal’s former colonies. We’ll have opportunities to taste a wide range of dishes from the city’s post-colonial kitchen including: Cape Verdean cachupa, Brazilian pastries with fresh squeezed cane juice, Goan crab curry, Guinean baobab popsicles, bitter kola nuts and more. Along the way, we’ll meet the people in the kitchen keeping the traditions of these communities alive which contribute to Portuguese gastronomy.

In the evening, we’ll stop in for drinks at a hip cocktail bar run by the creative mixologist, using the sprits and flavors of former colonies in inventive new ways.   There, we will be treated to a private concert by a singer who blends Cape Verdean Mourna with Lisbon’s Fado – a uniquely Lisboeta experience. 

Day 6

Song of the Sea & the Vine

This morning we will travel north along the Atlantic to the westernmost part of Europe, a land of wild beaches, cliffs and lighthouses.  

At a picture-perfect beach we will enjoy a lunch at a classic waterfront seafood restaurant, where delicacies such as spider crabs, gooseneck barnacles and tiny whelks will fill our table. With our feet in the sand, and views out over the rolling surf, we’ll get ready to explore this micro-region.  We’ll take a short hike on the coastal cliffs to a vineyard where vines remarkably survived phylloxera, the catastrophic 19th century plague of the vines that nearly wiped out the European wine industry. Back at the winery,  we will having a full tasting with the winemaker, himself.

As the sun begins to set, in nearby Sintra, and the crowds disappear for the day, we will be treated to an exclusive visit to a stunning UNESCO heritage site, Pena Palace.  We’ll have the palace all to ourselves and like royalty, have a final toast to this beautiful landscape.

Day 7

Farewell

Today, we’ll be saying our final goodbyes, and grabbing those last-minute bites before catching flights home, to your next destination – or, if you’d like, spend more time exploring Lisbon. We’re happy to provide additional recommendations.