Portuguese Food Words - For the Market, Café and Tasca

You don't need fluent Portuguese to eat well in Portugal, but a few dozen words change everything. You can read the menu, ask at the market, and order like someone who belongs. These are the words we use most, in European Portuguese, the Portuguese of Portugal, which sounds quite different from Brazilian.

A note on pronunciation: Portuguese from Portugal swallows a lot of its vowels. Where you see an apostrophe, like d', the vowel is barely said. Every noun is shown with its article, o (masculine) or a (feminine), because you'll need it.

At the market (no mercado)

o peixe (oo PAY-sh'): fish
o bacalhau (oo ba-ka-LYOW): salt cod
a sardinha (a sar-DEE-nya): sardine
as amêijoas (ash a-MAY-zhoo-ash): clams
o polvo (oo POHL-voo): octopus
a carne de porco (a KAR-n' d' POR-koo): pork
o frango (oo FRAN-goo): chicken
a batata (a ba-TAH-ta): potato
a cebola (a s'-BOH-la): onion
o alho (oo AH-lyoo): garlic
os coentros (oosh koo-EN-troosh): coriander
o pimento (oo pee-MEN-too): bell pepper. Brazilians say pimentão.

In the kitchen (na cozinha)

o azeite (oo a-ZAY-t'): olive oil
o sal (oo SAHL): salt
o louro (oo LOH-roo): bay leaf
o vinho branco (oo VEE-nyoo BRAN-koo): white wine
o forno (oo FOR-noo): oven
assado (a-SAH-doo): roasted, and for sardines, grilled over coals
frito (FREE-too): fried
cozido (koo-ZEE-doo): boiled

At the café (no café)

uma bica (OO-ma BEE-ka): an espresso, the Lisbon word
um galão (oong ga-LOWNG): milky coffee in a tall glass
uma meia de leite (OO-ma MAY-a d' LAY-t'): half coffee, half milk
um pastel de nata (oong pash-TEL d' NAH-ta): custard tart
uma torrada (OO-ma too-RRAH-da): thick buttered toast
um sumo de laranja (oong SOO-moo d' la-RAN-zha): orange juice. Brazilians say suco.

At the tasca (na tasca)

a ementa (a ee-MEN-ta): the menu. Brazilians say cardápio.
o prato do dia (oo PRAH-too doo DEE-a): dish of the day
uma dose (OO-ma DOH-z'): a full portion
uma meia dose (OO-ma MAY-a DOH-z'): a half portion, often plenty
o couvert (oo koo-VEHR): bread, olives and starters put on the table, which you pay for if you eat them
a sobremesa (a soo-br'-MEH-za): dessert
o vinho da casa (oo VEE-nyoo da KAH-za): house wine
uma imperial (OO-ma eeng-p'-ree-AHL): a small draught beer in Lisbon. In Porto, ask for um fino (oong FEE-noo).
a conta (a KON-ta): the bill

Pocket phrasebook

Six phrases for cafés and tascas

Uma bica, por favor.OO-ma BEE-ka, poor fa-VORAn espresso, please.
Tem mesa para dois?TAYNG MEH-za PA-ra DOYSHDo you have a table for two?
O que recomenda?oo k' r'-koo-MEN-daWhat do you recommend?
Não, obrigado.NOWNG, oh-bree-GAH-dooNo, thank you. (A woman says obrigada.)
Está delicioso!shtah d'-lee-see-OH-zooIt's delicious!
A conta, por favor.a KON-ta, poor fa-VORThe bill, please.

Want to hear phrases like these? Portugal Lifestyle Pro trains your ear with real spoken Portuguese, with a slower mode for beginners. There is also a free written guide to ordering food in Portuguese.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Keep going

Learning the words for food is the most delicious way into a language. Once you can order, the next step is chatting with the person serving you, and that's when Portugal really opens up.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Lisboeta by Nuno Mendes

Lisbon's food in a beautiful hardback by Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes: tascas, petiscos and city classics.

Tip: A lovely gift for anyone who fell for Lisbon.

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Authentic Portuguese Cooking (cookbook)

Over 185 classic recipes from mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. A highly rated home-cooking reference.

Tip: Good for family recipes you remember but never wrote down.

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Good questions

Frequently asked

Are Portuguese food words different in Portugal and Brazil?

Many are the same, but some everyday words change. In Portugal the menu is a ementa, juice is sumo and a bell pepper is pimento, while Brazilians say cardápio, suco and pimentão. The pronunciation is also very different, because European Portuguese swallows many of its vowels.

How do you ask for the bill in Portugal?

Say "a conta, por favor" (a KON-ta, poor fa-VOR). In most tascas and cafés you can also catch the waiter's eye and make a small writing gesture in the air. In most places the bill comes when you ask for it, so there's no need to rush.

What is a bica in Portugal?

A bica is a short espresso, and the word is used mainly in Lisbon. In much of the rest of the country people simply ask for "um café", which also means an espresso. If you want milk, order a galão or a meia de leite instead.

Do you have to pay for the couvert in Portugal?

Only if you eat it. The bread, olives and starters put on the table at the start are charged as couvert, but you can send them back with a polite "não, obrigado". If you don't touch them, they shouldn't appear on the bill.

What is a meia dose?

A meia dose is a half portion, and many tascas offer it on most dishes. Portuguese portions are generous, so a meia dose is often plenty for one person. A full dose can easily feed two.