What to Eat in Lisbon

What it is: A small custard tart with a caramelised top in shatteringly crisp laminated pastry.

What to expect: Served warm if you're lucky, with cinnamon and powdered sugar offered on the side. Eaten standing at the counter with an espresso — two is normal.

What it is: Shredded salt cod scrambled with onions, matchstick potatoes, and eggs, finished with olives and parsley.

What to expect: Soft, savoury comfort food — richer than it looks. One of hundreds of Portuguese salt-cod preparations; this is the gateway one.

What it is: Thin pork cutlets simmered in a garlicky white-wine sauce, stuffed into a soft roll.

What to expect: Cheap, fast, and eaten at lunch counters. Add mustard and piri-piri from the squeeze bottles; drink a small beer with it like the locals.

What it is: Whole sardines grilled over charcoal, served with boiled potatoes, salad, and olive oil.

What to expect: A summer dish — best June through September when the fish are fat. Expect bones and char; eating them cleanly off the plate is a learned skill nobody expects of you.

What it is: A silky potato-and-collard-greens soup, usually with a slice of chouriço.

What to expect: Served as a starter almost everywhere, often late at night. Ask for it without the sausage for a vegetarian version — the base is usually meat-free.

What it is: A sour-cherry liqueur served in a shot glass, sometimes with a soaked cherry in the bottom.

What to expect: Drunk standing at tiny hole-in-the-wall bars, before or after dinner. 'Com elas' means with the cherry, 'sem elas' without.