Time Out Market Lisbon: A Traveler’s Food Adventure

I love heading to new restaurants when I travel. Although, in all fairness, what travel lover doesn’t? Whether it’s a new dish or a classic favourite done to perfection. Good food always makes a holiday highlight. Since a few people I was travelling with were fussy eaters, I managed to use this as the perfect excuse to visit the Time Out Market Lisbon Food Market.

With over 50 different restaurants to choose from, offering everything from steaks and fish to pastries and gelato. I thought it would be impossible not to find something they’d enjoy here. We had just been at the Cais dad Colunas enjoying the sunset when we started to get hungry. It was a walkable distance, so we set off. What should have been a 25-minute walk took us 90 minutes, as we stopped for coffee on the way. As well as dipping into various souvenir shops so they could find trinkets to bring home.

We arrived at Time Out Market Lisbon to what at first we thought was a back entrance, but the market has a few corridors outlining the main interior. We headed inside to see it packed. Worried we wouldn’t all be able to sit together, our first mission was to grab seats. Soon enough, we saw a group grabbing their bags, so we did that hover where we didn’t want to rush then but we were close enough to grab the stools as soon as they left. 

Now that we had a base, we started to go off in shifts. A few of my friends had already decided what cuisine they were going for, but I wanted to browse. I did a lap, checking out everything from starters to desserts. Looking over the steaks and burgers as well as the fish and pastries. I was spoilt for choice. Despite walking an entire lap, I opted for Cafe De Sao Bento. They boldly claimed to have the best steak in Lisbon, conveniently right behind where I was sitting. 

I had it in a cream cheese sauce, a first for me. It was good, although I wouldn’t have said it beat Galatos steak from the day before. And it certainly will never replace my favourite Peppercorn sauce. My friend was more adventurous and ordered the Octopus salad from the neighbouring stall. And I had to admit I was jealous. I was allowed to sample a bit from her plate, and I wouldn’t admit this to her face, but she made the far superior choice.

Of course, I needed a dessert to finish my meal, and there was no way I was going to leave Time Out Market Lisbon without trying one. So naturally, I ventured out to a few places. It was my final night in Lisbon, and I intended to make the most of it. I treated myself to a Bolo from Nós é Mais Bolos. I’d never had a Bolo before, but believe me, when I sat down at the table, I was the envy of my friends. Everyone wanted a piece; unfortunately for them, they were bite-sized, and I’d gotten the last of them. I chose the Oreo flavour, and they were certainly the best dessert. My only regret was buying the last of them, as I wanted to go back and buy a box for the uber home.

Drinks can be found in the middle of the hall, with a variety of options. For the Aperol Spritz lover, they even have their own dedicated stand. I went to Time Out’s own bar at the end and treated myself to my favourite drink. Spiced rum and coca cola. they had a long list of rums to choose from, so I went for the bartender’s recommendation. 

The unfortunate thing about the Time Out Market Lisbon hall is that serving times can be slow. So I felt like I spent a lot of my time in queues. Getting a drink was certainly the longest wait, so I did my best to savour it until my meal was ready. After my meal, it was time to go. Unfortunately, the experience was soured here. As we walked outside to meet our Uber, no less than three men approached us in an attempt to sell drugs. Luckily, our Uber was quick to arrive, but it was only a short walk around the building to the dedicated Uber point. But it tainted the nice warm feeling a good meal brings with a feeling of unease. 

Would I recommend the Time Out Market Lisbon? absolutely. It’s a fantastic place, and I am sure I just got unlucky with drug dealers approaching us. If I were to do it again, maybe come during lunchtime instead. I’m sure it would not only be a lot less busy, and it’ll be less like to have the sort of crowd you want to avoid when travelling.