Food & drink in Lagos

You will never be short of somewhere to eat and drink in Lagos! Hot spots include the historic old town, the marina and the beach but you’ll also find fantastic restaurants and bars in the residential areas around Lagos. It’s hard to find a street that doesn’t offer an opportunity to sit, relax, eat and drink. Check out our Algarve Food and Drink Guide to learn more about local Portuguese cuisine, like the delicious “Pastel da nata”, a sticky sweet egg custard tarte that goes perfectly with a “Galão” milky coffee or the traditional Chicken Piri-Piri and seafood “Cataplana” (usually for 2) packed full of prawns, monk fish and clams served in a brass clam shell!

Lagos restaurants

There’s a vast array of cuisines from Traditional Portuguese to Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Mexican. Vegetarian and vegan options are available and food allergies are catered for too, just check the menus (usually on the street) before you take a seat or ask a waiter to see if they can accommodate your needs. Meia Praia beach boasts 8 wonderful restaurants where you can stop for lunch, dinner or just grab a drink and enjoy the view, the further you walk the less you’ll pay so it’s worth the exercise! Cross the bridge to the Marina and there’s cuisine and prices for everyone and if you wander a little further towards the Marina Club Hotel you’ll find another strip to choose from. The town centre’s cobbled streets are lined with bars and restaurants, so many it can be difficult to decide where to go.

To get the most out of your stay we recommend checking Lagos Restaurants on TripAdvisor to see other diner’s reviews and check opening hours as some may close for holidays out of season. If you set your heart on somewhere book it, especially during peak season and for the popular restaurants as they’ll be busy. If you’re staying in self-catering accommodation and fancy a takeaway, there are dedicated takeaway restaurants but most restaurants will also provide a take-out service if you pop in and ask.

Cost of meal in Lagos

A main meal for 2 including “couvert” starter and a bottle of house wine will cost you ~30€ at a local cafe or one of the amazing local fish restaurants like Baragada or Adega De Marina, between 40€ and 50€ at most other restaurants and upwards of 50€ in the higher end fine dining establishments.

Eating out with kids in Lagos

It’s probably the biggest worry for families going on holiday…what can the kids eat? Lagos restaurants are well prepared for children and many have special children’s menus with their favourites like burger and chips, fish fingers or spaghetti bolognaise. They also serve a small portion called a  ”Meio dose”(pronounced ”mayo dose”) or a meal to share from the main menu. If all else fails Lagos has a McDonalds near the leisure centre at the western entrance to the town, a Burger Ranch and in the middle of town and  Pizza Hut at the marina!

Lagos bars and clubs

Lagos is a vibrant town with places open to drink almost around the clock. The café’s open early for the locals to have their pre-work coffee and pastry and even mid-morning beer. The town, beach bars and marina will be bustling all day and there’s no right or wrong time to stop, sit and relax with a drink. The town and marina bars stay open until between 12pm and 2am normally and there are a few nightclubs too which close around 4am in the winter months and 6am in the summer months!

Cost of drinks in Lagos

Drink prices will vary depending on the location, bar / restaurant and time of day / night. A good tip is to look out for one of the many Lagos bars with “Happy Hours”! There are several at Lagos Marina which have afternoon promotions (4- 7pm) and in town many of the bars have offers until 9 or 10pm before they get busy

• Wine – can cost anything from 0.75€ to 1,50€ at a local café or Portuguese beach bar to 2,50€ – 3€ elsewhere. If you plan on having more than one, ask for a Jar of house wine (“vinho da casa”) served in 1/4, 1/2 or litre carafe’s which are cheaper than by the glass and can be found in most bars and restaurants. In the supermarket a bottle will start from 1,50€ and in a restaurant 11€.
• Beer – a bottle costs ~2€ and a large beer (“uma caneca”) 3€ – 4€. There are 3 main brands of beer - Sagres, Super Bock and Cristal; Cristal being the cheapest beer at 2.49€ for 6 bottles in the supermarket.
• Cocktails – a great selection can be found in most of the bars at the beach, marina and in town and will cost around 5€ or 6€.
• Spirit and a mixer – these can be found almost everywhere and range from 4€ – 5€. If you prefer light or zero mixers opt for spirts that go with coke as tonic and lemonade can be difficult to find.
• Late bars and clubs – prices will increase after midnight so if you plan to carry on drinking and see the sun come up be prepared to pay a little more.

Food shopping in Lagos

Lagos has a great selection of supermarkets and mini-mercados that stock everything you are going to need! You’ll find all the usual essentials for breakfast, lunch and dinner and fantastic fresh vegetables, fish, meat and deli counters. Vegetarian and vegan options are widely available as are most food allergy groups (Lactose free, gluten free, diabetic) and at very reasonable prices. We’ve provided links to the websites and although they’re in Portuguese, you can find opening hours and see the products and prices. Our top tip is to check the ”folhetos” sections, these are the weekly promotional brochures offering some incredible discounts!

Pingo Doce – There are two branches in Lagos, the large store is near the marina and the other, slightly smaller branch is near the Lidl. Pingo Doce are good on prices all year round and are good for all your shopping needs. Both branches have fresh fish, meat and deli counters, freshly baked bread and good fruit and veg sections. Their “own brand” products are really good value and the health food section has gluten-free, diabetic and vegetarian products (their packets of tofu and seitan are particularly good value).

Intermarché – Stocks a really wide range of products but can be a little more expensive. It caters for all nationalities and dietary needs. You’ll find ingredients for Chinese, Thai and Sushi meals and lots of English condiments and breakfast goodies like baked beans, frozen English sliced bread, bacon, sausages and a good range of coffees and teas. Their wine section includes some international wines as well as Portuguese.

Continente – Has its own range of “Continente” branded products which are a lot cheaper than the well-known equivalents. It has fresh meat, fish and deli counters and a bakery with a particularly good selection of breads and cakes. They also have a range of health foods including diabetic, gluten free and vegetarian and vegan foods.

Aldi – Great prices with a slightly limited selection. Fantastic for bread, dairy, vegetarian/vegan and alcohol.

Lidl – Very good prices although their ranges are a bit limited compared to the bigger supermarkets.

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