Tis Me Michelle

When I travel, I love to eat like the locals eat. I also just love to eat in general if you couldn’t tell from my overall content. Earlier this year I planned a trip to Portugal with my oldest? earliest? best friend! We met in pre-school and have been friends ever since! This was the first trip we took together and it was a good one!

Before going to a new place I look up all the ‘best’, ‘local’, ‘hidden gem’ restaurants and coffee shops. Sometimes there are great options and sometimes walking into a random place is just where the magic happens. As much as I like to do the preliminary research, I love asking drivers or locals I bump into what their recs are. The Time Out Market showed up on all the searches I’d done and our driver from the airport had recommended it to us.

It was a quick walk from the Airbnb we were staying at – if you are interested in trip details – let me know in the comments. The concept is great being a large food hall with many options for you to try. You can find Time Out Markets in many major cities.

The one in Lisbon was kind of overwhelming because we had to go to each stand to look at the menu and figure out if we were interested. We of course wanted to parooze a decent amount to see our options. My friend is vegetarian, and she’s always accommodating to what’s available, but it was a little harder to find something that sounded interesting. Taking a look at the overall map, I know that we both got something from the back stalls – somewhere in the 9-13 area. Unfortunately, I don’t recall specifically which one I ordered from, because eventually we just had to make a decision.

I ultimately got a seafood risotto dish. I’m a fan of seafood but don’t usually opt for seafood pasta and such. There was a bit of a wait for the food, but it was also a huge hall that was bustling with people. Once you order you get a buzzer so you can go find a spot to sit, grab a drink, or you know check out what else you could order. I was pleasantly surprised, the dish came out hot and bright, citrusy and the seafood tasted very fresh. The proportion was also substantial, by the time I was halfway through I was full. As bright and citrusy as it was, risotto is still on the creamy heavy side.

For a first dish in Portugal, this was a win. I don’t recall what my friend ordered, but she seemed to enjoy it as well. I wouldn’t say this was my favorite meal of the trip, but I do understand the draw. Even though I think Time Out Market is a bit on the touristy side, I think it’s a great way to experience many different restaurants, some being more authentic than others. Right outside the market is a pastel de nata shop that I loved!

A standout during the whole trip, and ultimately one of the reasons we chose Portugal, was the affordability. Even a very bougie meal, which if I can figure out what the place was called I’ll create a review, was still incredibly affordable. Note we ordered a meal & drink at most places, so we weren’t being particularly stingy either. The only thing we regret wasn’t staying a few more days. We would both return to Portugal, for the food and culture.

Rating: 7/10