Slow Food Lisbon & Cultural Tour: Alfama, Mouraria & Baixa
Description
Awarded Best Gastronomic Project by Turismo de Portugal (2024) and Best Portugal & Spain Cultural Project by Prémios Ibéricos (2023). This intimate food experience takes you through the historic neighborhoods of Alfama, Mouraria & Baixa to discover the flavors, stories & communities that shape Lisbon today, told through 4 long-standing family-run establishments. Along the way, taste dishes most visitors never encounter — from generous cuts of premium cod (not cod cakes) to full Mozambican specialties (not pastries, or Brás) reflecting the city’s multicultural identity. Also, selected DOP products & specialties sourced from small Portuguese producers (Bísaro ham, artisanal cheeses, chorizo, octopus & seasonal seafood). Limited to just 10 guests. Beyond standard tastings. Offers meaningful encounters, hidden taverns & on selected days, exclusive dishes prepared only for our guests. Curated by a Lisbon native and passionate food lover since 2017. Slow food with a sense of place!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We begin our journey going back in time from Baixa, Lisbon’s 'modern' downtown district rebuilt after the devastating 18th-century earthquake. Here, we unravel how the earthquake reshaped not only the city’s architecture, but also introduced surprisingly modern urban ideas for its time. At one of the last food stops of this kind — a historic establishment open since 1890 — we will taste carefully selected DOP products and specialties sourced from small Portuguese producers, including the unique Bísaro ham, awarded artisanal cheese, artisanal bread and marmelade, paired with a Tawny Porto wine.
Our journey then continues into the narrow streets and Mouraria hill, one of Lisbon’s oldest and most fascinating neighborhoods, shaped by centuries of history since the 12th century. Across two carefully curated food stops, enjoy full Mozambican specialties that reflect Lisbon’s food multicultural identity — beyond the small pastries usually served — alongside a generous cut of tender, juicy premium cod prepared exclusively for our groups, rather than tasting shredded cod, used in cod cakes or Cod à Brás. While we love these recipes, we believe that the premium cut is the fairest and most honest way to allow travelers to truly experience the texture, flavor, and quality of one of Portugal’s most iconic ingredients. We step into local taverns that visitors would hardly find, to discover not only the flavors of the neighborhood, but also the stories, migrations, traditions, and communities that continue to shape it today. Total walking time: 30mn Seated time: 60 mn
With our bellies ready for another short walk, we walk downhill toward the river and into Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood. At our final stop — a historic tavern, carved into the city’s ancient walls — we step into an almost medieval atmosphere where a generous selection of 'petiscos' awaits: traditional flammed chorizo, artisanal cheeses, octopus, seasonal seafood specialties, among others, alongside selected local wines from small Portuguese producers or non-alcoholic alternatives. And because our four-hour Portuguese slow food tour journey couldn't end without something sweet, desserts and coffee become the perfect way to gently close our journey back in time! Along the way, we uncover the foundations of Lisbon itself, from the Roman period through the Arab influence. As we wander through its maze of narrow streets guests discover how this part of the city was designed both for defense and to better withstand Lisbon’s summer heat.
Oh! My Cod MANIFESTO Created in 2017 by Silvia Olivença — a Lisbon native born in Alfama, trained in Clinical Psychology and holding a PhD in Medical Anthropology — this experience was never designed as a conventional food tour. All these shops and restaurants and family-run establishments included along the journey are places that have been part of Silvia’s own life since adolescence, long before tourism transformed Lisbon. Several had never worked with tours before becoming part of this project, helping shape a more intimate, human, and culturally grounded approach to food tourism in the city over the past decade. Deeply influenced by anthropology, diversity, and human connection, Oh! My Cod tours works with gastronomy in an eclectic and holistic approach, as a medium to narrate several voices, cultures, generations and different perspectives – namely the subversive ones – through immersive experiences and human encounters, where we all (including you!) become cultural narrators.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Suitable to Vegetarians/Keto/Celiac/Pescatarians/No-Dairy
- If you have any of these dietary restriction or any allergy, kindly INFORM us at least 36h BEFORE the experience starts! Thank you.
- NOT suitable for Vegans (if you are a group with more than 6 people, contact us for a tailored food and cultural vegan experience)
- All ages are welcome from 0 to 100 years old (our oldest guest was 96 yo!). Consider that we need to climb some stairs (approx 50) in the medieval city and that we walk 2.5km (1.6 miles), with 4 food stops in between. The perfect balance between walking, seating & eating. Bring comfortable shoes, to walk on Lisbon cobblestones, during your stay in Lisbon :)
- Oh! My Cod Tour company has been awarded Best Gastronomic Project by Turismo de Portugal (2024). Best Portugal & Spain Cultural Project by Prémios Ibérico (2023)
Reviews(1,474)
Everyone said this was “the best night in Lisbon!” Rodrigo was so knowledgeable and kind. My kids, husband and I all had a great time. We all learned and tried something new! Thank you so much!!!
First walking tour with Marina and Pablo of Lisbon! Incredible experience that will be a must anytime I travel. It ticked all my boxes, met friendly tourists and locals, we all got to bond over the shared cuisine, tasty variety of food and learned many things about Lisbon, its history, architecture, cuisine and people. Many laughs, smiles, nods of approval at tasty samplings. If they have other tours I would definitely do another! Highly recommend, Marina and Pablo were great tour guides who I wish all the best!
Great introduction to Lisbon! Marina was incredibly knowledgeable and excited to welcome our small group. Each stop had something new and interesting. Be prepared for a decent amount of walking and inclines but nothing too strenuous.
Marina is an outstanding tour guide, and I’m so glad I booked this small-group tour. A Lisbon native, she shares her deep knowledge of the neighborhoods and their history—along with her love of the local cuisine—with warmth and enthusiasm. At each stop, we enjoyed tastings of Portuguese delicacies paired with engaging stories about their origins: where the ingredients come from, how the dishes are prepared, and why they’re central to everyday Portuguese life. Every step with Marina felt like peeling back a new layer of Lisbon’s rich cultural mix and vibrant flavors, revealing what makes the city so magical. I highly recommend this tour and can’t wait to return to Lisbon for another experience with Marina.
Our guid, Livia, provided us with a wonderful food tour into some very interesting areas. The food and wine were delicious, particularly the little Mozambican restaurant. We would recommend Livia’s tour. She knows Portuguese food, wine and culture!
What a fabulous tour - not too slow and not too fast, great mix of history and culture, everything was so delicious!
We had an amazing food tour with Marina. The tour is paced very well, with a good amount of walking to balance all the eating! We learned some fascinating Lisbon history as we explored. Most exciting for me was that they could accommodate my strict gluten free diet due to my Celiac Disease. Marina was very mindful and confirmed everything was safe for me to eat. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Lisbon, especially early on in your trip because you will learn suggestions for other places to check out on your own!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're truly delighted that you chose and trusted us. We work hard to be as inclusive as possible and always strive to provide the best options for all dietary requirements, so it means a lot to know that you felt safe and fully included throughout the experience. We hope our recommendation email with additional suggestions was helpful and that you had the chance to enjoy some of them! Thank you once again for your recommendation and for choosing our tour to introduce you to Lisbon. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you ever come back to Portugal!
It’s a great way to get to know the city , food , wine and way of life . Rodrigo was very friendly , knowledgeable and helpful . The choice of restaurants were clearly carefully made & fave us a broad experience . I would recommend the tour at the beginning of a trip to Lisbon to be orientated to the different neighbourhoods . 10/10
Hi Allison! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience with our host Rodrigo! We take great pride in introducing only family-owned businesses that offer truly authentic experiences, which can be harder to find. Thank you so much for choosing us to introduce you to the heart of Lisbon!
Okay, I have only fabulous things to say about my tour with Marina, 17 Tastings Lisbon Tour last June. I am telling you Marina took us to out-of-the-way neighborhood local restaurants in the crevices of Lisbon. I use the term "restaurant" loosely as these were small, very old treasures. Probably not in the Rick Steves guides, no offense intended. When in Portugal I had recently done a food tour in Porto -- fun, good, liked the guide, really liked those on the tour. But, truly, I don't remember the food so much. On the tour with Marina, every stop had an oh-my-god experience. Not kidding. A full month later I still think about some of those tastes. So, Yes, O! My Cod tours -- go for for it. Oh, and ask for Marina.
What a joy to read your review — thank you! We absolutely loved hearing that some of those flavours stayed with you long after your trip. That's exactly what we hope for when we curate our experiences: introducing our guests to the hidden places, authentic family-run businesses and stories that make Lisbon so special. Marina will be delighted to hear your kind words. We feel incredibly lucky to have such passionate hosts, all carefully selected and trained by the Oh! My Cod team to share our vision and create memorable experiences for every guest. Thank you once again for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another delicious adventure, whether in mainland Portugal or the Azores!
Great tour! Tour guide Marina was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The tour does require lots of walking so wear comfortable shoes.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Your recommendation means a lot to us and we look forward to the possibility of hosting you again in Lisbon or the Azores islands, where we do culinary trips and gastronomic experiences!
