Mercado da Ribeira

On the edge of the Tagus at Cais do Sodré, the Mercado da Ribeira has been Lisbon’s great provisioning market since the nineteenth century. Today its iron-vaulted hall holds two worlds under one roof: the traditional market of fresh produce and fish, and a famous food hall where some of the city’s best-known chefs serve their cooking in a lively, informal setting.

History and identity

The market opened in the 1880s, replacing the old riverside markets that had fed the city for centuries, and its position by the river and the ferry docks made it the natural gateway of fresh goods arriving by boat. A fire in 1897 and decades of change followed; in 2014 the building was renewed, keeping the market at its heart while opening the great hall to restaurants and events.

What to find and discover

• The traditional market: fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and flowers from around Lisbon.
• The food hall, with counters from well-known Portuguese chefs.
• The nineteenth-century iron architecture of the great hall.
• Riverside walks along the Tagus and the ferry terminal next door.

Products and specialities

Alongside the daily market produce, the food hall serves the flavours of Portugal — from fish and seafood to cheeses, hams, pastries and wines — in small, varied portions that make a visit easy at any time of day.

Nearby

The market is a short walk from the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado, and the Feira da Ladra and the Mercado de Campo de Ourique are other market stops in the city. And the Museu do Fado sings a few minutes away, in Alfama.

Visiting

The market is at Cais do Sodré, in central Lisbon, easily reached by metro, tram and train. The market hall and food hall keep their own daily hours; check the official website before your visit.

Information: timeoutmarket.com/lisboa (food hall) and cm-lisboa.pt.

Image credit: Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon, by Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.