Lisbon’s Best Poke Restaurants


 

Poke is slowly creeping into the Lisbon restaurant scene. Portugal is already a big consumer of seafood, so it was only a matter of time before this dish found its way onto the Med shores.

Poke is a dish of Hawaiian origin. The word poke actually means cube of fish, and came about when the fishermen used to find bits of leftover raw fish on the floors of the boats.

by Jonathan Borba – Unsplash

After encountering some Japanese inspiration, poke bowls became an overnight sensation, featuring cubes of raw fish, grain bases, and vegetable toppings mixed with tangy marinades & sauces. The concept usually requires a build-your-own experience.

There isn’t an abundance of places in which to enjoy poke in Lisbon as of yet, it is still very much a developing trend. There are about three specialized poke restaurants around the city center and then a handful of places that offer a poke bowl as a menu option.

Poké House in Lisbon

This little cafe has a soft spot in my consumer heart in Lisbon. It sits on the main road (and incline) between where Bairro Alto meets Chiado, just behind the Teatro in Chiado .

I love Poke House for the simple reason that their opening hours are reliable and their food is consistently good, and almost always served with a smile.

This is a build-your-own poke concept bar, with a few ready made bowls on the menu for those who are a bit more indecisive. You’ll work one on one with one of the staff to walk down the line of ingredients and build your bowl from base upward.

Poké Bowls in Lisbon – by Poké Bowls – Uploaded by them

Their marinades are some of the best I’ve found in Lisbon, they even have a ceviche flavored one on offer made with fresh limes. It’s fantastic along with the rice and veggies.

The bowls are also reasonably priced as is their acai bowl as a sweet treat option. Poke House is available on most of the delivery apps that cover Lisbon, so you can order it directly to your home as well.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday – 10am to 11pm
ADDRESS: R. Tierno Galvan 4, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal
METRO STATION: Rato

Big Fish Poke in Lisbon

Big Fish Poke is another poke focused restaurant further south, close to the Tagus water.

The build-your-own concept still applies here, but the dining setting is a lot more formal than the fast-food cafe mentioned previously.

Here, you’ll settle in for a formal eating experience for either lunch or dinner. A server will take your order once you’ve chosen from the menu of ingredients and your bowl will be prepared by a chef in the kitchen.

Big Fish Poke – by Big Fish Poke – Uploaded by them

It takes this usually “fast-food” oriented concept to a more slow paced dining experience, one that can be accompanied by cocktails and some delicious desserts and starters.

This poke is not unreasonably priced despite the far more upmarket setting. All in all this is a great spot for a night out with a date or with family — kids love creating poke bowls from scratch!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 12am
ADDRESS: R. Moeda 1G, 1200-275 Lisboa, Portugal
METRO STATION: Cais do Sodré

Bowls&Bar in Lisbon

Bowls&Bar is further west of the city center and isn’t a poke restaurant per say, but they do have a lot of options that relate to the cuisine.

This is a wonderful brunch and lunch spot, popular amongst both locals and tourists. Their creative bowls incorporate a lot of fresh fish and vegetables in poke style. You won’t be able to build your own, you’ll only have the choice of the bowls on their menu.

Bowls&Bar in Lisbon – by Bowls&Bar – Uploaded by them

Their salmon and seared tuna bowls are the most popular poke dishes on the menu. They will, however, cater to vegans should the fish need to be removed and replaced with additional vegetables.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday – 9am to 6pm
ADDRESS: R. de São Bento 51, 1200-815 Lisboa, Portugal
METRO STATION: Santos

Sushi Shop in Lisbon

When it comes to raw fish, where better to find it than in an authentic sushi restaurant?

Sushi Shop is in Cais do Sodré in Lisbon south, just one block from the famous Time Out Market on the edge of the Tagus.

This is another spot that doesn’t necessarily put all its focus on poke, but has made a strong effort in incorporating the dish into the menu. They offer a standard poke bowl that can be made with your choice of either salmon or tuna, though I’m sure they would be happy to do crab or any of the other fresh sushi fish on offer if you asked.

Sushi Shop in Lisbon – by Sushi Shop – Uploaded by them

If you’ve done a free guided walking tour through this part of the city you’ll know that even though seafood is abundant on these streets, sushi dining really is not! Sushi Shop is one of the only spots where visitors can enjoy raw fish, instead of having to eat the traditional Portuguese cooking every day.

Another thing I find great about eating poke in a sushi restaurant is that it makes it a lot easier to dine with big groups of people. Since poke is a very new concept in the culinary world some people are still quite aversive to the bowls; they know and trust raw fish as sushi, and they’d like to keep it that way. Sushi Shop caters to everyone.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 12am
ADDRESS: Praça Dom Luís i 30, 1200-152 Lisboa, Portugal
METRO STATION: Cais do Sodré

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