The landscape of Portuguese gastronomy isn’t complete without a certain sautéed, peanut-coated, and lovingly seasoned African touch. Colorful traces of Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) Africa—which includes Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, and São Tomé e Príncipe—can be found across the country, as people from the former colonies have migrated to Portugal with their culinary secrets in tow. As with most diasporic traditions around the world, these immigrants have created spaces where a sense of home could be accessed through food—and they range from street-food stands to stylish restaurants, with Ankara print in the place of table cloths, and Afrobeat and Amapiano music spilling out onto the city streets.
But humble or extravagant, an African dining experience in Lisbon is a distinct reminder of the many African communities who call this place home. Read on to find the most delicious African meals in Lisbon, from Cape Verdean cachupa eaten over Creole conversations and blaring morna rhythms, to Mozambican crab curry from an award-winning chef in the Mouraria neighborhood.
Mambo
The place to indulge in Fela Kuti-infused evenings while leaning over a plate of something tangy, Mambo is prettily perched on Green Street (Rua da Silva), one of the most scenic alleyways in Lisbon and offers modern twists on Senegalese and Angolan favorites. Though this trendy eatery is tucked in a neighborhood with a strong history of diaspora settlement, Mambo is one of the few African-owned restaurants in the Santos area—but owners Gil Silva, and Duda and Mamadou Faty hope there will be more in the future. Here you’ll find one of the city’s most coveted plates of mafe (a stew with peanuts and tomatoes as the key flavors, absorbed by meat or vegetables), and an enviable record collection to match. There are also gluten-free and plant-based options, making the menu fresh and exciting while staying true to its African roots.
Where to find it: Rua da Silva n8
Casa Mocambo
If your artsy, pan-African grandparents opened up their living room and turned it into a restaurant, it might look something like Casa Mocambo. Owner Mafalda Nunes created the space in the name of the first African neighborhood in Europe to honor the original mocambo (meaning “place of refuge” in Ubuntu). With African art all over the walls and a plethora of well-watered plants, the restaurant is easily one of Lisbon’s most choice eateries for a laidback Sunday dinner with Luso-Fusion staples. The menu includes fried fish with black beans, vegetables, and fried plantain; pork with shrimp and sweet potato; and the famous vegetarian mocambo (grilled sweet potato with black beans, vegetables, and mouth-wateringly good okra). Downstairs, local African and Afro-Brazilian artists play live samba. Consider this the ideal place to fill up after climbing the steep hill of Rua do Vale de Santo António.
Where to find it: R. do Vale de Santo António 122A
Sofia’s Place
Let Sofia’s Place show you the best of Cape Verdean and Portuguese cuisine, with hints of Brazilian, Cuban, and other Caribbean flavors. Located in São Bento, it’s a hit for the atmosphere as much as it is for the food. Since opening in early 2022, it has earned its place in the community as the spot to eat, drink, and dance. Ana Sofia Lopes’ desire to create a community where the African diaspora felt welcomed and well-represented manifested not only in the restaurant’s creative menu, but also on Diaspora Fridays when tables are moved aside for dancing to their top-tier music selection. Before hitting the dance floor, tuck into legumes à brás (vegatables cooked with a base of onions, garlic, and potatoes, and held together with scrambled eggs), bife de atum grelhado (grilled tuna), and the classically adored moamba de galinha (chicken stew).
