Eating in Portugal is a social ritual, and the language around the table has its own vocabulary that is worth learning early — not only because you will need it the first time you sit down in a tasca in Alfama, but because the words for the most ordinary foods and drinks differ dramatically from what you will hear in Brazil. If you ask for a suco or a café da manhã in Lisbon, you will be understood, but you will be marked immediately as having learned Portuguese from Brazilian sources. This page covers the expressions you will actually need: before, during, and after a meal, plus the specific language of the Portuguese restaurant.
Before eating
The most important phrase at any Portuguese table is Bom apetite! — said by the host, by the waiter, by whoever walks past your table. It has no real English equivalent; "enjoy your meal" is the closest but sounds transactional. In Portuguese it is almost a blessing.
Bom apetite!
Enjoy your meal! (lit. Good appetite!)
Vamos comer? Já está quase tudo pronto.
Shall we eat? It's almost all ready.
A mesa já está posta, podem sentar-se.
The table is set, you can sit down.
Vou ali provar isso, cheira-me a qualquer coisa boa.
I'm going to try some of that — it smells like something good.
Note the construction estar com fome (to be hungry) — Portuguese uses estar com + noun for temporary states where English uses to be + adjective. You are not "hungry"; you are "with hunger". The same pattern produces estar com sede (thirsty), estar com sono (sleepy), estar com frio (cold).
During the meal
As the food arrives and you start eating, a whole cluster of appreciative expressions comes into play. Portuguese speakers are warm about food, and understating a good meal feels rude.
Está delicioso, a sério.
It's delicious, seriously.
Está saboroso, quem fez a marinada?
It's flavorful — who did the marinade?
Isto está divinal, nem tenho palavras.
This is divine, I have no words.
Quero repetir, se ainda sobrar.
I want seconds, if there's any left.
Provas? Está mesmo no ponto.
Want to try? It's cooked just right.
Está bem temperado, não precisa de mais sal.
It's well seasoned, it doesn't need more salt.
Quem quer mais? Ainda há bastante.
Who wants more? There's still plenty.
The phrase estar no ponto is worth memorizing. Literally "to be at the point", it means cooked exactly right — neither underdone nor overdone. A steak no ponto is medium; a pasta no ponto is al dente; a cake no ponto is baked through but still moist. The expression is a compliment to the cook.
Que maravilha! Há quanto tempo que não comia assim.
How wonderful! I haven't eaten like this in ages.
Deus te abençoe a cozinha.
God bless your kitchen. (warm, slightly archaic)
Responding to a host's food
When someone cooks for you in Portugal — especially at home — the expected response is enthusiastic. Polite hedging ("it's fine") reads as disappointment.
Está muito bom, parabéns!
It's really good, congratulations!
Está uma beleza, como sempre.
It's a beauty, as always.
Que bom que está, a receita é sua?
How good this is — is the recipe yours?
A minha mãe faz igual, é o sabor da infância.
My mother makes it the same way — it's the taste of my childhood.
Nunca provei nada tão bom, estou rendida.
I've never tasted anything so good, I'm won over.
After eating
When you are full, Portuguese has a small library of ways to say so, ranging from neutral to comically exaggerated.
Estou cheio, não consigo comer mais nem uma migalha.
I'm full, I can't eat another crumb.
Estou recheada, mas valeu cada garfada.
I'm stuffed, but every forkful was worth it.
Comi como um leão hoje.
I ate like a lion today.
Já não me entra mais nada.
Nothing else fits in me anymore.
Cabe-me ainda um café, isso sim.
I've still got room for a coffee, that yes.
Não repito porque já foram dois pratos, senão continuava.
I won't go back for more because I've already had two servings — otherwise I'd keep going.
Notice cabe-me ainda um café — literally "a coffee still fits in me". This is the clitic pronoun me attached to cabe (3rd person singular of caber, to fit). The structure is classic European Portuguese: the verb comes first, the pronoun hyphenates after it. In Brazil you would hear ainda me cabe um café instead.
In the restaurant
The Portuguese restaurant has its own micro-language, and the phrases are short and formulaic. You will use them on day one.
Faz favor!
Excuse me! (to get the waiter's attention)
Faz favor, pode trazer a conta?
Excuse me, could you bring the bill?
Queria pedir, se faz favor.
I'd like to order, please.
A conta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Já pediram?
Have you already ordered?
Aceitam cartão ou só multibanco?
Do you take credit card or only debit?
Queria uma mesa para dois, se houver.
I'd like a table for two, if there's one available.
Têm menu do dia?
Do you have a daily special menu?
The form faz favor (literally "do me the favor") is the standard way to call a waiter in Portugal — never snap your fingers, never shout garçom! (that is a Brazilianism; in Portugal the waiter is o empregado or a empregada). Faz favor also means "please" in the middle of a sentence: Mais um copo, faz favor.
Note also the use of queria — the imperfect of querer — rather than the present quero. Queria is softer, more polite, the standard way to place an order. Quero um café is not wrong, but it can sound abrupt to a waiter. Queria um café, se faz favor sounds native.
Ordering — the PT-PT words you must know
This is where Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese diverge most sharply. The coffee and beer vocabulary in Portugal is a small world of its own.
| PT-PT term | What it is | Note |
|---|---|---|
| um café | a shot of espresso | The default "coffee" in Portugal |
| uma bica | a shot of espresso | (regional: Lisbon) — synonym for café |
| um cimbalino | a shot of espresso | (regional: Porto) — rare, mostly older speakers |
| um galão | espresso + lots of hot milk, served in a tall glass | Closest to a latte |
| uma meia de leite | espresso + milk, served in a porcelain cup | Half coffee, half milk |
| um abatanado | espresso with extra water, black | Closest to an Americano |
| um descafeinado | decaf espresso | |
| uma imperial | a small draft beer (~0.2L) | (regional: Lisbon/South) |
| um fino | a small draft beer (~0.2L) | (regional: Porto/North) |
| uma mini | a small bottled beer | Uma mini-Sagres = a small Sagres bottle |
| uma caneca | a large mug of draft beer (~0.5L) |
Queria uma imperial e uns pastéis de bacalhau.
I'd like a small draft beer and some cod fritters.
Para mim, um galão escuro e uma torrada mista.
For me, a strong milky coffee and a mixed toast (with ham and cheese).
Dois finos, se faz favor.
Two small draft beers, please. (said in Porto)
Food preferences and restrictions
Portuguese restaurants are increasingly used to dietary requirements, but you still need the vocabulary.
Não como carne, sou vegetariana.
I don't eat meat, I'm vegetarian.
Sou vegan, tem alguma opção sem produtos animais?
I'm vegan — do you have any option without animal products?
Sou intolerante ao glúten.
I'm gluten intolerant.
Não posso comer lácteos, tem leite isso?
I can't eat dairy — does that have milk in it?
Sou alérgica a frutos secos.
I'm allergic to nuts.
Notice frutos secos — literally "dry fruits" — means nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.), not dried fruit. Dried fruit is frutos desidratados or, more commonly, just named individually (passas = raisins, tâmaras = dates).
The PT-PT vs BR vocabulary you must not confuse
The European Portuguese words below are strongly different from Brazilian usage. If you are learning PT-PT, learn these.
| PT-PT | BR equivalent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pequeno-almoço | café da manhã | breakfast |
| almoço | almoço | lunch (same) |
| jantar | jantar | dinner (same) |
| sumo | suco | juice |
| bica / café | cafezinho | espresso |
| imperial / fino | chope / chopp | draft beer |
| empregado/a de mesa | garçom / garçonete | waiter / waitress |
| talheres | talheres | cutlery (same) |
| guardanapo | guardanapo | napkin (same) |
| ementa | cardápio | menu |
| presunto | presunto cru | cured ham (in PT, presunto is always cured; cooked ham is fiambre) |
| fiambre | presunto (cozido) | cooked ham |
| chouriço | linguiça defumada | smoked sausage |
Ao pequeno-almoço, costumo tomar um galão e uma torrada.
For breakfast, I usually have a milky coffee and toast.
Quer um sumo de laranja natural?
Would you like a freshly squeezed orange juice?
A ementa de hoje tem bacalhau à Brás.
Today's menu has bacalhau à Brás.
Common mistakes
❌ Eu estou fome.
Incorrect — Portuguese uses *estar com* + noun for hunger.
✅ Eu estou com fome.
I'm hungry.
❌ Um suco de laranja, por favor.
Incorrect in PT-PT — *suco* is Brazilian; use *sumo*.
✅ Um sumo de laranja, por favor.
An orange juice, please.
❌ Garçom, a conta!
Incorrect in PT-PT — *garçom* is a Brazilianism that will make you stand out immediately.
✅ Faz favor, a conta.
Excuse me, the bill.
❌ Quero um presunto no pão.
Misleading — in Portugal, *presunto* is cured (prosciutto-style) ham. If you want boiled/cooked ham, you need *fiambre*.
✅ Queria uma sandes de fiambre.
I'd like a (cooked) ham sandwich.
❌ Eu gosto muito este vinho.
Incorrect — *gostar* always takes *de*.
✅ Eu gosto muito deste vinho.
I really like this wine.
Key takeaways
Related Topics
- Making Requests in PortugueseA2 — The full PT-PT request continuum — from bare imperatives to very indirect hints, with the critical imperfect-as-politeness (queria, gostava) that service encounters demand.
- Politeness StrategiesA2 — How European Portuguese speakers make requests, soften claims, and preserve face: conditionals, faz favor, diminutives, titles, and the art of avoiding você.
- Responding to ComplimentsA2 — PT-PT cultural norms for accepting, deflecting, or minimising compliments — why a straightforward 'thanks' can sound immodest and how to respond graciously.
- Time ExpressionsA1 — Telling time in European Portuguese — clock time, general time words, frequency, duration, dates, and the PT-PT idioms for 'late at night' and 'running out of time'.