Portugal is one of Europe’s great seafood destinations — but navigating a Portuguese restaurant menu can be daunting if you don’t speak the language. This guide gives you everything you need: a full fish and seafood translation table, the must-try dishes, how to order, and what to watch out for on the bill.
🐟 Fish & Seafood Translation Table
Use this table to decode any Portuguese menu. Where relevant, notes highlight the most iconic or important items.
Portuguese
English
Notes
Bacalhau
Cod (salt-dried)
⭐ Portugal’s national dish — said to have 365 recipes, one for every day of the year
Sardinha
Sardine
🗓️ Best June–September, grilled whole (sardinhas assadas) — a summer tradition
Robalo
Sea bass
Popular, mild flavour — great for those new to Portuguese fish
Dourada
Gilt-head bream
Often grilled (grelhada) or baked with potatoes
Besugo
Sea bream
Similar to dourada; common in northern Portugal
Sargo
White sea bream (porgy)
Lighter and cheaper than dourada
Pargo
Red snapper / sea bream
Baked whole with garlic and olive oil — a classic
Linguado
Sole
Delicate white fish, often pan-fried in butter
Pescada
Hake
Very common and affordable; mild taste
Tamboril
Monkfish
Dense, meaty texture — often in cataplana stews
Atum
Tuna
Fresh tuna steaks are popular in the Algarve and Madeira
Peixe espada
Scabbard fish
⭐ Madeira’s signature fish — long, black, deep-sea; usually fried with banana
Espadarte
Swordfish
Firm, meaty steak — great on the grill
Salmonete
Red mullet
Small, flavourful; usually grilled whole
Carapau / Cavala
Mackerel (horse / Atlantic)
Cheap, tasty, often grilled or smoked
Salmão
Salmon
Less traditional — farmed and widely available
Cherne
Wreckfish / grouper
Premium fish; expensive but excellent baked whole
Safio
Conger eel
Used in caldeirada (fish stew)
Moreia
Moray eel
Rare on menus; a regional speciality
🦑 Seafood Translation Table
Portuguese
English
Notes
Polvo
Octopus
⭐ A Portuguese staple — try polvo à lagareiro (roasted with olive oil & garlic)
Lula
Squid
Grilled (grelhada) or fried (frita); also stuffed (recheada)
Choco
Cuttlefish
Grilled or in rice dishes; popular in Setúbal region
Camarão
Prawn
Often served sizzling in garlic butter (camarão à guilho)
Gambas
King prawns
Larger than camarão; usually grilled or in rice
Lagosta
Lobster
💰 Premium price — ask the price before ordering
Lagostim
Langoustine / Dublin Bay prawn
💰 Also expensive; served grilled or in rich rice (arroz de lagostins)
Percebes
Goose barnacles
💰⭐ A prized Portugese delicacy — harvested from Atlantic cliffs; pricey but unique
Sapateira
Large crab
Often served stuffed (sapateira recheada) as a starter
Carangueijo
Crab (small)
Used in soups and rice dishes
Ameijoa
Clam
⭐ Try ameijoas à Bulhão Pato — clams in white wine, garlic & coriander
Conquilha
Small wedge clam
Sweet, tiny; common in Algarve seafood rice
Mexilhão
Mussel
Cheap and plentiful; steamed or in rice
Ostra
Oyster
🗓️ Best October–April; Setúbal and Algarve are top spots
Lingueirão
Razor clam
Grilled with garlic and lemon — simple and delicious
Berbigão
Cockle
Often sautéed in garlic and olive oil
Búzio
Whelk
Served boiled, eaten with a toothpick
🍽️ Top 5 Fish Dishes Every Tourist Should Try
Bacalhau à Brás — Shredded salted cod scrambled with thin-cut fried potatoes and eggs, topped with black olives. A comfort food classic found everywhere.
Sardinhas assadas (June–September) — Chargrilled whole sardines served on thick bread to catch the juices. The smell of sardines on a street grill is the scent of a Portuguese summer.
Polvo à lagareiro — Slow-cooked octopus drizzled with lashings of top-quality olive oil and crushed garlic. Surprisingly tender.
Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato — Clams steamed open in white wine, garlic, lemon and fresh coriander. Best eaten with crusty bread to mop up the broth.
Caldeirada — A rustic fish stew with layers of mixed fish, potatoes, peppers and tomato. Every cook has their own version.
🔥 How Fish Is Cooked: Key Menu Terms
Portuguese menus often describe the cooking method rather than the dish name. Here are the most common terms:
Portuguese
English
Grelhado/a
Grilled
Assado/a
Roasted / baked
Cozido/a
Boiled
Frito/a
Fried
No forno
Oven-baked
Na cataplana
Cooked in a traditional copper clam-shell pot
Arroz de…
…rice (e.g. arroz de polvo = octopus rice)
Açorda de…
Bread-based soupy stew with seafood
💬 Useful Phrases for Ordering in a Restaurant
What you want to say
Portuguese
Pronunciation
What fish do you have today?
Que peixe têm hoje?
keh PAY-sh tame OH-zheh
What do you recommend?
O que recomenda?
oo keh reh-koo-MEN-dah
How much does this cost?
Quanto custa isto?
KWAHN-too KOOSH-tah EESH-too
I’d like the grilled sea bass
Queria o robalo grelhado
keh-REE-ah oo roh-BAH-loo greh-LYAH-doo
Is it fresh or frozen?
É fresco ou congelado?
eh FRESH-koo oh kon-zheh-LAH-doo
I’m allergic to shellfish
Sou alérgico/a a marisco
soh ah-LEHR-zhee-koo ah mah-REESH-koo
The bill, please
A conta, por favor
ah KON-tah poor fah-VOR
💰 Price Guide: What to Watch Out For
Fish in Portugal is generally excellent value — but a few items can surprise you on the bill:
Percebes (goose barnacles) are one of the most expensive foods in Portugal, sometimes €30–50 per 100g. Always ask the price first.
Lagosta (lobster) and lagostins (langoustines) are often priced by weight — check before ordering.
Cherne (wreckfish) is a premium fish and pricier than most.
Many restaurants charge a couvert (bread, butter, olives brought to the table automatically) — you can refuse it if you don’t want it.
Look for the “prato do dia” (dish of the day) — usually the freshest fish at the best price.
Leave a Reply