Time Out Market Lisboa

For a cruise passenger the Time Out Market solves one problem well: lunch for a group that wants different things, fast, with prices on display and no reservations. It also has a clear downside: at peak lunchtime it is loud, crowded and hard to find a seat. The market opened in 2014 in half of the Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon's old central market hall, with counters run by chefs and restaurants selected by Time Out's editors. Getting there from the ship: it is about 2 km west along the flat riverside, around 28 minutes on foot, and the building is opposite Cais do Sodré station. Most people combine it with the Baixa: walk to Praça do Comércio (14 minutes), then on along the Ribeira das Naus promenade. By metro, take the Blue Line from Santa Apolónia to Baixa-Chiado and change to the Green Line for one stop to Cais do Sodré. A taxi takes about 10 minutes. Timing matters more than anything. Doors open at 10:00; the hall is comfortable until about 12:00, and full from roughly 12:30 to 14:30. If you can eat an early lunch at 11:30 or a late one after 14:30, you will find a table without hovering. At busy times, send one person to hold seats while the others order: each counter gives you a pager and you collect your own food. What to eat: Portuguese dishes are the point here, so look for grilled fish, octopus, bifana or prego sandwiches, and a pastel de nata for dessert. Each counter posts its menu and prices; expect restaurant prices rather than market prices. What to skip: the international counters (burgers, pizza, sushi) are not why you came to Lisbon. The older fresh-produce market in the other half of the building is worth a look in the morning, when stalls are open. From Cais do Sodré you can also take the train to Belém or the ferry to Cacilhas, which makes the market a natural lunch stop on a longer port day.