Cooking for one in Lisbon

If you are just starting cooking for one: Start slowly

Find out where to get the best ingredients in your area. I shop for many things in my neighbourhood, Campo de Ourique but I will go to other neighbourhoods for special goodies.

Choose simple recipes

Keep it simple!

Food shopping for one

Buy smaller quantities.

Search for the freshest produce.

Buy organic when you can.

Lisbon has the best food markets, grocery stores, and supermarkets.  You can get organic food and all sorts of delicious things in most places.

My favourite food stores in Lisbon

Sabor is in Campo de Ourique, it has organic veggies, fresh eggs, fantastic French butter and cheese, excellent jams, broth and so much more.

Campo de Ourique market has two great butchers, seafood, lots of veggies, local cheeses, restaurants and more.

My favourite bakery: Lully

Most neighbourhoods in Lisbon will have their own markets and special little stores, so research your area and enjoy your market!

Supermarkets in Lisbon

Special wines, food and meats and fish:

El Corte Inglés has the best supermarket and if you are looking for fantastic wine, exotic cheeses, pastas and more you must go to the 7th floor.

Great supermarkets throughout the city:

Pinto Doçe

Continente

Auchan

Challenges of shopping for one in Lisbon

The biggest challenge of shopping food for one is buying the correct amount and sticking to your shopping list.  

The herbs, veggies and meats are so fresh and it’s tempting to buy extra for the week.

I learned to shop for smaller quantities and go to the markets more often. 

Shopping for food in Europe is different than from the US. The refrigerators are smaller (in general) so don’t over buy.  

Back to cooking for one in Lisbon: Remember that you are cooking for one and you can only eat so much!

Should you change your way of eating to adapt to how people eat in Lisbon?

Yes, up to a point.

It’s easier to adapt then to be upset because you can’t find the ingredients you used at home!

Find out how the Portuguese cook their fish, veggies and meat.  Adopt the things you like best, change others and create your own recipes.

Things I have adopted from the Portuguese cuisine

• I use a lot more olive oil in all my dishes since moving to Lisbon. 
• The fish and meats have less heavy sauces and are more about enhancing the natural flavours. I love freshly squeezed lemon juice on my fish.
• I add more cilantro and parsley to some dishes.
• More baking and less frying or sautéing.

Setting the table for one

When I cook for myself I make my table setting festive, I work on the food presentation and I create a lovely mood for myself. 

When you eat alone, the table has to look lovely.

Many people place the essentials on the table, sit down and eat too fast.

Make your meals special and treat yourself better than you treat your guests.

Place a tablecloth on the table or fun placemats. Use cloth napkins. Use lovely wine and water glasses.

Your water needs to be gorgeous and tasty. Add slices of lemon, mint ice cubes. Or stack a few slices of cucumber and add lemon slices.

Flowers are crucial when you are cooking for one and eating solo

Always put flowers or a plant on the table.

Buy a few small potted flowers and place them in the middle of the table or create a funky arrangement with colorful flowers. Make an arrangement with different branches. 

Choosing a recipe

I used to follow a recipe for four people and then freeze the leftovers. I would forget the frozen dishes and overload my small freezer.

I plan for one and shop for one now!

I choose recipes from books and I usually change ingredients.

I get ideas for recipes from restaurants and then tweak them to my taste.

My cooking for one inspirations

Samin Nosrat

New York Times has fantastic recipes. 

Ottolenghi

Deliciously Ella

Milk Street

America’s Test Kitchen 

David Leibovitz

You never know where your next best meal is coming from so keep a notebook with recipes and ideas that people share with you and save everything your find interesting.

Eating alone, with intention

Let’s face it, eating alone can be tedious.

I have read many articles and books that state that we should turn off our phones, TV, and computers while we eat. I don’t.

That is true, and it’s a great idea, however I don’t do that. Sometimes I listen to music or I may watch a murder mystery film.

I like entertainment while I eat.

Cooking Adventures

I dive into different cooking adventures a few times a year.

It’s summer, it’s hot and there is a heatwave every other day. My meals are smaller than during other seasons.

During a heat wave, I may have homemade cold Spanish Salmorejo soup along with baked fish, fruit, bubbly water and that is it!

I eat a lot of fish, meats and veggies.

Summer is melon season in Portugal and they have the most amazing melons here so sometimes I’ll have a whole melon for dinner.

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Updated July 2025

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