Winning tip: Estremoz market, Alentejo

At this Saturday market old ladies sell whatever is fresh in their vegetable garden and on their fruit trees, and their husbands sell their olive oil, olives and honey. Ask 'Posso provar?' ('Can I try this?'), and everyone will offer you a taste. The market is famous for its cheeses and cured meats. After you've shopped, try Azul (Rua Victor Cordon 39, +351 268 332699), a tiny restaurant near one of the old town gates, serving fish, pork or chicken with homemade chunky bread, fresh olives, chips and salad for around €5.
Vengala

Algarve

Casinha do Petisco, Lagos
Our daughter in Lagos proudly brought us here on the day we met the boyfriend. Tucked away in the mazy old town, the restaurant's name means little house of delicious morsels. The tables cosy up to a cooking area where the blur of white is chef Luis. The fare is traditional Algarve, and Luis's special is his cataplana – steamed amêijoas (clams), chouriço sausage, pork, tomato and potato. You may need to queue at busy times. Thank you, Phoebe and Alberto.
Rua da Oliveira 51, +351 282 084285
APeterGill

Taverna do Guedes, Alvor
This rustic, traditional restaurant is the place to be if you want a real taste of the Algarve. It is situated just off the main street and never fails with its sparkling fresh fish, relaxed friendly staff and great prices. The service is excellent and I recommend the fish cataplana. Don't go if you want to dine privately because you can end up sharing a bench, but for me this adds to the experience.
Rua dos pescadores 25, +351 282 458528
Katieislike96

O Sítio do Rio, Aljezur
I was introduced to this restaurant by a holiday romance. He insisted it was the best place for seafood in Portugal – and he was right. The fantastic but cheap food kept me here all evening, as well as the good selection of wines. It has a great atmosphere with a fantastic view of the coast. I recommend it to anyone interested in freshly caught seafood – a truly traditional Portuguese meal.
Estrada da Praia da Bordeira, Carrapateira, +351 282 973119
KaySmythe

Chicca's, Luz
Finding tasty and interesting food in the Algarve is a challenge, especially with a vegetarian friend to satisfy. Discovering Chicca's has therefore been a turning point. The host relishes presenting the wonderfully prepared dishes as much as we enjoy eating them. They are fresh, seasonal, mostly organic, and so divine it's difficult to choose and impossible not to return.
Rua da Varzea 3, +351 282 761334, pastelariachiccaluz.com
Jjbones

Lisbon region

Lisbon Sardine Festival
During Lisbon's main festival in June, the warren of streets in Alfama come to life after dark, with lanterns, streamers and makeshift restaurants on every corner serving the local speciality – grilled sardines. There is a wonderful atmosphere, and the air is filled with music and fragrant smoke. The freshly grilled sardines, served simply with bread and salad, are delicious. Wash them down with sangria or beer, get lost in the crowd and dance the night away.
Jaynemoobs

A Marisqueira, Vila Franca de Xira
Probably the best marisqueira (seafood restaurant) in the region is in this small city 24km north-east of Lisbon. It serves a wonderful sapateira (brown crab). Try the amêijoas à Bulhão Pato too – some of the best clams in Portugal – and the typically Iberian percebes (goose barnacles). Everything is fresh and cooked to perfection. It isn't touristy and isn't open every day, so call first.
Rua Almeida Garrett 24/6, +351 263 242740, restauranteamarisqueira.pai.pt
Trabucho

Olivier Restaurante, Lisbon
We spent Easter in Lisbon which is full of fabulous places to eat, but the best was our splash out meal at Olivier. By Lisbon standards it's pricey, but compared with a similar meal in London, it's a bargain. I had melt-in-the-mouth buttered fish, my plus-one had a perfectly cooked steak. We had decent wine and the best crêpes suzettes ever. Treat yourself if you're in Lisbon!
Rua do Alecrim 23, +351 21 342 29 16, restaurante-olivier.com
tinav1

Confeitaria Marquês de Pombal, Lisbon
Despite the bilingual menu, this isn't tourist food – our fellow diners are ageing tango partners and Benfica FC's faithful, fortifying themselves for the night to come. A poached egg floats on a raft of toast, in a broth teeming with scallions. Rupture it and watch the yolk form into little pebbles, bumping against globes of olive oil. Salt cod is muscular and tarry from the overhead grill, the vegetables glinting in garlic butter. As it is a padaria or bakery by day, dessert can be chosen from the luminous cases of pastries and sponges around the bar.
244 Avenida de Liberdade, +351 213 562362
Zartherb

Terra Restaurante Natural, Lisbon
Vegan-friendly, organic, international, Portugese, gourmet, salad bar, buffet, juice bar, beer/wine, take-out … Terra, meaning earth, serves vegetarian meals made from mostly organic ingredients with many vegan options. The kitchen relies on the riches of ethnic vegetarian cuisine of the east as well as Portuguese and Mediterranean ingredients. Specialities are presented in a buffet, consisting of dishes like sushi, curry, veggie kebabs, salads and vegetarian versions of traditional Portuguese dishes. It also serves natural juices, bio soft drinks, beer, Mevushal and non-Mevushal kosher wine, and desserts. Set in a charming old building with a private garden, eat inside the cosy restaurant or alfresco in the shadow of century-old trees, sometimes with live music. English spoken. Also a shop selling fair-trade artifacts, bio snacks, incense, handcrafted soaps.
Rua da Palmeira 15, +351 213 421407, restauranteterra.pt/English
Barbieahearn

Porto

Restaurante Ora Viva
A quirky little restaurant down a tiny alleyway not far from the waterfront. You will be pleasantly surprised by this little gem, which doesn't even try to compete with the tourist restaurants along the seafront. It doesn't need to! Location and size it may not have, but it makes up for that with huge portions of authentic Portuguese dishes served by friendly and happy staff. If you love dining with the locals, then take this diversion off the tourist trail.
Rua da Fonte Taurina 83, +351 222 052033, oraviva.pt.vu
Pmartini