Percebes were fine. Fried Octopus - we ordered because recommended by a waiter and a customer. But it was a let down. First of all, probably it's a mistake to order a "fried" octopus. The batter was soft, octopus was chewy. The bread broth comes with it did nothing. Sardine was off season so it was our mistake to order it. It was huge but a bit overcooked. Anyways we wasn't an enjoyable meal, especially right after we ate at Churrasqueira da Paz. read more

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The line of people for Zapata was out the door! We had to put our name on a list and stick nearby to make sure we had a table! Waited about 45 minutes and were seated in the very back of the restaurant, which was much bigger than we initially thought. We were very close to other tables which was a bit concerning, but I take into consideration Portugal residents were more amenable to vaccinations than US citizens. Ordering was easy, I got a super bock beer and bacalhau. The food came out quickly enough and the bacalhau was delicious as usual but was in a deconstructed form. This may actually be how it comes and I've just had a different version I think is the original. Who knows? It's been very good every time I've had it, regardless of restaurant. Zapata was cool, just make sure you have time to waste at a restaurant. read more

Zapata Restaurante - Bacalhau - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

I really enjoyed Zapata. It was super close to my Airbnb, which made it convenient, and had I stayed in the neighborhood longer, I likely would have returned for dinner. I arrived at opening time, without a reservation, on a Wednesday evening. As a solo diner, I was able to be seated immediately. Staff were friendly and efficient and the prices here are reasonable. It had a been a long day of travel and I was starving, so I ordered the bread, garlic shrimp, grouper, and of course, wine. My white wine was light and paired well with my seafood-based meal. The bread was delicious with a nice crust. Shrimp was perfectly cooked and super garlicky, which I loved. The simply grilled grouper was fresh and good, though I found the vegetables underseasoned (I was able to rectify that). Zapata is not huge, but it is a pretty restaurant in my favorite Lisbon neighborhood, and I'd gladly returned for a delicious, hearty meal. read more

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A local seafood favorite-- fresh fish, squid, and everything else, perfectly cooked to preserve the natural flavor. Our top favorite is the traditional cod fish dish, so delicious. It uses the local traditional salted cod fish mixed with eggs and shredded potatoes, which brings out the best of fish. The flavor is enhanced by some crispy pan fried potato strings in this mix-- so clever! We also had grilled squid and sardines, all perfectly cooked-- the best taste of sea. read more

Great food, intimate feel, great prices. I showed up at 7:45PM on a Sunday and only had to wait 5 minutes for a table. Once seated, however, service was pretty slow. Probably because one guy was acting as the host and waiter for the ENTIRE restaurant. Ordered the sea bass and it was great. Two people, two beers, two fish entrees- total 34€!!! Very affordable. Seemed like it was packed with locals- usually a great sign. Heads up- if you're a party of two there's a 99% chance you will be seated next to stranger (tables not even a full inch apart). read more

Zapata Restaurante - Grilled grouper - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Pros: Food was awesome! This is an authentic local eatery with tons of selection. Atmosphere was very welcoming. Everything was priced reasonably. Cons: cash only read more

Zapata Restaurante - Octopus was fresh and was prepared very well. That was my first Bacalhau so I couldn't really tell if it was good. - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Food is so good here. There are so many restaurants around our Airbnb so glad we chose Zapata. The squid and clams are excellent. It's a local spot not a fancy place but is definitely for foodies. Highly recommended! read more

Zapata actually showed up on Google maps so we decided to try this on day 1 of our travels. We came during lunch time so there was no wait. Absolutely best dishes? The steaks. The locals even come here because the Bitoque is 7 euros for such a huge portion and all of the seafood including Seabass, Cod, Swordfish, are all super fresh and super delicious (a little salty but that's the ocean for you!). I would also recommend the larger portions of steak like Bife a casa as they are 9-11 euros but come with potatoes and a large portion of vegetables. In summary, the food here and the service was absolutely delicious and great. Only thing to be wary of is the wait time during peak dinner hours(9pm-11pm) as if your group is larger than 2 you definitely will not get in. read more

Zapata Restaurante - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Simple, unrefined, and local cuisine, we almost passed this place not knowing that it was a restaurant until we peaked in the small window. They were almost fully booked on a Monday night, a very good sign and we were glad we stayed, but we had to sit in the very loud "smoking room". The very friendly English-speaking server quickly brought out three small crusty loaves of bread and a plate with small containers of garlic butter spread, soft cheese, and tuna and sardine pâtès. Having felt under the weather for a few days, I was not all that hungry, so I ordered a half-order of the chicken cutlets sauteed in olive oil and mushrooms which came with a pile o' fries and rice (€8) - it was huge and delicious - the five medium size chicken cutlets were browned to perfection and the fresh mushrooms properly sauteed. I would hate to see the full order! My wife ordered a steak in a coffee sauce with a poached egg on top (€11.90), a Portuguese specialty having seen it on menus around Lisbon. It also came with huge piles of fries and rice. When she cut into the steak, it was practically raw, "rare" at best - a steak Gordon Ramsey would love, but not my wife. She hates anything less than meat cooked medium-well, so she asked the server to have them cook the steak a bit more, which they did without question. Maybe it is customary in Portugal for the customer to indicate the temperature of the beef when ordering. Next time we will specify that her meat be cooked medium-well or well-done when ordering, a simple mistake on all our parts. It was also quite chewy, but being a big flank steak and very reasonably priced, we could not expect filet mignon. Lesson learned. The service was superb, the decor simple, rustic and clean, and the value of our meal amazing, coming in at just €30.25 ($34.70) for bread, two massive meals, a beer and a liter of sparkling water ... we shall return, even with the flaws ... HOOAH! CombatCritic Gives Zapata Restaurante 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better! read more

We decided to try Zapata because it was nearby our apartment. Turned out it was a perfect place, full of people, mainly locals. Food was delicious and at reasonable price. Only getting to the waiter was hard but it was obvious with a full house. read more

Zapata Restaurante - Grilled shrimps in butter, potato chips and clamps in wine and mustard - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

A busy and traditional Portuguese restaurant. Menu provides many choices. Fish was good. Staff was helpful even though they are very busy. Good value. read more

This restaurant was recommended by our Airbnb host and it did not disappoint. The 30 minute wait was a good indicator of the quality of the food. We got the grilled octopus and broiled grouper. Both delicious, but the octopus was the clear winner. Loved our experience at Zapata! read more

Zapata Restaurante - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Simple but good! All kinds of fish. But, I was not in the mood for fish so we got chicken and steak and both were so flavorful. Steak was covered in garlic! Chicken had a sauce on it that was total flavor bomb! Fries were homemade goodness. Very crowded and very loud. Had to wait for a table. Maybe go at lunch time to avoid crowd!? read more

Zapata Restaurante - Chicken with ham and cheese inside. SO GOOD! - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Very uneven experience. We started with the sausage side as an appetizer - the sausage was flavorful and perfectly cooked, and came with a hearty helping of chips (it really was a meal in itself). The waiter recommended an excellent bottle of white wine for dinner. The bread, however, was stale and thoroughly subpar. My boyfriend got the grilled octopus and really liked it. I had the house steak and it was not very good - rubbery and badly seasoned. It seems like if you want seafood and great wine, this is a good option. For meat or vegetable options, I'd look elsewhere. read more

Had dinner here the first night in town. I had the salmon and my husband had the pork. Both delicious. Service was good. Will come back again! read more

Fresh seafood, authentic portugaise cuisine, we enjoyed a lot.don't forget to try the dessert. read more

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Delicious fresh seafood at reasonable prices. We had clams and sea bream... delicious! read more

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Small mom & pop restaurant off the regular slew of bars in Lisbon. Lots of local vibes, which left us amazed by the flavors. I have a hard time believing anything on the menu tastes bad. Fresh Seafood and ingredients. Even the potatoes. The French Fries have a California In-N-Out flavor, but better. Jonathon took great care of us. Didn't have time to sit in the bar, but we are absolutely going back. read more

The food was great. The fresh grilled fish was perfectly cooked and the overall service was good. Lots of families and locals eat here and the food is very authentic for this type of restaurant. read more

Im from Portugal and I had dinner here with my boyfriend on our first night in Lisbon and I must say the food is amazing, real Portuguese cuisine, I highly recommend this place. I've been craving the food ever since. read more

Good food for reasonable price. My husband had sea bream which he really enjoyed. I had codfish (mixed with rice, onion and egg) which was slightly salty but still tasty. It was really busy so took a while to order food but all in all, we enjoyed our experience. But it's not a place for those looking for ambience. read more

Zapata Restaurante - Seafood Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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This would have been four stars if it weren't for the horribly salty, inedible meal of my companion- warning, do not get the codfish! As for the rest, I had the salmon: delicious, flavorful, crispy skin; nice cut and plentiful portion. Lackluster vegetables on the side. Draft beer was good and the place has a great vibe. Best part: they let us come in and order just as the kitchen was closing (23:00) --but wouldn't retract the fish even though it had barely been touched. read more

Amazing food and so fresh tasting. The grouper was done to perfection and my husband was pleased with his chicken and mushrooms. Remember they charge you for bread and the butter and not like in states. Still it was very good. Waiter spoke English which was very helpful. The place is very full so not for the claustrophobic unless you are committed to wonderful food. read more

Food was good, reasonably priced. The 'cover' was a combination of bread, butter/fish spreads, and a local soft cheese. Wife had grilled salmon, I had a 'mixed meat grille' that had chicken, pork, steak, fries and salad. We passed on dessert, too full. read more

Fabulous grilled octopus. This place is always jam packed with people waiting outside. Get there early. Son/nephew of owners is so sweet and very patient. read more

Place is awesome! Great staff and seafood, it gets a little crazy busy but it's worth the wait! As of April 2018 you could smoke inside which you may see as a plus or minus. Highly recommend read more

Comida maravilhosa (Gambas à Bras definitavamente recomendadas) e preços muito justos. Boa carta de vinhos portugueses e o vinho da casa é mais do que suficientemente bom por 4,40EUR por jarra. Com certeza voltaremos! (1 estrela faltando só porque o serviço poderia ser um pouquinho melho e o ambiente também, mas isso sendo já muito chato). read more

We were looking or another restaurant and found this one by chance, and what a great surprise, great food and not expensive. Definitly we'll be back on our next trip to Lisbon. Cheers and greetings from two venezuelans :) bon appetite! read more

My favorite traditional spot. The prices are fantastic and I love the Bitoque. The waitstaff are super cute old guys. Love it. Super casual. read more