If there are places we love to visit every day, it’s Lisbon’s municipal markets. After all, this is where we always find the freshest products, directly from the producer, and also the cheapest.
In these markets, you’ll find practically everything you need to cook that special dish, from vegetables, fruit, fish and meat to cheeses and sausages. There’s almost everything!
If you don’t know some of Lisbon’s best-known markets yet, we’ll give you a guided tour of our favorites.
There are several and they are getting prettier all the time, ideal places to buy the week’s fruit and vegetables, just like our grandparents did.
In 2016, Lisbon City Council launched the Mercados da Lisboa brand, with the aim of redeveloping several of the city’s markets.
In this proposal, some markets changed functions and took on new services, adopting really innovative designs!
In the Arroios Market, for example, you’ll often find craft fairs.
We still believe that, once the authorities have made these markets more attractive, even the youngest people will start frequenting these havens of good food.
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Ribeira Market
Inaugurated on January 1, 1882 , Mercado da Ribeira is a “two-in-one” market.
This century-old building has the traditional market with its stalls and vendors on one side , and a lively food court on the other.
The market concept has been completely rethought. The restaurant section has the city’s best chefsoccupying the food spaces.
It has been so successful that it has an average of 10,000 visitors a day, most of them tourists.
Address: Avenida 24 de Julho (Cais do Sodré)
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Benfica Market
Inaugurated on October 19, 1971, the BenficaMarket is the bestseller in the world of markets in our city.
It’s located in a neighborhood with a lot of inhabitants and where local commerce is very much alive.
In this market, you’ll find lots of fruit and vegetable stalls, butchers and fishmongers, flowers and even clothes and shoes.
It’s one of the markets with the largest influx of locals. It has an occupancy rate of over 90% and is frequented by around three thousand people a day.
Address: Rua João Frederico Ludovice (Benfica)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 7am to 2pm
North Alvalade Market
Inaugurated on July 1, 1949, the Alvalade Market is also one of the most dynamic and is located in a very familiar neighborhood, Alvalade.
It shares its space with several stores, and here the aim is to maintain the philosophy of the current market: selling fresh produce.
As it is very popular with families, this space even includes a children’s playground and a restaurant area where you can grab a snack.
It also has a program closely linked to healthy eating, conscious consumption and gastronomy.
Address: Avenida Rio de Janeiro (Alvalade)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 07.30 to 13.00; Saturdays from 07.30 to 14.00
Arroios Market
Inaugurated on March 1, 1942, the Arroios Market has invested in innovative projects, such as the various stores that have opened around it.
In addition, a hydroponic greenhouseis planned on the 2,000 square meters of the market’s roof.
In other words, as the roof is smooth, it will be used to plant vegetables without soil, just with water.
This market has already won our award for the most creative idea!
Address: Rua Ângela Pinto 40D (Arroios)
Hours: Monday to Saturday, from 7am to 2pm
31 de Janeiro Market
The 31 de Janeiro Market is one of the newest and replaced the old market, which was nearby.
It’s large, has two floors and 7,000 square meters for traders. There’s a bit of everything here: fruit, vegetables, butchers, florists, cafés and restaurants.
However, the 31 de Janeiro Market is really known for its wide range of fresh fish.
Some of the city’stopchefs source their fish from the market’s fishmongers, who have since moved downstairs.
Address: Rua Engenheiro Vieira da Silva (Praça Duque de Saldanha)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sapadores Market
The unexpected hub of Penha de França brings together fresh fish, tattoos and recycling, and is consolidating itself as a vital center of convenience and social cohesion, transcending its traditional function of selling fresh produce.
While maintaining its core offer of fresh fish and catering, the space has diversified to meet the multiple daily needs of residents, while also offering free parking to its users, available between 7am and 4pm.
The building surprises with its variety of services, with cafés, hairdressers, beauty salons, a tattoo and body piercing studio , appliance repair services and even real estate brokerage.
Reinforcing its community role, the Sapadores Market has also integrated a dedicated recycling point, accepting cooking oil, small appliances, light bulbs and batteries.
Address: Avenida General Roçadas 3 (Penha de França)
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There are many more markets of this kind in Lisbon. If you’re not yet in the habit of buying fresh food at the markets, it’s best to check on the city council’s website which one is closest to you.
Saturday mornings are the busiest days and when the stalls are fullest, but in general the markets are open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 7am to 2pm. Happy shopping!
Map of the markets in Lisbon, and the list for your phone!
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