It was a challenge we’d wanted to take on for a long time: organizing a croquette rally in Lisbon. But since the city has so many great spots serving this national delicacy, we had to narrow our scope to a route that took us from Marquês de Pombal to downtown Lisbon.
Of course, on this route as well, we had to narrow down our list of places to about five restaurants, chosen at random from those we know in this area. We’re sure many excellent croquettes were left out, which we promise to visit on another occasion.
How were the croquettes rated?
For this comparison, we selected five well-known establishments, all of them distinct and with a long history of serving this classic delicacy.
To ensure the evaluation was as fair and comprehensive as possible, all the croquettes were analyzed in detail, taking into account three fundamental criteria that distinguish an ordinary snack from a true national delicacy:
- Flavor
- Creaminess
- Crispiness
As for the scoring system, each taster awarded each croquette they tasted 5 points for the one they liked best down to 1 point for the worst on their personal list.
The croquette thermometer
🥇 GAMBRINUS | 35 Points | €2.80
👑 1st Place Votes: 4 (Filipa Duarte, Luís Dinis, Denis Giacobelis, Afonso Brites)
The weight of tradition. The undisputed king that perfectly balances flavor, creaminess, and crispiness. The old guard won’t give up the throne! The iconic Gambrinus croquette emerged as the clear winner, taking four first-place spots. Its traditional recipe, which balances intense flavor with the right texture, proved unbeatable for most of the tasting panel.
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🥈 LUKA | 34 Points | €3.50
👑 1st Place Votes: 3 (Valter Leandro, Catarina Ramos, Tânia Braz)
The big revelation. A modern take that almost stole the crown from the classic. A close race right down to the last vote! Luka stood out brilliantly, falling just one point short of victory. With four gold medals, it proved that more modern approaches have a guaranteed place in the hearts (and stomachs) of Lisboners.
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🥉 CERVEJARIA LIBERDADE | 29 Points | €4.50
👑 1st Place Votes: 1 (Filipa Mathias and Pedro Martins)
Consistency secured the podium spot, with an excellent performance in the final stretch of the competition. Rounding out the podium is Cervejaria Liberdade, which managed to overtake its closest rival thanks to a strong finish in the votes cast by Tânia and Afonso, combined with the first-place ranking awarded by Filipa Matias and Pedro Martins right at the start of the competition.
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🏅 ELISEU DOS LEITÕES | 25 Points | €2.95
👑 Votes for 1st Place: 0
The “outside-the-box” croquette. It didn’t win, but the suckling pig flavor ensured very solid ratings in the middle of the table. It missed out on the medals by a narrow margin of just four points. The suckling pig croquette shone for its originality and the consistency of its ratings in the middle of the table, but lost some steam in the votes of the final judges.
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🍽️ CAFÉ DE SÃO BENTO | 12 Points | €2.80
👑 Votes for 1st Place: 0
Bringing up the rear. The venue’s reputation did not translate into the panel’s preference in the savory snacks category. The classic Café de São Bento, though famous for its steaks, failed to win over the panel in the croquette category. With the exception of the reasonable score given by Filipa Matias, it ranked lower for the overwhelming majority of the group.
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A true clash of titans of flavor
This croquette rally only served to confirm a maxim of Lisbon cuisine: when it comes to croquettes, the weight of tradition still dictates the rules, but innovation is not far behind.
Gambrinus remains a benchmark for this snack, and its status as Lisbon’s undisputed “king” fits like a glove, proving that it masters the pillars of flavor, creaminess, and crispiness like no other.
Even so, Luka Lisboa emerges as the big revelation of this head-to-head, showing that there is room for new contenders that challenge the classics on equal footing.
Meanwhile, the battle for third place between Cervejaria Liberdade and Eliseu dos Leitões shows that consistency is key when flavor profiles (traditional meat vs. suckling pig) divide opinions.
As for Café de São Bento, rest assured that it’s best to continue betting everything on the famous steak that has made it famous—which, in our experience, is among the best in Lisbon.
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