To market, to market, to buy a … to be a fat pig

Today we visited Mercado da Ribeira, downtown Lisbon’s largest farmers market. In business since 1892, restauranteurs and locals come to haggle on a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meat, fish and flowers.

What makes the market unique is how TimeOut magazine took over and transformed half of the space into a gourmet food court. Yes, a gourmet food court. There are no fast food stands and no franchises. The Mercado hosts over 30 stalls featuring Portuguese top chefs, restaurants and shops.

Choosing what to eat was difficult. Feel like breakfast? There are cafes and tasty custard tarts. Lunch or dinner? Choose from fresh seafood, traditional Portuguese, Asian, Italian and more. Restaurants and freestanding bars offer wine, beer and other bebidas (beverages).

And the desserts . . .

We visited over a busy lunchtime but heard that the place really gets hopping around 9pm. The food pavilion is open until midnight during the week and until 2am Thursday through Saturday!

Mercado da Ribeira

Portugal boasts Europe’s highest fish consumption per capita. You see sardines everywhere and cod is said to be cooked over 300 ways!

TimeOut’s gourmet food court

The food pavilion features local and nationally known chefs serving up their specialties.

Chefs Table may be a bit pricey but you get a lesson along with some delicious food.

The choices are endless,

from appetizers . . .

to desserts.

This menu of Henrique Sa Pessoa, a Portuguese chef, caught our eye…

We chose the Bifana de litao crocante P’King,

a crispy skin suckling pig sandwich.

Frank also couldn’t pass up this seafood place . . .

and its tasty octopus salad.

Restaurants and free-standing bars serve wine, beer . . .

and some pretty Sangria.

With most dishes being made to order . . .

the cocktails help pass the wait while you wait for your electronic thingie to light up.

Cheers to a great place!