You do not have to pay for the couvert you never touched
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Posted on
- 1 photo
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
About this trap
In many Lisbon restaurants a basket of bread, olives and butter lands on the table before you order. By law it can only be charged if you asked for it or eat it, so nothing untouched should appear on the bill. Tell the waiter right away to take away what you do not want, because anything you open or eat will be charged. Tap water and glasses are also free for diners.
Where
You do not have to pay for the couvert you never touchedRestaurants across Lisbon
Open in Google Maps(opens in a new tab)More Tips & Traps in Lisbon
17 posts from Local Friends and travelers who know the city.
TipSleepStay in the old ministry building on Praça do Comércio
Lisbon, PortugalPousada de Lisboa fills a Pombaline building on the corner of Praça do Comércio that once housed the Ministry of Internal Affairs and became a hotel in 2015. Staying here puts you beside the Tagus at the foot of Baixa, with Terreiro do Paço metro station nearby on the Blue Line. It suits travelers who want to sleep…
TipShopBuy canned fish at Conserveira de Lisboa
Lisbon, PortugalConserveira de Lisboa on Rua dos Bacalhoeiros opened in 1930 as a grocery and became a canned-fish specialist, still run by the Ferreira family with the original counter, enamel signs and a wooden bench for chatting. Its tins carry three house brands and each purchase is wrapped by hand in paper in front of you. Tuna…
TipGetting AroundFrame the 25 de Abril Bridge from the Cacilhas ferry
Lisbon, PortugalThe ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas takes about ten minutes and gives a river view of the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Lisbon waterfront. The boats have no open-air deck, so sit by a window on the side facing the bridge. Departures run several times an hour, which makes it easy to cross, look around Cacilhas and…
TipPhotography & ViewsWatch sunset from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
Lisbon, PortugalMiradouro da Senhora do Monte in Graça sits on Lisbon's highest hill, with a view over the castle, the Tagus, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the downtown rooftops. A tile panel marks the main landmarks. Go late in the afternoon for the sunset and stay as the city lights come on. Take tram 28 to the Rua da Graça stop and…
SO TipEventsSee world documentaries at Doclisboa in October
Lisbon, PortugalEvery October Doclisboa fills Lisbon cinemas for about ten days with documentaries from around the world. Screenings take place at Culturgest, Cinema São Jorge, the Cinemateca Portuguesa and Cinema Ideal, so a film day also takes you through different parts of town. Buy tickets at the venue box offices or online, and…
CG TipEventsCatch Jazz em Agosto at the Gulbenkian
Lisbon, PortugalJazz em Agosto is the Gulbenkian foundation's jazz festival, held from late July into early August and in 2026 already in its 42nd edition. Concerts run across the Grande Auditório, the smaller Auditório 2 and an open-air amphitheatre, with the amphitheatre aimed at a wider audience and Auditório 2 hosting the most…
HA TipMusic & NightlifeHear fado vadio at Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto
Lisbon, PortugalTasca do Chico on Rua do Diário de Notícias is known for fado vadio, the informal kind where amateurs and professionals take turns singing in a small tavern room. It is not a dinner show: expect a simple room with a chalkboard menu, and a seat is not guaranteed, so arrive early. The Alfama branch is tiny. Check the…
TipArt & CultureWalk inside the Carmo church ruins and meet the mummies
Lisbon, PortugalThe Museu Arqueológico do Carmo is set inside the ruins of the former Carmo church at Largo do Carmo, so you tour the open shell of the building and the collections together. They run from prehistory to the contemporary era, and visitors often single out the mummies. It was founded around 1864. It is closed on…
Know Lisbon well?
Share a tip, or warn travelers about a trap. It only takes a few minutes.