Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau — Restaurant in Lisbon

If this is the “Portuguese experience” I am flying out of Portugal ASAP. Jokes aside, this tourist trap of a business has one of the rudest staff I’ve ever encountered in Portugal. I was actually quite shocked as the Portuguese are quite friendly.

The prices are also surreal. €18 for a box of 4 codfish cakes is absurd, but you are literally being “catfished” as though you were on a tinder date and your date doesn’t look anything like it’s pictures. The cakes were served cold and the “melted” cheese inside (as pictured) is not melted at all. The least they could do was heat up the cake for guests and not serve it cold.

Than there’s the fact that this business is a chain, which is probably why they don’t care about their costumers. Why would they? If feels like their entire business model is based on them having new tourists everyday to trick. They can’t count on repeat costumers because they probably don’t exist.

There’s also the terrible juxtaposition between the costs of the food sold here and the salaries of the staff. I asked them about it and they told me they’re severely underpaid and overworked. Their hourly wage is way below the cost of two cakes.

To sum it up: if you’re a principled person, avoid this business...

This was my second time trying codfish in Lisbon, and I’m glad to say it completely changed my mind after a disappointing first attempt elsewhere. The pastel de bacalhau here is delicious, crispy on the outside, soft and flavourful on the inside.

You can choose it with or without cheese. I tried both over two visits, and personally preferred the version without cheese, which felt lighter and more balanced. The cheese-filled version was a bit too heavy for me, though cheese lovers may enjoy the richness.

At around €6 per pastel, it’s definitely on the more expensive side for a local snack, especially when you compare it to standard pastelaria prices, but it's worth a try if you want to experience codfish done well and in a unique setting. However, there is no seating inside so it's more a grab and go type of place.

If you’re curious about codfish and want a safe, tasty introduction, this is a great spot. Slightly pricey for what it is, but worth it at least once while you're exploring Lisbon. I'd definitely recommend trying both versions to see which one...

Very little terrifically bad food for half your holiday budget! We saw this shop in the hopes to grab a quick bite to eat. They don’t have a great selection of things (3 options). We ordered one codfish ball with cheese and one VERY SMALL sweet cheese in the shape of a sheep (the only vegetarian thing on offer), to eat outside of the shop. The codfish also wasn’t big. Two or three bites at max. The sheep shaped cheese was cold and soggy. The codfish had also already seen better days. The cheese inside was tasteless as well. When we heard the price we nearly died, 13.20€! For three bites of food! This is a complete ripoff and a scam. For 13€ you will find far better and far more food somewhere else. You’re better off going to a pastel de nata two meters down the road and you’re only down 3€ for basically the same amount of food. Edit: after reading other reviews I want to add that the pricing WAS NOT CLEAR AT ALL. They just have amazing marketing. It is a nice building to it in, surely. BUT THIS IS A TOURIST TRAP. Do not let the people on the street...