Food & Drink: Seafood is popular, especially in Lisbon. Soup is a main dish. Portugals' sweet pastries are also worth a try. Thinsg to know: Table service is normal. There are no licensing hours. National specialities: • Seafood is popular, especially in Lisbon, but can be expensive. • Sopa de marisco (shellfish soup cooked and served with wine). • Caldo verde (green soup made with finely shredded green kale leaves in broth). • Bacalhau (dried cod, cooked in over 100 different ways). • Caldeirada is a fish stew with as many as nine kinds of fish, cooked with onions and tomatoes. • Carne de porco á Alentejana, in which bits of fried pork are covered with a sauce of clams stewed with tomato and onions. • Puddings include arroz doce (rice pudding), Madeira pudding and nuvens (egg custard). • Portugal’s sweet pastries (available in most cafes) are also worth a try. National drinks: • Portuguese wines have changed beyond recognition over the past 10 years. Many of these new, modern wines are indigenous varieties with distinctive flavours. Sparkling rosé wines are mostly produced for export. • Mateus Rosé is a famous lightweight rosé. • Portuguese brandies are also good; the best are produced around Oporto, where Port wines originate. Tipping: Generally 10 to 15 per cent. Taxi drivers are tipped 10 per cent.
Nightlife: The large towns offer every kind of entertainment. There are many nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, stage shows, folk dancing and music performances. The traditional Fado can be heard in many restaurants, and performances begin at about 2200. Gambling is authorised and Espinho, Estoril, Figueira da Foz and Monte Gordo have casinos. The elegant Estoril Casino is the most renowned.
Shopping: Items include leather goods, copper, ceramics, handcrafted silver and gold, embroidery and tapestry, woodcarving, cork products, porcelain and china, crystal and glassware. Shopping hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0900-1300 and 1500-1900, Sat 0900-1300 (and 1500-1900 in December). Shopping centres are usually open Mon-Sun 1000-2300.
