Lisbon’s Latest Hotspots: Bagels, Matcha and More

Lisbon is buzzing with fresh culinary energy. New cafés and restaurants are opening across the city, bringing inventive menus, international influences, and cozy atmospheres that invite locals and visitors to explore beyond the familiar. Two newcomers — Beco Bagels and Hale Matcha — are already making waves, while a number of new full-service restaurants are adding depth to Lisbon’s dining map. 

Beco Bagels — A Bagel Bar with a Bakery Heart 

Located in Rato, Beco Bagels is a recent project by the team behind doBeco, the ever-popular artisanal bakery. Lisbon Insiders+1 The concept is simple but ambitious: perfect bagels with creative fillings (think scrambled eggs, avocado and more), paired with excellent coffee and pastries. Lisbon Insiders+1 

Open daily from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Beco Bagels offers a relaxed vibe, ideal for breakfast or a casual midday bite. Prices are in the €10-20 range, making it accessible without compromising on quality. Lisbon Insiders For many, it’s the “dream come true” for bagel lovers in Lisbon. Lisbon Insiders 

Hale Matcha — Matcha, Pastries, and Chill 

If you’re craving something lighter, greener, and refreshingly different, Hale Matcha in Lapa on Rua Garcia de Orta is worth a stop. Instagram+1 This matcha bar, still in its soft-opening phase, serves up matcha-based drinks, pastries, and even matcha cocktails — combining the healthful, the trendy, and the indulgent. Instagram It’s a quiet corner to enjoy something different from your usual café fare. 

New Restaurants to Watch 

According to Lisboa Secreta, there are several full-service restaurants recently opened that are reshaping Lisbon’s food scene. Here are some highlights: 

• Bisque Bistro: A Parisian-bistro inspired restaurant offering classics like lobster bisque and beef bourguignon, in an elegant setting with terrace and open kitchen. Lisboa Secreta+1 

• Guelra in Belém: Focused on seafood ("Ocean to Table"), combining creative techniques with Portuguese ingredients. Lisboa Secreta 

• Timeless (Intemporal) in Paço de Arcos: A tasting-menu spot in a historic setting, seasonal ingredients, creative takes on tradition. Lisboa Secreta 

• Duro, in Santos: With a menu drawing from Portuguese tradition plus French and Spanish influences, it has become a go-to for more ambitious dinner plans. Lisboa Secreta 

• ARC Lisbon: A restaurant and dining club with Mediterranean flavour, stylish ambiance, partly an elevated social space. Lisboa Secreta 

Why These Spots Stand Out 

What ties these new places together is a few shared trends: 

• Quality meets comfort — spots like Beco Bagels emphasize artisanal baking and relaxed service rather than fine-dining formality. 

• Global flavour with local roots — many of the restaurants fuse international techniques or cuisines, but use Portuguese ingredients or take inspiration from local food traditions. 

• Design & ambiance — cafés and restaurants are placing emphasis on how the place looks and feels. It’s not just about the food, but about where and how you eat (natural light, warm materials, welcoming decor). 

• Niche concepts — Hale Matcha is a good example: it doesn’t try to do everything, but it does matcha especially well, which helps it stand out. 

What to Try First 

If you want a weekend itinerary: 

1. Start with Beco Bagels for an early breakfast — bagel + coffee in Rato. 

2. Mid-morning, head over to Hale Matcha and indulge in a matcha latte or maybe even a matcha pastry. 

3. For dinner, pick one of the newer full-service restaurants depending on your mood: seafood at Guelra, refined tasting menu at Timeless, or something more relaxed and lively at Duro or ARC. 

Lisbon’s food scene is showing no signs of slowing. With each new opening, there’s more to explore — more flavour, more texture, more experiences. 

Bibliography:

“Beco Bagels.” Lisbon Insiders, Lisbon Insiders, 2025. Lisbon Insiders “DoBeco & Beco Bagels, brunch taken to the next level.” Mensagem de Lisboa, 2 Sept. 2025. Mensagem de Lisboa “Hale Matcha.” Instagram, @hale.matcha. Instagram+1 “New restaurants in Lisbon.” Lisboa Secreta, by Valter Leandro, 6 May 2025. Lisboa Secreta 

“Beco Bagels | Restaurantes | Lisboa, Lisboa.” Time out Lisboa, 16 July 2025, www.timeout.pt/lisboa/pt/restaurantes/beco-bagels. Accessed 19 Sept. 2025. 

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