TIME OUT MARKET LISBOA

Description

Essentials about Time Out Market Lisboa in brief

Time Out Market Lisboa is probably the most unique gastronomic institution in the Portuguese capital. Housed in the historic market hall “Mercado da Ribeira” (Riverside Market) in the Cais do Sodré neighborhood, Time Out Market is no longer a market in the classic sense, but a kind of modern food court with around 30 food stalls offering excellent Portuguese and international cuisine. In this respect, a meal at Time Out Market is not only a culinary experience in a unique atmosphere, but also a great introduction to Lisbon’s fantastic gastronomic scene.

The history of Time Out Market Lisboa

The Mercado da Riberia hall has been around since 1882, and even today the iron architecture of the market hall is a real eye-catcher. At the beginning of the 21st century, the huge market hall had long since become too large for the remaining classic market stalls. So the city of Lisbon organized a competition for ideas to redesign the market. The winner, somewhat surprisingly, was Time Out Publishing, which won over the city with its concept of a modern food court (hence the market’s name). 2014 was the year of great change. The greengrocers and fishmongers were concentrated in the east wing of the market hall, the west wing was completely redesigned and the former market stalls were replaced by small restaurants, bars and cafés.

Eating and drinking at Time Out Market Lisboa

The special feature of Time Out Market is that the approximately 700 seats at long tables are not assigned to any particular booth. This means that every guest has free choice of seating, which makes eating in a larger group a great experience. Everyone gets their food at the stand of their choice and you can still eat at the same table. By the way, you don’t have to wait for your food. After ordering, you get a buzzer in your hand that starts buzzing when the food is ready to be picked up. The best way to pass the waiting time is with a glass of wine, which you can get in one of the cafés in the market.

The combination of self-service and free table selection sounds a bit like a food court in a shopping mall. But that in no way does justice to the quality of Time Out Market Lisboa. After all, when the market was redesigned, Time Out Publishers attached great importance to locating only high-quality providers in the market. Thus, the dishes offered by the resident food stalls are also of a much higher standard than one is generally used to from a food court or a classic market hall. From Portuguese to Italian and South American to Asian cuisine, the culinary range of Time Out Market is enormous. Well-known Portuguese star chefs even cook in the market hall. You won’t find any international fast food chains at Time Out Market.

The popularity of Time Out Market Lisboa

Due to its enormous popularity with tourists, Time Out Market Lisboa has now acquired a bit of a tourist trap image. The fact is that Time Out Market is certainly not the cheapest location to eat out in Lisbon. However, considering the high gastronomic level and the unique atmosphere, the prices for food and drinks can definitely be described as fair. In addition, Time Out Market is not only popular with tourists, but also with Lisbon residents themselves. Every year, more than three million people come to the market hall to enjoy a delicious meal. With so many visitors, to speak of a tourist trap would not do justice to this special market hall.