Vol. 63 — Pastéis at Dawn, Sardines after Sunset
Portugal
From Lisbon pastelarias to the Douro
Standfirst
A bica at the counter, a pastel de nata still warm. Sardines grilled on a June street corner, bacalhau cooked a hundred ways. Portugal is tasted standing up, at the market, and at a family table that stretches into the afternoon.
Chapter One
Lisbon, before the tiles warm
Lisbon starts standing up: a bica at the pastelaria counter and a pastel de nata still warm, custard blistered on top, cinnamon shaken over at the last moment. Outside, the tiled façades are already catching the Atlantic light.
Markets fill early — sardines on ice, coriander and lemons in baskets, bread still warm. Portuguese cooking begins with whatever the season and the sea decide to offer.
Bacalhau has a recipe for every day of the year — and every family swears by its own.
— At the neighbourhood tasca
Chapter Two
Sardines, smoke and the saints' festivals
In June the sardines take over: grilled on street corners for the saints' festivals, eaten on bread with your fingers, smoke drifting through the bairros. The rest of the year belongs to bacalhau — salted cod soaked back to life and cooked a different way in every household.
In Porto the table grows heartier: the francesinha under its blanket of cheese and beer sauce, the bifana tucked into a soft roll, Sunday lunch stretching across the afternoon.
Portugal at home — the dishes a family still cooks, kept close in the rooms where everyone gathers.
Chapter Three
Recipes that crossed the Atlantic
In Portuguese families abroad, the dish often outlives the language. Portugal wall art and gifts for kitchens that remember pastéis de nata, bacalhau and caldo verde.
Apron — the family cook
Blanket — Portugal
Kids poster — the next generation
Vol. 63 — Pastéis at Dawn, Sardines after Sunset — the pieces
Shop the Portugal pieces
Everything photographed in this issue that is currently in the studio.
Portugal · Apron
Portugal Food Apron
Price loading
Portugal · Blanket
Portugal Food Blanket
Price loading
Portugal · Food poster
Portugal Food Poster Black
Price loading
Portugal · Kids poster
Portugal Fun Explorer Kids Poster Black
Price loading
Portugal · Food poster
Portugal Food Poster Pink
Price loading
Portugal · Kids poster
Portugal Fun Explorer Kids Poster II
Price loading
Portugal · Food poster
Portugal Food Poster White
Price loading
Portugal · Kids poster
Portugal Fun Explorer Kids Poster Pink
Price loading
The Collection
The Portugal Collection
Pastéis de nata, bacalhau, sardines, bifanas and caldo verde — the Portuguese table illustrated for walls, kitchens and thoughtful Portuguese heritage gifts.
Keep exploring
Gifts & celebrations
Where Portugal belongs
Read next
Related Guides
- Read the guide
Styling
Kitchen Wall Art Ideas
Kitchen wall art ideas that last: how to choose illustrated food posters, style them for minimalist, Mediterranean, colourful or neutral kitchens, and pick the right size.
- Read the guide
Styling
Living Room Wall Decor Ideas
Living room wall decor ideas from real interiors: art above a sideboard or sofa, gallery walls that grow, leaning frames, evening light and planning a layout before you hang.
- Read the guide
Styling
How to Style a Kitchen Gallery Wall
A practical guide to hanging art in a kitchen — heights, spacing, frames, steam, and how to mix countries without the wall turning into clutter.
- Read the guide
Styling
Bedroom Wall Decor Ideas
Bedroom wall decor ideas from real interiors: how high to hang art above a bed, single prints or pairs, lamp-lit colour and blankets.