Flavours of Lisbon: Private Food and Wine Tasting

Step off the ship, into a Mercedes-Benz, and let Lisbon come to you through its flavours. This private route is designed for cruise passengers with only a few hours ashore who do not want to waste any of them: your LuxMotion chauffeur collects you at the terminal and a local host walks you through the food corners that Lisboetas keep for themselves.

We begin with the historic cafés of the centre, where the Portuguese habit of having a coffee is almost a social ritual. We taste a codfish cake with a glass of chilled vinho verde, step into old grocery shops full of salted cod, cured sausages and mountain cheeses, and pair a glass of Port with cheese from the island of São Jorge.

Then comes the more informal part: a neighbourhood tasca, a hot bifana and a freshly poured draught beer. You will also get to know ginjinha, the cherry liqueur Lisbon adopted almost two centuries ago, tasted at the kind of counter where it all began. Between climbs, viewpoints and conversation, your host points out where to eat, what to order and what to avoid in each district.

We finish the Portuguese way: bread, chouriço, a traditional rice dish and a glass of red. The car is always nearby and takes you back to the ship with a comfortable margin before boarding.