Sardine Girl Summer: My Tinned Fish Sidequest in Lisbon

Sardines are trending! There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. From beaded bags and graphic tees to home decor and tattoos, this humble little fish is popping up all over the place. There’s also been a recent jump in consumption of actual sardines and a rise in TikTok accounts devoted to eating and reviewing tinned fish. Sardines and fish in general have exploded so much in popularity that one of the latest trends to sweep social media is “sardine girl summer.”

Portugal, the world capital of conservas, or canned seafood, has been on my bucket list for a minute. When I booked a few days in Lisbon and committed to leaning into my own sardine girl summer, I knew I wanted to acclimate myself to the cuisine, because, full disclosure, before this year I’d never eaten tinned fish in my life. Actually, it fully freaked me out—the very idea of tuna salad makes me gag and I didn’t even start eating seafood until embarrassingly late in life despite having grown up in New England. But a few months and dozens of tins later, I could officially and proudly say I had fallen for fish, hook, line, and sinker. Now I was even more excited to head to Portugal, where fishing and canning have a centuries-long history and the sardine has become something of a national symbol.

So, with a curious appetite and a wallet full of Euros, I ate my way around the City of Seven Hills devouring all kinds of tinned seafood, nibbling bread and olives, sipping glasses of Vinho Verde, and collecting tins to take home as souvenirs. Sounds terrible, right? Here are a few of the spots I loved* during my too-short time in Lisbon.

*There are too many great places to shop for and eat tinned fish in Lisbon, but I’m just a girl with limited PTO and only so much stamina on those humbling hills, so these shops and restaurants are limited to Alfama and adjacent neighborhoods.

Sol e Pesca, Rua Nova do Carvalho 44

This teeny restaurant is easy to miss, tucked among touristy bars on the crowded stretch of Pink Street in the Cais do Sodré neighborhood, but it was easily my favorite of the tinned fish places I visited. Sol e Pesca was a fishing supply shop until the 1990s, and the nets, poles, vintage tins, and other retro kitsch that still stuff the walls and ceiling keep its history of the Portuguese fishing industry alive. The dive-y decor and relaxed, unhurried atmosphere was one of the things I loved about this place. I grabbed a menu, picked my fish (sardines and octopus) and accompaniments (bread and olives duh), wine (also duh), and my server literally plucked the tin from the shelf along the wall, cracked it open, and served it at the low, worn tables. It was casual, delicious, and super affordable—I ate here twice in four days.

Miss Can, Largo do Contador Mor 17

Another tiny spot near Castelo de São Jorge in Alfama turned out to be another favorite (and not only because it was right around the corner from where I was staying). Miss Can has been in the canning biz since 1911, hand-packing tins made from sustainably caught fish while ensuring their fishermen fair trade. Their mascot is also a mermaid and the packaging is extra colorful and adorable, so that added to the allure for me. I sat outside at a small table overlooking the quaint square and enjoyed a tin of mackerel fillets with curry and chili pepper, bread, and wine (definitely a theme). It was also fun to check out the products lining the wall, and I ended up getting a few to take home, including the mackerel I had just inhaled, octopus in olive oil, sardines in spiced olive oil.

Conserveira de Lisboa, Rua dos Bacalheiros 34

Conserveira de Lisboa is a total time capsule of Lisbon’s canning history. Since opening in 1930, this family-run store has preserved both its wood-paneled interior and its commitment to Portuguese quality, offering conservas from locally sourced tuna, sardines, mackerel, cod, eel, squid, and octopus. Inside, the shelves behind the wood counter are lined with dozens of different tins stacked in colorful retro packaging—the vibe feels very old-world apothecary. The shop was popular even on a Monday morning, but I only stood in line for about ten minutes before selecting my tins from the menu, which were then carefully stacked, wrapped in paper, and tied with string for the journey home. Perfection.

Maria Palato Wine Bar, Rua da Madalena 120

I can’t talk about food in Lisbon without mentioning the wine bars. Portugal has become famous for its wine (in addition to the classic Ports and Madeiras) thanks to the diversity of climates and soils, plus a ton of native grape varieties. Maria Palato in Baixa has a great wine list (they do lots of tastings here), small plates, and of course, a curated wall of specialty tinned fish. I didn’t actually eat fish here, but you can bet that I brought home a few tins, including more octopus, mackerel, and sardines. I got a glass of Vinho Verde, or “green wine,” which was super light and refreshing, plus bread, olives, and Iberico ham, which, if you know anything about ham, is basically the Dom Perignon of cured meats. God, I love Portugal.

Graça do Vinho, Calçada da Graça 10 A B

Graça do Vinho, near the iconic Church of St. Vincent de Fora in Alfama, was the first wine bar that I stumbled upon after landing in Lisbon, and I’m glad I did—I ended up eating here twice. I was hungry and a little cranky from hoofing it up and down hills in the blazing sun right off the plane, but nothing some wine and protein couldn’t fix. Graça do Vinho had two tinned fish plates on the menu—sardines and mackerel—and the fish here was decanted into beautiful ceramic dishes, layered with herbs, tomatoes, and other tasty things. It felt special. I was truly inspired by the presentation here and ended up copying the same idea at home in my own kitchen.

My quest for conservas in Lisbon only left me wanting more—more fish, more wine, more bread, more olives, more sunshine, more...Portugal. I didn’t sit down for a single full meal, but hopped from place to place eating lots of small plates, which is one of my favorite things to do on vacation. Tinned fish is widely available in the United States, too, so I hope that this maybe inspires you to go out and try it! Or you could book a spot on one of our Portugal trips and find out more at the source. If anything, it’s another excuse to eat more bread. Oh, and here are a few of my favorite brands and TikTok to check out if you’re looking for some inspo to kickstart your own sardine girl (or sardine guy) summer.

My favorite TikTok creators

@tinnedfishreviews

@by_the_water

@kyrik.co

@dylan.sart

@iback58

My favorite tinned fish brands

Miss Can

Jose Gourmet

Nuri

Pinhais

Minerva

Fishwife

Island Creek Oysters