Yes, you can get a table at the famous Restaurante Ponto Final in Lisbon without reservations, but it will take patience and planning on your part.
I was just traveling Lisbon and had it on my bucket list to dine in those famous yellow chairs by the Tagus River, but I totally dropped the ball on grabbing reservations early.
You have to reserve tables months in advance, but Ponto Final Lisbon does offer walk-ins. And between you and me, I think the table they give to walk-ins are actually better than those who make reservations (!!) In this guide, I’m going to share my exact tips for securing tables and having a fun meal at this famous restaurant.
How To Get To Ponto Final
The restaurant is located in Almada, Portugal which is across the Tagus River from Lisbon. You’ll have to cross the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge which yes – is modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco – and then make your way to the restaurant down by the water.
It’s about a 30 minute drive via taxi, and a much longer process via public transportation. You’re about to drop at least $100 on a meal, if not more, so please just help yourself and take an Uber from Lisbon as the restaurant is in a bit of an odd spot and it’s a million times easier and faster just to drive there.
A Bolt or Uber will cost about $15 each way. There may be a small private boat for hire operating at night after your meal by locals who ferry diners back from Almada to Lisbon. Look for someone handing out cards to call during your meal.
Decide If You Want Lunch or Dinner Seats
This totally depends on your date and what else you have planned. Remember that the Portuguese love a slow meal, so if you have a busy afternoon you won’t want to go for lunch seats, but instead dinner.
Lunch is from Noon-3pm and dinner is from 7pm-9pm (later, actually – they just stop seating new people around 9pm).
We chose to go for dinner since we were visiting in the summer and I wanted to see a sunset view over the bridge, which was around 9pm that day.
Arrive To Ponto Final Early
Ponto Final will have a line of people waiting to experience this famous restaurant. Most likely the line will start forming around 2 hours before they open reservations for lunch or dinner. It’s imperative that you arrive EARLY!
If you are aiming for dinner, get there around 5pm. For lunch, plan to be there around 10am. If you do not get there early, you may not get a seat at all. Other travel guides recommend just 30-45 minutes early, but you need to be earlier.
While you are waiting for your table, send someone in your party down the row of restaurants to the very end where you will find a little beach-side bar. They will let you take drinks back to the line to enjoy as you wait your turn.
If you haven’t yet tried a Porto Tonico, this place makes a great one!
When we arrived, we were 7th in place and were able to get seats at around 7:30pm. And we had amazing seats, too – right along the water. I noticed some groups that made reservations were tucked in the back closer to the restaurant but use waitlist people got the better seats along the corner. So, sometimes good things to come to those who wait.
Dining At Restaurante Ponto Final Lisbon Is A Bucket List Food Experience
Expect lots of fresh seafood on the Ponto Final Lisbon menu, along with traditional Portuguese dishes and tons of wine options to choose from. We opted for sardines (heavenly!) with potatoes, tomato, cod fritters, salad, chipped salt grilled cod, and a bottle of Vinho Verde.
Literally everything was so delicious. The waiter tried to talk us out of ordering all these dishes since it was “a lot of food” and yes, it was, but we wanted to try as much as we could. We waited for 2.5 hours after all!
I will never forget dining on incredibly cooked local food while watching sailboats cruise around the river, and the sun dipping below the horizon behind the Abril bridge… magic.
Be warned – the tables really are right against the edge of the sidewall. I dropped my chapstick over the edge and thankfully someone on the beach threw it back up to me, but be careful. Maybe bring a bag that has a zipper so things don’t spill out of it into the ocean.
Didn’t Get A Table? Here’s 2 Alternatives:
- Dine At Different Restaurants Nextdoor: If for some reason you don’t think you’ll get Ponto Final reservations, you can always try to dine at restaurants next door. They also have some tables outside with the exact same view, just different food.
- Order Food To Go From Ponto Final: There’s a wonderful little park nearby on the water, and Ponto Final offers meals to go on a tray so you can still eat their food and get the view, just not at one of their tables.
How To Make Ponto Final Lisbon Reservations
If you’ve read all of these and decided it sounds too risky and want to make reservations, there are two ways to do so:
- Email Ponto Final at pontofinalrest@gmail.com and ask for a reservation on your ideal day. Make sure to do this ahead of time.
- DM Ponto Final on Instagram @pontofinalrest
I hope you get table at this amazing restaurant in Portugal!! On my next trip to Lisbon I will absolutely be returning for another meal, it’s just to good!
If you get a table, drop a comment below so we can all celebrate (but also proof that it’s not just me being lucky!)
