Defne is a passionate local Lisbon foodie who loves bringing people together through food. Having traveled the world, she believes sharing local dishes is one of the most meaningful ways to connect across cultures. Join Defne to discover Lisbon’s dessert traditions through stories, flavors, and the joy of experiencing the city like a local.
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
Food tour: (1-6 guests) Discover Lisbon’s rich dessert culture on a guided walking tour with passionate local foodie Defne. Begin at the iconic Martinho da Arcada, an 18th-century café, where you’ll taste Portugal’s famous pastel de nata, Portugal’s most famous sweet treat, with its creamy custard filling and flaky crust. Continue to Casa Pereira da Conceição, a historic tea and coffee shop, to explore traditional blends personalized to match each customer’s taste, and sample regional sweets like ovos moles or raivas de Aveiro. Visit Confeitaria Nacional, Lisbon’s oldest pastry shop (est. 1829), to enjoy a classic pastry made from centuries old recipes, and coffee. End at the beautiful Casa do Alentejo, where you’ll savor a traditional Alentejo dessert such as sericaia with plums or migas doces with tea. This Lisbon walking food tour in the heart of Lisbon is perfect for families, children, couples, and small groups seeking an authentic, local experience.
Notes: This 2.5 hour Lisbon food tour begins at Martinho da Arcada and ends at Casa do Alentejo, with less than one mile of walking throughout. Your Lisbon dessert tour includes tastings of pastel de nata, regional sweets like ovos moles, and traditional desserts paired with coffee or tea. Enjoy a culinary journey from north to south as you taste your way through 500 years of recipes and stories. This tour visits historic cafés and pastry shops and is led by a warm and friendly local Defne who shares insights into Portuguese food culture.
Languages spoken: English, Turkish, Portuguese
Defne is a wonderful host and person and it's obvious she loves what she does. We wanted something a little more authentic when we booked this, and we weren't sure what to expect arriving at Defne's apartment. While it wasn't a ton of space, she did an outstanding job putting all 5 of us to work while explaining what we were cooking, and it gave us an appreciation for true local cuisine. She has a nice garden patio where we enjoyed the fruits of our labor along with some great wine and company (and we enjoyed her very chill cat at the same time). Defne also shared the recipes with us after. It was a pleasure to spend time with her and a real "local" experience that you just don't get on the standardized tours. It was a pleasure to share some of our time in Portugal with Defne and I highly recommend this activity to anybody who wants to appreciate what goes into some of these traditional Portugese dishes.- maggie June 02, 2026
I heard from my client Ami about this Traveling Spoon food tour in Lisbon: "I really enjoyed the dessert tour with Defne and am so happy you were able to make that happen for me. I learned so much and still dream of the pastries Portugal has to offer." Thank you!- Alyssa, Signature Travel Advisor May 11, 2026
Defne treated my granddaughter and me like old friends from the rime we arrived, and visiting her was one of our best experiences in Lisbon. In addition to learning several cooking tips, we shared a delicious meal and conversed about our worldviews and travel adventures. Enthusiastically recommend!- olen February 19, 2026
Defne was a joy to meet! The food was excellent, and we hope to try and replicate a dish at home. It was a pleasure to meet a like-minded world traveler and exchange views. My granddaughter also loved the cat!- olen February 17, 2026
Defne was amazing, got to get an inside look about the culture and life in Lisbon, and recommendations of places to visit while we were traveling. Told us a background of everything we cooked and it was all DELICIOUS!- vivi February 02, 2026
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