Cascais sits on the Atlantic, and fish and seafood dominate nearly every menu in town. The catch comes fresh from the local fishing fleet, and the quality shows. Salt cod (bacalhau) is everywhere as a national staple, but the real pleasure here is the daily catch — grilled whole, simply dressed with olive oil and lemon. Budget travellers can eat very well: a bowl of caldo verde (green cabbage and sausage soup) rarely costs more than a couple of euros, and set-price lunch menus at neighbourhood restaurants offer two or three courses for around €10–12. There are also French, Italian, and Spanish options if seafood fatigue sets in.
Praça Luís de Camões is the main dining square, lined with restaurants competing hard on price. For something more serious, the streets behind the harbour have the town's better kitchens. Baluarte (Rua Tenente Valadim) is one of the most respected — the feijoada here is made with seafood rather than the usual pork, and the pastries are worth saving room for. Restaurante B&B on Rua Poço Novo is a locals' favourite, small and unpretentious, where diners can see into the open kitchen as the cook works through the day's fish.