Warm Mafra-style bread, Azorean butter and a side of pica-pau sauce land on the table first at Pica-Pau, in Lisbon's Príncipe Real. The name, which means woodpecker, also refers to the Lisbon dish of seared cubes of beef served in a beer-based sauce (traditionally eaten with toothpicks). It's a go-to for those craving a taste of the Portuguese tradition, where the daily specials showcase family recipes from north to south: start with octopus salad and codfish fritters, order the special, and finish with the Algarve almond tart.

