In just under 100,000 square kilometers — roughly the size of South Korea or the U.S. state of Indiana — Portugal holds a remarkably diverse set of landscapes. Just a 30-minute drive might reveal a change in scenery from ancient, medieval city to glorious, sunny beach or dense, cork-producing forest. The appeal of this beautiful, small country has been growing for years, as Portugal has grown from regional gem to one of the most popular international destinations in the world.
In early 2025, MICHELIN Guide Inspectors announced their highlights amid this bustling scene, awarding Stars and Bib Gourmands to 74 restaurants and Keys to 55 hotels. Below, we feature eight destinations — across all the country’s varied geography — jam-packed with newly-Starred restaurants and brand-new hotel Keys.
These are our must-visit locations for any Portugal trip in 2025.
Porches
A MICHELIN Gem on the Southern Coast
While Lisbon and Porto appear on just about any must-visit list to Portugal (and we'll get to them, below), Porches, a tiny town near the beaches of the Algarve, holds a special place for The MICHELIN Guide. It is home to both the country’s top-rated hotel (one of two Three-Key hotels in Portugal) and restaurant (one of eight Two-Star restaurants in the country). The restaurant, Ocean, is in the hotel, Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa — the latter of which opened in 1992, its whitewashed buildings spanning 22 hectares filled with subtropical gardens to go with its fountains, swans and secluded accommodations. Amenities include direct beach access, spa, golf, tennis and water sports.
There are 12 restaurants on-site, but it’s Ocean — where Chef Hans Neuner combines Portugese flavors with hints of Asian cuisine — that puts Porches on The MICHELIN Guide's radar. Nelson Marreiros, who runs front-of-house at the restaurant, received the 2025 MICHELIN Service Award for a level of professionalism that further elevates the experience.
Funchal
Classic Seaside Sophistication
On the southern coast of Madeira Island about an hour and a half flight from Lisbon, the steep cliffs and sandy beaches of Funchal have long made it a travel destination — known as the go-to for British vacationers for no less than two centuries. Reid’s Palace, with its sea views and private terraces, marble baths and Star dining at William (home to the winner of the 2025 MICHELIN Young Chef Award), has hosted such travelers — among them Winston Churchill — for a century without its quality diminishing. Today, Funchal is a bona fide luxury hotel haven. Along with Reid’s Palace, two other hotels here earned Two MICHELIN Keys this year, along with two One-Key selections. The Reserve Hotel is Madeira at its most indulgent, occupying the top six floors of the Savoy Palace and featuring a private rooftop pool, 24-hour butler service and panoramic views.
As for the rest of the restaurant scene, expect more serene sea views at Stars like Desarma and Il Gallo d’Oro, the latter one of just eight Two-Star restaurants in Portugal.
Porto
Literary Arts in Portugal's Second City
Portugal’s second city is booming. New openings and new distinctions make Porto an obvious choice for 2025, but of the seven Key hotels announced this year, Torel Palace Porto is a particular must-visit for the MICHELIN-minded traveler. In a 19th-century palace with neoclassical facades, lush interior gardens, and marble bathrooms and canopy beds in rooms that pay tribute to Portuguese literary figures, the on-site restaurant is the spectacular Blind. One of just eight restaurants in the country newly awarded a MICHELIN Star, the 10- or 12-course surprise menu is also literarily inspired, in this case by the 1995 novel Blindness by Portuguese author and Nobel laureate José Saramago. At Blind, Inspectors found cuisine inspired by the senses, presented with a theatrical touch — that could mean lit butter candles, the tinkling of a Swiss cowbell or a blindfold.
Sintra-Cascais Natural Park
Stars and Keys in a Protected Landscape
A palace-strewn fairytale of a city just outside Lisbon, Sintra is a perfect retreat — close to everything, yet cloaked in its own dreamy world. The tourist center is walkable and magnificent, but it’s the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park that stands out in our world. Here, amidst the mountains and coastline dotted with ancient cultural landmarks, you'll find the Penha Longa Resort — a former royal retreat (with a 14th-century monastery on the grounds) and one of only two hotels in all Portugal to attain Three MICHELIN Keys, the highest hotel honor in the Guide.
The resort is also home to Sintra’s only MICHELIN-Star restaurants: LAB by Sergi Arola and Midori, the former a spot for creative, Mediterranean-inspired fare and the latter one of the country’s first Japanese establishments.
Lamego
The Spot for Douro Valley Excellence
The Douro Valley — with its terraced vineyards and steep river valleys — is one of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions and a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape. It’s an obvious choice for a Portugal trip in 2025, and the Six Senses Douro Valley is our Inspectors’ clear top choice. With Two MICHELIN Keys, this superlative place sits above the river surrounded by vineyards. A 19th-century manor turned spa resort, its focus is on wellness and local connection — with a more than 2,000-square-meter spa featuring treatments that take advantage of the region’s own grapes. Cuisine makes similar use of the land, with farm-to-table ingredients, many from the hotel’s own gardens, featuring heavily in the menu.
Another 2025 favorite of the Inspectors is the The Wine House Hotel at Quinta da Pacheca, and nearby, Cais da Villa, DOC and Quinta do Tedo Família Geadas are three MICHELIN-selected restaurants to stop by on any wine tour.
Beja
Slow-Paced Wine Tourism
In the southern region of Alentejo, surrounded by vast stetches of olive groves and cork forests, Beja — the regional capital — is among the best options for slow-paced wine tourism in 2025. Just outside the city lies Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, a wine estate awarded One MICHELIN Key and worth a trip on its own. Set on a sweeping expanse of vineyard-covered countryside, this is a wine estate par excellence, offering six distinct lodging concepts, each blending different levels of privacy and seclusion. Villas come with kitchens, fireplaces, private pools and broad terraces — all inspired by traditional Portuguese design.
Rural luxury is at the heart of the experience, where local materials like bulrush, stone and marble meet high design, from Portuguese brands to international names like Marcel Wanders and Philippe Starck. The on-site restaurant, Malhadinha Nova — recognized with a MICHELIN Green Star for another consecutive year in 2025 — overlooks the vineyards and celebrates local ingredients, many sourced from the estate's own production of olive oil, honey and vegetables. Nearby is another MICHELIN selection, Herdade dos Grous, similarly surrounded by trees and vineyards.
Vila do Conde
Medieval Hospitality
Lisbon
City Calm at the Capital's Top-Rated Hotel
Naturally, you must visit Lisbon. In 2025, Inspectors awarded nine hotels with Keys in the capital city, along with 22 Stars or Bib Gourmands. Of the eight newly added Stars in the country, four were in Lisbon — including Arkhe, the city's latest vegetarian restaurant to receive the honor.
And while Portugal’s capital is known for its steep streets, iconic custard tarts, tilework and scenic viewpoints, we’ll point you towards one highlight that feels miles away from it all: the peaceful, serene Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, about a 30-minute walk from the historic Baixa district. With Two MICHELIN Keys, the Hotel Ritz Lisbon is now officially our top-rated hotel in the capital. Here, the busy city fades away in an imposing modernist building decorated in a striking Art Deco meets Louis XVI style, with plenty of luxury wellness offers to complete the feeling. Within the hotel itself is the restaurant Cura, with its own MICHELIN Star and a sophisticated menu that sources fresh ingredients from both coast and countryside.
