April 2024
I visited Lisbon last week; like most city breaks tend to be, it was pretty exhausting but hugely rewarding. I particularly loved seeing the Azulejo tiles; the ‘Igreja de Sao Vincente de Fora’ is a must-see while the ‘Museo Nacional del Azulejo’ which is housed in an old convent is a hidden gem and I couldn’t not be impressed by the ‘Monsteiro do Jeróimos’! Naturally, in addition to sightseeing, it was the food which interested me and I arrived for our four-night stay with a list of restaurants (all pre-booked!). Before our trip, I had researched extensively our restaurant choices. I wanted to try places which had a modern vibe but which still reflected the traditional flavours of Portuguese cooking – a rounded taste of the vibrant, modern city. Of course, it’s always going to be ‘trial and error’, and although there were a few that I wouldn’t return to, I discovered four restaurants which I would recommend, plus I’ve added a couple of additional tasting tips…
“Casual Dining with Traditional Roots…”
This restaurant was my choice for our first evening. I wanted a more casual start to our Lisbon culinary adventure and it helped that this restaurant was a stone’s throw from where we were staying. Principe Real is one of the trendiest most visited districts so you will find tourists dining here (they’re difficult to escape in Lisbon!), but despite this, we felt that Faz Frio had a good local vibe. The dining room is separated into little booths which gives this lively restaurant an intimate atmosphere. The tables are small and you’re seated on stalls, therefore, this isn’t the type of restaurant where you’ll be relaxing into the night, but hey, this is Lisbon and there’s lots to see so you don’t want to get too comfortable! The food is based on a traditional Portuguese menu but with a twist of modern flavours. The service is quick – straightaway, before even reading the menu, we were offered bread and olives; it’s a tradition in many local Portuguese restaurants to place these on the tables but be aware that you will be charged for them so only accept if you want them. We refrained and moved on to the real menu… For our starters we shared the wonderful ‘Brás de Trufa & Cogumelos do Bosque’, this traditional dish was a delicious mix of straw-cut fried potatoes and gently cooked eggs with truffle and wild mushrooms – it was incredibly moreish and very good. We also shared ‘Carré de Borrego com Puré de Ervilhas e Pistachio’ which were tender lamb cutlets with a rich pea and pistachio puree, the sweetness of the puree was a good complement to the tasty lamb. For our main courses, there was ‘Naco Grelhado & Chimichurri’, a tasty Beef Steak served simply with Chimichurri and salt flakes. Plus the ‘Camarão Tigre com Arroz de Lima & Citronela’ which was the most expensive thing on the menu but deservedly so, the tiger shrimp was a lot larger than I had expected, it was more like a small lobster and tasted divine; seeped in a lemony bisque sauce with lemongrass rice on the side. Finally, we shared desert – the traditional ‘Pudim Abade de Priscos’ a velvety, crème caramel which is apparently cooked with ham (later strained off!) and port, both intensify the caramel flavour – it was so delicious that I forgot to take a photo! Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily traipse across the city to eat at Faz Frio, I would recommend it if you’re in the vicinity either for lunch or dinner. The service is friendly and the atmosphere buzzing. With some memorable dishes, eating here on our first evening was a great introduction to Portuguese cuisine.
“Portuguese ‘Farm to Table’…”
Prado Mercearia is a wine bar serving small sharing plates. I had wanted to have dinner in their main restaurant, Prado, but I couldn’t get a reservation despite trying before leaving London. So, I decided the next best thing might be lunch at their wine bar; it was so good that we returned again for lunch before leaving! Prado Merceraria can be found on the corner of a backstreet in the Baixa district. We had visited Sao Jorge castle and Igrega de Sao Vincente de Fora in the morning and afterwards it was easy to pass by this nearby wine bar for a late lunch without a reservation. It’s a light, airy space and on the day we visited it was particularly warm so all the doors were open, giving the dining room a welcoming, chilled atmosphere. The staff are very friendly and passionate about the Portuguese wines they serve beside the tapas plates. The menu concentrates on Portuguese seasonal and fresh ingredients – their by-line is ‘Farm to Prado’. From the very first plate we shared, the quality of the produce shined through, the ‘Green Asparagus & Alioli’ although a simple dish was incredibly flavoursome – exactly like all asparagus should be but often not. It was chargrilled and dusted with grated lemon and cut by a salty aioli – perfection. ‘Cured Mackerel & White Bean Purée’, was served with subtly pickled carrot and onion which complemented the mackerel and the creamy purée beautifully, it’s the type of dish that shouts for some bread to mop up the sauce! Finally with its intense fresh flavours, the ‘Tuna, Mustards & Green Asparagus Sauce’ was my favourite dish, but all the plates were winners. For dessert we chose ‘Dolce de Leche Flan’, made with sweet caramelized condensed milk and served with a generous sprinkling of flaky salt – incredibly good and very moreish! It was a wonderful lunch, hence our return, and I’m now very keen to go back to Lisbon to try their main restaurant, Prado, but I’ll be making sure I book well in advance!..
“Fine Dining; Portuguese Style with French Flair”
This restaurant was my ‘fine dining’ option. A gastronomic menu inspired by French cuisine with a touch of Portuguese. But, this was by no means a stuffy fine dining affair, the small dining room (with just more or less 12 tables) shares its space with the kitchen – everyone has a birds-eye view of the chefs at their work. There’s a lovely informal atmosphere; despite its minimal modern décor the space is warm and welcoming and after a day sightseeing, surrounded by tourists, entering this restaurant really did feel like a haven. After enjoying their amuse-bouche treats we moved on to our starters; a delicious ‘Foie Gras Mi Cuit & Pear’ plus ‘Piglet, Wild Mushrooms & Tartar Sauce’ which was a wonderful pork and herb terrine with a slightly sweet crust cut by a delicate tartar sauce. Next, we shared their signature dish, ‘Oven-baked Rice & Scarlet Shrimp’. It was the signature dish for good reason; the rice was rich with a delicate flavour of tomato, yet it was the juices from the heads of the shrimp, which we were encouraged to mash into the rice, that lifted the dish to higher realms – it was divine and the shrimp was some of the sweetest I’ve tasted. Desserts were the ‘icing on the cake’… a ‘Lemon Tartelette’ a little like a lemon meringue pie – tart and sweet, while the ‘piece de resistance’ was the ‘Hazelnut Soufflé’, light as a cloud, topped with caramelized hazelnuts, a perfect end to a perfect meal. Each dish was presented by the chefs with calm pride, it was a wonderful intimate experience and one which was incredibly well-priced for the quality and standard of cooking.
“Trendy Tapas Seafood Adventure”
If you happen to be googling the ‘best restaurants in Lisbon’, ‘A Cevicheria’ will definitely pop up on your screen. It’s the current ‘darling’ of Instagram… but please don’t let me put you off! We almost didn’t visit as they don’t take reservations – a pet hate of mine is queuing for a table! However, on our last day before leaving for the airport, we decided to give ‘A Cevicheria’ a go, making sure we were first in line when they opened at noon. I am so glad we did, as this restaurant deserves the hype. A Cevicheria is all about fresh, flavoursome fish dishes inspired by the traditional Peruvian dish, Ceviche, with of course, a touch of Portuguese style. Entering the restaurant and seeing the huge foam octopus hanging from the ceiling there is no escaping the fact that fish is the main event here. With the ‘Salsa’ music playing in the background, the atmosphere is upbeat and very trendy… particularly after you’ve had one of their trademark Pisco Sours. And yes, that’s exactly how we started our last meal in Lisbon, with a lemony Pisco Sour! Then we dived into the menu ordering a number of dishes to share… First up was ‘Caustia de Lavaganie e Gamba’ which were little balls of potato with lobster and prawn. Bursting with flavour they left us eager to try our next dish which was their signature ‘Ceviche Puro’, made from white fish with sweet potato purée, red onion and seaweed, it was again, a dish which exploded with flavour; the lime juice ‘cooked’ fish was cut by the sweetness of the potato whilst the red onion and seaweed intensified the flavours of the dish. ‘Tiradito de Barriga de Atum e Maracuiá’ was sashimi cut tuna with a wonderful lime and passionfruit sauce, not only was it colourful but very tasty. Our final savoury dish was ‘Anticucho de Vieira e Milho Baby’ which were skewers of scallops wrapped in bacon, this was the one dish that didn’t work for me – I found that the bacon (and the touch of chilli) overpowered the sweet scallop. Finally dessert, ‘Suspiro Limeño’ was a wonderful take on the Dulche Leche Flan which you find on a lot of the Portuguese menus, this one was completely different and better for it. Surrounded by a lime sorbet and dressed in meringue, the rich caramel flavour of the ‘flan’ was cut by a sharp citrus tang – it was wonderful! Our lunch was a great end to our short break in Lisbon – I plan to order more ‘ceviche’ dishes on my next visit!.. (To avoid the queues arrive early for lunch or dinner!)
A Few More Lisbon Tasting Tips…
Fancy a cocktail?.. ‘Pavilhão Chines’ is a fantastic place for cocktails, better still it’s just around the corner from three of my restaurant choices (above)! This isn’t one of those bars where you have to fight for space at the bar, it’s a more gentrified experience with cocktails served to guests at their tables. It’s a very exclusive affair, from the street you wouldn’t even realise it’s a bar; the doors are closed and there is no sign advertising what’s behind them, but if you look carefully there’s a doorbell – just ring on it and ‘voilà’ the door opens and a waiter shows you to a table. The interior is wonderful, it’s rather Victorian in style with chandeliers and velvet chairs. However, it’s the walls that catch your eye, lined with glass cabinets, they are crammed with vintage curiosities – china tea sets fight for space with dolls and action figures – it’s all a bit mad. And then there is the menu with absolutely every cocktail you can imagine – what’s not to like?!..
Breakfast/ Brunch?.. ‘Seagull Method Café’, yes, I know the name is terrible and not exactly Portuguese but believe me this is a great spot for breakfast if you’re in the vicinity of Barrio Alto/ Principe Real. It can be found on a quiet corner on the back streets. Great, friendly service and a wonderful fresh menu.
Finally, the famous Pastesis de Nata… Naturally, I couldn’t do a foodie review of Lisbon without mentioning its Pastesis de Nata. It has to be said that my travelling companion, who was the chief taster of these little custard tarts, was most impressed by those from the famed ‘Pasteis de Belem’. However, those from ‘Manteigaria’ (there are a couple of stores dotted around Lisbon) were also extremely good!..
Menu Mistress 