Lisbon?

I’m in Lisbon for a few days starting end of next week.
Already reserved a dinner at Assinatura. Looking for suggestions on restaurants, both fine dining and regional/rustic cusines.
Wine bars?

Ramon - We spent a lot of time at the Wine Bar do Castello. It is up on the hill by the castle in a very touristy area but it is a great little place. Only Portuguese wine, charcuterie, bread and cheese. The owner comes off a little rude at first but he is really good with his wines. He will ask what you want an give you a few to taste to try and figure out your palate and then he will offer many different choices depending on what you want to spend. He has wines from 5-500 Euro a glass. We spent 2 afternoons with him and it was the highlight of Lisbon for us. Before we left he let us taste an 1880 Tawny that was amazing. It is about 6 tables in a 13th century moorish building right on the main street below the castle entrance.

The address is
Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmao n 11/13 1100-078

The cab drivers knew where it was.

Enjoy!

George

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Thanks George, this is now noted into my travel notes. Thanks for the address too.

It’s been several years since I was there but loved our meals at Restaurante Eleven (Homepage - Eleven Restaurant | Joachim Koerper) and the amazing seafood at Ribadouro (http://www.cervejariaribadouro.pt).

Also enjoyed the Port Wine Institute bar/space in Lisbon…nice selection of Ports and cigars. http://www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?idioma=1&codPag=169&

Ramon - we had a really fantastic meal at Bocca a couple of years ago - Bocca.pt

Thank you all for the suggestions.

Doug: The Port Institute is now on my agenda.

Jud: Just checked Bocca’s website and they indicated that they’ve closed due to the economic crisis. Thanks anyway.

Sorry to hear that -it was a very nice family that ran the place…

We heard great things about Belcanto when we were there. We could not get a reservation.

George

I saw this Avillez on TV (with Tony Bourdain) and read good things about him. Thanks.
Decided not to book Belcanto as it’s too much eating and, instead, reserved at his more casual bistro Cantinho de Avillez.

Ramon - please post some feedback on your trip. I am there next month and looking forward to some fresh seafood.

J,

I’m editing my notes and will post very soon.

Ramon

Never having been to Portugal, but have occasionally dined at Portuguese restaurants at whichever city we happen to be living or travelling in, with each restaurant seemingly having only the bacalhau dish in common, and so I had no clue as to what to expect during our 5-day stay in Lisbon. With some pre-trip online research, we decided during a 5-day trip in mid March, to roll the dice and spend our dining Euros at:

Assinatura
Rua do Vale do Pereiro, 19
1250-270 Lisbon
+351 213 867 696
Our first night’s dinner in the city turned out to be an excellent culinary start. The struggling local economy appears to impact the local high-end dining scene with having just 4 parties in the dining room, in spite of a drizzly Thursday night in Lisbon. While I’m not too crazy about the sort-of minimalist décor with the kitschy-looking landscape photo of the residential hills of Lisbon covering one side of the wall, the overall atmosphere, from the attentive and efficient service, to the wine and elaborate food presentation that came with very knowledgeable explanation by each server, was the saving grace. Opting for the Euro 49 5-course menu, I also requested for the both of us to go with the wine-pairings, but specifically instructed our maître d’ that we will prefer a mix-and-match of the frescos e jovens (young and fresh) with the elegantes e evoluidos (elegant and mature) wines, as opposed to picking just one category as indicated on their menu. As my Portuguese wine knowledge is close to zero, my decision to rely on their sommelier to guide our food-and wine-pairing destiny was to say the least, a successful one, especially as I was given the opportunity to sample wines prior to pouring for each pairing. Other than what is shown in my iPhone photos, I’m not able to recall the exact nature of each dish we had, but am happy to say this was one of the highlight meals during our stay in Lisbon. I will say that the fish dishes are the ones that are embedded more in my happy memories. As opposed to a restaurant that creates modern dishes that are fitted in with local/regional infusion, I’m happy to note that Assinatura’s are based on Portuguese classics that are effectively executed with a creative modern twist, all without seemingly losing authenticity and regionalism. I heartily recommend Assinatura for a “splurge” meal in Lisbon. If I may state, by New York City standard, this is 4-star dining at 2-star pricing. As is always in line with my travel-eating creed, it’s always a good practice to reserve in advance.

Cervejaria Ramiro
Av. Almirante Reis 1-H,
1150-007 Lisboa
+351 218 851 024
So, New York City’s own great traveler/former chef/writer/visionary/sage Anthony Bourdain had a blast in this restaurant, or so he claims in his popular TV travel and food program. For once, he got one right. A traditional Lisbon cervejaria, in a grungy locals neighborhood, and complete with hurried and slightly brusque serving staff, who will quickly wipe away shellfish remnants from your table half of which would end in the wiping rag, the other half onto the restaurant floor. They’ll rightly start you off with the local azeitao sheep’s milk cheese and toasted buttered Portuguese half-buns. Then we followed-up with the very fresh grilled sweet large tiger prawns and the unforgettable steamed whole meaty crab served cracked with the large shell containing the crab fat-and-roe mixture. YUM! For dessert, go for the traditional Prego or fried steak sandwich on a Portuguese bun. Priceless. All washed down with very good local beers, and I recommend going for the Super Bock over rival brand of Sagres. The bill can add up (not by much), but who cares, especially as one enjoys the freshest and tastiest seafood this side of the Atlantic. Very highly recommended.

Cervejaria da Esquina
Rua Correia Teles 56,
1350-102 Lisboa
+351 213 874 644
Located in a residential neighborhood, just about a 20-minute cab ride from the city center, this restaurant provides a modern take on the Portuguese cervejaria experience. The modern setting, with the clean, sleek appointments, and a refined friendly wait staff, added to an overall very pleasant dining experience. In addition to beers, there are plenty of Portuguese wines by the glass and by the bottle, which by now we’ve established that ordering wines in local restaurants is one of the easiest thing on the dining wallet as they are tremendously cheap by any Western European or North American standards. With a bottle of a Douro white and a couple of glasses of Alentejo reds, we both enjoyed our shared dishes of excellent and very juicy Razor Clams and one of the best, if not the best, fresh tuna sandwich I’ve eaten. Just as we see in most traditional cervejaria in the city, there are aquariums with the live large crabs and local lobsters, and also displayed iced cases of the humongous prawns, but we opted not to duplicate our same-day lunch success at Ramiro by not ordering similar dishes. We finally ended with a lip-smacking slice of their home-made flan pudding, complemented with a small cup of a very graceful, not the in-your-face kind, of Portuguese coffee. After a quick but careful deliberation, we decided to do a repeat meal here with our last lunch in Lisbon (over Ramiro), but regretfully unable to do so due to unforeseen airport transfer issues. We will definitely repeat on our next Lisbon visit, whenever that may be. A very popular restaurant with locals and advanced reservation is definitely required.

Winebar do Castello
Rua Bartolomeu de Gusmao 11/13
1100-000 Lisboa
+351 962 928 956
It’s up there at the visible-from-everywhere-Lisbon hill of Castelo Sao Jorge. A bit dingy of a neighborhood, but I also thought it has its old Lisbon charms. We didn’t want a big dinner and decided to do a light one with finger foods, while sampling local wines. A very small cozy winebar with old wooden tables and rustic surroundings, about 7 to 8 tables, and with more than 150 local wines available by the glass. I continually engaged our wait staff to help me with sample tastes and explanations on the available wines prior to ordering my next glass. Very accommodating and attentive staff. The mix platter of sliced local Iberico ham, sausages and cheeses, with the usual delicious Portuguese bread, was enough to tide us over for dinner. Add to that about 4 glasses each of different wines, plus a complimentary shot of a 20-year old tawny port, this place made our night. I recommend to anyone who’d want to expand their Portuquese wine horizon. A 10 to 15-minute cab ride from city center.

Casa da Bifana
Martim Moniz, Lisboa
Looks like a very busy American diner in setting. A counter with stools, all occupied by folks chomping on fried pork wedged between an open soft Portuguese roll. A dish that we wanted to try, in supposedly a place that houses the best kind, and I thought it was just ho hum. For anyone craving for this so-called Portuguese staple sandwich, I suggest researching harder for a better place that makes ‘em.

Pasteis de Belem
Rua Belem 34
1300 Lisbon
The area of Belem is a good 30-minute commute from the city center. The pasteis is a creamy-eggy-custardy goodness encased in a flakey, warm-from-the-oven pastry that resembles a tart. The bake shop houses an enormous very busy restaurant that appears to serve nothing but egg tarts and coffee (or tea) to hundreds of patrons, most of which are tourists. It definitely is worth it to make the trek to Belem, with plenty of good cheap transportation options in the city, to check out the Monasterio do Jeronimos, a very fine example of late Gothic architecture. But to go to Belem just for this, I think I’ll pass. The tarts are pretty much available at every street corner coffee shop in Lisbon, with each advertising/touting how good theirs are.

Cantinho do Avillez
Rua Duques de Braganca 7
1200-162 Lisboa
+351 211 992 369
Our last dinner in Lisbon. It wasn’t the meal of the trip, but just as with the other ones, we were satisfied with our experience. I finally had the national dish-ingredient of bacalhau and it definitely proved to be better than any that I’ve had anywhere. Fresh-tasting moist flaked cod mixed with the very delicious potatoes, eggs and plump cooked olive, the dish was a delight. With smiling and friendly service, this bistro-type establishment also serves a good hamburger-with-foie-gras and a side of good fries, geared for those who have been here long enough to start craving something from home. Just as I did in other restaurants, I politely engage our wait-staff into having us sample first anything we order by the glass. They’re more than willing to oblige and were eager to provide useful information about their wines. I’d go back just to sample the prego steak sandwiches and other more local “bistro” dishes that this restaurant seems to be good at. Extremely popular and so, advanced reservation is a definite must.

Super Mario
Rua do Duque 9
1200-158 Lisboa
Our last meal in Portugal, a prelude to a few days in Paris, was lunch in a restaurant called Super Mario, a tasca, or through googling, a “cheap eating place”. Filled to capacity, Super Mario happens to be most popular among the local workers, neighbors and business people who all seem to know one another, in the Chiado neighborhood. It was quite a very happy, and to say the least, interesting, ending to our culinary adventure in Lisbon. Wandering around the neighborhood, prior to heading off to the airport in the afternoon, we walked in and were ushered to our seats, as the wait staff politely urged a solo dining patron busily gorging on his meal to scoot over one seat so that Marina and I can sit face-to-face in one of the communal tables in this capacity-filled, tightly-spaced, 40-seater family run restaurant. The menu appears to change by the day, depending on the fresh available market buys. Today’s menu, as displayed in Portuguese, hand-written with felt pen on a large white piece of paper taped on one of the wall included a grilled fish dish, a fried fish dish and a large bowl containing something that resembled the French pot-a-feu and which 75% of today’s diners opted for. With a refreshing cold bottle of their most expensive Vinho Verde (Euro 9), we started with a shared plate of the azeitao cheese with some soft Portuguese rolls, until our order of the fried fish steaks and the grilled larger chunk of fish, a different variety from the fried one, arrived and each was simply served with sides of boiled but tasty potatoes, rice and some fresh lettuce-tomatoes. We were smiling throughout our meal as we chomped on our fish dishes. These were sooooo good. We went with the very light and airy flan dessert that everybody else had, and were also comped a shot each of the house port to finish off our meal. It was the best home-cooked meal that I’ve had in a while, and certainly a memorable one at that. For twenty-two Euro total for an excellent local fare, we did very well here.

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Nice report and some good meals. I am glad you enjoyed Winebar do Castello.

George

A pleasant surprise, indeed. Thanks for the heads up on the Winebar do Castello, George.

Ramon

Thanks for the detailed notes. They will come in quite handy as I will be there in two weeks. Will report back with some brief thoughts after the trip.

Thanks again for your notes Ramon and George. They were quite helpful during my recent stay in Lisbon. A few brief thoughts below on the highlights of my visit:

Winebar do Castello - this place was excellent and easily the best wine bar we visited in the entire country. The owners were a bit cool at first but really opened up after some conversation. The amount of aged wines by the glass was truly astounding and very enjoyable. We came here nightly.

Cervejaria Ramiro - I have been dying to come here since seeing this on No Reservations and it did not disappoint. We got very lucky by arriving for dinner early as the crowd waiting for tables was enormous by the time we left. The seating for those waiting seemed very disorganized. The food was top-notch. Amazing clams, grilled shrimp and steak sandwich. The tiger prawns were other worldly. Never tasted Tiger Prawns close to this quality. Beers went great with the seafood although we also had a bottle of Vino Verde. Top-notch experience.

Cantinho do Avilllez - Very fun meal at this bustling bistro. Highlights were the steak sandwich and the foie gras burger. All the small plates were very good. We tried to go back a second time to sample the rest of the menu but were told it was fully booked. Instead we went to the chef’s new pizza joint down the street. That was quite nice too.

Bonjardim - Roasted chicken on the spit splattered with the house hot sauce was delicious. Great little spot to sit outside on a sunny afternoon. Tucked just off the restaurant walking street.

Caso do Alentejo - Also located off the restaurant walking street but once you climb the stairs into this old building it is like you are transported into an old Moorish castle. The architecture is really amazing. The food is based on the hearty cuisine of the Alentejo region. We had the grilled lamb special which was delicious with a bottle of rustic Alentejo red wine. Prices are absurdly cheap.

Port Wine Institute - What should be a great place is marred by pitiful customer service. The waitstaff is downright unfriendly and disappears for longs stretches of time. Good luck trying to place your order or request your bill. Ports by the glass were great though and the selection is large. Pricing is good too.

Thanks for the updage on your trip J. Good to see common positive experiences in the restaurants that we went to. Also good to know about Caso do Alentejo. I’ll note down it for next time.

Glad you enjoyed. We had the exact same experience as you. I think he gets a lot of people coming down from the castle and he truly enjoys teaching people about wine so he gets a little picky with his customers.

George

Bumping this thread - lots of great info here and in some other threads, but wondering about more recent visits? Planning a few days in early October in Portugal (most likely Lisbon/Sintra) as an adjunct to visiting my daughter, who is studying in Madrid for the semester.
Thanks!

I had a great meal at 100 Maneiras in November. Tasting menu only at the restaurant in Bairro Alto, I think it’s a steal for 60 Euro. I don’t usually do pairings, but due to my short stay, I did the reserve pairings and got to have some small production wines with some solid age - both whites and reds.

The bistro is a la carte, and is at a different location.

Manteigaria, in my opinion, has the best pasteis de nata (Portugese custard tarts) - better than Belem for me. The Time Out Market is a must as you can get some tasty eats there from some of the chefs.