True to its history and status as a capital city, there is tremendous mix of cultures that is evident it the wide variety of restaurants. We never made it to one of many Lebanese places we saw. Or to the Pakistani restaurant in the Alfama neighborhood. Too many options, too little time. Even if five weeks, we ran out of time to go to places we read about or found on our wanderings. We did our best and in no particular order, here are some of the other places we found.
While writing Dining Part 1, I thought there would be no way I could manage a bunch more words on the topic. I thought I’d be tapping out some minimal descriptions of a few places and then just throw up a gallery of food porn. Clearly, clearly, I have become a foodie. Either it was in me waiting to get out and that happened when I married Trev, or Trev’s deep love and curiosity about food has rubbed off on me these many years. Either way, I’m the better (and maybe a bit heavier) for it.
Tapas 52
We can only photograph so much and there were a few very good meals that we just enjoyed. The first night, we shared a bottle of red wine over tapas at Tapas 52, a short walk from our place. Arriving at night, it was so convenient to relax, be out in the night air (outside seating cafe style on the sidewalk/street), and eat some delicious food. I thought what we had was great, though Trev doesn’t think of that meal as highly as I do. I think the relief of finally arriving after years of dreaming it and months of planning it released a small euphoria bomb in me. I confess I remember cured meat, excellent wine, and that we had several other vegetable based tapas. Looking back, knowing how cheap wine was elsewhere, I do think that was a bit on the high side. Nevertheless, It was still a great start.
Sardines
June 13th is a big party in Lisbon to celebrate their patron saint. You may have read about the parade we attended in an earlier post. For days before that celebration and especially the night of it, you can find grilled sardines in lots of stands in the city. Once we left the parade, we ventured back to our neighborhood, Bairro Alto, and walked over to what we started calling the Terrace. Formally, it is the Miradouro (or Viewpoint) de São Pedro de Alcântara. We had been watching it become taken over by a stage and kiosks the week before.
The smell of sardines cookies was in the air (and it isn’t bad, but definitely distinct). We stood in line and placed our order. I could see them cooking and, well, while I was willing to try it I didn’t think I could handle them alone. Trev ordered sardines and they came with bread. He had been talking about this for weeks before we even left the States. They were everything he’d hoped for and I must say, tasted good. However, I was glad I ordered the small plate of sausage. It seemed to be three different kinds of sausage, one of which had a oddly soft, yeah okay, almost gooey, texture. That one we both weren’t sure about but it all went down along with a nice, cold beer and chunks of bread with mustard.
Tantura
One evening we went hunting in the neighborhood for a different Tapas place. All of them were mostly meat and cheese and we were both seeking something more vegetable. We found a Middle Eastern/Turkish place where they tucked us (in a good way) in the corner. We shared a bottle of green wine and began with a fried eggroll looking thing with lamb. Yeah, I know, this was the only meat we had but it was highly recommended by the waiter, as was the green wine, so we went for it. We also had sambusas filled with onion and peas, an israeli salad, and roasted vegetable Shakshuka.
Sanskar Nepal
There was a bit of rain when we woke this day. We went to the museum about cod from the Portuguese point of view. There were interesting aspects to the exhibit but it was kind of a bust. From there we were hungry and both of us were craving Indian, for no apparent reason, and found a highly rated place on the edge of our neighborhood – Sanskar Nepal.
We were early for lunch by Lisbon standards, though the place was filling up by the time we were leaving. We had samosas that were a lot bigger than we expected and out of this world good. Trev ordered Aloo Mataar and I had Saag Paneer, one of my favorites. This recipe was different from what I’ve ever had before. Instead of being a very dark green, it had other sauces mixed in to lighten the color. I didn’t ask, and didn’t care. It was fantastic.
Rice and naan rounded out the email. It took a bit of time but that seemed like a good thing. The food was perfectly spiced and flavorful. Sometimes I find Indian food can be highly salted but this wasn’t at all, the flavors of ingredients and spices came right through. The meals were served in metal bowls suspended over small candles to keep it warm. For some meals I saved receipts and can share that this lunch was 31,55€.
Valdo Gatti
Coming from the States, you see Gatti in the name of an Italian place and it makes you want to turn away. But those Google reviews were too compelling (4.7 stars). Technically, I went to this place twice, Trev only once. Early on, Trev went running and then had work that meant I was on my own for a day. I did some window shopping (and bought a great sunhat) and decided to take myself to lunch on my own. Found this place and italian just sounded good, I felt a little like pampering myself.
For my meal, I started with mushroom ravioli and had a glass of a house pinot. While waiting, I had brought a journal to start writing some notes on things I wanted to blog about. The adorable (I can say that because he was probably half my age) waiter stopped to check on me. He looked like he just stepped off a menswear runway show. He asked me if I was writing a song or poetry, which would have made me really cool, but of course I wasn’t and I’m not. The sweet thing was he brought over a small lamp for me. It was overcast and threatening rain so it was a bit dim in this part of the place I was tucked into. How sweet was that. (You would have been all over this guy, M.)
For my meal I had a margherita pizza. It was perfect. Those of you that have also had a perfect margherita pizza know exactly what I mean. Crust was not too thin but not thick, flavorful as a supporting player, and firm enough to not droop when you opt to pick up a piece and fold it to eat. Just enough fresh tomato sauce. The right apportionment of mozzarella and basil. Sigh. Suddenly, I want that pizza right now.
I wanted to eat it all and came damn close. Lucky Trevor, I brought him two slices home. That was one of those lunches you have with yourself that are wonderful. Quiet conversations in your head, no rush to be anywhere or do anything, and delicious, beautiful food. If you are like me, that just doesn’t happen often and yet it really should, for all of us.
So, yeah, it was so good that I talked Trev into going one day with me for lunch together. It was equally wonderful. We again had the mushroom ravioli. I ordered the thing I was debating about last time, the gnocchi with pesto. My love for that combination goes way, way back to a hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop, cheesy red and white plastic table cloth restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, in my past life. I was in absolute heaven with that dish. And to tell you the truth, I can’t even remember the pizza Trevor ordered, just that there was something round across the table. I was really into that gnocchi. I just couldn’t face the start of my online workday without something sweet, so we also shared a tiramisu with, what else, cappacinos. My god that was a wonderful lunch.
La Pizza de Nanna and Nannarelle
One of our exploring days took us west to a large park, Jardim de Estrela (Star Garden) and the British Cemetery. On our way there, we walked through a lovely little neighborhood park. Many benches and a fountain (no kiosk) with lots of shade – Jardim Fialho de Almeida. After the cemetery we were a bit peckish and stopped at this tiny pizza shop for slices to take to the the tiny park just up the street. Many choices and here is the cool thing – you buy by weight. Kind of like my experience at a Montreal cheese shop once, she holds the cutter over the big rectangle of pizza and you tell her where to cut. So cool. And then you pay by how much that sucker weighs. What a great system.
We enjoyed those slices on a bench in the shade at the small garden, watching kids play in the fountain and the older folks chatting on benches. Such a peaceful scene. I had a hankering for something sweet so we walked back down to the sister Gelato shop, which was it is worth pointing out in the opposite direction of home. They had vegan options in chocolate, fruit flavors, etc. Nothing crazy but so damn good (we thought of you, C). We ate them as we walked home.
Taberna das Sobreiras Altas
Okay, not in Lisbon, but not far and vital to mention. On a road trip we had two excellent dinners out at A Taberna das Sobreiras Altas (The Tavern of Tall Cork Trees) and Quinta do Lourenço (Lawrence’s Country House) in Melides. Can’t wait to share about that trip though some of you may already have seen the stunning pool photos. Both were recommended by our hotelier and offer local fare. Pedro at the Taberna was marvelous. As it happens, the owners and managers of our eco-lodge were dining at the table next to us. It was way to intimate and special to whip out the phones for photos. So we didn’t. We just enjoyed it.
I should mention that we were eating outside at a table in front of the restaurant. They have a patio area with an arbor or pergola and the evening was perfect with a soft breeze. The view of the land across the street was so soothing during a very nice sunset. While waiting on our food, our hotelier brought over a sample of her meal – black pork as she called it. We determined it is the pork that eats acorns in the forests and it was out of this world. Neither of us had been in the mood for pork but damn, that was a mistake not to change or add to our order.
So we determined that the Portuguese alternative to ‘chips and salsa’ that comes free to the table, they bring olives, cheese and bread. So much better. We ordered salad to share, clams and cod and potatoes, and a dessert that Trev took it upon himself to eat almost all of while I was chatting with our table neighbors. Love ya honey.
Quinta do Lourenço
If you google Quinta do Lourenço you might see the video I found of eels squirming in a bowl. Many variations of eel were definitely on the menu but we didn’t get that adventurous. Our waiter brought us a small round of wonderful cheese, a plate of olives, and some bread. Again we were eating outside which was our choice. This place was a bit more, well, rough. I’ll be honest, I was tempted to suggest we find another place. It was a combination of factors, really. But when we asked our hotelier for her recommendation, this was #2 after the Taberna, so we decided to stick it out.
We were eating early, by Portuguese standards, so at first they didn’t seem to know what to do with us, especially since we didn’t speak Portuguese. This was actually ironic when we realized our waiter was from Nepal. Maybe they asked him to handle us since he spoke English, along with Hindi and Portuguese. If memory serves, he had been there for just a few years, having followed a good friend from his village. Having worked in one or more restaurants in the Algarve, he was now in Melides.
We ordered a bottle of local white wine (of course) to go with seafood – clams and shrimp. To give you an idea of economy, our bottle of wine was 6€. The shrimp was a fried option, but it wasn’t coated in a thick layer of breading. They sell it by weight. The clams were in a delicious sauce and we also shared a simple salad. Trev said these clams were better than what we had at the Taberna, which is saying something as those were amazing. I agreed with him, these were just a bit better. We had eaten all our bread so I took to soaking the french fries, the surprising side that came with our entrees, in the lovely clam sauce pools. We didn’t have room for dessert but are really glad we stayed for the meal. This entire meal cost 27,90€. We found eating out to be cheaper outside of Lisbon, which seems logical.
Cocktails and Bars
Trev and I just weren’t in the mood to go to too many bars. Maybe it was our schedule. We spent most days out exploring all over Lisbon, walking and running, and learning, and were just too tired by 10:00 when my work day ended. Weekends were for precious options to have dinner out. It all worked out and we don’t feel we missed out. We did (wink, wink) fit a few bars in.
Casa da Praia
The first one we hit was early on. We wanted to drink a toast to a dear friend with some brown liquor. Casa da Praia is a tapas bar that seemed very much a locals place even though it was just up from a major tourist spot – Miradoura de São Pedro de Alcântara. Again, in the hood as we didn’t feel like walking far. We sat at a little table for two and listened to the locals joke (not understanding a word) and admiring a couple of dogs one of them brought over. The only brown liquor they had was Johnny Walker Red Label, so it was.
Shorty’s Bar
This tiny bar is worth a mention, albeit also tiny. Trev walked by it while out looking for something. Had to be towards the evening and had to be on a particluar night, as Shorty’s is discerning. They know their audience and cater to them. I have been in closets bigger than Shorty’s bar.
They offer shots and beer. At 192 Google reviews and 5 stars, they clearly have found their niche. It is surprisingly clean inside, the few moments you are in there. White walls, nice wooden shelves and a tall wooden bar. If you get a drink, it is consumed quickly (shot) or on the street outside. Or, alternatively, and Trev’s preference, was to get one to go. Especially convenient when we were 1/2 block away. Heineken on draft, 500 ml, for 1,50€. Super nice guys. We were just sad it wasn’t open when a cold beer sounded refreshing.
Associação Loucos e Sonhadores
One bar was steps away from our rental which, if you’ve been paying attention, is like so many other places we discovered. It was across the street from our front door, I think we clocked it at 20 steps. It has a fabulous painting on the door that everyone would do selfies with by day. The name translates to something like Association of Crazies and Dreamers.
The door has a fantastic painting on it when closed which many people gravitated to for selfies. It was next door to Rosa da Rua (which is just to the right in the photo below). This bar kinda reminded us of Fado, an Irish pub in the Austin warehouse district back when Austin was still weird and we were younger and newly married. Low ceiling and booths and intimate tables tucked into rooms here and there separated by doorways and such.
The Bar
This was a late and happy discovery. A feisty and stylish woman of a certain age (aka my age) ran this tiny corner establishment. Clearly she knows her way around a bar (Take that as you’d like) because her menu was long and extensive from someone that knew how to mix cocktails. It was more familiar to us than other bars and, newsflash, she had bourbon and rye. These were pretty much non existent here so that was the draw because we scoped the menu out before we went. She used large globes of ice (How about that, S & E) and made me a most excellent Bourbon Manhattan with Four Roses. Two drinks to be exact. Trev ordered an old fashioned and then a beer afterwards.
Wine Tasting
One evening we felt like having wine with dinner so while I cooked, Trev walked up to a wine store on Rua Dom Pedro – Garrafeira Imperial. He was overwhelmed, which is easy to understand if you take a look at the image. He asked for and received some wonderful help and brought a Portuguese Pinot Noir for 8€. They also told him about a wine tasting happening at the store on the coming Saturday. He bought tickets, 20€ each which would entitle each of us to 12€ off a bottle. This was early on so we thought it would be good to learn a bit more about Portuguese wine. We also weren’t sure what you would get for 8€. Heavens, it was as good or better than Pinots we’ve paid $20 for in the States.
We had a great time at the wine tasting. There were around 20 stations, some where you were actually talking to a family member and winemaker. Each station offered at least four wines, and some had more. We learned a lot about the wine regions – two important ones are Douro in the north and Alentejo in the south. The language barrier wasn’t that bad and we tried a lot of wine. We also met a couple, Thomas and Leo, one American and the other Brazilian, who recently made the move to Lisbon to live from Hawaii. It was a great time and we bought some wine! Four bottles which averaged out to 11€ per bottle.
Costs of Dining Out
We found some places to be comparable for a meal for two in the States. Other places seemed crazy affordable. Flor da Laranja, the incredible Moroccan meal that included a bottle of wine was 65,50€. Lunches out at Rosa da Rua and Sanskar Nepal were hovering at 30,00€, not including those amazing sangrias. An iced coffee was usually around 2,00 or 2,50€. A glass of white wine (always good and they do a heavy pour) is around 3,00 or 3,50€ whether you were at a kiosk in a park or in a restaurant. A beer is 5€ for 500 ml of a popular brand such as Sagres or Super Bock. Tipping is not necessarily expected and if you do tip, anywhere from 1 to 5% is acceptable.
One evening we were craving sweets and went around to neighborhood joint – Cafe Brasil. Just across from the Miradour de São Pedro de Alcântara, we thought it would be touristy. It wasn’t. In fact, we had to wait because an older woman was having words with the older gentleman behind the counter about the soup which was uneaten in her bowl. Must not have measured up. We bought 2 pastel de natas and two other donut-like pastries and spent a total of 5,20€.
Generally, I’d say it is cheaper to eat out and the quality of the food seems better than in the States.
