As anyone who knows me well, as much as I love a good adventure, I can also be a creature of habit. Paris will always have its undeniable pull. London can always lure. And Barcelona is never a bad idea. But, this past September, a good friend of mine was ready to rouse me out of my rut. (Well, sort of…) Conveniently, I was wrapping up a freelance project and itching to get out of town—so I opted to split the difference. Three nights in beloved Barcelona solo (can you blame me?) and then after a one-way flight, another three over in Lisbon for my first ever dip into Portugal. I was so happy I finally went!
There will be other Lisbon posts, but for this one in particular I figured I’d keep the focus on some of the good stuff—the FOOD. This is by no means terribly informative, but hopefully I can at least offer a restaurant suggestion or two the next time you’re heading to Lisboa.
The first spot we visited was a definite keeper and someplace I’d love to go back to for a full meal. Unfortunately, we were there at an off hour—around 5:00 pm…so after lunch and not quite dinner. Worth noting, people tend to eat dinner later here…think primetime being around 8 or 9pm – with many spots not even open until 7pm. So, if you’re heading to Portugal, it’s best to try to adjust yourself into dining later by either lunching later or snacking early, and going for a bigger meal later in the evening.
Bairro do Avillez
First stop was Bairro do Avillez—a charming Portuguese restaurant with an almost gastropub-like vibe. It felt modern and fresh. It’s made up of different zones…a deli counter…a little Taberna up front, and a larger, airy dining room towards the back. We stopped at the Taberna this time and enjoyed a delicious pitcher of sangria, and shared a traditional cod and potato starter as well as a highlight—an order of their Exploding Olives…a little molecular gastronomy action and SO much fun. They’re essentially edible “skins” made to look like green olives – bursting with a briny liquid that was so deeeelicious. I could eat these all day.
Cod, potato, and cornbread
Exploding Olives!
Carmo
After spending the rest of the afternoon billy-goating up and down the Lisbon hills, we were finally ready for a late dinner and opted for a spot not too far from our hotel: Carmo. Yes, it was mainly full of tourists (so that’s a minus) but any place that serves me delicious food and wine when I’m running on fumes is good for me. To start I opted for a bowl of Caldo Verde – a traditional Portuguese soup of cabbage and pork that I was excited to try. Not going to lie…I was hoping this would be more flavorful/savory. It was tasty, but sort of meh. Maybe I need to try it again somewhere else? But to redeem the soup, I followed it with some pork cheeks and puréed potato that was melt-in-your-mouth divine. Way too much food…but so, so good.
Caldo Verde
Oh hello, pork cheeks
Sacramento do Chiado
On our last night there, we were a little exhausted after doing a nice climb into the Alfama (old town) part of Lisbon during the day – so opted to stay close in our Barrio Alto/Chiado neighborhood for dinner again. This time, we went to a spot that was recommended to my friend by a local: Sacramento do Chiado, another tasty Portuguese spot. Apparently housed in repurposed 18th-century palace stables, Sacramento felt a little more contemporary and had tons of delicious things to choose from…tasty seafood dishes…tons of meat options…pastas…etc. Something for everyone.
I was determined to keep checking off Portuguese must-try’s off my list so we decided to start with some traditional, soft Azeitão cheese – a little funky (read: unpasteurized) sheep’s milk cheese made in the south west of Portugal. As a cheese fanatic I was not about to leave the country without trying some. It was salty, herbal, and a perfect complement to the bold glass of local red I was drinking. I then had the soup of the day – which was delicious…kale and chick pea – and as my main, the must-try famed Portuguese Black Pork Loin with asparagus risotto. Good lord this was tasty. If you see Black Pork on the menu, ORDER IT. It’s essentially magical pork from special Iberian pigs. What’s not to love? Oink.
Azeitão cheese
Chickpea and kale soup
Black Pork Loin and asparagus risotto
Other spots to try…
Since we were only in Lisbon for such a short time and just getting our feet wet, there were so many other restaurants we didn’t get to try, some in our neighborhood and others further afield. Besides the spots above, here are a few I’d love to visit next time:
Café A Brasileira
O Arco
O Trevo
Zé da Mouraria
Ramiro
Tapa Bucho
Bonjardim
Until then…enjoy!