LISBON FOOD NOTES Fall, 2016
 

I recently returned from 5 days in Lisbon, a city I had not visited before. (Hopefully this was not the last visit!). In order to thank those who helped me plan my stay, I will set down a few brief notes, mostly about food--both eating it and shopping for it. And when I finish writing this, I can finally clear my coffee table of the scraps of paper, restaurant receipts and business cards from the trip!

Prior to the trip, I had posted this query thread, asking about restaurants in the city:


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...irst-visit.cfm


Lisbon came at the end of a three-week-long vacation; the days prior to our arrival in the Portuguese capital were spent in Spain. We flew into Madrid on Delta, rented a car at the airport from Avis, through Kemwell, and drove first to Ribera del Duero where we spent two nights. After that, we had three nights in Burgos and one in Muxika, chosen for its proximity to Asador Extebarri which had been at the top spot in my "restaurants to visit" list for years. We then had two nights in Getaria, followed by five in San Sebastian/Donostia. And finally, two nights in Bilbao from where we flew to Lisbon on TAP's affiliate, White Airways. (I will relate my major mess-up with that flight if I write a report on the Spain portion of our vacation).

Arriving on Tuesday November 8 (Election Day in the USA), we took a taxi from the Lisbon Airport to our hotel (taxi cost 14 euro with several heavy bags; curious if this was a just price or if we got taken by a few euro). Occupying a historic building fronting on Praça Luis de Camões, the 55-room (they are about to expand) BAIRRO ALTO bills itself as a boutique hotel and in their case, the description is a valid one. This is a fairly small hotel, with small bedrooms and fairly tiny bathrooms but with outstanding personalized service from a staff of most cordial hotel professionals. Room furnishings are handsome, beds are supremely comfortable (too comfortable; we slept too late each morning), and thankfully since the hotel faces an action-packed public square, the double glazed windows are soundproofed to perfection. A bountiful buffet breakfast was included in our Virtuoso room rate, with cooked-to-order dishes available as well. It was at the breakfast buffet that I had my first taste of Portuguese cheeses; the "island cheese" from the Azores was a favorite that, so far, I've not been able to find in New York. Perhaps this is a good thing. No, scratch the "perhaps." Our room rate also included a dinner or lunch at the hotel's restaurant which we had no time to take advantage of since our dinners were spoken for and the breakfasts were too copious to allow room for lunch. The hotel also has a wonderful rooftop bar allowing a panoramic view of the city and river; take my advice and book seats ahead as it is open to the public and gets filled around sunset.

http://www.bairroaltohotel.com/en/



As you might expect, all of this comes at a price which I found unexpectedly high. Although the rates varied day by day, our room bill for the five nights including taxes was 2200 euro. But due to the wide fluctuation in rates, a stay at another time might have been much less pricey. Or perhaps much more pricey. We had also considered Lapa Palace, ruling it out only because of the less central location but after experiencing the taxis of Lisbon with their low rates, we might consider that hotel next time. We peeked into the grande dame Avenida Palace during our stay and although the public rooms might be due for a refreshment, that comes at a much lower price, I believe. And there seem to be loads of small properties around the city that would bear looking into.



I've already wandered far off the food track and in fact, have written so much that I need now to break and return to the kitchen to attend to my cauliflower which is on the point of burning in the oven. Be back soon.

Have been looking forward to this. That taxi rate does sound high, but then I take the airport bus.

Be back soon, ekscrunchy, I'm very interested in reading your food note. Hope your cauliflower stays pretty ;)

I was surprised at the cost of hotels when planing a trip to Lisbon a couple of years ago....
I stayed a few metro stops from Barrio Alto ...used taxis at night.
You make a good point.
Loking forward to more...

We might spend NYE in Lisbon so looking forward to this!

Not only did I finish roasting the cauliflower, but I finished the entire head for lunch! So temporarily sated, I will go on.


The combination of a generous budget and the hours upon hours of reading that I do before a trip usually results in restaurant meals that fall, at least, into the "very good" category. But our first dinner in Lisbon fell short. MINI BAR TEATRO is the "fun" restaurant of Jose Avillez, an El Bulli alum who is currently Portugal's hottest chef. And because we had not been able to get a table in his flagship BELCANTO before we left home (we did get a table at the last minute) and I wanted to sample his food, I decided upon MINI BAR. An added plus for the first night in town is that it was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel, in the hip Chiado neighborhood.

I had been wowed by the playful molecular flourishes of Albert Adria's TICKETS when I ate there, on the second night after its opening, about five years ago in Barcelona. So these comments come from someone who has tasted vaguely similar (and in one case, almost identical) dishes. And if TICKETS channels the ambience of a circus, MINI BAR tried to emulate some elements of the theater from its name---MINI BAR TEATRO--to its setting inside the building housing a famous theatre to the courses divided into "acts." The interior reminded me of a nightclub--all dark with pinheads of light and staff whose perkiness, in the case of the server who attended us, seemed a bit forced.

There is a choice of a full dinner with set courses or a la carte. My partner has a formidable list of dislikes with regards to food, so it was safer to choose our own dishes and we went a la carte.

My cocktail, the Lisboa, was the best treat of the evening, a sweet concoction made with "forest fruits," vodka, ginger, and one or two additional ingredients. I'm not usually a cocktail drinker in restaurants ( prefer wine) but this was really outstanding and I wish I had one in my hand right now, or at least had the recipe.

At my insistence, since only I had been to TICKETS, we began with the olives which are not really olives although they taste like olives and are a signature dish at TICKETS as they were at El Bulli and are, in fact, called El Bulli Olives on the menu. Although they taste good, to olive fans, they no longer had the element of surprise, but at 2.40 for two, served in individual stainless spoons, it was a fun way to begin the meal.

A "cornetto," or cone of tuna tartar temaki, a tartar of tuna with a citrus/soy dressing, came next for me, stuffed into its pretty cone. Very good but not all that unusual except for the cone shape. (No fish that is even remotely raw passes the partner's lips) 6 euro

The parade moved on to a trio of croquettes served with a mustardy dip. These were superb, so superb that we had to cut the third one in half (normally I would just let it go 2 to 1 but these were too good to yield) 3.75 euro

"Roast chicken," really little crackers topped with tiny chicken bits and an avocado cream, dotted with piri piri, came next. Not memorable in taste but they would be great passed appetizers at a party. 3 euro

That's really what this meal was, a succession of tidbits that one might find on a very sophisticated buffet table. It did not coalesce into a real meal and that would have been fine had we not had such high expectations for the meal coming, as it did, from the "best" chef in town. On the other hand, the prices were low considering the intricacy of some of the items.

We each had our own JA Burger, made from Portuguese DOP beef (I forget the details). I will mention here that I took no notes on this trip, or rather I gave up on taking notes after the first two dinners in Spain. So some of the descriptions might be sketchy and will no doubt grow more so if I draw out this report as I have done with others in the past. The burgers were good but did not hold a candle to Shake Shack back home. (Yes, I know, shame on me for ordering hamburgers in the first place!)

Andn double shame for my next dish, a forgettable version of a banh mi called a Vietnamese pork sandwich. 5.5 euro

With that delicious cocktail and a liter of Agua Vitalis, the bill came to 43.65 euro.


http://www.minibar.pt/en/minibar.html




If you are in the area and want a cocktail or a snack, MINI BAR is fine. Note that it opens at 7pm, so it's good to know if you want an early light bite. Just don't waste a dinner there if you have only a few nights in Lisbon, as we did.


One more comment, which I made on another thread: An astounding number of the Portuguese we met spoke impeccable English. I'd not encountered this before in a Latin country. We discussed this with the great guys manning the front desk of the hotel and they told us that English is compulsory in school so most people on the young side will be varying degrees of fluent. But do not expect all taxi drivers to speak English, as they might be older.

Happily, our dinner the next night was one to remember, for me at least. We will head to CERVEJARIA RAMIRO very soon!!

Lisbon is on my bucket list so I look forward to more

"But do not expect all taxi drivers to speak English, as they might be older. "

I spoke Spanish ( with apologies) to taxi drivers (and a few times when
asking directions on the street) .... worked well.

Sorry you didnt enjoy your meal at Mini Bar -- we had a nice meal there 2 years ago. Look forward to following along.

just found this, eck - Lisbon and Portugal are on our radar at present so it's well timed.

one thing i'd be interested in is how prices compare between Spain and Portugal - last time we were in Spain it seemed pretty cheap to us for what you get. Does that still apply and how does Portugal compare?

I love your reports and am looking forward to the rest of this one. A number of friends have told me recently how nice Lisbon is for a short trip and so reading about it from your foodie perspective is very timely.

Ann, I would say that that is still the case as compared with prices in the US and, I imagine, in the UK. For example, the Maria Cristina in San Sebastian, which surely is among the best hotels in Spain, if not in Europe, charged about 370 euro including breakfast buffet and tax; imagine the price for a hotel of that level in a North American, or British city. And in the bars of San Sebastian and Bilbao, to name two places we visited, one could sate themselves lavishly for 20 euro a person or less, as I remember. I think Portugal (Lisbon, really) might be even a tad less expensive except for the hotel rates. But maybe we were there during a period of very high rates; our visit overlapped the big Web Summit 2016, and many hotels including ours, were full.

Also, I made at least two spelling errors above: ETXEBARRI is the correct spelling of the asador restaurant in Axpe. When I find the other error I will correct that one as well.

Loncall: Thank you very much. It's difficult to generalize because I had only five dinners and a few snacks but I found the food to be excellent, if not at the level of the Basque region. One exception was the shellfish which was outrageously great. You see things there that you've probably never seen before, and become familiar with all kinds of seafood; there are four or five types of what we would call shrimp on menus. Including the carabineiros, the large red prawns that have to be among the most delicious things to come out of the sea. Just astoundingly great. Not to mention lobsters, crayfish, and on and on and on and on.

CERVEJARIA RAMIRO

It's almost impossible to describe the fabulousness of this restaurant for a seafood lover such as yours truly. An absolute mecca for a vast and varied array of aquatic creatures, simply prepared and presented without pretension. The place is open non-stop, except Mondays, from noon to just past midnight. There is apparently always a line (queue) at mealtimes, but the restaurant is pretty large so I doubt if the waits are too long at all but the most crowded hours and in high tourist season. On the night we went, there were a few people waiting at 6pm but by the time we left around 8pm there was quite a crowd.




Sometimes they will take a reservation (my hotel told me that they never booked ahead but I had luck reserving a table). But the downside with booking ahead is that you will be seated, as we were, in an upstairs dining room which is fairly quiet, but removed from the animated frenzy of the ground level dining room.

The crowd here represents all ages, colors and ethnicities with locals (or at least Portuguese speakers) appearing to be in the far greater majority. One thing they all have in common is the desire to gorge on the seafood for which Ramiro is famous. (well, all of them with the exception of my partner who shuns anything "with shells"). For those poor folks, options are limited to: A steak sandwich and a few Portuguese cheeses. The locals eat the sandwiches after the seafood feast but one can certainly be served along with the seafood as it was in our case. (The sandwich was pronoounced "okay")


I ordered a bottle of young Alvarinho Solar de Serrade, recommended by our waiter, a perfect accompaniment to seafood.

The waiters (all male from what I could see) are harried but very cordial, and ours told me to cut back as I was ordering too much for one person. The menu is presented on a laptop provided for each table. You really ought to do some reading about the various varieties of shellfish before you come, unless you are familliar with them already.

Plates are accompanied by some of the best bread we ate on ths trip.

I began with a bowl of Almeijoas a Bulhão Pato, small clams slicked with a parsley and garlic butter bath. Perfect.

From the five types of prawns on offer, I chose two: Tiger Prawn and Carabineiro Prawn. I ordered two of each but the waiter told me that this would be too much and advised me to order onen of each. I concurred. could I have eaten one more of these giant treats? You bet! But I held myself back.
Really, the clams and the two tremendous prawns combined to make an excellent meal. Both are grilled but the difference in preparation is that the red prawns are grilled whole, which results in a shell filled with fabulous shrimp-ey liquid and a head that can be sucked on until every last drop has vanished. The Tiger prawns are split before grilling and so lack that scrumptious juice. Like almost all of the shellfish, the prawns are sold by the kilo (Giant Tiger prawns at 65 per kilo and Carabineiros at 79.75 per kilo) but it is easier to just state the number of items you want instead of trying to figure out the weight of the meat and ordering by fractions of a kilo.

I will never forget this dinner at Ramiro and I would have liked to return for a second go-round during our trip but we had so many ohers places to sample.

Including the wine and the bread, the total came to a most reasonable 62 euro. (A few months before our trip, I took advantage of the rare appearance of carabineiros at a Portuguese restaurant in Manhattan; although much was made of their appearance, these were not nearly as luscious, nowhere in the same ballpark as the ones at Ramiro, really, and were priced at US$19 per prawn.)

One of my favorite meals of the three-week-long trip!!

http://www.cervejariaramiro.pt/



Just a block or two away from the restaurant is a don't miss stop for shoppers:


A VIDA PORTUGUESA sells an array of Portuguese-made goods from Claus Porto soaps to canned sardines to honeys to rugs to porcelain in lovely bright premises behind a tiled entryway. There are four shops in Lisbon but this is the largest and I highly recommend a visit even if one does not eat at Ramiro.

http://www.avidaportuguesa.com/lojas/intendente_2

Lisbon is getting higher and higher up the list, the more I read of your TR, eck. your description of those prawns alone is enough to make me want to go there.

Ann, move Lisbon up a few notches. It would be fun too compare lists!


CANTINHO DO AVILLEZ

Yet another outpost from famed Chef Jose Avillez this cozy, jumping restaurant is--like the chef's other places--located close to our hotel in the Chiado district.
Like many others of its ilk in various cities, it allows those with less-than-lofty budgets to sample the dishes orchestrated by a big-name chef. And although there is little similarity between the menus here and at Belcanto (Cantinho's menu reflects the vast reach of the Portuguese empire with flavors that emanate from Africa and Asia, as well as rural Portugal, with interpretations of mostly rustic, hearty dishes) it's clear that this is a well-run operation under the helm of a practiced chef. I'll break down the pricing here to show how the bill was calculated.

Cover charge: Two diners. 2.85 euro per person. We each received an amuse bouche but I've forgotten the details.

(I had read many reports and comments about the confusing pricing of the charge for entradas in Portugal, which seemed to drive many first-time visitors to near apoplexy as evidenced by reports on TripAdvisor and other sites. I'll mention here that we never experienced this custom. At RAMIRO, the bill notes a charge of 2.70 for bread with butter, and at CANTINHO DO AVILLEZ, we paid a cover of 5.70 euro. But we encountered no deceptive practices, nor charges that were confusing. This was probably because we dined at--with the exception of RAMIRO--modern restaurants priced on the high side. In any case, do not stress about these charges in advance)


We both shared an excellent appetizer of a whole honey-glazed Queijo Nisa, a sheep cheese from the Alentejo that became melty, gooey and delicious from time baked in the oven. Excellent with bread! 6.45 euro

I moved on to my now beloved Carabineiros. Here, a pair of the red shrimp, smaller than the ones at RAMIRO, basked in a light Thai green curry and was served with jasmine rice. It was a lovely dish but if one wants to savor those shrimp, RAMIRO is the place. 39.50 euro

My partner chose the neck of black, Alentejo pork, with black beans and French fries. Quite nice, if not memorable. 19 euro

We drank from the chef's bottling of a young rose, priced at 15 euro.

Total bill: 85.65 euro (Menu prices include taxes)

Service was competent. Noise level is moderate to high. It's a good address to keep in mind if you are based in the area, as the menu offers a range from game birds to offal to hamburger to a fish soup that caught my eye at the neighboring table. Noto sure it is worth a trek from elsewhere, however. Reserve in advance, as the restaurant was full even early on a weeknight. There is also a branch in Porto.

http://cantinhodoavillez.pt/wp-conte...EN_06Jul16.pdf

CORRECTION: Just took a look at the bill for the next restaurant, PEIXARIA DA ESQUINA. I see that we were, indeed charged for an entrada: A cheese, at 3.50, as well as bread, for 2.50.

I stopped at CANTINHO DO AVILLEZ
without reservation...it was busy but they were very good about
seating me.
It was a few years ago so I don't remember what l ordered ...the meal was nothing
exceptional.
I agree with your assessment.

I had a much better dinner ( and service ) at 100 Manerias Bistro.

Danon we walked by 100 Maneiras and I had read good things about both the bistro and the restaurant. It was so difficult to narrow down the choices. When I return, I might think more about sampling the fare at the newly refurbished food markets because there seem to be a great concentration of stands (Ribera and Campo de Ourique markets) offering what looked like great quality foods in a lively, fun atmosphere.

Our hotel. Hotel Bairro Alto, faces Praca Luis de Camoes in Chiado, near Bairro Alto. It is a good area for shoppers, who will find international shops from Zara and Massimo Dutti (I plundered both of these in Spain, earlier in the trip) to Hermes and FNAC.

We were more tempted by the Portuguese shops and found two excellent addresses close to our hotel, both on Rua da Misericordia and both also found in Porto.

CHOCOLATARIA EQUADOR, at #72, transforms cocoa from Latin America into luscious artisanal truffles, bars, and bonbons filled with flavors from Port wine to Ginjinha (Morello Cherry) to raspberry, and embellishes the finished product with handsome paper wrapping designed in the 1950s. We bought a few bars home with us but sadly, the stockshave depeleted at an astonishing pace.


http://chocolatariaequador.com/


CLAUS PORTO is a name that has been well known to soap aficionados since the 19th Century, and their ornately packaged wares are sold in many upscale shops the world over. This new outlet at #135 is worth a visit for the gorgeoous premises alone which I believe represents their only freestanding retail location. A vast array of soaps, lotions, and creams for men and women, wears wrapping so beautiful that I will find it hard to tear my soaps open. The soaps come in an array of sizes; the 50g size (not a full-sized bar) costs 5.50 euro. If you need to buy gifts, I'd keep this address on file. (Claus Porto is also sold in other local shops but their own store, carrying the entire line, has the widest selection.)

www.clausporto.com

Before I go into the details of our fourth dinner in Lisbon, I will mention two markets of great interest to food lovers. Both of these are modern incarnations of traditional, long-running markets and both retain the traditional market stalls selling produce, meat, cheese, fish, flowers, and the like.

More convenient to the center, and to most tourist hotels is the 19th Century MERCADO DA RIBEIRA, near the river near Cais do Sodré train station. This is now divided into two sections, one for the traditional market goods and the second, larger area for the Time Out-branded market.

The latter is a vast, glass roofed space ringed by upmarket stands selling all manner of traditional Portuguese fare from some of the country's most acclaimed chefs as well as not-so-traditional plates from pizza gelato to sushi rolls for take out or enjoy at the communal tables that offer space for 700 diners in the center of the hall, with outdoor terraces seating a few hundred more. The second floor houses the well-regarded restaurant Pap' Acorda, long a fixture in the Bairro Alto and now ensconced in spiffy new quarters overlooking the main market.
The TimeOut market opens at 10am and remains open until midnight, until 2am Thursdays through Saturdays.


http://www.timeoutmarket.com/en/eat-and-drink/


Whether you buy them here, or elsewhere, do not leave Lisbon before sampling the pint-sized pineapples from the Azores, which are the sweetest incarnation of this fruit I've ever tasted! (Much of the fruit we enjoyed in the city was memorable but the pineapple was out of this world)

I also want to mention the Mercado de Campo di Ourique which has anchored the handsome low-rise residential neighborhood of Campo de Ourique since the 1930s and was turned into another hip, urban market a year or so ago with the addition of upscale vendors offering a range of tempting looking treats. The market stays open late and while it looks smaller than the Ribeira Market, it still appears well worth the 10 or 15 minute taxi ride from Chiado.

We were in the neighborhood on our fourth evening in Lisbon when we had a table booked at Peixaria da Esquina, a streamlined contemporary showcase for the cooking of star Chef Victor Sobraj, formerly known as Cervejaria da Esquina.

Marinated, cured, grilled, or braised--however you like your fish, the kitchen will comply. We were one of only a few occupied tables when we arrived about 7:30pm but the pale wood space soon filled up with what looked to me like locals.

We had a very good meal here, which began with bread and cheese (the cheese is makred on the bill as "Queijo Etorna"--can a Portuguese speaker here tell me what that means, as I cannot figure it out) , for which there was a total charge of 6 euro.

I followed with a healthy portion of razor clams, a shellfish I order when I see it, which is not too often in the US. (Although they are a fixture of the menu at Casa Mono, a Spanish restaurant that I like in New York City)

We shared a lovely grilled grouper, which even satisfied the partner, which is not always the case with fish.

With a bottle of local wine and a half-liter of water, the bill came to 61 euro.

After walking over to the Mercado de Campo di Ourique and wandering around inside, we followed the custom we had initiated the first night: A stop at the Amorino gelato shop located a tad too close to our hotel at Rue Garrett, #49. Even the "small" cups allow the buyer to choose as many flavors as he or she likes! We loved that place!!

http://mercadodecampodeourique.pt/


http://www.peixariadaesquina.com/omenu.php


http://www.amorino.com/us/philosophy...ato-maker.html

Are you sure it wasn't Queijo Entorna? google translate says that means cheese sprinkles.

The name is "queijo de entorna", means spill cheese - due to it's consistency. It's a recent cheese, from Alentejo region, very similar to the very well known, and very expensive, "queijo da serra" (mountain cheese).

Thanks so much. I did get the spelling wrong..no wonder I could not find it online. Good to know. I was amazed at how wonderful all of the cheeses were that we tried. I wish I had brought some home with me.

And the fruits!!! In the US, and I imagine Canada, we get tropical fruits mostly from Latin America but I think Portugal must get them from the Azores and from Africa and they sure were superb...the papaya and the pineapple especially.

I just noticed that there is a new (9/16) book on restaurants in Lisbon, I've no idea of the credentials of the author or how he derived the listings, but the #1 restaurant is CERVEJARIA RAMIRO.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisbon-Restau...e%3A1250227011

While I realize that not everyone who travels to Spain and Portugal returns with 27 cans of tinned seafood, I do believe that the conserva shops in Lisbon are well worth a visit in order to behold the vast array of gorgeously packaged merchandise lining the shelves. Galicia and Cantabria may offer a greater variety of seafood delicacies but when it comes to sardines, Lisbon is the mecca. There are baby sardines, sardines in mustard sauce, large sardines, sardines in piri piri sauce, sardine pates, sardines in lemon, smoked sardines, sardines witih or without skin and bones. Sharing shelf space are mackerel, tuna, squid, octopus, and the eggs of various sea creatures.

While you will find tinned seafood in many Lisbon shops including Corte Ingles, I'd recommend a visit to the specialists; we liked these two very much and received gracious and helpful service at both addresses:


In Cais do Sodre near the Ribeira market, where there is currently some disruptive street construction, LOJA DAS CONSERVAS (House of Canned Fish) is a cooperative featuring the wares from the major brands of Portuguese tinned fish. The shop is lovely and there are samples to help you decide among the scores upon scores of offerings. Rua do Arsenal, #130.

http://lisboacool.com/en/shop/loja-c...north-to-south


In Loja das Conservas you can walk around and browse, while at the miniscule mosaic-floored CONSERVEIRA DE LISBOA on Rua do Bacalhoeiros, the genial sales people serve clients from behind a counter in front of wooden shelves piled to the ceiling with more than 100 varieties of tinned seafood of three different producers. So here it helps to know more or less what you want, since there is often a line of shoppers waiting to be served. Most offerings are under 3 euro but, like at LOJA, specialty items including ventresca tuna cost more (I paid 6.95 for a tin of ventresca packed in olive oil, which compares very well with prices for imported Spanish back in the US; the cost will vary depending on brand, and size of can). In both shops, purchases are beautifully wrapped. Neither will ship to the US.

http://www.conserveiradelisboa.pt/en

Ekscrunchy and all interested in Portugal. The December issue of Travel and Leisure magazine has chosen Portugal as the Destinarion of the Year. The article has information on Lisbon and Porto as well as other locations. A good resource for those planning a trip to Portugal.

No visitors to Lisbon need to be reminded about the Pasteis de Belem, the delectable flaky egg-custard-filled rounds also known as Pasteis de Nata. We took a taxi to Belem for a visit to the glorious Jeronimos Monastery, final resting place of Vasco da Gama and prime example of the architectural style known as Manueline, after 16th-Century King Manuel I.

But even before slipping into the monastery, we stopped at the ANTIGA CONFEITARIA DE BELEM, the legendary purveyor whose 800-pus-degree ovens reportedly churn out more than 10,000 pastries a day according to a "secret recipe" dating from the monastery's bakers.

http://pasteisdebelem.pt/en/history/



One can either line up for take out at the front counter, of make their way through a warren of interconnected rooms--many, many rooms--and find a seat for table service. We opted for the latter. I had tasted the Pasties de Nata at the bakery across from our hotel, facing Praca Luis de Camoes, where we watched them being filled through giant glass windows. These were excellent as well but the surprise, and the dessert that I preferred, was the Bolo de Bolacha, a feathery multi-layered cake that the waiter referred to as "chocolate cake," but for which most recipes list cocoa and coffee as ingredients. (The recipe does not look too difficult).

Our bill, for 2 Pasteis de Belem, 1 Bolo de Bolacha, 1 coffee, and 1 glass of Moscatel from Setubal, totalled 6.95 euro, pretty reasonable for such world famous, and delectable, treats.

oh yumsk, eck.

Lisbon rising to the top of the list very quickly.

We loved those Pasteis de Belem and were happy to find them in Hong Kong as Macau was a Portugese colony.

Enjoying your report! And glad you liked Loja das Conservas :-)

For those in Paris, there's (hope is still there, it was in 2014) a litlle shop selling only "pastéis de Belém" (I tasted them and yes, they were the originals). The problem is that I'm not sure where, I guess it was in or near St Honoré. If someone is interested may try to search for it.

Helena: http://www.commealisbonne.com/en/

More than a month before our arrival in Lisbon, I tried to book a table for dinner at BELCANTO, the Michelin two-star and Repsol three-suns flagship restaurant of Chef Jose Avillez. Alas, no tables were available for any of the five nights of our stay. (Lunch was available, however)

But a few days before our arrival, we were advised that a last-minute cancellation has freed up a table for our last night in the city. I arrived with some trepidation, hoping that my lofty expectations would not be dashed.

I needn't have fretted, as we had an excellent, if not life-changing meal savored in a placid, cozy dining room of ivories, taupes, and blacks highlighted by a chisled paneling and a wall of leather-bound books. As might be expected from a chef who trained with Ducasse, Adria, and Eric Frechon, among others, every dish was very good, all were creative and beautiful compostions on the plate, and two were "close your eyes" great. (I know I've ascended to the culinary heights when I fall silent, shut my eyes, and just revel in the flavors in my mouth.)

Although à la carte is possible, as first time diners, we thought that one of the two tasting menus would afford us a good sampling of Chef Avillez' signature creations. Now that I've had some of these, I would probably go the a la carte route if I am fortunate enough to return. We each chose the Lisbon Menu, seven courses including two desserts, for 125 euro. (We were treated to several amuse as well).

The first amuse was a trio of faux olives, reflecting Avillez' molecular credentials. Several breads were excellent, and served witha choice of three lavish flavored butters.

Next the waiter placed an actual flower pot on the table, complete with flowers. Ensconced among them: Two cones of tuna temaki, more elaborate incarnations of the dish I had sampled at MINI BAR a few nights before.

The first course, "Porthole" is one of the most visually astounding dishes I've seen. Rather than describe the appearance, I'll post this link of the morsels of shrimp, clams, barnacles, and seaweed arrayed on a backdrop that resembled the view from a porthole to the bottom of the sea:

https://worlditineraries.files.wordp.../lisbon-17.jpg

The next dish was Avillez' signature "Garden of the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg," a glorious melange of textures and flavors with a sous vide egg encased in gossamer edible gold leaf with crispy bread dyed with cuttlefish ink and miniscule mushrooms. Unforgettable.



http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fgaZr7QFN5...0/DSCF5494.JPG



Dinner proceeded to include the chef's vision of Pot a Feu, a delectable filet of Sea Bass bathed in seawater, and my favorite savory course: A rectangle of suckling pig with a crust as crispy and delicate of any I've ever eaten. Just smashingly, close-your-eyes great!

I also adored the Tangerine dessert, a giant orange ball of goodness and one of two sweet courses presented before the petit fours.

Although it meant foregoing a second seafood feast at RAMIRO, I was very glad that BELCANTO had found a table for us on our last night in Lisbon.
with a bottle of 2015 Thyro Arinto, our dinner was a splurge and the second most expensive meal of our three-week trip.

http://belcanto.pt/en/kitchen.aspx

ekscrunchy,
Just to say thank you for all your foodie details - you have a patience for describing it all and a palate I admire. I always look forward to your food focused reports and I've used your recommendations on multiple trips including Puglia, Mexico City and other places in Italy including around Paestum and Ischia if I remember rightly.
I'm in NYC through June and I've already paid attention to your feedback on dining here...I actually thought to myself the other day (without knowing you at all) I must go out to Queens for Chinese food sometime I know ekscrunchy would have an opinion on where to go!
Thanks for al of it!

wow - love the food pics - that "porthole' dish is amazing.

BTW you're not the only one to fail to get a table at a sought after restaurant - even Rick Stein couldn't get one at a top place in Copenhagen. Not even for ready money.

Thanks a lot to both of you for your comments.

WTB: Here is an older thread that has information on Chinese restaurants in Flushing; the info is still accurate but Little Pepper has moved to College Point which is reachable only with a car, or by a train/bus combination. I will come back and give you more ideas as soon as I have more time:



http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...estaurants.cfm

Lobo: yes, that's the place!

ekscrunchy the recipe for coktail Lisboa:

http://observador.pt/2015/02/14/form...z-para-o-amor/

(I knew I had seen it somewhere!)

Seems like you found what you were looking for in Lisboa, a city of many surprises as well as unique traditions. Yet there are many angles you didn't explore, food wise, so if you do get to go back, there are more delicious surprises for you. Elsewhere in Portugal too.

I just received my new issue of Travel and Leisure and it names Portugal as the 2017 Destination of the Year.

Going back to Lisbon in May.