Lisbon- simple, local restaurant recommendations
 

We will be in Lisbon for 8 nights starting February 24th. Do you have restaurant recommendations for simple, unpretentious, local food? We don't mind shared tables or a Portuguese-only menu. We're in the Barrio Alto, but would be willing to travel anywhere in the city.

Thanks in advance.

You are invited to my birthday party (27th).

Stop do Bairro, Rua Tenente Ferreira Durao 55A in the neighborhood of Campo de Ourique. This was a real find: a small storefront restaurant packed with people from the neighborhood, with soccer paraphernalia on the walls and a long, typed menu of daily specials in Portuguese.


Adega das Gravatas, Travessa do Pregoeiro, 15, Carnide
Tel: 21 714 36 22

We went here on lobo mau's recommendation. Good luck finding it; our taxi driver drove around asking other cab drivers directions as he went. A large place, lots of fun, no tourists, ties hanging from the rafters (including at least one of lobo's, I believe). Great food, large variety.

Lobo, I wish I could be there for your birthday.

mark

Another vote for Stop do Bairro.

Hi, Trevi,

Here's one more vote for Stop do Bairro. Actually that neighborhood (Campo d'Ourique) has a lot of little neighborhood places, some upscale, some down home, but most have few tourists.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before on this forum, so sorry if I sound like a broken record. But I very much like the Adega Sao Roque – near the Sao Roque church in Chiado, very close to Trindade Cervejaria, on the Rua de Misericordia, 120. It's about three steps down below street level, wooden stools and tables, nothing fancy. But the seafood cataplana (a stew-like dish) is excellent. Broth is delicious, and it’s full of seafood and fish. In my experience, any restaurant in the Bairro Alto as this is is going to have tourists, but this fits your description of simple and unpretentious.

One other, which must be near the Adega das Gravatas described in an earlier post, is O Galito. To get there – at the very end of Estrada da Luz, go past the church on your right. The restaurant is in the next little block of apartment buildings, also on the right side (address is Rua da Fonte, 18). Very good, unpretentious, fresh ingredients. A very popular neighborhood place for Alentejano food. For a nice treat afterwards, turn right when you leave the restaurant and continue down the narrow little lane in front of you. It will take you through the “center” of Carnide, which is now a district of Lisbon but used to be a separate village. There are many outdoor cafes, restaurants, etc. Nothing seems to have changed for a hundred years. It’s lively and friendly and distinctively non-touristy. That might be where Adega das Gravatas is, but I'm not sure.

You might try Sua Excelencia...we had a wonderful meal there a few years ago and I see it is still run by the same multi-lingual, flamboyant owner...it is near the National Art Gallery at Rua do Conde 34. Their fish dishes are superb and I had a turnip gratinee that turned humble ingredients into food for a god (or goddess).

I like Brewery Restaurants: on the ground floor of the Sagres Brewery building there's a small restaurant that has all kinds of Mariscos from langostinas to shrimp to percebes, oysters, crabs etc., etc. You can also have Sagres beer there. But it's not cheap!

La Portugalia is another Brewery restaurant. It has 3-locations in Lisbon: The original is on Almirante Reís a few blocks from Metro Alameda, then there's one in Colombo Mall and the newest is on the wharf about 300m west of the Caís do Sodré Ferry dock. The one on Almirante Reís seems to be more for 'snacking,' but the one on the River is nice for a sit down dinner.

Lobo- we may take you up on your offer. What are the details for your birthday celebration?

Solar do Kadete (in Cais so. Not far from the train station and on the same block as Hennessy’s Irish Pub): A gem. Daily specials for 10 Euros with drinks. We had salmon, a small salad, two potatoes, water and coffee. Nice ceramic tiles on the walls.
Rating: 5/5

As I am writing down notes,my mouth is watering. Chris

Trevi, email me [email protected]
Nikki, you are invited too :-)