Go early: Each bite better than the next!
Praça da Espanha
Mon – Fri, 12h – 23h
This was a welcomed find in an area that’s shockingly light on decent places to eat before a concert or art opening at the Gulbenkian. The warm, charming decor offset the rainy weather to draw us in off the street, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with the result. It took a while for us to understand whether there was space for us to sit as the server set down “reserved” signs on most tables, but luckily, there was just enough space for us to squeeze in at the geriatric 6:00 dining hour.
Both the wine and the food menu were extensive enough to be exciting but small enough to be curated, and it was clear that no matter what we chose we would be in for a treat. We went for the bife tartaro Luzboa, served surprisingly un-mixed with a plethora of options flanking all sides (one of which was delicious black caviar) and an eggshell in the middle containing a yolk and just a dash of egg white. It was marvelous. We followed it up with their tiborna (bruschetta) with delicious buffalo mozzarella cheese and a mix of red and yellow tomatoes that had been cut and marinated in pesto for just the right amount of time. Neither of us wanted it to end when it did.
Suffice it to say that we couldn’t possibly leave without trying one of their desserts so we ordered (and unapologetically devoured), the house apple crumble with vanilla bean ice cream, again garnished with caviar (red this time!). We can’t wait to go back to see what else is in store.
