#42 restaurant in the world 2* Michelin Is there anything else to say? Yes, yes there is. We were fortunate enough to get a reservation for the Chef's table (pricier menu), but the experience was absolutely amazing. You get an open view to everyone prepping your food, from the veggies and meats to the desserts. Everything from the wine list to the presentation of each dish to the service was outstanding and absolutely on point. I'll let my photos speak for itself, but this place is definitely one of the world's best restaurants and one that you should try to get a reservation for ASAP! read more

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Holy cow this was the fanciest place I've ever been to. The service was impeccable. Everything about this place was perfect. The service, the food, the drunkenness, the everything. This place was so good I don't even know what to say so I'll just copy and paste my notes for reviewed while eating at the place: Bel ante: Magic towels Appearntly 46th best restaurant in the world Extremely friendly service when I walk in Private upstairs room Comfy chairs More of an experience He says thank you anytime I say thank you Surprise tasting Alcohol comes out to mix with certain foods Put link for why Michelin made its reviews Super nice bathroom Toothbrush in the bathroom 1,000 courses After like the 200th course they said they are starting the 1st main course Water/drink was never empty Shirts as napkins sometimes Your welcome, Orezru Look at all my pics btw read more

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Our favorite restaurant in Lisbon! My husband even liked it more than Atelier Crenn which is a 3-star Michelin restaurant and about 2x as expensive. The cuisine here is playful - in flavor combinations, in playing, and in serving. The dessert was served with a single white sleeve (and our napkins were taken away) so that we could could wipe our mouths on the sleeve! We ordered a la carte to try more things and got many freebie additional courses! read more

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2* Michelin. #42 restaurant in the world. 14 incredible moments by Chef Jose Avillez. Everything was spectacular, and our group of 5 all felt a similar, magical gastronomic experience. The wine pairing was perfect. It would be an incredible feat to describe the flavors of the dishes, but just know that each dish challenged our palette and let us explore unique flavors and textures. The whole experience was a performance, from the meticulous attention to service detail to the presentation of each wine pairing. Also, they accommodated one of our food allergies professionally and elegantly. Come prepared- aka- hungry. If you're in Lisboa, Portugal, this is the one to go to. read more

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4.50 stars. Belcanto is a much celebrated culinary achievement in downtown Lisbon. Chef Jose Avillez has become rather legendary for his unique takes on Portuguese cuisine. My friends and I decided on the Chef's Table (which incidentally is located between two kitchen stations so be forewarned its a bit different than a typical Chef's table) and enjoyed a smorgasbord of culinary delights. At restaurants of this magnitude, you can expect many dishes to change over time. But there is one dish that has stayed on the menu since 2008 (with a hilarious name like the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg). To be honest, it was great but my favorite dish of the evening was a scarlet shrimp curry where the curry was made from scarlet shrimp heads. This was easily one of the most concentrated flavors I have ever experienced and quite possibly the best dish I have eaten anywhere. Other standouts included textured carrots, a sole dish in white curry, and a savory pork dessert served with leche de tigre. Was this journey as tightly focused and as inventive as a recent trip to the also well renowned Ocean Restaurant in Lagoa? Reasonable minds can differ. But this is a brilliant meal that showcases evocative flavors and presentations in a manner that only the best can master. read more

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The most unbelievable food experience of my lifetime. Over 3 1/2 hours of culinary theater orchestrated by an incredible staff of highly trained ambassadors.... Be proud chef. read more

Belcanto - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Wonderful interior space with warm, friendly staff and fantastic food. I really enjoyed our evening here. Some of the dishes were extraordinary and a few I didn't find impressive. I say if you have some money to burn hit this place up, as it is quite exquisite. read more

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This is a wonderful Michelin star restaurant experience. We are a group of 4 adults and one 4 year old kid. First of all, this restaurant is extremely friendly to kids. My friend's daughter were gave out her paintings to the servers who served us, then she got a box of drawing pens, and the chef came out of the kitchen to meet her and took a picture. The food we had was amazing, most of the food are seafood, the main dish was duck. They were well presented, and the concept of the cooking ideas well delivered. The only thing I was not sure about was the squid ink ice cream. That was new to me, and maybe that was too new to me to accept. The dining area was spacious in side of several dome shape architecture. The architecture was pretty interesting. Overall, it was worth the price and the experience. Highly recommend this place! read more

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OK, this place is all show and very little go. In other words, the service, atmosphere, and presentation are all 5 *'s. Simply stated, the taste is not good. I have dined all over the world, good food tastes amazing. The taste was bland in most cases or just not good. The one thing that was outstanding was the ceasar salad. My main was the suckling pig and honestly it wasn't good. I just don't get restaurants that do so many emulsions and gastronomy but seem to miss salt. At $250 per person, I would not recommend. read more

We were lucky enough to get a last minute reservation and leapt at the opportunity to try this Michelin guide must! Let's start with the service: upon arrival they held the door an inordinate amount of time while we took a photo out front. They do have a coat service that we didn't need. A staff member (we later found out was the sommelier) lead us to our table. They offered to start us with a glass of champagne, so we got a bottle. They then took our order (we all decided on the evolution tasting menu) and food service would begin shortly. The service was amazing all around, as you would expect. But the staff were all very down to earth and personable as well. The sommelier was super helpful and knowledgeable about all kinds of wine, especially Portuguese wines which we were particularly interested in. We had personal conversations with almost everyone of the 7+ people who made up our service team. Top notch! Onto the food: the first thing brought out was another aperitif which came with a little taste of food as a pallet cleanser. The appetizer courses went on forever and we were honestly full before we ever heard the words "main course" but the food was too good to stop eating. Each dish had a distinct purpose and even those that you might consider more adventurous were anything but offensive. I highly recommend the evolution tasting menu - every course was unbelievable! The ambiance: the restaurant is small, intimate and has a historical Portugal flare. The staff are friendly and the other patrons were respectful - although more than once the tables near us laughed along with us in reference to a comedic remark made by a server or another member of our party which made the experience so much more fun! The restaurant absorbs noise well and so you never feel that the sounds of other parties becomes obstructive to your own conversations. I found it all very pleasant. Some things to note: - everyone must either do one of the two tasting menus or everyone must do a la carte - there is an option to do a wine pairing with the tasting and although the price seems steep it's likely a good value, I'm only guessing because we bought our own bottles but we were dining for almost 5 hours so we went through 3 bottles read more

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Omg. This is rated as #25 out of top 50 restaurants in the world. We already ate (3 years ago) at what is now called the #1 in Lima Peru Central which was an experience. But everything Every morsel of food, every presentation of the food was just perfect. It's in a beautiful old stone building in the Chiado area of Lisbon. We started with a selection of beautiful little apps done like chocolates on a candlelabra type ornament. I will Always remember the bite size piece of foie gras wrapped in gold leaf! I had the Evolution tasting menu my hubby the Traditional. Sadly we both had colds so didn't do the wine pairing but did do their non alcoholic pairing! My most memorable dish was this incredible squab (they also called it pigeon as did my hubby - made it a little weird) but Yikes so rich + full of flavor. That + the Foie Gras. They also had a lovely bread service including a delish cornbread. Maybe only kink for me is finding the desserts overly sweet.... They have a box of 4 Bon bons to leave with + a take home menu for memories we surely made. The cost is lots but on a par with the higher end NYC ones. Lastly non pretentious the waitstaff + customers too only saw one Prada handbag! When there it's worth the prices! Sorry can't get more pics in maybe later. read more

Belcanto - Sorry was too busy eating to note a few of these dishes. These are maybe 5 courses with desserts. And menu too! - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

I really wanted to love Belcanto but it didn't live up to the rating or hype. We tried their Chef's Table menu (which is inaccurately named and described as being an in-the-kitchen experience - something the table next to us was fairly upset about too). The first half was very good and provided a lot of delightful moments. Then the second half felt like a general let down. Unfortunately for Belcanto, the reverse can have guests leave with a still positive impression (like A Ver Tavira will do) but this progression from excellent to disappointing had us leaving on a dull note. That said, the interior is beautiful and our general favorite courses seemed to pull from the Evolution Menu so I recommend coming if you're curious and trying that menu instead. read more

Belcanto - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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This was my first two-star Michelin experience, and it was very disappointing. The food was okay, nothing special. An exceptional chef should be able to take ordinary ingredients and add to it. Their dishes mostly did not achieve that; the carrot dish literally tasted like slices of carrots. The fish dish was lacking in flavors. Maybe it's just not suited for us, which is fine. The pace was extremely slow. We sat 30 minutes between some courses. The atmosphere was sterile. But the worst part was the service. 1) From the beginning, our waiter had requested that we notify the staff if we need to step away from the table to use the bathroom so the plates would not be brought out when we are away. The way it was presented to us was somewhat condescending. What is this kindergarten? Is it not the waiting staff's job to observe when we step away? It puts undue pressure on the diners. Things only got worse from here. 2) After the first course, we had some crumps on the table. They were not cleaned. Few more courses later we were served bread, we had some more crumps accumulating on the table. We watched 2 more courses come and go after the bread, and the crumps sat there staring at the us and the waiter. Finally, my friend asked for a sweep, and the waiter did the most inexplicable thing. He cleaned my friend's section and left everyone else's untouched. Maybe he thought the rest of us wanted to savor the crumps for later? 3) Throughout the meal, we also had the pleasure of being accompanied by 2 fruit flies that would occasionally drop by to have a taste of wine and the food. At end of the meal, I expressed my concerns to the service manager, who came off a little defensive regarding point 1, apologized for point 2, and told us they have weekly fruit fly cleaning regarding point 3. We were offered a free drink or tour of kitchen which we declined. Nothing short of cutting our bill would have made up for the poor experience. In addition, one of my friends had a substitute dish and a portion of the dish was left out, and only brought out when we had asked for it. The fish dish was changed to a different fish (seabass) last second, which was different from the menu. We thought to ourselves that maybe we had unreasonable expectations, but we dined at Alma the day after, and the experience was night a day. If you are in Lisbon and want to try one of the two-star Michelin restaurants, PLEASE do yourself a favor and book Alma instead. Crazy considering the two restaurants are next door to each other. read more

The best restaurant I've ever been to ! Great servers, Amazing imaginative Food !! This a two star Michelin Restaurant . Such an emotional feeling from going there . read more

At one time a convent, later a men's club and now Lisbon's most highly awarded Restaurant Rua Serpa Pinto 10a carries a lot of history, but since 2012 it has been the home of Chef José Avillez's Belcanto and a modern interpretation of Portuguese Cuisine. One of the country's two Michelin 2* kitchens, a visible space adjacent the dining room preparing two Tasting Menus daily, it is beneath vaulted ceilings that a meal at Belcanto begins quickly, an Elderflower Martini preparing and then cleansing the palate of a Steam Bun rife with deep-sea flavor . Arguably Chiado's most diverse Wine cellar, hazy Serra Oca well suited to several early bites, it was after consuming Duck and Chicken Liver that the Classic "Belcanto Menu" officially began with raw and cooked Carrots in nutty Milk and bright spots of Citrus. Bathed in light at lunch, with excessively proper service, housemade Bread arrived next in four styles, both Corn and Olive flawless alongside three Butters preceding Portuguese Prawns again in light Cream with melting spheres juxtaposing Caviar. Just 45 seats, only half filled on a Saturday, those seeking a signature will find such in "The Garden of the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg," its subtleties including an earthy linger and toasty notes that lead well to gently cooked Seabass in delicate Dashi. Technique-driven but decidedly "safe," Squab cooked just past rare seeing its natural flavor muted by Cinnamon-forward Sauce, Avillez's Nata comes savory with rich Custard that sets up well for an odd Dessert of Chocolate textures blacked out by Squid Ink. Tapping Chef Américo dos Santos for Pastry, "Sweet Egg Cream" actually quite sour, it is with a Dessert Napkin shaped as a sleeve that details of Avillez's childhood are revealed before concluding in a Sugar-coated Bola de Berlim. read more

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Amazing experience. Waiter little on the arrogant side, which was slightly a bummer, he was not local. Food was amazing. Ambiance was great.

For the top 50 of the world it is an experience to enjoy! I went during the week for lunch on my vacation and it was not too busy. I really enjoyed the cleanliness and the beautiful- The menu was delicious and the wine pairing is always a journey and I highly recommend. It won't let me share all the pictures of the tasting menu! read more

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We partook the Lisbon experience at Belcanto, and what a lovely experience it was. The most memorable was the sea bass. This dish really celebrated Lisbon's love for the water and the beautiful Tagus River. The perfectly tender and buttery fish was on a salty, sea-like jus and was topped with kelp. It wasn't fishy, but evoked the sea with all your senses. The most delicious was the golden egg, which was on a bed of bread crumbs tossed in squid ink. Not only was it stunning to look at, but also full of umami flavor. Other experiences included finding tuna tartare in a bouquet of flowers, which I thought was reflective of the vibrancy of the city. Most of the dishes also had foods in shapes of rocks or used rocks as vehicles, which made me think about all the cobblestones serving as a foundation to the city. The space inside is intimate and lovely, and lent itself to great conversations. We easily spent about 2.5 hours for dinner. Service was impeccable, and the libations were delicious. I am very thankful that I could finally try Chef José Avillez's restaurant. read more

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We dined here on 10/23/2019 evening for dinner at the 8:00 pm seating. We had the entire upstairs floor to ourselves, the round table that seats 3 guests. It was perfect because we could talk as loud as we wanted, especially with a 3.5 year old toddler. It was a good idea that the restaurant decided to do that. We had a server with us the entire time, making sure our meal was to our delight. My husband had the classic tasting menu, and I had the evolution tasting menu. We were both pleased with our food, the service, and the entire experience at Belcanto. My husband was raving about how they were definitely 3-star Michelin service, even though the restaurant is only 2-star! Maybe they will become a 3-star Michelin restaurant someday. Our toddler was able to order a la carte, which we actually got a bowl of white rice and french fries. We had 2 orders of french fries. They were able to accommodate this request, since the toddler was not interested in any of our tasting menu options. Worked out nicely as we were charged 16 euros for the toddler's food. We were happy that they were able to allow children to dine here, since that means no need for a babysitter! read more

Belcanto - Petit fours - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Belcanto is beautifully and artfully designed. The Interior design combined with their choice of dishware creates an exciting environment where you get to look forward to your next experience. Unlike many other high end restaurants, when leaving the place you'll feel very satiated if not very full. A three hour experience with many dishes of small and light to medium and hearty meals is well worth the time and the price. My review is missing one star only due to my own experience. After receiving a very nice and consistent service at Belcanto at the Chef's table with Jose Avilles present, which was a pleasure, the other couple got a slice of cake where my wife and I did not. One slice of cake at the end of the whole 3 hour meal was absolutely not a big deal but the feeling that this experience creates was "being left out". You go through the 3 hour meal with the other 2 people at the chef's table all at the same time but suddenly they get a slice of cake and you just have to watch! That seemed weird and kinda stole that last star from my review. Otherwise this was a very good experience. read more

I still don't believe how perfect was the food, the service was perfect it's the least you can say, and the ambience was amazing and elegant

Wanted to try this place when I visited Lisbon since Belcanto was in the top 50 best restaurant in the world. Emailed them to get a reservation in advance. The service was amazing! 10/10 recommend. The place was beautiful and the food was amazing. Such a wonderful experience. They were very accommodating that I didn't like chocolate (I know. People think I'm crazy but it's too rich) and there was one dish I couldn't finish since it was very gamy for me. I tried really hard to finish since I didn't want to offend the chef since everything else was so delicious I didn't want to ruin the experience. They ended up make me and my boyfriend something different which was soooooo nice of them! Loved the service and I'm so happy I went! Would highly recommend. read more

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Quite possibly the best restaurant that we have been to. This place lives up to its 2-star Michelin reputation. The tasting menu was quite an experience and the service was the best I've ever had. The servers served the "moments" in synchrony and the ambiance was very ideal for a celebratory dinner. Will come back here again. read more

Evolution Tasting menu - 13 moments/courses: My husband and I came here for lunch yesterday. We have had Michelin tasting menus all over the world and this was by far the most adventurous. As you would expect, the dishes were beautifully presented with five star Michelin service. The courses did not disappoint, each having a unique twist on traditional Portuguese flavors. With each course (starting after the third) you received a menu card that tells you exactly what you're eating. There was a surprise element; these beautifully presented glazed cherries, which looked like something out of Alice and Wonderland - we had to guess what they were. Looks are deceiving as once you bit into it, you got a rich burst of smooth unusual meaty flavored pate- who knew pig liver could be dressed up to look so beautiful. The menu goes on to include razor clams, lobster and pigeon. Read other reviews which provide a good reference for each course and specific elements. In all, it was a fantastic experience, but why the four stars - it was the little menu cards that explained exactly what you were eating. Having someone tell you verbally what you're eating before you try it is much easier than trying to enjoy a dish while at the same time reading that your polenta is made with 'swim bladder'. Sometimes words can take the fun out of it, and ruin the moment. Sometimes (just like the cherries) you just want to enjoy what your eating and focus on the flavor, not what it actually is. If you love tasting menus and like to try amazing food, go and experience it, just maybe ask them to not put down the menu cards. read more

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I was trying to get a reservation here for months and was speaking with the maître d' who finally was able to get us in. It did not disappoint. We were at the chef's table, and although it was super pricey, it was super worth it. read more

We tried this restaurant for a friend's birthday dinner. The service is impeccable and the classic menu definitely provides a well rounded perspective of their menu. For me, not every dish was a hit, but every dish was absolutely unique and offered something different. With every dish there was a surprise, whether it was the presentation or the ingredients. Nothing you eat is what it seems, and the dishes are undoubtedly creative. Also the extras i.e. the pre-dinner drink, the amuse bouche, were very nice touches. However, certain dishes were too salty for me or had too overwhelming flavor profiles. Overall, I'm really glad i got to try this restaurant and i think the chef is doing interesting and unique things with cuisine. And again, the service was amazing. read more

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A restaurant that exceeds expectations. Great food, many culinary delights. A four hour lunch that has been the highlight of our Lisboa adventure. The restaurant is light and airy, the tables spaced to allow private conversations. Beatriz and the entire staff made us feel special. Knowledgeable, helpful, patient, professional, they did everything outstandingly. read more

Took the discovery menu, but there are other a la carte option. Seven or eight succulent dishes magnificently paired with wines. Took 4 1/2 hours and never felt long. One of the best meals I ever had. All dishes were perfectly cooked. Usually, when one takes these discovery menus, there are always a few dishes that feel "odd". Not this time: all dishes were perfectly balanced. Also, often when one takes wine pairing, some of the proposed wines don't marry well with the dish. Again, not this time: every wine worked amazingly well with each dish. Overall, well worth the money to discover this restaurant, with great service (especially the passionate sommelier) and quiet ambiance. read more

I had called two months ahead to make a reservation and inquired about 4 different dates. However, the only spot available among those 4 dates was the 250 euro per person (~$285 USD) chef's table. I was assured that people try to get the chef's table to see the magic of the kitchen and thought, why not? I don't know when/if I'll ever be in Lisbon again so it's either that or miss the chance to try Belcanto. On the night of the reservation and on our way to the kitchen, the entire kitchen staff of about 20, including esteemed Chef Jose Avillez, greeted us. We were like honored guests sitting front row to a dinner and also watching a symphony being performed in the kitchen. The chef's table is right behind the dessert station and gave us insight into the extensive level of skill and preparation that goes into each dessert. It was a bit hard to see Chef Jose Avillez and the action for the other stations but did allow us to appreciate the concept and execution of the vision. The 20-ish moments/courses were divided roughly into: 3 amuse bouche, 1 soup, 1 ceviche, 4 proteins (the seafood ones being the dinner highlights), 1 cabbage/veggie, 2 primary desserts and 5 tiny dessert bites. All of these were fascinating and intriguing. The bread and rolls selection was excellent. The playful and surprising textures, tastes, combinations, ingredients and other elements kept challenging us to identify what was what, almost like a game. Edible "pebbles"? "Snow" made of olive oil? Floral bouquets with hidden tuna tartare? Ceviche with "green peas" made from frozen cilantro? Dessert with a prominent squid ink component? Reimagined strawberry, lychee and rose desserts with unexpected mix of textures and flavors? We had a lot of fun solving the riddles. While the experience at the two-Michelin star Belcanto was fun, tasty and adventurous, and the service was top notch, the overall experience was somewhat anticlimactic. The majority of the courses were more like amuse bouches with only the blue lobster, the carabinero (giant red prawn), and sea bass moments being more substantive and luxurious. These seafood courses showcased the top grade ingredients in all their glory but were much less frequent than expected. A number of the other courses seemed more like snacks than courses. Overall, at about double the price of Alma overall (which just received its second Michelin star in November 2018 and which completely wowed us), we were expecting a little more from Belcanto. Since it's hard to put a price on culinary talent and vision, everyone can be their own judge of whether they think the experience for the chef's tasting menu was worth 660 euros or $750 USD (for two people to sit in the kitchen, including one 100 euro wine pairing and 60 euro service/tip). For us, the experience didn't quite hit every note and left a few things to be desired. Nonetheless, I'm still glad I got to try Belcanto to see what it's all about. Notes: - Tasting menu prices in the main dining room are be between165 euros (~$190 USD) or 185 euros (~$210 USD) per person. - since the menus doesn't list all the courses, it's hard to tell whether you are getting more or premium courses at the chef's table compared to general dining or simply paying a 30%? premium to watch pastry chefs in action. - Even though gratuity is not customary in Portugal, and there is no line on the credit card receipts to add tip, you are informed/prompted/encouraged/welcomed to add on additional service amounts to the bill. read more

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14 course chefs table dinner. Worth the visit. From start to finish, all details in this restaurant are well thought out. Excited to visit again read more

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Belcanto isn't just about the deliciousness of the food. It is about the entire experience: The preparation of the food, the mixture of hot and cold, the different textures, the presentation of the food, the ingredients of each dish, the taste of course. Initially, I thought the portions were too small but I left completely full since there are so many courses. My favorite dish was Caesar's salad interpretation with Lobster caught off the Portuguese coast. The flavor is extraordinary and there is ice Ice on the plate to make certain bites colder. I highly recommended the chef's table. read more

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Did the Taste of Lisbon/Portugal-tasting menu with wine pairings for Valentine's Day in 2017. Remarkable that we got a same day reservation-think there was a cancellation. Ambiance: quiet, fine dining. Well-lit but not too bright. Simple decor. I could see myself bringing business clients here for a long meal. Food: I honestly cannot recall how many courses we had-it was quite a few. The sea crustaceans on the sea plate was the most standout dish. For the intrigue alone. The presentation stood out most. Loved the 'stones' filled with carrot and other vegetables. Another favorite dish was the roasted lettuce with edible potato chips in a bag and some sort of perfectly charred cut of pork. I love lettuce and how entertained my boyfriend was with the chips. He loves his molecular gastronomy. Dessert: OMG, the true winner of this meal. A beautiful pairing of orange-citrus flavors and crumbled, dirt-looking truffle. It was so much fun digging into the 'orange' and having the delicious, rich orange sorbet/foam spill out and mix with the truffle. Just wow. Wine: This was actually my favorite part of the meal. I just loved their wine pairings. The waiter was kind enough to hold each bottle up for me to take a photo to keep on my Vivino app. I then went to a wine store and bought all the ones I could find to bring back home. I didn't have the opportunity to really go to any wine regions so I tried as many Portuguese wines at every restaurant and at my hotel, the Sofitel Lisbon. The best were at this restaurant. Pricing: Expensive. Is it worth it? Well, I would say so. I think it's helpful to try a fine dining restaurant in every city I visit as well as any local favorites if I can afford it. And while I was really happy with the casual restaurants, this restaurant was a nice overview of Portuguese flavors. I wouldn't say this is the one restaurant you must try over all others but certainly you should if you want a broader sense of Portuguese cuisine. Service: standard for any fine dining establishment. Some people were very comfortable with English and explained the dishes clearly. And some people kind of rushed a sentence and left the plate. They tried to have someone come over and explain the dish when that happened-so, they were cognizant of our language barriers and tried to bridge that gap. The waiter bringing me wine was so nice and patient with my incessant photos. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday/Valentine experience. read more

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We didn't want to visit Lisbon without stopping by here. We were not able to make reservations and ended up walking in during lunch. I'm just going to start by being frank- I did not enjoy the food here. I definitely feel like it was mostly of personal preference. I understand why Belcanto is so revered- the dishes were creative and beautifully put together. But they took the flavors to different extremes in each dish and I was not into it. I also thought the staff was a little distant and cold for a restaurant of this caliber. Not to say that they were not attentive- they were so attentive that once my fork was placed down, it was swiftly taken away. We went with the Menu Lisboa which started with a few surprises including a potted plant where one flower was a crispy cone filled with tartar (this was actually quite delicious). Then we were met with: The Garden of the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg: a barelyyyyy cooked egg laid on top of mushroom and truffle flavored dirt, covered with gold leaf. The presentation looked amazing. But I was grossed out by the texture of the egg and I couldn't get past it. The mushroom and truffle was so overpowering, it was just too much. Dip In The Sea: A sea bass cooked in sea water bivalves and seaweed. Definitely my least favorite. I felt like I swallowed a gulp of ocean water. Everything was extremely salty and fishy. We swapped the suckling pig with the Oxtail: Really mushy and tasted very meaty. There was then the chocolate dessert with chocolate rocks and such...but what ruined it was the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that it was sitting on top of...why would you do that? The Mandarin- I liked this one. Did not like the truffle dirt they put on the sides though. So yes, visit so you can check off some Michelin stars! This was my most expensive meal on my trip and...I kinda wished I was turned away and told they were booked. read more

Just the best... Chef Avilés creations and fantastic fusion of flavors and textures delivering the best food in Lisbon.... Just a dream experience..!!! It's worth the experience..!!! read more

We booked a few months out with the help of our hotel concierge (at the time, reservations were only by phone). Jose Avillez seems to be like a national hero in Lisbon, and he has an empire of restaurants here. They had 2 fasting options: the evolution menu and the traditional menu. The traditional menu is 9 courses, and the evolution menu is 13 courses ("moments"). The evolution menu was slightly more at €185/person. Because the evolution menu was more seafood focused, we went with that one. 1. To start: - Cocktail of an elderflower martini with the explosive olive - Steamed bun with codfish liver - Eggplant in a spoon (my alternative to codfish liver): smoky, like an intense baba ganouj, really good 2. Next set: - "House of cards": foie gras with a candy shell, shaped like a spade - Cherry gazpacho with almond foam: the foam tasted like ranch - Toast with a smoky filling - Fake cherry: with foie gras - Deep fried avocado: thin crust, super flavorful, with a hint of acid 3. 21st century sardine: grilled sardine with tomato water, tomato snow, rosemary ashes, bell pepper gel, eggplant purée. I'm not usually a fan of sardines, but this one was nicely done - not too fishy, and the accompaniments were definitely unique 4. Bread service: the selection included olive bread, a gluten free option, corn bread, brown bread, white bread. The corn bread and olive bread were the highlights for me. - Smoked rosemary butter - Spread of Portuguese sausage - Traditional butter 5. Razor clams with lupin bean ice shavings (like dippin' dots!) and baby green peach 6. European lobster with white bean cream, pork fat, marrow, and caviar 7. Algarve's scarlet shrimp two ways: a. With maize porridge "xerem" of cod's swim bladder and Hart's pennyroyal: giant red shrimp with polenta b. The head in a crust of beetroot salt 8. Portuguese pot au feu: coal roasted cozido cabbage with jowl, purée of cabbage and Dijon mustard. Definitely the best/ most flavorful and rich cabbage I've ever had 9. LT yolk: with sunroot purée, "farinheira" (sausage) of roe, smoked eel, cabidela sauce, crunchy bread. LT = low temperature egg yolk. 10. Sous vide seabass with smoked avocado, salsify, pistachio oil, lime zest, dashi - this was a nice light dish 11. Hay smoked and roasted squab: with squab terrine, foie gras in zucchini flower, roasted eggplant, hazelnut and cinnamon sauce. The eggplant and zucchini were the best parts of this dish for me 12. Cheese plate: thin cornbread toasts with 2 types of serra de estrela - aged 45 days and aged 4 months 13. Pre dessert: a. Maria biscuit cake (coffee cake) ice cream shaped light a biscuit b. Strawberries and Chantilly cream (freeze dried strawberry sheets with cream sandwiched in between) 14. Tinta de choco: choco, chocolate, and cuttlefish ink, olive oil, cilantro, potato - interesting combination of savory and sweet - it's a play on words because choco is "cuttlefish" in Portuguese 15. To finish: - Black olive financier: great flavor and texture - Olive oil pate de fruit: definitely the most interesting pate de fruit I've had - Raspberry with wasabi: interesting - Dark chocolate truffle - White chocolate peanut: good peanut flavor I really like that they give you little cards to explain each dish. The only other place we've experienced this was at Steirereck in Vienna. Highlights for me (uniqueness of the dish, flavor): - 21st century sardine - Shrimp and porridge - Portuguese pot au feu - Tinta de choco dessert - Olive financier from the petit fours Service was more formal (white gloves for silverware, etc), but I wouldn't necessarily say it was better than at other places. On multiple occasions, we had to flag someone down to get the sommelier for more wine. Napkins were also left untouched on the seat when I went to the restroom. In addition, the server very confidently told me all cheese made in Portugal has some strict pasteurization standards when I know that the cheese served to us was made with raw milk ... Service issues aside, compared to our other higher end Lisbon meals, each dish here was much more intricate and well thought out, and there was a lot more attention to detail. read more

I really want to give this place 5-stars. We had an excellent multi-course lunch here, complete with wine pairings (yeap- couldn't get a dinner reservation). As soon as you walk in you recognize that you're going to have a 2-Michelin-starred experience. Seriously- They. Try. Harder... It's over-the-top, opulent, luxurious, and first class everything at Belcanto. I personally appreciated everything I had here. The curve-ball of no sea food for any dish- which I often throw- didn't faze them one single bit. And my pre-meal martini was perfect- really one of the best I've ever had. That's the true mark of a great restaurant. My favorite dishes of the night... err, afternoon, were the oxtail and the suckling pig, with the suckling pig probably edging the beef as best-in-show. The pot-au-feu and "pre-desserts" were also excellent. That said, the reason I can't give them five stars is because my dining companion had a real issue with the "dip in the sea". I thought it was strictly OK, but he could barely keep it down. I think maybe this is something more suited to local tastes- the fishiness of the dish was off-putting for us. In any case, we really enjoyed the experience and highly recommend this restaurant for a truly upscale experience. read more

Truly a must have experience when you're in Lisbon. I decided on the Evolution menu with wine paring so this is what I'll be basing my review on. First off service is phenomenal. Friendly, funny, and very helpful... What more can you ask? Now the food. What incredible arrangement of flavors, texture, and plating. My favorites were the razor clams, and those butters!!! Gotta have the three different flavored butters or else you'll go home crying and cry more at home regretting this decision. You think those small dishes won't fill you up when they certainly do. I think I rolled out there and luckily I was going down hill (let's talk about those hills of Lisbon later). Anyway, if you want two star Michelin experience for what would cost you twice as much in the states then make a reservation and come here. You won't forget this experience (stay away Alzheimer's!!!) read more

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What a restaurant! Fantastic food, ambiance and service! Worthy of two Michelin stars recognition that the restaurant enjoys.

Are here last night while we're eating our way across Lisbon. I'd recommend the Evolution tasting menu, which is a little more costly, but such a fantastic way to get a real sense of the Portuguese cuisine experience. The restaurants stone walls and arches only add to the experience. The service was also distinguished and I'd recommend this as a "splurge" to experience both traditional and eclectic cuisine. Such a glamorous place. read more

Ok I understand that this is one of the best restaurants in the world. And I am giving it five stars for what it represents for people... but it was a little bit too posh for me. The whole white glove service and the formality of it all made me (personally) a bit uncomfortable. That being said, it was a really awesome experience. I love the elBulli olive.... if was so strange and delicious and exciting. Just knowing the history of it was enough to make me all googly-eyed. The food was great but as a lot of the food in Portugal, I found it a BIT too salty. The guacamole they serve with the sea bass had too much lime but it went well with the fish because it was poached I think. Favorite part was the ash.... it's just a pile of ash that tastes like a campfire smells.... unbelievable. And also the ash butter. All the butters really. read more

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