I ate my way through Portugal and Spain, and the piri piri chicken dinner here was up there in my…read moretop 3 meals. My favorite Portugal/Spain travel YouTuber, Tony Galvez, highly recommended this spot for this dish. Who am I to argue with Tony??
Upon arrival, there were at least twenty people in line. In a town where there are hundreds of places to eat, this in itself was notable. We cued up despite being starving. We ended up waiting maybe 20 minutes because we were a party of 2. Larger parties waited much longer. Tables are mostly in front of the restaurant. If you are self-conscious at all, something to keep in mind.
Service is professional and prompt. We shared the salad misto. It was so fresh and lightly dressed, we ate the entire thing!
The chicken is the star of the entire restaurant. Every table ordered it for good reason. The chicken itself is incredibly juicy and seasoned perfectly with simple salt and pepper from what I could tell. Then you spoon on the sauce and the dish just comes alive. I should have taken an after photo. My plate looked like a wild animal attacked that thing, no meat left whatsoever!
We ordered the rice as our side. Great decision. It soaked up all the lovely juices and added to the whole experience. Highly recommend. Many tables ordered fries which is kind of traditional in Portugal.
For dessert, I had the wonderful rice pudding, and my husband got the gelato. Generous portions! And light. Good finish for a delightful meal.
Do not miss Bonjardim when in Lisbon. Just be sure to come with only one other person or split up if you want to get seated more quickly. When you see that food, you will want to get to it asap!