Because my only pair of shoes were soaked from the rain, we tried to eat at the Turim Av. Liberdade hotel restaurant on a Friday night... but I guess everyone else in the hotel had the same idea and we were told there were no tables available. So my bf and I wandered around the vicinity and found this restaurant.
I was a bit worried because it seemed really quiet, and we couldn't see into the restaurant to see how lively it was. But we needed to have dinner, and this place seemed like it would have pretty authentic Portuguese food. Plus, I saw a touristic menu posted outside that included salted cod (bacalhau), which I really wanted to try because it's a staple in Portuguese cuisine.
When we walked in, they seated us in a booth next to the only other couple dining in the restaurant. Phew, at least we weren't the only ones there... that would have been awkward--especially since there were several waiters hovering around us the entire time. Later, there were like 2 other tables of customers, but it was fairly empty and quiet throughout dinner.
This is an old-school fancy restaurant with wooden beams along the ceiling, stained glass windows, and everything etched with their logo of a knight on a horse. It was on all their dishes, the glasses, the menu, and on the wall. My bf mentioned that the cutlery looked like real silver. I'm not sure if I've ever used real silver to eat with before.
Anyway, this was our opportunity to finally try traditional Portuguese food. I thought the food was quite good, but on the salty side--as I found most food in Portugal to be. Everything was presented quite elegantly and served at the table.
I thought it was a bit silly for them to bring each of our dishes and put it on the rolling cart next to our table, then transfer it to another dish, and then bring it to our table. Why dirty so many dishes? But I suppose that was part of the presentation.
I had the Touristic Menu for 20 euros, which included:
- Sweet melon & smoked ham
- Codfish "Braz" in onions + scrambled eggs
- Apple tart and cinnamon cake for dessert
My bf had:
- Typical Portuguese caldo verde soup with potato, shredded kale, and chunks of chouriço (chorizo) sausage for 3.50 euros
- Veal strogonoff + wild mushrooms for 17 euros
We also shared a house special salad for 9 euros. It was fully loaded with white asparagus, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, slices of rolled ham and cheese, and greens.
The couvert (cover charge) had like 3 or 4 different kinds of bread, butter, and pâté. I think it was supposed to cost 3 euros, but I didn't see it added to our final bill. Perhaps it was included with the water charge of 4 euros? Because the waiter just brought us a large bottle of water without us asking for it. Dunno.
It was a ton of food, and we ate well. I also had a glass of Madeira Sercial apéritif for 5 euros, and it was nice and sweet.
Along with a glass of red wine and beer for my bf, our total bill came out to 67 euros. It was a bit pricey, but worth the splurge for traditional food in a traditional atmosphere. read more