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Recommended Reviews - Solar 31
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Solar 31 isn't really much to look at from the outside. It's a fairly casual neighborhood spot with what seems to be a lot of regular clientele. The only notable thing there being there was a loud man whose shirt seemed to unbutton at the same rate he was drinking, and it was fully open and he was barechested by the time we left. That hero aside, Solar 31 does have some of the best seafood I've ever had in my life. They can lay claim to the best bite I had during my entire trip to Portugal (hotly contested), which are the tiny, perfectly fried, deliciously salty mackerel. I couldn't believe how tasty these things were, and how powerful I felt just throwing an entire fish, head, tail and all, into my mouth in one bite. I was like a sea lion. I would gladly have done tricks if my wife insisted, just to get another. (We ordered another plate of them though, and no tricks were necessary, just a nominal fee.) Although the mackerel (cousin to the sardine, if you asked our waitress) deserve top billing, everything we ate here was a winner. We had octopus and several kinds of fish. And of course, lots of green wine. Also excellent sangria ordered by our wives, who had finally reached their vinho verde limit. Our server was a no-nonsense gem whose deadpan hilarity made our meal even better. When my friend asked about the size of a certain fish, she just brought it out and held it next to his face. I hoped she was going to slap him with it, but no luck there. When we asked what the incredible sauce that came with our prawns was, she looked at us like we were idiots and said, "Prawn sauce." Basically, this was one of my favorite meals ever.
Solar 31 is renowned for its seafood and it did not disappoint. They have the seafood on display and show it to you before they cook it, still alive and kicking. My favorites were the raw oysters, the crispy mackerel, and the crab. They cook some of the crab meat with the roe into a creamy dip and serve it to you with toast chips. It was such a unique way of eating crab!
Attracted to this restaurant because of its food, and central location, despite what others have said was a sketchy neighborhood (not), we were glad to dine here for lunch. A smallish restaurant very well served by two staff in the dining room. Décor was pleasant and inviting. Food was delicious. Service and value were great. We enjoyed (all prices Euro): Small fish grilled (Peixinhos), 15; Octopus (Polvo), 29; and black swordfish (Peixe Espada), 25. All were thoroughly enjoyed. We could not eat it all, but we tried (or at least I did). We've enjoyed octopus in numerous countries, but we've never been served a whole octopus. Very tender. The swordfish was flakier than what we have in the U.S., yet also very tender and flavorful. The waitstaff was very accommodating in allowing us to taste numerous wines before we ordered by the glass. All were very reasonably priced. Total bill was Euro $ 92.30. We definitely recommend and would return.
I had a reservation at this restaurant this afternoon and was genuinely looking forward to the meal because of the high ratings. I ordered a crab on my own, and the waiter brought a live one to show me. However, after taking it to the kitchen, they served me a clearly dead crab instead -- for a price of €45. Halfway through the dish, I had to stop eating. Some parts of the crab had an awful, rotten smell. As someone who regularly eats seafood, I can easily tell the difference between fresh and frozen. This brown crab had no freshness at all -- the meat was loose, lacked any flavor, and didn't have the plump texture of fresh seafood. It was, without a doubt, the worst seafood experience I've ever had at a restaurant. After I finished, my mouth was left with a strong, unpleasant fishy odor.
Our last dinner in Portugal and we chose this place. Neighborhood's a little sketch, but no harm no foul. It was odd to find this place tucked away from the visible happening streets of Lisbon. But it was worth the trek and the hunt. Everything we ordered was perfection and it made our memories of Portugal that much more special. The staff was our favorite out of all the great places we dined while in the country. The food and the wine was, again, spectacular. Perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and tasted amazing. I will miss this place! We were three cousins on vacation. But the majority of the patrons dining were couples on dates. Just a funny observation we made. On our order list: Salad, grilled sea bass, octopus and razor clams. That's it! So simple and delicious!!!
Reading all of the reviews, I had high hopes and expectations walking into Solar 31. Simply put, our meal here was underwhelming (besides the soup) and I believe this restaurant may be too "hyped-up". The fish soup for our starter was really good, but everything from there seemed to go downhill. The Sapateira reminded me a lot of a crab dip you can get from the states, so it didn't taste like anything spectacular or like you were tasting something new. Also, a personal problem I had with the crab was struggling to crack open the shell - I got bits and pieces of shell everywhere and the restaurant did not provide an empty bowl to put the shells in. The sea bream was good. Another thing I was disappointed about was the price to portion ratio. It seemed like high prices for smaller portions, which I would tolerate if the food was fantastic but that wasn't really the case. I would not recommend Solar 31. Instead, if I could go back in time I would go to tascas or another seafood restaurant.
Better make a reservation because we tried to walk in at 18:00 on a Monday and it was packed. We had a party of ten and could not get in. They encourage us to come back and so we made reservations for a few days later. I'm glad we made it back. We ended up with twelve in our party. We started with clams and octopus. They only serve seafood, so don't look for poultry, pork, beef or lamb. Every thing was full of flavor and had a hint of Smoke. Some thought the grilled fish was salty, but I thought it was perfect. I am sensitive to the taste of salt. Every was fresh. No fishy or gamy taste. Staff were attentive. Loved that the chef/owner came out to explain how the food would be cooked. I especially like that staff would pick out the bones before serving a fish dish. I hate picking out bones. Lots of people were turned away. It's not a big restaurant so make sure you make a reservation. Have a yummy time. I left full and content. So will you.
The best seafood that I've had! Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection! Oyster and the crab fat was little too raw/fishy for me but the crab meat was cooked delicately that you want to get into each nook and cranny in finding meat. Only thing that was underwhelming was the bread but the best dishes were the Portugal fish and octopus. Not so picturesque, octopus was the best octopus dish we've had! Flavor was good and the texture was so delicate and mouthwatering that we wanted more! The wild seabass was too big for the 2 of us that they recommended a fish that was only found in Portugal. I do not recall the name but it just melts in your mouth and seasoned perfectly! They strayed away from ordering more but truly wish we could have tried the small sardine dish to top it off. The cooking quality was actually better than Ramiro but I'm sure each restaurant is known for specific dishes. I would definitely come here to get a fish and octopus dish hands down!
Feel this is more like a hyped up place. Everything seems fantastic but just okay. Oyster - so and so. Clam - good but not amazing. Octopus - sadly a whole octopus not cooked enough and still chewy. Crab - probably good but for 2 people this dish was a bit too much (the creamy part)
Great service and food was very fresh and delicious. Loved seeing the fish on ice as you walked into the restaurant. In a bit of a sketchy looking area, but felt safe. Staff were friendly and helpful.
One of my favorite dinners during our time visiting. The service was super friendly, and everything (and I mean everything) was out of the ball park. We got the octopus which was very tender, I had the best white sangria of my life, as well as clams and lobster. We topped it off with their version of crème brulee. Definitely what to come back next time.
Had to convince them to serve us as we showed up just at closing so we were very generous for that! The oysters were so fresh that you could still taste the salt water in them and the snapper out front was practically still alive (kidding). Unfortunately, my phone died so I couldn't show the snapper prepared a dish right in front of the table. King and Queen of the sea for seafood. read more
2 years ago
It is in the center of Lisbon, an uphill side street easy to find with google map. Excellent seafood, warm service and good value. Will go back again read more
4 years ago
Honestly, we really wanted to love this place and hyped ourselves up for a fantastic seafood dinner. Unfortunately that was not our experience. We arrived at our appointed reservation time and were placed at a table right near the cutlery stand, which doesn't seem like a big deal until you hear the constant clanging and shuffle of utensils as you try to relax into the space. Our server was very nice and recommended our dishes (we had an idea what we wanted to try from reading all the other reviews). A huge miss was the first white wine recommendation which we ended up sending back (a first for us). The second wasn't as sweet so we thought it would work with what we ordered. It did not. My fish was supposed to be a blackened swordfish but ended up being a mushy white fish with zero flavor. The octopus was so-so and needed flavoring plus additional grill time. The best part of the meal was our starter of fried Mackerel. I urge the author of this article to re-evaluate their ratings: https://www.lisbonguru.com/best-seafood-restaurants-lisbon/ read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
We went here for the grilled octopus and bacalhau, but alas they were out of both when we arrived. We ordered the shrimp, oysters, grilled mackerel, and sole. To my delight, the mackerel came with all the gills and digestive organs still intact. Very delicious and appetizing! I loved the experience of tearing out the bloody entrails and covering them up in a napkin so that noone vomits at the sight. The waiter said that's just how the fish is prepared. The shrimp were also not the freshest - some were a little mushy! One star for the great wine though! read more
7 years ago
Second time here, and was still blown away! João was our amazing waiter, he was funny, helpful and gave us great food suggestions! The food was phenomenal! If you are in Lisbon, please make a reservation and come here! read more
My friend and I came here after a LONG day of walking around castles in the Sintra area. In spite of our fatigue, I am so glad that we made it to this restaurant in its little obscure location on a side street, because the food was so damn good. We shared the medium crab as an appetizer. They used the shell as a holder for the crab salad which was creamy, refreshing, and full of flavors. We ate the meat from all the little crab legs and didn't regret one bit. For the second course we ordered a grilled black sword fish, which they generously split into 2 plates for us for simplicity. You can't get this fish fresh anywhere else in the world so I highly recommend it. It was grilled nicely with a bit of a salt crust on the outside. This was my friend's favourite. Finally, we had the famous grilled octopus. Again they split it into two plates for our convenience. It was the most tender (but not mushy) octopus I've ever had. I also really liked its smokiness and the sauce that came with it. In addition, I ordered a house green wine, which again is another specialty on Portugal. Do get it - it is made only in the restaurant and you can't get it anywhere else. It's absolutely refreshing, crisp, and delicious. I highly recommend Solar 31 for a truly wonderful seafood culinary experience in Lisbon. read more
I was desperate to try octupus and this place popped up on a few lists! I went early so they woudn't run and thank goodness I did! The octupus was delicious and the staff was great. They let me taste a few wines to make sure it paired well with my dish and checked on me throughout the meal. The place is nice and cozy and a great atmosphere. If you want to try octupus definitely come here! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
One the best dinners I had while visiting Lisbon. Great ambience, attentive and accommodating staff and last but not least the FOOD....... The sardines were amazing and grilled to perfection The garlic clams were delicious The garlic shrimp were delicious as well The crab was my least favorite (only because it takes work to get the meat out of the legs) but good The sea bass was the star of dinner. Grilled and butterflied to perfection! If you're in Lisbon and want a great meal and wine and ambiance, look no further. Oh yea and ask for Jamie! She is awesome! read more
7 years ago
Amazing seafood! Located in very typical Lisbon valley. The fried little fish is super nice! Normally it's sardines, sooo fresh soooo tasty. Main course I ordered is octopus, so tender and tasty, use lots of olive oil and some sliced garlics. Also you could order some bread to dip. Highly recommended restaurant! read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
What can I say about Solar 31 besides the fact that it is one of the best seafood restaurants I've ever been to and I know I've been to a lot of seafood restaurants I'm a pilot I traveled the world. The black swordfish that I had was just to die for, very tender and very naturally flavorful and the octopus that my girlfriend had is just cooked to perfection. I'm definitely coming back here. The owner which he greeted us in the beginning and was very honest about his food and very hospitable, he takes the time to meet with every table to extend his welcome and suggest his specials for a day. If you are a true seafood lover and you are in Portugal Lisbon this is the place to be I highly recommend it. read more
4 years ago
Delicious food, great service and convenient location. Fish was a bit salty. Reservations is recommended. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
4.5 stars, hidden gem. Extraordinary seafood knowledge by owner/chef Paolo who was a fisherman for 30 years. It's open for lunch & all day till late, great for non-European diners. Entree prices: super-fresh fish & shellfish from Wine, beers, credit cards, no patio. Solar 31 is a simple, off-the-beaten-path gem that might be sought out by visitors who want to experience the culture and food representative of the locale. Inside, it's modernistic Euro with white tablecloths. No tourist props, no Fado. A glass case with today's catch on ice greets you at the window. We'd been searching in Lisbon to repeat the quintessential Portuguese dinner experience we'd enjoyed in the Azores at Beira Mar Sao Mateus, hoping for that second lightning strike! Although Solar 31 was thinly reviewed, had no outdoor dining nor view, we were intrigued by the reviews we'd read and arranged a 6:30 pm dinner reservation. Finding the place took some work! Starting at the (beautiful and epic) Praça Rossio, we walked its entire length past dozens of restaurants and outdoor cafés until arriving at its northerly edge, where we began climbing the steep cobblestoned Largo São Domingos on our way to the even steeper Calçada do Garcia. It was obvious they didn't get their business from street traffic! OK, down to business. Black swordfish, a rare deep water fish resembling a small barracuda, was our choice since we'd never seen it on a menu. The fish arrived, resting on a bed of sautéed zucchini, onions and gold potatoes. It was perfectly cooked, a white flesh resembling escolar; rich and exquisite. Other diners around us were as delighted as we were. Tender polvo (octopus), lula (squid), giant prawns all met with delight. The wine list was quite ample, with a daily bottle special. Prices are quite reasonable for the quality of the food/experience, and the chef will often chat with diners, glad to lend his fishing and seafood prep experience which is astoundingly detailed. Ask about the polvo preparation which starts on the boat with thermal shock! Remember, just a two-block walk up the hill from Praça Rossio! read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
i went to the restaurant yesterday. The first impression was all the staff so nice and friendly with us. They recommended us the food and drink. We ordered Medium size crab and Octopus with Schrimp. The food was amazing !!!!!! Tasty and not overcook. Crab is about 25€ and Octupus is about 15€. During the dinner, the chef came to ask every one about the food. He was so friendly too. I highly recommend this restaurant in Lisbon. you can make a reservation through the restaurant website before you come. read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
We went for dinner on our second night in Lisbon, and it did not disappoint! We had oysters for starter, then I had the crab for main. The oysters were very fresh and tasty, and my crab was solid as well, complete with four pieces of shrimps as well! Service was top notch. The staff were very friendly and prompt, and the chef/owner (?) himself visited our table multiple times to chat with us. Ambience was very cozy and local. Whilst the place we went last night was quite posh, we liked the family-like ambience of this restaurant. Would definitely recommend it! read more
5 years ago
9 years ago
Oh thank you Yelp, after a long first day in Lisbon we were looking for a cozy seafood restaurant to have our first dinner. I found this place and read all positive reviews about its food quality. So here begins our adventure to find this place. We were coming from the corner of the Rua Augusta and Praça Fernando IV, we circled and circled around, further and back going from one wifi location to another one to find that little street uphill. We did it and how the chef said later: good places should never be found easily, basically you need to earn your food. We came without reservation at about 6.30pm and were seated easily, I would recommend a reservation though because the place is getting very crowded after 7pm. The restaurant is based mostly on fish, there are a few meat dishes but being in a seafood area it is better to take advantage of some seafood selection. We had octopus with shrimps that is good as an appetizer for two people (it is servers with some shrimps and potatoes) just delicious , I have never ever tasted such a tender octopus. Then we had shrimps for appetizer and in the very end why say no to shrimps :) we ordered another fish of prawns ... So big and delicious again! Wine selection is pretty good also, they bring the dry ice and put it in the wine cooler, so you have a romantic fog coming to the table. Long story short : out of three nights in Lisbon we came to dine here twice ! Thank you Chef for being so nice and come to greet every table and take your time to explain every single dish that there is on the menu! read more
6 years ago
The food is fantastic and the staff is really friendly and honest about the food and what to order as well as not ordering too much. Dishes are big and seafood is really yummy. I highly recommend this place for a taste of Lisbon food. read more
7 years ago
Delicious seafood! This place is busy and reservations are recommended. The service was good and they work hard. We had the medium crab, barnacles, oysters, and clams. read more
8 years ago
7 years ago
5 years ago
10 years ago
With all the respect, none of the previous comments do justice to this place. It's beyond amazing. We had clams, fried sardines, octopus and bass. Although clams and sardines were superb, real surprises came along with the two other dishes. The octopus is treated in a whole new way: it is boiled at a low temperature for like 4 hours and then grilled, the texture and taste is absolutely astonishing it's a 10/10. The bass came grilled as perfect as god would have and the service took the fish bones off and prepared right in front of us. It's most likely the best fish I've ever had (and I've had quite a few) 11/10. In addition to all the amazing food the service is so nice and Paolo, the chef, comes by your table and advises the best catch of the night, which I've always admire. It's one of the best meals I've ever had, and again I've had quite a few and the price was 26€ per person. By far the best food experience you can have in Lisbon. read more
9 years ago
Tucked back in a tiny Travessa (small side street) this place is a gem. Make a reservation. Very charming and the chef comes out and talks to everyone. The artwork decor is beautiful - looks like water colors but are made with red wine and coffee ( my two favorite things)!! Great ambience! read more
7 years ago
Really fantastic experience across the board! The staff were very friendly, they helped my wife practice her Portuguese. The drinks were delicious, try the Caipirinha if you're down for a sweet traditional cocktail. The food was incredible, expertly prepared and presented. We ordered the octopus and crab and enjoyed every last bite. A bit pricey but very worth it! read more
11 years ago
The food was fantastic, the servers and staff all friendly and most spoke English well. I had ordered the Seabass and it took a bit longer than expected apparently so I was given some shrimp and a free beer! I hadn't even thought it was that long especially given it was a full house but they insisted so I wasn't going to offend them ;) I also had a doce desert which was fantastic, something I wouldn't have normally ordered if the service hadn't been so awesome. I didn't want to leave! read more
5 years ago
8 years ago
Upon reading the awesome reviews on yelp we decided to try for dinner. We were not disappointed the place is legendary for its preparation if octopus and the next table was kind enough to let me take a picture of their octopus. We tried the house green wine which is made in Portugal. The bread was fresh and yummy. For entree I ordered the sea bream and Gerry ordered the sea bass both were cooked and presented to perfection. The meal was ample and filling we finished the dinner by sharing a coffee mousse. I highly recommend Solar 31 if one is visiting Lisbon. read more
