On our first visit here we were just two and we had Portuguese beer. We hadn't realised when we went in late afternoon that they closed at 5pm. Jorge served us and he was courteous and welcoming.
We wanted beer shandy but they had no lemonade and within a minute of beers being served he arrived with a small glass of lemon juice, which was very kind and it added another depth of flavour to the lager beers. Just a tad is needed mind.
Next day five of us turned up about 1pm and it was full. Jorge took our phone number and suggested we return in an hour, forcing us to go to a bar for drinks. Now that's a first world problem.
He messaged once he had availability and there followed a two hour long lunch.
Jorge talked us into trying a trio of deep - fried fritter style cakes; we were too polite to say no: one beef (think potted), one pork (think rillette) and a salt cod and potato mash with a smidgen of parsley.
To my personal taste this food is too stodgy, there's no lightness and it really was not properly seasoned. It had mustard and another sauce but they were not adequate to the flavours of the stodge. It's really not summer food. So 3 stars for the starters.
We also tried various tiny pieces of cheese including cow cheese from the Azores, with black olives, 3 small pieces of sour dough bread, a single garlic clove (for 5) roasted sweet in its vest and then peeled, and a small amount of honey - a generous tablespoons worth - to taste with the cheeses.
Again as a cheese fanatic the cheeses underwhelmed me again as there were no big flavours. So 2 star.
Jorge indulged us in various olive oil tasting at our request. I think he brought at least five varietals to the table. Here again although all were pretty good and with pleasant aftertastes we still much prefer Italian & Greek regional oils.
We had two bottles of white wine which he referred to as 'green wine' so - called as it's from the vino verde region not because it is green and a bottle of house branded water.
The menu was limited and the beef had already sold out.
Three of us opted for the codfish main that came with some potatoes and parsley. Two had what was described as a pork sandwich.
My wife wasn't a fan of her sandwich and rated it fatty and barely two star. It was served with one black olive, sweet potato chips and potato crisps out of bags. This is just lazy. If I want crisps I'll go to Aldi.
This is maybe how the locals like it but she wouldn't buy it again. When I saw it I was glad I didn't order it. The sandwich bread was highly rated at 5 star.
My cod main had one super size chunk of cod but it was not same day fresh which I didn't like. Sadly also the skin was limp and sticky when it should have been crisp fried.
The eating experience was also really marred by the fact it was very bony indeed, with some of the many white bones like bent one inch hat pins.
One of our party left most of his fish for that reason. Worse still, here once again the food was not seasoned, nor was it a balanced dish so it tells me the cook isn't properly trained with little actual food knowledge.
I don't say this to be disparaging but to say please get it right as it's not all that hard to do it right. Cod is a delicate fish with no great flavour. Salt is the most important ingredient in cooking. Period.
Freshness is key with almost all fish - salmon can benefit from rigor mortis but not cod. Fish skin should not be put on a plate when it's limp/tacky.
The fish was served on a few cubed waxy potatoes with skin-on which were ok (again not seasoned) but a floury buttered potato would be so much better for taste especially as the only dressing on the plate was olive oil based.
Again what was missing with the oil was acidity to counter and cut the oil to enhance taste. Taste. Taste. A €1.50 can of sardines in olive oil has more flavour. There is no essence of Portuguese cooking here and be you a fine dining place or a simple, friendly, 'soulful' place the food has to be properly seasoned.
So I asked for some lemon juice and black pepper so I lifted the dish from borderline 2 stars to borderline 3 stars.
I hope I've helped here but we won't return. We got far and away better soulful, authentic, traditional Portuguese food, properly seasoned, properly cooked at far less cost in Lisbon with no hard sell for starters.
I did note worryingly that they didn't have a proper espresso coffee machine rather a Nescafé push - a - button on a screen contraption found in 3 star hotels so I avoided the coffee. I didn't see anyone order coffee through our lunch and none of us did.
The staff are 5 star welcoming folks and it's a cosy place within, but the food which is much more important was not at all good and the cook under performed all the way. €177 including tip. 2 stars. read more