In my last blog (Lisbon’s Independent Food Industry and The Revolutionary Solution To Save It), I touched upon the affordability of eating out in Lisbon, and that is where this blog aims to follow up on. With the margins between eating a meal out and doing a shop in a supermarket being surprisingly slim, when feeding for one the evening decision on what food I am going to eat and where has often been made for me before I have even considered it. I do sometimes debate making the odd bowl of pasta but after reading this I hope you see why the packet is collecting dust.
Lisbon reopened much of its nightlife to full capacity shortly after I arrived here. So not only did the party start as I walked in at the clubs, but also to my plate.
Dote Alvalade
Our first stop upon this endeavour is at Dote Alvalade, if you did read my first blog you may see this as a contradiction to the advocacy I expressed of independent restaurants and deferring from chain establishments, but rest assured this Portuguese based chain does fit the bill. We are not feeding the pockets of multinational shareholders just yet. Dote has also become as a I may say back home, “my local”.
Here I ordered a popular Portuguese dish, salted cod on a bed of greens. This dish was bursting with flavour. The image does not do this dish justice either as the portion was sufficient for a six-foot-five man like me. Over a few beers and good conversation with friends Dote is a great spot to check out for a bite before venturing on to a night out.
A Rosinha de sao Paulo
Our next stop takes us up the popular Lisbon Pink Street, quite a random feature to someone who did not know about it previously.
But on this street, I found a beautiful seafood stew served with rice. The squid and seasoning blends to give this taste an aromatic quality as well as pleasure to the pallet, washed down with fresh lemonade this is another spot to check out. It’s also worth checking out because of the bustling atmosphere that surrounds the pink street. Colourful scenery and floating umbrellas play to the visual senses. Between the bites and the sights, you’ll be able to spend much time here, not to mention the many cocktail bars that also share the street. Perhaps a topic for another blog.
Yokohama
Now this one is personal. I am a man who is used to spending £3 (€3.53) on 4 small store-bought sushi or £7 (€8.25) per sushi dish at the popular UK sushi chain, “Yo Sushi”, the chains shackle me again. I can’t quite call myself a connoisseur, but I can call myself a fan of sushi. So, when presented with a sushi buffet you can understand my excitement. Don’t be fooled by the dish, I had a few more to follow up.
Being a buffet, I was not sold on the quality prior to eating but after having eaten there I admit to my misconceptions. The variety of sushi dishes was something I had not experienced before and all tasted really good, there is also another table with the standard Asian takeout dishes which is a nice touch when coming with a big group of friends to accommodate everyone’s cravings.
And that is another point, this place is massive, a good option when out with a big group, there is also a good selection of alcohol from Sagres to Sake.
Restaurante “A Vela” Belem
Well, there is not a lot I can say here that the photos do not already say for themselves.
After a long walk along the coast stopping at Belem before catching the metro home, my friend and I decided to stop for a bite. This restaurant looks over the river which on a warm evening is the perfect place to enjoy a few glasses of wine and some beautiful food. A starter of fresh muscles, cheese, olives and bread with sirloin steak, chips, beans and rice for mains.
I almost forgot the chocolate cake that was a combination of chocolate mousse and cake, I was a fan. The dry white wine was also a treat but a topic for another blog.
With a relaxed atmosphere and sprawling vistas of Lisbon’s River to the bridge and up the coast this is definitely a spot to bring someone special.
Back home this meal would easily be in the region of £120-£160 for 2 people, and I’m talking out of London prices. Here it cost €73 (£67). This drives the message of my last blog, save independent business. A way of doing this is by companies using eStart 4 as their means of business logistics. If you are a restaurant owner and are interested by this proposition, please follow the link.
