Yummy, yummy, yummy...

I have love in my tummy!

I know I am dating myself with the title of this post! Some of you, of a certain age, will know from whence this comes. Ohio Express released their rendition of this song in 1968. One verse goes like this:

Yummy, yummy, yummy
I got love in my tummy and I feel like a-lovin' you
Love, you're such a sweet thing, good enough to eat thing
And it's just a-what I'm gonna do

The song, of course, is a song about human love, but I think it is very appropriate to apply it to food. The connection of food with human love is an established fact—just ask me and countless millions to recall favorite dishes conjured up in small kitchens by grandmothers, mothers, fathers, or a favorite aunt.

As promised, what follows is the first of two or three or, perhaps, four posts about our food experiences here in Portugal. Before I dive in, so to speak, a short prolegomena is in order. First, I am not a food critic or expert, by any stretch of the imagination. I do love to cook, experiment with recipes, make up recipes, and eat good food. In retirement or whatever you want to call this stage of our lives, David and I love eating out, although we cook and dine at home about 90% of the time. What follows is not meant to be technical critiques of chefs or restaurants, but a kind of commentary on our experiences here in Portugal. Second, we’ve been fortunate enough to dine at some amazing restaurants (to name a few places) in Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona, London, and most recently, in the BVI. I would put some of our experiences here in Portugal right up there with them. One of them is about a 10 minute walk from where we live. Third, the restaurants I will write about include Michelin establishments, upscale restaurants of all sorts, and neighborhood cafes where the two of us can eat for less 40 euros. Finally, there is no rhyme or reason behind the order of the restaurants I’ll mention, except geographical location. I’ll start with Lisbon, then shoot over to Evora, then down to the Algarve. We’ll wind up in Porto. Here we go!

Alma, Lisbon

We’ve been wanting to eat here for about 2 years, and finally made it there two weeks ago. Getting a reservation, even in the low tourist season, requires planning ahead. We waited two weeks for an opening. If you’re planning on visiting Lisbon from April through October and want to experience a really amazing meal, start working on a reservation about 3 months in advance. In 2024, Alma was awarded a whopping 2-star Michelin status. The executive chef, Henrique Sa Pessoa, opened the restaurant in 2009 and has received all sorts of awards and praise for his Portuguese-inspired cuisine. You can read more about him on the restaurant’s website.

Our experience began with the bread service, which was accompanied by a couple of “surprise” starters sent out by the chef. We had the Foie Gras and the Scarlet Shrimp for a first course, followed by Suckling Pig Confit and the Monkfish and Lobster Rice. Dessert was a Chocolate Bomb and a yummy Bola de Berlim. High scores for presentation and taste.

Two tasting menus are offered; we chose dishes from the a la carte menu—one of us wanted the Chocolate Bomb, which was only offered a la carte. Guess who had the Chocolate Bomb? One of the tasting menus features seafood, which is described as a tribute to the fish and shellfish of Portugal. The wine list was excellent, featuring both Portuguese and international wines. We had a bottle of a Dao (Portugal) rose, which was moderately priced and paired really well with our food choices.

The wait staff were attentive, but not overbearing. The decor was gorgeous, especially the woodwork. I liked that the tables were spaced far enough away from each other that you didn’t feel like you were learning all the family secrets of the folks sitting nearby. Overall, a really good experience and for a special occasion, it’s worth the extra pennies. We’ll go back after our bank account recovers! But, honestly, the prices are not outrageous; you’d probably pay 30-40% more in the USA or France for a meal of similar quality, especially at a 2-star! You can find their website at https://www.almalisboa.pt/en.

Bottom line: Save your pennies. Highly recommend!

Plano Restaurante

When our Bolt (another rideshare service in Portugal) turned down the narrow street flanked by houses and small apartment buildings, I thought we were lost. The restaurant, marked with a very small sign, is located in the cellar of a 19th century house. We were seated in what was once the wine-cellar, so the ambience is really cool and intimate.

I heard about Plano only a few weeks ago when one of my friends at the wine store told me it was one of her favorite restaurants in the city. So, a few days later I booked a reservation and off we went to find this tiny restaurant located on a steep hill in the Graca neighborhood of Lisbon. After we were seated, our waiter explained that there was only one menu of offer that night—I believe it was five courses. The chef, Vitor Adao, had invited a chef friend from the Alentejo to join him in the kitchen to create a kind of “competition.” So, each course featured a dish prepared by each chef.

The dishes prepared by chef Adao featured dishes influenced by his upbringing. His website states: “Born and raised in a village in Chaves, in the heart of Trás-os-Montes, Adão is responsible for a project with roots firmly planted in Lisbon and his heart (as well as his mouth) pointing towards home, to the north.” The dishes prepared by the chef friend were based on tradition Alentejo dishes, which meant a lot of pork!

Plano Restaurante has a well-deserved mention in the Michelin guide. On a “regular” night, two menu options are offered: an 8-course menu and an 11-course. Wine pairings are available for each menu option, as well. We opted for the wine pairing with our special menu; all of the selections were on-point and went really well with the “two competing” dishes of each course. That’s not easy to pull off, but the sommelier did it!

Prices were very reasonable and a good choice for a special occasion, especially an anniversary or special date night. You can read more about Plano and make a reservation at their website: https://planorestaurante.com.

Palacio Chiado

Located in an old palace in the heart of the Chiado, Palacio is one of our go-to restaurants when we have guests in town. Built in the late 18th century, and then completely overhauled in the 19th century, it has served as a palace to aristocrats, a museum, an interior design school, and now a restaurant. The interior is stunning, and reminds me a bit of one of the smaller rooms in Versailles. You can see more of the history and the interior at their website: https://palaciochiado.pt/.

This restaurant may serve up one of the best couvert (bread and butter) in Portugal. Now, that is my opinion, of course. Several choices of hot, fresh bread arrive at your table, including some amazing cornbread. Several kinds of butter are served, including a truffle butter that is tasty. For an appetizer, we always order the shrimp in garlic. Need I say more?! It’s messy (if you eat them with your fingers), but delicioso!

The scarlet shrimp and beef entres are good choices, and when their slow-cooked Alentejo pork is on the menu, that’s what I will order. In case you don’t know about pork from the Alentejo, the best is from black pigs fed on acorns. It has a deep, rich flavor, with a hint of sweetness. It reminds me of the pork roasts that came from the pigs my father and grandfather butchered once a year. Remember, I grew up in south Alabama where “hog-killings” were a winter feature of rural life there.

Now back to Lisbon! Palacio has a decent wine list—all from Portugal—and some creative cocktails. Service is good and the staff friendly and helpful. Helpful hint: this place is a favorite for locals and tourists, so book a reservation early. I’ve seen reservations booked up for almost a month in advance. They serve lunch, too, so if you can’t get a dinner reservation, a table for lunch is most likely available.

Dallas Hamburgers

If I could, I would eat a hamburger every day! When I first was learning to cook, a hamburger was consumed at lunch or dinner almost every day. Living in the USA, of course, it was easy to find my ideal hamburger: a fat 100% ground beef patty topped with onion, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, ketchup and mustard. If you’ve visited or live in Europe, you’ll know that you have to do some sleuthing to find a good hamburger joint.

After several attempts here in Lisbon, we’ve found our go-to hamburger: Dallas Hamburgers. And, yes, that fact that “Dallas” is in the name might have something to do with our attraction to this place. The burgers here are really good! And, they have sweet potato fries! As I wrote this, I realized that we’ve not been there for several months. It’s time to go back!

The staff is friendly and service is usually quick, unless it’s really crowded. Go before 7pm for dinner, and avoid the lunch crowd, which usually peaks at around 1pm or so. The restaurant is located just a couple of blocks from the famous Time Out food court. They don’t have website, but you can find them on Google, Instagram, etc.

Essencial

This cozy restaurant is literally around the corner from our apartment. In fact, we can look out of the bedroom windows and see the back of their kitchen! They’ve earned a well-deserved Michelin mention, which, in my humble opinion, should be upgraded to a star. Their website (https://www.essencialrestaurante.pt/) gives a succinct description of their food and wine.

Restaurant serving French-influenced cuisine, mostly prepared with seasonal Portuguese produce. Selection of wines with emphasis on small producers, where the personality of those who make them and their origin can be recognised. Wines with identity and vitality.

One thing I love about Essencial is the open-concept of the space. The open kitchen is literally just steps away from the dining area so you can watch all the action. All it needs is a couple of couches so that you can take a nap before dessert!

They offer a bistro tasting menu and a more substantial tasting menu, available with a wine pairing, at a relatively moderate price. Two of my favorite starters are lírio, creme fraiche & citrinos (amberjack, crème fraiche & citrus) and lachorro de lavagante & caviar (Lobster roll & caviar). For a main course, David loves the gnocchi and I usually go for the pork, served with an amazing sauce, or the grouper. They also have a baked rice and scarlet shrimp dish for two persons, which is a nod to their Portuguese roots.

If you are visiting Lisbon, I highly recommend you check them out. Good food, excellent presentation, a friendly staff, a decent wine list, and a cozy, homey atmosphere—what more can you ask for? Reservations a couple of weeks in advance is strongly suggested, even in the off season. As best I can remember, there are only 7 tables.

Other Restaurants/Tascas

To mention all of the restaurants at which we’ve dined would take up a lot of space. I gave detail on only a few of them, just to give you an idea of what Lisbon has to offer. I also want to say that all of these restaurants are owned by Portuguese citizens or immigrants who live in Lisbon. We make a special effort to give our dining business to locally owned establishments as we want to contribute to the local economy. I encourage you, whether you are visiting or live here, to do the same.

Okay! Here are some local restaurants that deserve a mention. Armaha (Bairro Alto—Portuguese), Rua da Rosa Cantina (Bairro Alto—traditional Portuguese), Cafe Dozo (very small sushi place in Bairro Alto).

Finally, we enjoy walking around neighborhoods in hopes of discovering new places to eat. You’ll find many good cafes and restaurants in Lisbon. What we tend to avoid are restaurants that put their staff on the street or sidewalk with a menu to entice customers inside. Usually, not in all cases, but usually, these restaurants cater to tourists. The food might be just fine, but the prices are usually inflated. Another rule of thumb, especially if you want to eat authentic Portuguese food, is to look for restaurants packed with locals. Just like us, the locals give their business to restaurants that have good service and good food.

I hope this gives you an idea of the food experiences Lisbon has to offer. The fact that our dining out budget is more than our grocery budget says a lot! Keep an eye out for the next post, which will feature some of our favorite restaurants in Evora.