21/049-65-70. 109 units. 81€–193€ double. Metro: Marquês de Pombal. Amenities: Bar; outdoor pool; sun terrace; free Wi-Fi.
Where to Eat
Baixa & Chiado
Expensive
100 Maneiras INTERNATIONAL Sarajevo-born chef Ljubomir Stanisic is a star in Portugal. He judges TV cooking contests, fronts food documentaries and played Gordon Ramsey’s role in Portugal’s version of “Kitchen Nightmares.” He’s also an excellent cook. His restaurant (which means “100 ways”) underwent its own makeover in 2019, moving down the road to a new Bairro Alto location with a mildly spooky modern-gothic interior. For the new menus, Stanisic has reached back to his Bosnian roots, serving Balkan treats like peppery ajvar and creamy kajmak along with Belenga island barnacles, amberjack, and other fishy treats plucked from the Portuguese ocean. Stanisic takes an iconoclastic approach, incorporating cough sweets, garlic, and hay into his desserts. This is a true original.
Rua do Teixeira 39. www.restaurante100maneiras.com. 21/099-04-75. Reservations recommended. Tasting menu 80€–110€. Daily 7pm–2am. Metro: Baixa-Chiado.
Belcanto CREATIVE PORTUGUESE Lisbon’s most famous fine-dining experience boasts two Michelin stars and is a regular fixture in the world’s top 50 restaurants rankings. Belcanto is the flagship of celebrity chef José Avillez’s flotilla of eateries spread around the Chiado and Baixa. In 2019 it moved from its cozy-but-cramped location in front of the São Carlos opera house to take over a more spacious neighbor with domed brick ceilings and more natural light. The discreet charm and exquisite food remain. It’s not cheap, but Avillez’s irreverent take on Portuguese classics is unique. New dishes introduced with the move include braised red mullet with squid rice, liver sauce, vegetable roe, and cuttlefish-ink aioli; and roasted, hay-smoked pigeon with foie gras and hazelnut-cinnamon sauce. Go for the tasting menus for a special treat, and sample from the incomparable wine list.
Largo de São Carlos,12. www.belcanto.pt. 21/342-06-07. Reservations required. Main courses 50€; tasting menus 165€–185€. Tues–Sat noon–3pm 6:30–11pm. Metro: Baixa/Chiado.
Gambrinus PORTUGUESE Gambrinus is resolutely old school, its menu unchanged for years and its dining room classically styled, with leather chairs under a beamed cathedral ceiling (we always try to nab the little table beside the fireplace at the raised end of the room). The restaurant is renowned for its seafood bisque, its lobster dishes, and the seafood cataplana (a traditional dish from the Algarve cooked in a copper pot). Those are all pricey, but you don’t have to break the bank to dine here: Sitting at the counter (barra), the menu is affordable, featuring petiscos (Portuguese snacks) if you feel like a mid-afternoon or late night nibble.
Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 23. www.gambrinuslisboa.com. 21/342-14-66. Reservations recommended. Mains 18€–38€. Daily noon–1:30am. Metro: Rossio.
Moderate
Aqui Há Peixe SEAFOOD The name of this stylish restaurant in the heart of one of the Chiado’s prettiest squares translates as “Here there are fish”—and so there is, a lot of it, freshly caught and selected by Chef Miguel Reino from Lisbon’s markets. On our last visit, we started with one of the few fish not lately plucked from Portuguese waters (anchovies from off Spain’s northern Cantabrian coast), but followed up with a whole Atlantic turbot for two, served with rice cut with tangy rapini greens, followed up with vanilla ice cream doused in a thick fig syrup. There’s meat if you must: The Brazilian-style picanha steak is excellent.
Cervejaria Ramiro PORTUGUESE This place has been popular since opened by a Spanish immigrant in the 1950s, but after the late Anthony Bourdain raved about it on TV, lines stretch down the street. It’s noisy, crowded and chaotic, but the wonderous seafood makes it all worth it. The usual routine is to take a series of shellfish plates, say clams with garlic and cilantro; grilled giant shrimp, leathery goose barnacles, or a football-sized crab served with a mallet to smash through the claws. Wash everything down with icy draft beer or vinho verde and follow up with a steak sandwich (prego). Try to find space for the fresh mango. They don’t take phone reservations. To avoid the queues, eat early (or late). Like with most such joints, the seafood is sold by the kilo. For lobster, crab and other larger critters ask the waiter in advance how much you’re likely to pay.
Av. Almirante Reis,1. www.cervejariaramiro.pt. 21/885-10-24. Main courses 13€–38€. Tues–Sun noon–midnight. Metro: Intendente.
Fidalgo PORTUGUESE With its marble-clad walls and displays of standout Portuguese wines, Fidalgo is a class apart from the tourist traps and cheap-booze joints that have infested much of the Bairro Alto. It’s been operating to a loyal clientele since the 1950s. The cuisine is classical Portuguese with daily specials that can include rare treats like rice with salted cod cheeks or char-grilled boar. There are over 250 wines to choose from, so let Sr. Eugénio guide you to the perfect match with your dish.
Ibo MOZAMBICAN/PORTUGUESE Little-known beyond the Portuguese-speaking world, the cooking of Mozambique blends African roots with Asian and European influences with delicious results. This upscale restaurant serves up a posh version of the East African nation’s delicately spiced cuisine, with prices to match. Set in a former salt warehouse, it enjoys a prime riverside view from where to watch the come and go of Tagus boats. The emphasis is on seafood. Start with crab and mango salad, move on to shrimp curry with okra, and finish up with papaya stuffed with ewe’s milk cream cheese. Wash it down with 2M beer imported from Maputo, or some chilled Douro white wine.
