Tag: 2023 Lisbon Trip

Once again I put myself in choosing the evening’s restaurant and I went for Caso Sério, a small restaurant in the tourist area but it was well reviewed and had 30% off on TheFork. I didn’t take many photos, so the scene above is from the end of the meal, but it gives an impression of the homely nature of the venue. What is in the photo is just about the entire size of the restaurant, although they have a small number of external tables as well for those who like eating outdoors. The noise levels were also relatively low, so it felt a comfortable dine and we were never rushed during our time in the restaurant.

In the background is Bev complaining about something and in the foreground is the very acceptable, or at least from a big brewer, Super Bock Stout. I was concerned that there might be some fado performance here as I’m not hugely engaged with musical entertainment, but I was pleased when the waiter confirmed that there was no such show on the night that we were there. Bev and Susanna did their usual thing of saying they couldn’t possibly drink more than one glass of wine each, but then ended up having just about a bottle each. Steve and I didn’t say anything.

The menu is relatively limited in size, but it’s of a scale that they can clearly cope with and there was sufficient choice. I ordered the chick peas with cod fish and I was going to have a mixed board which had a selection of local meats and cheeses. The waiter, who was friendly and personable, suggested that they were too large to have one each, which I was sceptical about. Susanna and I shared a mixed board and in the end we just ordered another one so we ended up with the equivalent of one each. The chick peas had a depth of flavour from the cod and the individual items on the mixed boards all tasted of a decent quality, with one of the spicy sauces adding heat to the arrangement. The bread was a little bit generic, I thought that they could have been a little more exotic with that.

I’m not going to win any photography awards with this image, but it’s of the lemon cheesecake. To my delight, there was a lot of lemon in this and it had a suitable sharp taste which had some zing to it. The dessert choice was this or chocolate cake, so although I was perfectly pleased with this dessert, the dessert menu was rather limited in its scope.

The pricing was really quite low for the quality, my two beers, mixed board, chick peas and dessert came to around £18. One reviewer wrote:

“This restaurant severely undervalues itself. This is Michelin-level food and you’re missing out if you don’t come here during your time in Lisboa, assuming you are a tourist. Servers are very friendly, speak excellent English, and are more often than not literally within an arm’s reach if you need them. My only complaint is that the dessert menu could use some expansion into Portuguese classics, but the rest of the menu shines so brightly that this is hardly a fair criticism.”

It’s a positive review, although I’m not quite sure that I would go as far as to say that the food was Michelin-level. However, it all tasted freshly made and the ingredients used seemed to be of a good quality. The standout element was the engagement from the waiter, who was pro-active and personable, although I’m not sure I agree with his assessment that the mixed board was too much for one. But, that’s no complaint as it’s much easier to under order and then add to it rather than just over order and then leave some of it.

Given that the restaurant is a thirty second walk from Lisbon Cathedral, so in a touristy area, I thought that the whole experience was very agreeable and I’d come again here. Perhaps next time I might work through their seemingly relatively large range of roasted sausages and other tapas options, I can imagine that’d be rather nice in their homely restaurant.

As the name of the bar suggests, the owners are trying to market this venue as a craft beer bar and I think it’s quite a new opening so that’s all positive. This is the bottled beer area at the rear of the shop, which was a little understocked but I imagine that’s linked to their being relatively new.

The beer list seemed slightly odd to me and somewhat padded out with Deuce and Black Sheep beers having an oddly strong presence. These aren’t big hitting modern craft beer bars, such as just one example of thousands being Funky Fluid which I keep going on about and which we’d had in the previous bar, but rather more generic. This isn’t necessarily a complaint, as I like venues that sell beer that isn’t just generic mass produced lagers and it’s always positive when there’s plenty of choice, but I suspect this is why this bar has managed to get only a relatively small number of check-ins on Untappd.

The seating is far from ideal, the seating at the bar is a little too low and the seats in the main part of the bar are all either beer barrels or very low and uncomfortable. I’m all for rustic seating but it didn’t really add a great deal to the ambience of the bar, it just made it feel slightly awkward. However, the service was impeccable, the staff member was friendly, engaging and knowledgeable with the welcome being warm and hospitable.

I went for the Deuce Wheatbeer which was unexceptional but tasted OK, it’s far from the best wheat beer going and perhaps the bar could have been braver with its choice of draft options.

Hopefully this post doesn’t sound too negative, as all bars trying to cater for the craft beer market should be welcomed and the staff member here was doing a marvellous job at engaging with customers. The rest felt a little formulaic and missing the mark though, the beer choice didn’t feel well curated and the bar furniture is ill-fitting to its environment. The external signage focuses on the craft beer and mentions that it’s the taproom of Vadia, but I’m not sure where the link with that brewery is as I couldn’t see any of their beers on draft. But, I’m sure it’ll all work out well here, with a friendly welcome and keen prices that should make it popular. It’s one venue that I’d say really needs to become Untappd verified, so that the beer menu is more transparent and also to encourage beer drinkers to head slightly off the beaten track to get there.

From the exterior it’s not particularly clear what depth of quality there is to this bar with regards to the beer options. It’s only because they’re listed on Untappd, although for reasons unknown to me they’re listed twice, that I was excited to see what they had available. This expedition was just Steve and myself, then we were walking via another bar to the evening meal option I had taken it upon myself to choose to meet up with Bev and Susanna who were charging around some museum.

The beer menu and quite continental given that Funky Fluid is from Warsaw, and is one of my favourite breweries, and Garage is a brewery that I’ve been to in Barcelona. I promptly then ordered one beer from each, making this not a particularly Portuguese experience for me in terms of the brewing. In addition to this draft selection, they’ve also got a large fridge full of bottled options and there seemed to be bar snacks available as well.

The interior of the bar is quirky, informal and inviting. There are only three tables upstairs, with the bar and a slightly larger seating area downstairs. The service was prompt and welcoming, it all felt suitably on-trend without being formulaic.

The Kylian hazy IPA from Funky Fluid, it’s not their most exotic of beers but it was smooth and rich in flavour.

The P9 from Garage Beer of Barcelona, there was quite a kick to this fruity sour and had one of the strongest flavours of raspberries that I’ve experienced in a beer, I thought it worked well.

This was one of my favourite of the craft beer bars in Lisbon because of its laid-back approach and it also seemed to have more locals than tourists in contrast to some of the more central venues. I have to confess also that I enjoyed having a little taste of Warsaw in the middle of Lisbon, that was an unexpected treat. It is quite a small venue though and the bar location creates something of a pinch point, so other than for people who like crowds it’s probably best to visit earlier in the week or earlier in the evening during weekends.

The pink elephant is a sign that there’s a Delirium bar inside, an international chain of beer venues which are in some quite eclectic locations. They’re mostly in Northern Europe, although there are none in the UK, but they have some out-lying franchises including Lisbon, Rome and Vienna alongside the two far distance locations of Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. It’s all something of a mix and I hadn’t expected there to be one part way up a hill in Lisbon.

This wasn’t far from our non flaming sausage lunch-stop and it was just Steve and I at this point, with Bev and Susanna rushing off to get value from their Lisbon cards. Steve and I were more looking for a calm and refined beer stop, but that’s our natural sophistication….

The beers are chalked up above the bar, but they are also listed on-line. Customers order at the table and then the drinks and the bill are brought over, with the staff seating customers when it’s busy.

The pink elephant led bar.

This is the Delirium Noel Christmas beer and although late February is just a little past the festive season it had a pleasant element of spice to it and quite warming.

This was more decadent, the Delirium Black Barrel Aged strong ale, weighing in at 11.5%. Decent flavours of caramel and bourbon, full bodied and rich, much smoother than its ABV suggests. I enjoyed sipping at this one, a proper winter drink.

It was generally busy for a Saturday afternoon, but there always a few tables available for walk-ins. The beer selection was wider than I had anticipated, with plenty of options from other breweries although I stuck to Delirium’s offerings since they were tempting enough. They do serve food here such as burgers and nachos as well.

There’s been some significant effort made with the interior design here, it felt an inviting and comfortable venue. It had that mixture of customers enjoying themselves whilst not causing havoc around them, meaning it was busy and vibrant without the risk that a fight might randomly break out.

Plenty of bottle tops, although not as many as Piw Paw Beer Heaven in Warsaw have.

And bottles. The on-line reviews of the venue are generally very positive, although it’s a little difficult to work out what happened here a few weeks ago, either a misplaced attempt to have a date or a translation error.

“I just got kicked out from this place when I asked the waiter for her recomendation where to go for a fun night out in lisbon. Short after the manager showed up and told me it was my last beer (and first) then I had to leave. The manager told me that I had asked her to follow me to my room…. I’m confused. Poor managing”

And this review of:

“What kind of bar doesn’t let you stand?”

Which is one of the few the bar has responded to, noting:

“Of course you can stand, as long as the place you choose to stand doesn’t disturb the service or other customers.”

I’m always interested by the back story to these sort of reviews.

This was a little expensive for around £10 for the two drinks, but this is cheaper than these beers would have likely cost in the UK and so I was content in my little decadent treat. Steve went for a coconut fruit beer from Mongozo which he particularly enjoyed and they have a range of these fruit options which were tempting. The service was timely, friendly and engaging, with the range of beers being wider than I had anticipated. Belgian beers are somewhat of a hole in my knowledge that I’ll have to do something about at some point, particularly if I’m going to find tempting options as good at the beers that were served here. All rather pleasant.

I took what is perhaps an obligatory photo for tourists which is of the number 28 tram in Lisbon, a tram line which has been in existence since 1914. To accentuate the vintage theme, the trams that operate the line are from the 1930s to ensure that there’s a heritage feel as it goes through the windy and narrow streets of the city centre.

We didn’t go on the 28 tram as it always looked too busy when we were near it, I think it requires some pre-planning to join it at either end of its route, but here’s a photo of a somewhat spacious tram that we did go on in Lisbon. Bev looks suitably excited by the whole thing. Here’s an interesting article on Wikipedia about the history of the trams in the city right from the beginning in 1873, meaning it’s their 150th anniversary this year.

Steve had found this medieval themed restaurant located just off the back streets of Lisbon and they set fire to your food at the table, so this excited and delighted Bev. She likes a raging inferno which is out of control.

I like some theming in a restaurant or hotel, it adds a little excitement to proceedings and it felt appropriate to the historic part of Lisbon where it was located.

The interior of the restaurant, lots of wood and candles to give it a medieval edge. We were initially a little concerned as nearly every table seemed to be reserved, but fortunately these signs were ready for later on in the evening and we could sit there until then.

Mead served with ice, which I’m not entirely sure is the medieval way of serving it and I would have been content with it just being chilled. Decent flavour though, mead is very under-rated as a drink and I’m positive that Greggs don’t sell it.

We all ordered the flaming sausages, but the staff member explained that due to the fire alarms we had to have ours flamed in the kitchen. The whole thing was slightly odd as other tables were allowed flaming sausages, and we could have been moved to another table if ours was perhaps in danger of being located just too near the fire alarm. The others were disappointed, although I can’t say that I was overly concerned given that I don’t like fire as along with many other things, such as snakes, cows, pigs, sheep and anything else in fields.

The bread with rosemary was pleasant and the sausage had some flavour to it, although it could have done with cooking for a little longer for my liking which other tables had the ability to do. The sausage was also slightly fatty and so the experience really wasn’t quite there although it was all quite amenable other than Bev muttering that she wanted a fire on the table.

The dessert was better, this is the Clementinas Brandy which was served with vanilla ice cream and a dark chocolate ganache. The brandy had broken down the orange giving it a depth of flavour and the chocolate contrasted well with the strong flavour of orange. Indeed, this was like a luxury chocolate orange, a very agreeable dessert.

There are a few on-line reviews commenting on the different treatment of Portuguese and foreign customers, but I’m not entirely sure that this was a problem here as the staff were always friendly and helpful. There might though have been an occasional language barrier, which became evident with the lacking of flaming sausage. I liked the general theming of the restaurant and it was a cosy atmosphere, clearly popular with locals given the number of tables that were reserved for later on in the evening. I’d suggest that this is a reliable location for larger groups and there are a variety of medieval dishes such as rabbit, duck, lamb, pork, cod and partridge also available. Although meat dominated the menu, there were a few vegetarian options also listed. As for social media of our visit, all was well as Steve was able to video the neighbouring table’s flaming sausage and I don’t think anyone noticed due to his clever framing….

I put myself in charge of organising the food options for the group as I’ve decided that I’m the most capable in that department. I went for Sebastião which was offering 30% off food when booking with TheFork, so that’s where we headed on a mild evening. The photo above is from the end of the meal, with Bev clacking down the street with her stick. I didn’t complain.

The surroundings were a little decadent for me, it’s a restaurant attached to a hotel but it’s well reviewed and popular in its own right. My starter was the traditional fried cuttlefish from Setúbal, served with a garlic mayonnaise. It’s rare for me to have the chance to eat cuttlefish, as Greggs don’t currently sell cuttlefish bakes, but it’s one of my favourite menu items when I do see it. Served in a light batter the cuttlefish had a smooth and not rubbery texture along with its usual slightly milky flavour. The mayonnaise added a bit of spice to the whole arrangement, although I noted that Susanna was leaving most of the batter as she didn’t want to eat the calories. I sometimes wish that I was that responsible and self-disciplined, but there we go.

This is the baked cod with roasted potatoes and sautéed greens and it looked an impressive plate of food when it arrived. I had mixed feelings about this dish, the cod was light and flaked away, with the potatoes (which are hidden in the photo as they’re at the back) being firm on the exterior and fluffy on the inside. That was for the positive, but I spent a chunk of time extracting bones from the cod and the vegetables were just bland. I accept vegetables are often bland, that’s indeed arguably a feature that some people seem to crave from them, but there was more flavour that could have been added here. I’m not sure whether that’s a sauce on the plate or just leakage, but it didn’t have any flavour whatever it was.

I’ve never ordered a carpaccio of pineapple which is as it was described on the menu. The slithers of pineapple were rich in flavour, the ice cream was smooth in flavour and the twirly thing added some extra texture. I’m not that big on desserts, but these are my favourite kinds, the ones with sharp contrasting flavours to the previous courses.

The total bill came to £20 each which I thought was very reasonable value for three courses and a drink. I haven’t dwelt for long on the beer option as it was the Super Bock lager which didn’t trouble itself with any richness of flavour or taste. But it was wet, large and vaguely beer flavoured, so it sufficed to go with the meal, with the restaurant far more focused on its wine options. I understand that some restaurants want to focus on their wine menus, but I’m less accepting that they can find the time to list 30 wines with different flavour profiles and then dump on the menu one generic beer.

The service was attentive and polite, the venue was spotlessly clean and I thought the temperature was just right although Susanna complained of some cold chills. Bev hardly complained about the food, so there’s a result in itself. Certainly with the 30% discount on TheFork I thought this was a positive experience, although I found the main course to be slightly harder work than I had anticipated. I think the others were satisfied with their food, or at least I heard no complaints.

This craft beer bar is located below the city’s main railway station, hence its rather suitable name. Actually, we struggled to find it at first, but it’s not in the station itself but in the square below it.

The venue is small and there are usually four or five beers on draft alongside a variety of different bottles. The service was immediate and polite, with the surroundings feeling comfortable.

These used bottles are just for display, but it gives an insight of the sort of beers that have been stocked here. This all adds some colour to the place as otherwise I suspect it might feel just a little dark.

I opted for the Double IPA from Post Scriptum Brewery who are a local micro-brewery. It was perhaps nothing exceptional, but it had pleasant afternotes of grapefruit so was suitably refreshing.

This is the bar’s survey of how many customers were using Untappd and then they split that result into locals and visitors.

There wasn’t any chalk nearby so I didn’t fill in the blackboard survey, but Bev wasn’t having that and so she marked the votes of Steve and I on the board for us. She’s very social and practical like that. This sort of survey result is perhaps self-selecting, but it does give an interesting insight into the number of people using Untappd.

It’s not a sizeable venue with just a couple of large inside tables, but it’s got an informal and inviting vibe to the whole arrangement. Ideal for those waiting for a train and waiting to have some decent beer, with the option to sit outside as well. The bar is using Untappd for its draft and bottled options, which is useful for pre-selecting which looks like the most exciting beer.

Whilst Bev and Susanna were running around Lisbon trying to get value for money from their Lisbon Cards, Steve and I thought it would be far more sensible to go to some bars. He’s very level headed is Steve. AMO is a well-reviewed brewery which also has its own small taproom and was founded in 2016 by Margaret Orlowski.

The beer menu.

There are around four tables upstairs in the taproom which can be reached by some steep steps that require some caution to avoid spilling any drinks. But having some extra jeopardy during a pub visit can’t be a bad thing. There’s some extra seating outside the front of the bar, but smoking is allowed there and I don’t want to drink craft beer in a smoke haze.

This is the brewery’s prickly pear, a 6% fruit beer which had a pleasant taste although I’m not sure what a prickly pear is supposed to taste like as Greggs don’t put anything like that in their baked goods selection.

Also produced by AMO, this is the 8% Winter Special Chocolate Porter, suitably rich with deep chocolate flavours. This is a comforting winter drink, dangerously drinkable.

We were served, I think, by the owner of the brewery and she was friendly, engaging and personable. It was a welcoming and inviting atmosphere, all informal and not too serious. There were a wide range of different beer styles, with the prices being reasonable, and I liked the nature of the surroundings. Given the small size of the venue I was quite surprised by how many beers they had available, if there would have been more time I would have worked through a few more of them.

Steve and I were in charge of choosing the lunchtime restaurant at LX Factory and so we went for Chickinho given it was moderately well reviewed, looked reasonably priced and it sold what looked like delicious chicken. It’s a upstanding and reliable combination to be fair, or the last two at least.

The menu and as an aside it never really occurred to me that free range chickens were much smaller than their standard chicken. I was tempted by chicken wings, but Bev would have sneered at that, so I decided to be somewhat healthier and went for the salad although was inevitably tempted by the whole chicken. There are Nando’s vibes to this menu and indeed this large international chain has strong Portuguese connections

This was decent, the ingredients tasted fresh, the strips of tortilla added texture and the chicken was tender and flavoursome. Not clearly visible but there’s corn in there as well, along with one of my favourites which is avocado. It was suitably filling and didn’t overly rely on lettuce leaves as too many salads in the UK can do. We weren’t very creative as three of us ordered the same thing, with Bev’s burger seemingly being agreeable albeit messy to eat.

The black beer at 2 euros transpired to be Sagres Pretam, a dark lager, and this was suitably drinkable. In the background is the 25 de Abril Bridge which carries cars and lorries on its upper deck and the lower deck is a railway line.

There’s a large inside seating area at the restaurant, but we sat outside to enjoy the Portuguese ambience although I deliberately sat in the shade as the sun was shining just a little too brightly for my liking. The service was efficient and they readily split the bill four ways, which made things much easier. The negative reviews are mostly about the rudeness of the staff rather than the food, but we didn’t experience any problems and the welcome seemed authentically friendly. As a dining option at LX Factory, this seems to be a reliable one and I imagine that many kids would like it.