Lisboeta
Finally! A recent review (March 2023!) I’ve been trying to go to Lisboeta for a few months as I find restaurants on Charlotte street generally to be pretty spectacular. From Michelin star Pied A Terre and the Ninth, to more eclectic dining like Six by Nico. Lisboeta is a two story restaurant where counters line the ground floor so you can see the chefs in action, while the upper dining area is a more a relaxed space boasting exposed bricks and a ton of light (When it’s sunny in London)
The restaurant is a self described love letter to Lisbon by Nuno Mendes. If you are looking to experience both the comfort food of Lisbon and the rich gastronomic history of Lisbon then look no further than Lisboeta. In season right now are traditional Bifanas sandwiches, a delicious pork sandwich on crusty bread, served with traditional mustard and chilli oil. There are few things more satisfying than crusty bread that has soaked up the oil of tender pork. They make a set amount of these a day, so once they are gone they are gone. Meat and seafood are the stars of the show, but may I suggest to you the Mushroom Acorda.This delicate dish of wild and cultivated mushrooms is beautifully presented with a perfect yolk, once you mix the dish all together you get something truly special. All dishes are meant to be shared, and the mains or Tachos & Travessas are no different as they tend to serve a minimum of two people. We opted for the Arroz de Marisco which is the red prawn and seafood rice. What’s unique about this dish is that no part of the shrimp is wasted, they previously would serve the shrimp heads on the side so guests could squeeze the oils of the heads into the rice. Now, to avoid diners getting their hands dirty the chefs do this for you. The result is perfectly cooked shrimp, slightly sweet and very soft, that sits atop a bed of seafood rice that has been soaking up in all that shrimp fats and oils. Being Sri Lankan I love a bit of coriander, and this dish has it in abundance which brings the whole thing together. We ended up getting an order of bread to mop up all the sauce at the end. If you can stomach any more food, the Farofias are well worth sharing, but be warned they are quite sweet!
I was told that the drinks selection at Lisboeta are also worth trying, and we opted for the White Port & Tonic which was very refreshing! The Antiquado is essentially their take on an Old Fashioned which had this lovely orange finish which balanced out the madeira and brandy. If Lisboeta is a love letter to Lisbon, it’s a letter I’d very much like to read again and again, hopefully with a few friends so I can try a few more dishes. Do check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Price per head: £50-75 with drinks