Portugal offers delightful casual dining, from its relaxed family taverns serving delicious dishes that showcase Portugal’s culinary prowess to more opulent establishments with more sophisticated approaches.
Carri suggests the following restaurants for traditional Portuguese fare with an Asian flare:
O Frade
O Frade Restaurant boasts an inviting U-shaped counter bar and offers traditional comfort food from Alentejo region. Their cuisine has earned recognition from media, including Mesa Marcada and Bib Gourmand status; moreover, O Frade owners are dedicated to upholding regional Portuguese customs.
The restaurant was created as the result of a couple’s passion for cooking and the desire to recreate the atmosphere and hospitality they experienced at their grandparents’ home. Dishes are created using family recipes with locally produced products; making this restaurant one of the most acclaimed spots in Lisbon.
O Frade offers a delectable blend of local and international cuisine in its cozy interior. Their attentive service make this restaurant the ideal spot to share a satisfying meal with friends or family members.
Legumi Sushi Vegan, located on Travessa de So Paulo in Sao Paulo, offers healthy vegan and vegetarian alternatives to traditional Japanese cuisine. Their dishes feature mushrooms, tofu and other plant proteins to satisfy every palette; and are prepared with precision and creativity in their preparation.
Taberna da Rua das Flores
JNcQUOI Asia, situated at the center of Lisbon, has made an impactful statement since opening its doors in 2017. Offering traditional Portuguese dishes as well as Nepalese fare, JNcQUOI Asia creates an eclectic menu sure to please guests both old and new alike. Indulge in delicious authentic food while admiring eye-catching decor sure to make an impressionful impression in Instagram posts! Furthermore, their staff is friendly and helpful and will assist in finding you your ideal dish.
At this classic taverna, the food is inspired by historic tapas recipes while its decor harkens back to those in working class neighborhoods. Seating 10 tables, this small dining area often becomes full before dinnertime; guests can expect inventive dishes such as stewed veal liver with chick peas, codfish with chick peas, and seared beef cubes known as pica pau. Unfortunately this restaurant does not accept reservations so be prepared to wait before enjoying dinner here!
Sushi lovers need not miss this upscale eatery, offering a light and modern space with attentive service and expertly-curated dishes from chef Aron Vargas de Almeida who has added his touch to the city’s sushi scene with his menu of precisely-cut fish cuts and artistically designed rolls complemented by an expansive wine selection to round off their meal experience.
Jose Saudade
Saudade, the Portuguese term that can be defined as an indefinable melancholic longing for something or someone lost, has always been deeply tied to Portugal’s history and identity. Its emotional resonance can be felt across generations of artists across literary, musical, and visual art creation; often accompanied by a knowledge that the object of longing may never return again.
Seas and distant continents have long been stained by the tears of Portuguese widows, mothers and sweethearts who have lost husbands, sons or lovers at sea or overseas – this emotion known as “saudade” being at the core of Portuguese poetry and music from medieval barcarolas to modern fados.
Saudade is an emotion shared across cultures, especially those influenced by Portugal. For instance, Goa in India (formerly a Portuguese colony) features Rua de Saudade which means Longing Street; its name captures this sentiment by reminding people of loved ones who have passed on.
Saudade is an intangible concept with many literary and philosophical interpretations, often with conflicting messages. This study adopts a phenomenology-based interpretive framework which prioritizes experience expression within specific cultural settings to understand more fully how complex this sentiment really is.
