A Friday afternoon, around 16:00. Ramiro is open from 12:00 till midnight, so if you like to come in at 17:00 you’re welcome!

Portuguese love there seafood with beer (or with ice cold vinho verde , young wine). You can order big shrimps (gambas or camarão tigre), scampi (lagostim) and crab (sapateira). Cooked fresh seafood tastes fantastic with mayonaise, grilled seafood goes very well with ‘molho de limão’. This is a sauce of butter, lemon and a bit of piri-piri.

Pedro Miguel P. Gonçalves, manager restaurant ‘Ramiro’ : “You may start by tasting the delicious dark smoked ham “Pata Negra 5, J Sanchez Romero Carvajal”.

Gamba Cozido (€10.83),  Pao Manteiga (hot buttered bread €2.55), agua (S. Pellegrino (€1.50), Carne Lombo (steak sandwich € 3,60), small bottle of white wine (Plenalto €5.50), coffee (€0.90).

My favorite dish: Camarão à Guilho (garlic shrimp). If you’re only in the mood for a snack, try a ‘prego’ , a steak sandwich. The steak is grilled on the plate. The Portuguese eat the prego’s (literally: nails, referring to the full stomach after eating one) with mustard or piri-piri.

History : The Ramiro Beer house was founded on the 7th of April of 1956, by the hand of Ramiro’s father, being a small “pasture house”. With the passing of the years Mr. Ramiro, having a main role within the business, slowly introduced seafood. This concept aroused a great interest creating a beer house (Cervejaria). Joined by his wife they amplified and improved the space focusing uniquely on the concept of seafood house: the selling of seafood, ham and “steak sandwich” . Today it is known nationally and abroad for its excellent quality of raw-materials, for its level of service and for the price-quality relationship. More….website restaurant Ramiro

I can sincerely recommend this place! If you are more in the mood for a restaurant with red candles and soft music, you might be disappointed, but upstairs you can make a reservation for a romantic ‘table for 2′.

‘RAMIRO‘, Avenida Almirante Reis 1 G-H, Intendente, Lisbon. OPEN on Sundays!

TAKE AWAY. Call at +351218851024 and order a seafood meal. Order before (24 Hours). The restaurant is closed at Mondays.

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‘Borrego no forno’ (lamb in oven € 6,50). Starters: pão e azeitonas (bread and olives € 1,20), copo de vinho branco (glass of white wine € 1.00), bica pingada (espresso with a drop of milk € 0,55). 

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Lisbon: really good service and a very friendly staff.

Owner Alvaro Martim: ‘From 1938 this place is a restaurant. All I know is that it used to be a shop selling spices from India”.

The Casa da Índia was established in Lisbon around 1500. This Portuguese organization had been based in Lagos in Southern Portugal, but after Prince Henry the Navigator died in 1460, the ‘House of India’ moved to Lisbon, and was located at the Terreiro do Paço (better known as the famous Praça do Comércio , Commerce Square). The building was destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Gambas á guilho (garlic prawns) 12.50 euro, delicious! This restaurant is very popular and lively,  the marisqueira (seafood) is divine and cheap.

Portugal probably is the best place in Europe to enjoy seafood; the Portuguese appreciate eating and drinking well!

On the wall: the Duke of Viseu (Henry the Navigator), patron of the Portuguese exploration. During 1415-1542 Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that rounded the Cape of Good Hope, they discovered Brazil, established trading routes throughout most of southerns Asia, colonized selected areas of Africa and sent the first direct European maritime trade and diplomatic missions to China.

Restaurant ‘Casa da Índia’, Rua Loreto 51, near Bairro Alto. Opening hours: Monday -Saturday: 09:00 – 02:00. Closed on Sundays.

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The location, right next to the river Tagus, is an ideal place to take just a coffee or a beer after a walk in the center of Lisbon, a typical Portuguese lunch or a romantic night and dinner for 2….

The very old wooden building of the restaurant has a long history.  It was built in 1904, used by the Fiscal Guards (Guarda Fiscal) as an observation post to watch the ‘contrabando’ (smugglers) who arrived by boat from overseas.

Inside the restaurant you can see a picture of the original building.

Three times a fire destroyed parts of the building. In the 30’s it was rebuilt and during the second World War, it was used for operations in support of Jewish people, trying to catch a boat to America. (Portugal was a neutral country).

José Carlos Viejas, the owner of Restaurant ‘Guarda Rio‘ since 1994, and the very friendly waiter Carlos Antunes.

My lunch; a delicious grilled dorado (also known as dolphin-fish) 9 euro, a glass of white wine (um copo de vinho branco) 2,00, small bottle of water (agua) 1:00.

José Carlos Viejas: “in 1994 I bought this place. Due to the fire that destroyed the building it was rebuilt from scratch, going to host a nice coffee house/restaurant with two floors and large windows to show how beautiful the Tagus is”.

September 2008

There are 2 terraces just above river level, one is covered.

Restaurant Marisqueira Guarda Rio
Rua da Cintura Armazem 22, Cais do Sodré, Lisbon
Antigo Pavilhão da Guarda Fiscal
Thursday, Friday and Saturday open from 11:00h/02:00h
Monday – Wednesday from 11:00/ 24:00h
Sunday from 19:00

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During our stay in Meco village we ate in several restaurants in the previous days. Our favorite: Restaurant/bar ”Tropical do Meco”. At night the weather is turning a bit colder in this time of the year (end of September and close to the Atlantic!), so we enjoyed our dinner at the veranda (smoking allowed).

Restaurant’s specialties (especialidades): Mexilhões de cebolada (Mussels prepared with onions) ; Caldeirada de Peixe-espada com amêijoa (a fishstew of scabbard fish and small clams); Filetes de Peixe-espada preto fritos com arroz de tomate (Fried black scabbard fish fillets with tomato rice).

Our choice: Espetada Tamboril Camarao, € 12,50 and Picanha Carvao (Grilled Picanha, € 11,00) . The espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made of chunks of beef or fish rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers and left to grill over smouldering wood chips. Other meats including pork and chouriço are also commonly used, but there are also other types like those made from squid. It is literally named “sword”. The dish can be served on a skewer which hangs from a hook on a stand as it is presented.

Picanha (meat from Brazil) is generally considered to be the number one cut, even better than beef fillet. Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh) is much better than a steak, meltin-in-your mouth !

The restaurant service was really great, professional and friendly. ‘Tropical do Meco’ owners Hugo, Sergio (brothers) and their mother Teresa. Besides being a great restaurant, Tropical de Meco is also thé place for the Meco beachcrowd for late night cocktails and other drinks (try a caipinrinha!). Especially high summer, the bar is a favourite hangout for Meco-visitors to end the night with a drink or two or more.

We also got invited to a tour of the kitchen: Teresa, Isabel, Gladys, Clarice and Niso.

To accompany our food we enjoyed a bottle of Montado white wine from the Alentejo region (€ 5,50), a superb choice! While drinking our coffees a glass of a delicious liqueur was offered by the restaurant: ‘Moscatel Roxo’, a liqueurous wine from the Setúbal Peninsula.

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’, Rua do Comércio 28, Aldeia do Meco, Sesimbra, Setúbal. Phone 212 683398, mail tropicaldomeco@hotmail.com. Closed Tuesday.

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The lively street just behind the National Theater at Largo de São Domingos, near Rossio Square and Restauradores, is a real mecca for seafood lovers.

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão: the street name dates from the 15th C. when a gate in the former town wall stood here. There’s also some very interesting buildings to be seen. The restaurants are well positioned for people-watching, prices are not really cheap, but the quality is good. In generally, this street is rather touristy and the waiters are sometimes a bit aggressive in their approach to tourists.

One of the restaurant windows, with fresh lobsters and shrimps. In generally, if you don’t speak Portuguese, make sure you’ve got your dictionary handy! There’s a lot of delicious dishes on the menu.

Restaurante Cervejaria Inhaca, and Alex, the waiter. Cervejaria means ‘beerhouse’, where beer is produced (or used to be produced) and where you can eat as well. There are many Cervejaria’s in Lisbon, like the well known restaurant Portugalia.

Finger licking good! Shrimp and lobster dishes for 2 persons, about € 55, except drinks.

Restaurant Inhaca, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 8. Owner João Calçoa and kitchen-staff.

Avoid Restaurant Torremolinos : the food is not good and our bill came to €45 , while we were expecting €35 …..in general: make sure you are aware of what you are being charged for! 

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The always very nice Portuguese people are proud to show you the fresh fish…

…..and take their time to make a friendly neighbourly talk.

This lively fresh produce & fishmarket is open from Monday-Saturday 07-00 till 14:00.

Mercado de Arroios, Rua Ângela Pinto, near the Arroios metro station, close to Estefania.
Selling locally sourced fish, meat, fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Mercado da Ribeiro, famous market near the Tagus river

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Cais do Sodré, boat to Cacilhas (near the railway station)

Cacilhas is a picturesque neighborhood in the banks of the river best known by its Cervejarias (traditional beer houses) also offering shellfish, seafood, and fresh fish.

Restaurant/Cervejaria “Farol” (lighthouse) is just by the ferry-terminal, the food is finger licking good! We enjoyed a fresh dourada (sea bream)

From restaurant ‘Farol’ you can walk along the river to the elevator of the famous Cristo Rei statue and enjoy the wonderful view on downtown Lisbon.

After passing some abandoned and ruinous warehouses and 2 restaurants, ‘Attire-te-ao-rio’, which means ‘throw yourself into the river’, and restaurant Ponto Final, you can go by elevator to reach the Cristo Rei statue.

Restaurant ‘Attire-te-ao-rio’, a Brasilian restaurant and a perfect romantic location for a great dinner overlooking Lisbon by night.

Restaurant ‘Ponto Final’

Excellent menu, amazing view, especially while the sun is fading.

Elevator to reach the Cristo Rei Statue.

A sweeping view of the city and Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge) from the top of the 82m (270ft) high pedestal (by elevator). This enormous monument is built in 1959 in thanks to God for having spared Portugal during World War II, inspired by the famous statue in Rio de Janeiro. ‘God opens his arms to the city’. View from Cristo Rei Movie

You can go back to the Cacilhas ferry terminal by bus # 101 (0,8 euro).

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“I live in a quiet part of the area Bairro Alto, ‘the place to be’ when it comes to nightlife! Bairro Alto means ‘High neighbourhood’, as it is on top of one of the seven hills of Lisbon. It is a maze of narrow streets filled with trendy shops, galeries, charming grocery stores, small restaurants and bars”.

“During the day it feels like living in a small village. Old people with coloured plastic bags are coming back from the market, having a chat with eachother while they slowly climb the steepy streets. The atmosphere is very relaxed. Typical Portuguese is the hanging laundry, drying in the wind. In the shops and in the cafes people take their time to make a friendly neighbourly talk.

For me Lisbon’s Tagus river is a very important part of my life. When I wake up the first thing I do is look out of the window to see the ‘mood’ and the colour of the river: sometimes wild or as smooth as a mirror, sometimes blue or ominous dark grey. In summertime the weather is gorgeous, and, thanks to the nearby river, there’s always a nice breeze!

Lisbon and the Tagus river are inseparable: I like it very much enjoying the calm water’s river on a Cais do Sodré’s terrace, reading a bit while slowly sipping a glass of Sangria and then take a (10-minutes) ferry trip to Cacilhas to the other side of the river”.

Cacilhas is a picturesque neighbourhood in the banks of the river best known by its Cervejarias (popular beer houses) also offering shellfish, seafood, and fresh fish. I can recommend restaurant/Cervejaria “Farol” (lighthouse) just by the boat stop, the food is ‘finger licking’ good! From restaurant ‘O Farol’ I like to make a walk along the river, after passing some abandoned and ruinous warehouses you can have lunch or a drink at the outdoor terrace of ‘Atire-te ao rio’, a Brasilian cafe/restaurant, a small paradise with wonderful views!

“The cemetery of São João (Cementerio do Alto de São João) is a very impressive and beautiful old graveyard: the alleys, the graves, the tranquility….one of the most attractive places to admire the river Tagus as well!

“For me, Lisbon is an authentic, unique city!”

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We’ll concentrate on making a ‘caldeirada de peixe’ (plain fish) and we’ll use some nice fresh douradas. As we cook for 4 persons we’ll take 4 large douradas, or 8 smaller ones.

When actually cooking in Lisbon go out to the big market (near to Lisbon’s major railway station and ferry terminal Cais do Sodré ), Mercado da Ribeira . A kilo of douradas shouldn’t cost more then 7/8 euros, depending on the quality. Look for fish with shiny eyes and gills that are still red on the inside.

Other ingredients you need:

• 4 large potatoes
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion
• 3 large tomatos
• 1 red and 1 greene pepper
• Olive oil
• White wine
• Sea salt
• Coriander

Preparation

Take a large pot, cut the fish into big lumps (including the heads, tails and bones, don’t throw away the good parts). Cut the potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and onions into thin slices, cut the peppers into cubes.

Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and start ‘building up’ the caldeirada. Place the slices of potatoes in the pot, the slices of tomato, the peppers, garlic and onion and finally a third of the fish, some sea salt and coriander. Then start with the second layer, repeating the entire process untill all ingredients are used up. Top with some extra sea salt, coriander, olive oil and white wine.

Don’t save on the olive oil, cooking the caldeirada in oil gives it the rich typical taste.

Place the (closed) pot on a low fire, and let the caldeirada simmer ‘till all the ingredients are cooked (about 45 minutes/ one hour). Serve with bread olives and ice cold ‘vinho verde’ or white wine.

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Nowadays olive oil is the main fat used in the preparation of portugese dishes, and also one of the main condiments. The Portugese love ‘Azeite’. Don’t be surprised when you sit in a restaurant next to someone who turns the bottle of olive oil upside down above his plate.

Bakers and farmers in the Alentejo area lay slices of their traditional enormous bread (pão alentejano) right out of the oven in a bath of olive oil, seasoned with salt and garlic. The famous Portugese caldeirada (a fresh fish and potato stew) is cooked in oil and freshly grilled fish is always seasoned with lots of Azeite.

Together with garlic, salt, piri-piri, coriander (coentros) and parsley (salsa), olive oil is certainly the most important ‘taste-maker’ in Portugese cooking.

Taking olive oil home

Olives and olive oil have always been the symbol of peace, strength, victory and glory. A perfect present.

Of course, you can buy olive oil in a supermarket, but if you want to take something special go to a shop that specializes in wines and oil, a ‘garrafeira’, like Napoleão. Two olive oils that can be recommended because of their good price/ quality heuristic are for example ‘Azeite cortes de cima’ and ‘Azeite herdade de Pinheiro’.

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