Category: Fish

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Portugal’s long history with codfish & recipe favorite Bacalhau á Gomes de Sá

The Portuguese have a very long history with codfish: shortly after Columbus (about 500 years ago) ‘discovered’ America, the Portuguese were fishing for cod (bacalhau) near NewFoundland. They were the first Europeans to do so. The nickname of bacalhau is ‘fiel amigo’ (faithful friend).

Fish bacalhau codfish Manteigaria Silva

Lisbon luxury food shop Manteigaria Silva , Rua D. Antao de Almada 1 Lisbon

365 different ways to prepare codfish

When you stay in Lisbon or in the wonderful country Portugal, a must-try is bacalhau (dried and salted cod).  The Portuguese adore it and it’s said that they know at least 365 different ways to cook it…one for each day of the year!

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Lisbon luxury food shop Manteigaria Silva , Rua D. Antao de Almada 1 Lisbon

The smell of dried and salted bacalhau is odd and penetrating……pfffffff… but the taste is absolutely delicious when cooked!

Bacalhau traditional dish in Portugal

Bacaolada, traditional Portuguese bacalhau dish.

Bacalhau deserves a good wine: green (Vinho Verde) or mature wines, from Alentejo, Dão or Douro.

History

For at least 500 years ago the Portuguese learned how to salt cod at sea and sun-dry it. It keeps for many months this way without refrigeration. And then it requires being soaked for 24 hours in changes of water before being used to prepare a dish. The soaking reconstitutes the fish and gets rid of the excessive salt also.

Lisbon luxury food shop Manteigaria Silva , Rua D. Antao de Almada 1  Lisbon

Even today, where refrigeration isn’t a problem, the Portuguese have not lost their love for bacalhau. Dishes based on this main ingredient are sure to be a part of most holiday and other celebrations.

Jose Maria & Paula & bacalhau à Brás, a very popular dish

Recipe bacalhau à Brás

One of the reasons for the popularity of bacalhau in Portugal and other catholic countries, was because of the many days on which the Church forbade the eating of meat.

Codfish Gomes de sa

Bacalhau á Gomes de Sá, cooked in a casserole with thinly sliced potatoes and onions,  garnished with hard-boiled eggs and black olives.

This recipe was invented by Jose Luis Gomes de Sá  Jr., the son of a rich nineteenth century merchant (apparently he dealt in cod) in Porto. The family fortune dwindled and the son had to find a job at the famous restaurant Lisbonense in downtown Porto. It was there that he created the now well known recipe.

Pasteis de Bacalhau

Besides: Pastéis de Bacalhau (codfish pastry), croquetes.

A delicacy and a good idea with a cold glass of Portuguese white wine or beer on tap(imperial)!

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Famous Lisbon fish cannery store ‘Conserveira de Lisboa’ & nostalgic power

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store) has been covered in many newspapers, tv-programs and on the internet, never paid for any promotion but is listed by many touristic guides.

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store) March 2021

In this little shop hundreds of colorful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish are stored. It’s been open for 80 years.

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Conserveira de Lisboa Maria de Jesus Silva

Maria de Jesus Silva, Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

History

The shop opened in 1930 under the name ‘Mercearia do Minho’ and changed it’s name to Conserveira de Lisboa in 1942. In the beginning days the company sold all kinds of alimentation, concentrating on canned foods.

Rua dos Bacalhoeiroa Conserveira de Lisboa canned fish shop Luís Vieira

Luís Vieira,Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

In 1942 the company applied for the registration of the first two brands of conserves: TRICANA and PRATA DO MAR.

Tricana was registered in 1948 and Prata do Mar in 1956.

 

Macquerel (filetes de cavala), tummy (atum), squid (polvo) and cod (bacalhau).

During the second world war the industry of conserved fish products developed rapidly and it helped the company to evolve quickly, reaching it’s peak with the colonial war in ’74. After this period, the conserves market shrinked steadily, frozen food became a more common way of conservation.

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Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

Confronted with this perspective of a further declining market, the Conserveira chose to remain operating on this niche market and offer only quality products. This way the shop also survived the aggressive low prices by the supermarkets.

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Conserveira de Lisboa Manuela Preira

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

Two nice ladies in the shop are wrapping the various preserves: Manuela Pereira….

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros Conserveira de Lisboa Maria Manuela Neves

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

…..and Maria Manuela Henriques Nunes

Lisbon Conserveira de Lisboa no plastic bags

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

I bought 4 cans: 2 fillets macquerel (€ 4,54) and 2 tuna fillets (€ 3,63). Happily no plastic bags! If you like you can write a nice note in the guest book.

Lisbon Conserveira de Lisboa guestbook

Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

In June 2004 Armando Jose Cabral Ferreira and Regina Maria da Silva Monteiro Baptista Cabral Ferreira became the owners of the shop.

Famous cannery shop Conserveira de Lisboa street

Conserveira de Lisboa, Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, 34 (website).

E-mail address: info@conserveiradelisboa.pt

Rua dos Bacalhoeiros means ‘street of the cod fish sellers’……). More.about this street..

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Conserveira de Lisboa (The Lisbon Cannery store)

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Popular Rua das Portas de Santo Antão Lisbon & avoid restaurant Torremolinos

Lisbon is probably the best place in Europe to enjoy seafood. There are a couple of very popular ‘tourist restaurant’ streets,  such as Rua das Portas de Santo Antão where you will find a wide selection of options.

Lisbon Rossio near Restauradores

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

Lisbon restaurants R. das Portas de Santo Antão 2

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão: rather touristy and aggressive waiters

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 general, this street is rather touristy and the waiters are sometimes a bit aggressive in their approach to tourists.

Shrimps and lobster window restaurant

One of the restaurant windows, with fresh lobsters and shrimps.

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão , just north of Rossio, is one of the few streets in Lisbon where you’ll be approached by waiters in the street trying to entice you to eat in their restaurant.

Lisbon popular tourist street Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 11

‘Free’ starters

Be prepared: in the more expensive and touristical restaurants in Lisbon you have to pay for starters like bread, cheese and often olives or shrimps (camarão). They are not a part of the meal! You won’t pay for them if you don’t eat them, and often the waiter will take them away (não, obrigado), ‘no thank you’. More ……

If you don’t speak Portuguese, make sure you’ve got your dictionary handy!

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Restaurante Cervejaria Inhaca

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).

Restaurante Cervejaria INHACA

Finger licking good, but expensive

Shrimp and lobster dishes for 2 persons, about € 55, except drinks. Restaurant Inhaca, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 8.

Avoid restaurant Torremolinos, a tourist trap, 🙁    read this

( 2020: the name Torremolinos on the facade has recently been removed)

In general: make sure you are aware of what you are being charged for. Most of the restaurants in this area are tourist traps.

A few great restaurants in this street: former palace Casa do Alentejo (a hidden gem!), or restaurant Gambrinus .

Restaurant Solar dos Presuntos, R. Portas de Santo Antão 150, YouTube

A good idea is to walk around and eat in a restaurant where there are no tourists in sight…….

For seafood lovers, go to one of Lisbon’s best seafood restaurants ‘RAMIRO’, also open on Sundays (Intendente).

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How to prepare Caldeirada (fish stew): traditional Portuguese recipe

Caldeirada, a traditional Portuguese fish stew, can consist of seafood (caldeirada de marisco), salted codfish (caldeirada de bacalhao) or any fish of your choice.

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.

Mercado da Ribeira fresh fish2

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.

Caldeirada de peixe portugese fish stew

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Lisbon: how to recognize good cheap Portuguese restaurants & José & Laurinda

The Portuguese appreciate eating and drinking well. The influence of Portugal’s former colonial possessions is clear, especially in the wide variety of spices used, like piri piri (small, fiery chilli peppers), as well as cinnamon, vanilla and saffron.

Restaurant/cafe ‘A Vaidosa Terreirinho Ginginha’ & owner José Maria

CLOSED. UPDATE March 2019: due to eviction (despejos) after 34 years ( !!) this restaurant is closed.  What a shame 🙁 🙁 

Vimeo: Evictions in Lisbon 

Restaurant ‘A Catedral do Fado’:

5 minutes walk (also open on Sundays): restaurant ‘A Catedral do Fado’, good food, local prices :-).  Rua Marquês Ponte de Lima 5, Mouraria, Lisbon

Discover 900 years old area Mouraria, shops fado, bars & restaurants

Owner José Maria & his wife Laurinda

Pataniscas de Bacalhau & rice, delicious!

The Portuguese cuisine is rich, filling and full-flavoured. There’s also Arab and Moorish influences, especially in the south.

Restaurant Jose Marie & Paula bacalhau a bras January 2017

Restaurant José Maria in Mouraria Lisbon January 2017

Lunch with Paula: delicious bacalhau à brás  (salt cod): 6 euro pp

Portuguese breakfast

Traditionally just coffee and bread, often enjoyed in a cafe (pastelaria). Recommended: toast (tosta mista) with ham & cheese (queijo e presunto), or delicious sweet pastries like pastéis de nata, real calorie bombs! Coffee: strong (bica) with milk (galão – garoto), tea (chá) with or without sugar (açúcar). The pastalerias are often a part of the social life in the neighbourhood.

Historical area Mouraria Lisbon Restaurant José Maria & his wife Laurinda

Lunch with Dutch friends, February 4, 2015: Denise, Jolanda, Margriet and Feikje

Local priced restaurants and useful information about area Mouraria

February 2019: a city trip to Lisbon with 3 generations of the Kollmer family from the Netherlands  🙂 🙂

Good quality & local prices

In this tiny restaurant in Mouraria you can enjoy a 3 course meal (starter, like cheese/ham, soup, main course, dessert, water, coffee and wine) for only about 9-10 euros pp. Not open on Sundays.

Laurinda’s bitoque is the best of Lisbon!!  🙂  🙂

If you prefer meat, and don’t feel like experimenting, try a ‘bitoque’. It’s steak and fries, with a fried egg, garlic and rice (ca. 7 euro).

Typical Portugues & very popular: grilled sardines

Bill for 3 persons: around 30 euro

Grilled sardines recipe by Rochelle Ramos:

Delicious grilled piri piri sardines on crusty bread recipe complete with step-by-step pictures and detailed instructions

Restaurant owner Laurinda & delicious fresh fish

How to recognize cheap and really Portuguese restaurants?
A little bit disorderly, but very clean; a big TV screen, people like watching TV while eating (a lot of football, futebol), TL-tubes on the ceiling and paper table-covers. Prices (in Lisbon) between 8 and 15 euro (three courses and wine).

January 2016: what a wonderful surprise! 🙂 Erika, Loek, Luc & Ans

Football

In Portugal there’s a lot of seafood restaurants, many with very beautiful displays of lobsters, shrimp, oysters, and crabs, but a big TV-screen, football (futebol!) is also really important….!! 😉

Lisbon be prepared free strarters

Starters, typical Portuguese (not free in more expensive restaurants)

Be prepared: in the more expensive restaurants you have to pay for starters like bread, cheese and often olives or shrimps (camarao) (from 3 – 10 euro).

Restaurant Jose Maria & Laurinda November 2018

Unrequested starter dishes

You won’t pay for starters if you don’t eat them, the waiter will take them away (não, obrigado), ‘no thank you’. The waiter will probably bring you some unrequested starter dishes: as those are not free, feel free not to touch them and they will not be charged on your bill (but check it, especially in restaurants with lots of tourists!).  NOT in this place 🙂

Or, they ‘offer’ you a glass of portwine (and charge 4-7 euro on the bill). Tips are not usual in Portugal, but a few euro is ok.

Espetada: a typical Portuguese dish: 6.90 €

The espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made usually of large chunks of beeff rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick cooked over hot coals or wood chips.

Roasted apple (sobremesa: dessert)

Lunch (almoçar): between 12:00 and 15:00. Dinner from 19:00

Like in all mediterranean countries lunch (almoçar),  is a big affair for Portuguese, served between noon and 3 o’clock, often in a restaurant (and often paid by the employer).

Menu list with 2 price columns

When dining in Lisbon, you will notice that some restaurants have a menu list with 2 price columns. The cheaper list is for half-portions (meia dose), the higher priced list is for full-portions (dose)

Usually three courses, including soup (sopa) like f.i. caldo verde (a soup of cabbage and potatoes).

Eating drinking Lisbon Caldo Verde soup

Caldo Verde, a popular soup of Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine.

Fish, like codfish (bacalhau) or charcoal-grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) or meat (rabbit and pork are very popular), Coelho a caçador (rabbitstew, in red wine), accompanied with a small bottle of red or white wine (uma garaffa de vinho branco ou tinto) or Vinho Verde (a young sparkling ‘green’ wine, low-alcohol).

Restaurant Casa da india Frango chicken piri piri

Chicken (frango) piri-piri (the African devil..), is also a very popular dish. Restaurant Casa da Índia, in Bairro Alto 

Nun’s bellies & bacon from heaven  😉

Desserts (sobremesas): crême brulée (pudim flan), chocolate mousse and a big variety of almond cakes (amêndoa). Toucinho do céu (bacon from heaven) or barriga de freiras, (nun’s bellies), recipes originally created by nuns in the 17th and 18th Century. Often cheese (queijo), from sheep or goat’s milk. Very popular is ‘queijo da Serra” from the region of Serra da Estrela in the north.

Lisbon cheap restaurants bill paper cover

Mouraria Lisbon, tiny restaurant Marie-Jose and Laurinda

Bill: no credit cards

In the smaller restaurants the bill is usually written on the paper table cloth…you can pay in cash only. Our bill for 2 persons? 20 euro, incl. a glass of home made Aguardente bagaceira……(litt. firewater)

Mouraria, Rua do Terreirinho 58  Lisbon near starting point starting point legendary tram 28 at square Martim Moniz.

Discover trendy historic area Mouraria Lisbon

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Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon: from fresh fish to funeral flowers & foodhall

Near the Cais do Sodre train station, on the other side of the road, you will see the beautiful building of the Mercado da Ribeira (market near the river, since 1882), topped with a Moorish-style dome. Worth a visit!

Mercado da Ribeira

Market Mercado da Ribeira, near the river Tejo, Lisbon

Market: open daily 05:00 – 14:00. Closed on Sundays. Address: Avenida 24 de Julho Lisbon.

Mercado Da Ribeira overview market

Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon open food market

The cities biggest open food market is selling everything: from inky octopus and fresh seafood to fabulous fruit, from real Portugese products like ‘hot’ piri-piri to funeral flowers waiting for a dead body…..   :-(

Mercado da Ribeiro Lisbon funeral flowers

Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon: funeral flowers

This is Lisbon’s cheapest market. The seafood forms a large part of the Portuguese cuisine with 1001 ways to cook it. Bacalhau is the Portuguese name for cod, a very popular fish, so much that they have a different bacalhau recipe for each day of the year!

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon fish

Market Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon: every day fresh fish

There really is something to find for everyone  :-(

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon June 2014 Pig

Market Mercado da Ribeira, Lisbon -((

In 2007 the market celebrated a 125 year of existence: beautiful pictures are on the walls from fish sellers (varinas) of the Ribeira Market from a hundred years ago, when the fishermen moored their ship here to sell the fresh fish.

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon Varinas

Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon fish seller (varina, year: 1900)

On Sunday mornings there is a Collectors fair from 09:00-14:00, like coins and stamps. The 2nd floor of the market has also been converted into a touristy ‘cultural’ centre. It sells locally produced items such as port and honey, and handicrafts.

Next to the food market: TIME OUT foodhall & gastronomical area representing the best restaurants and chefs of Lisbon

The area gathers about 30 spaces, providing around 750 seats. The best restaurants and chefs of Lisbon are represented.
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TIME OUT foodhall & gastronomical area September 2018
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The idea is simple: you grab the food and drinks from one or several restaurants of your choice (not necessarily the same as your family and friends), and go sit in the food court where you’ll be able to interact with everyone there.
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Mercado da Ribeira (River Market) Lisbon: Time Out magazine food pavilion

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Traditional Portuguese sandwiches & nails

Did you ever try a traditional Portuguese sandwich like the Prego? or a Bifana (pork)?  a Prego is the most popular and incredible garlic steak sandwich in the Portuguese cuisine for many years. The Portuguese eat the prego’s (literally: nails, referring to the full stomach after eating one ;-)   with mustard or piri-piri)

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Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon Food Hall: Portuguese petiscos (tapas)

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Petiscos (Portuguese tapas)

Small plate dishes are called petiscos in Portugal, so basically the same as Spanish tapas. (More….  ). Don’t say this to the Portuguese, the Spanish invasion (1762) is still fresh in their memory…. ;-)

Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon restaurant: fresh seafood

Restaurants and terraces outside the market

Also new are the restaurants outside the old market: we enjoyed fresh Atlantic seafood and a delicious Portuguese wine.

Market Mercado da Ribeira Lisbon: restaurants with terraces

‘Time Out’ Food Hall: Gastronomical area near the market hall
Opened May 18 2014.
Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday 10am to midnight; Thursday to Saturday 10am to 2pm

Thanks to  Thijs Verhoeven

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Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon: excellent steak & chips à la Marilyn Monroe

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ in Lisbon pays tribute to the Portuguese steak sandwich, the prego, also a traditional snack in seafood restaurants. Recommendable!

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real & wonderful designed wall

Portuguese way of life & artist Gonçalo Mar

The wall, designed by artist Gonçalo Mar, is a humorous re-creation of a well-known image of Marquis of Pombal, an 18th-century Portuguese statesman. The term Pombaline is used to the architectural style adopted in Lisbon after the great earthquake in 1755.

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real & sandwich with tuna fish

It looks delicious and it sure is! 🙂 . Burger with grilled tuna fish 13 € (um prego com atum dos Açores), bread (bolo do caco de alfarroba , Carob tree), accompanied with fried sweet potatoes (batada doce) 1.50 €. Glass of white wine: Papa Figos, 4.00 €.

YouTube: traditional bread from the isle of Madeira , bolo do caco, very tasty!

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real March 2017: Pedro & Dina

Boeuf de Wagyu (Japanese super-beef) & Marilyn Monroe potatoe chips

2 croquetes 3.80 €, 1 Rissól de Camarão (shrimp) 1.90 €, Pavé (filet) Yuppie Pão 9.50 €, Prato Pavé de boeuf de Wagyu (dish with vegetables and ‘Marilyn Monroe’ potatoe chips) 11.50 €, 2 fried sweet potatoes (batata doce) 3.00 €, 2 glasses of red wine (O Tinto d’ O Prego) 7.00 €.

Why potato chips (wavy, extremely thin and crispy , as indicated on the menu card) à la Mariliyn Monroe? I assume her famous wavy dress? and maybe Marilyn’s ‘potato sack’ dress?  😉

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real March 2017

Order a steak sandwich in a fishery??

O Prego da Peixaria litterally means ‘the fishery’s steak sandwich’. It sounds confusing but it has to do with a Portuguese tradition: after enjoying a meal in a seafood restaurant it’s usual to order a steak sandwich, o prego .. litt. nail, referring to the full stomach after eating one, as someone told me.. 😉  

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real March 2017

Portuguese history & Casas de Pasto (pasture house) 

The decor is fantastic! The idea is reviving the atmosphere in the cafes and the old Casas de Pasto.

Old Casa de Pasto ‘pasture house’ in Portugal – around 1920 … Source: Kuentro blogspot

Lisbon people (Lisboetas) once had the curious custom of going to stroll gardens to withdraw from the city to enjoy some pleasure of the countryside, usually on Sundays. They organised family picnics or simply had lunch in de old Casas de Pasto, so called because initially only giving fodder to the animals while the owners were negotiating at the fair. In many of them still retain the rings that held the animals.

With the time the owners of the Casas de Pasto also began to feed the animal owners and so flourished a business that came to give rise to the modern restaurants. Source: folclore de Portugal

Restaurant ‘O Prego da Peixaria’ Lisbon area Principe Real & menu card: with a pencil you can specify which prego or dish you like to order and how: rare, medium or well-done.

Restaurant ‘ O Prego da Peixaria’. No reservations
Rua da Escola Politécnica, 40 | Lisbon | phone 213 471 356, 
facebook . Open: every day from 12:00 tot 24:00.
website   
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Bar/Cafe ‘Sol e Pesca’ Lisbon: canned fish decor & vintage memorabilia

Portugal is famous for the beautiful coloured tin cans of tuna, squid and sardines . Tin cans serve as wall decoration in cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca ” ( litt.Sun and Fishing), but are also intended for consumption. A great idea!

Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon decorated with lovely coloured fish tin cans

Former old shop

This bar used to be an old shop with fishing equipment and that past now inspires the décor (like rods and hooks). Now the shop is also decorated with hundreds of colorful tins of the Portuguese favorite fish.

Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon

“Sol e Pesca“ also inspires what is served (or sold to be enjoyed at home), because in addition to the drinks (beer and local wines) it offers cans of a variety of fish that, if you like it, can be accompanied by bread and wine.

Mauro Fialho, Cafe/bar “Sol e Pesca“, Lisbon

Nowadays the Cais do Sodré area in Lisbon is a trendy place to go after  the bars in the Bairro Alto close their doors. You’ll find here some clubs like Roterdão, and Musicbox. In July 2010 “Sol e Pesca” opened its doors.

Cafe` Sol e Pesca`Lisbon: Catarina Rebelo Lucas is preparing the mise en place

Catarina: ” In this area (Cais do Sodré) near the river Tagus there are a lot of shops for fishermen. This typical Portuguese old store closed 20 years ago and all the old stuff associated with fish is still there…

The new owner, sr. Henrique Vaz Pato (pato means duck in Portuguese)  😉  bought the shop and opened cafe ‘Sol e Pesca’ (Sun and Fishing) in July 2010″.

Muxama, a delicacy typical of the south region of the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of filleted salt-cured tuna.

The Arabs developed this salt curing technique and the term muxama comes from the Arab word musama which means “dry”. However, Phoenicians and Romans also used a similar process to preserve the fishes caught until the return of the fishing boats ashore.

Nowadays, in Portugal muxama is produced in the Algarve region, following a technique used for more than 1000 years almost unchanged.

Delicious! Muxama, salad, sardines, olives, bread, white wine, a small bottle of water: 22 euro

Bar/cafe Sol e Pesca (Sun and Fishing),  Rua Nova de Carvalho 14, Lisbon

Hours: Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 02h00, Saturday from 18.00 to 04h00.  Closed on Sundays, Facebook

MINERVA – Portuguese sardines

Minerva is a well-known Portuguese canned fish brand. Famous Lisbon city center cannery store Conserveira de Lisboa

Lisbon, Cais do Sodré , the new hotspot, December 2011

Nowadays the Cais do Sodré area in Lisbon is a trendy place to go after bars in the nearby Bairro Alto area close their doors

 

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Lisbon: local priced restaurant Toma-Lá-dá-Cá: very popular & excellent food!

A very popular restaurant by Portuguese people is restaurant Toma-Lá-dá-Cá, a small place with traditional Portuguese cooking – excellent food and service!

Lisbon cheap restaurants Toma La Da Ca street

Restaurant Toma-Lá-dá-Cá, Travessa do Sequeiro 38, in June, when all the streets in the historical center are decorated with garlands and lights. June is the month of the ‘Festas dos Santos Populares’ (Feast Days of the Popular Saints).

Lisbon Bairro Alto cheap restaurants Toma La Da Ca

If you walk around in Bairro Alto, this is the place to go! The restaurant is near the miradouro (view spot) and terrace de Santa Catarina with a spectacular view across the River Tejo to the 25 de April Bridge.

Lisbon Restaurante Toma-La-Da-Ca kitchen

Price: less than 15 €. After 9pm it’s difficult to find a table. Traditional Portuguese cod and grilled hanger steak are the restaurant’s specialties.

If you are a bigger group or over the weekends it might be a problem.  A reservation is not possible,  they are always full!

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Saint Anthony Lisbon party time in June: parades, sardines & Fado music

In June, the month of the Festas dos Santos Populares (Feast Days of the Popular Saints), the Lisbon nights are filled with lively festivities, parades and live music that take over the city’s historical center.

Lisbon Santo Antonio June garlands Mouraria

Mouraria

The main Saints’ days are for Santo Antonio (June 12-13), John (June 23-24) and Peter (June 28-29). Program ‘Festas de Lisboa’ (also in English)

All the streets in the historical center are decorated with garlands and lights.

Lisbon Santo Antonio 2 women Alfama

Historic Alfama, in June 2008.

Santo Antonio festivities & Portuguese flags (EFC) football

Lisbon craziest night of the year in area Alfama, nearby Mouraria (YouTube)

Lisbon Santo Antonio June restaurant A Tasquinha

Restaurant ‘A Tasquinha’,

Largo Contador Mor, Castelo area, really good sardines!

Lisbon Santo Antonio June Fado Restaurante A Tasquinha area Castelo

Eating sardines while listening to the fado singers.

Fado came long after Saint Anthony, but its major theme is nostalgia and longing-for what is lost and for what has never been gained. Anthony fits right into this scene!

Lisbn June Santo Antonio Faso Alfama

Live fado music in Alfama

The streets are filled with the delicious (strong) smell of sardines being grilled. It’s not a good time for the sardines 😉 though as everywhere in Lisbon you see people grilling sardines outside their homes and the narrow streets fill up people in party mood.

Lison Santo Antoinio June sardines

Sardines & Saint Anthony festivities belong together

On the night of June 12 you can enjoy the famous yearly Santo Antonio costume Parade. All the clubs and associations of Lisbons’ neighbourhoods descend on Avenida da Liberdade to compete for the best parade, music, costume and choreography.

Santo Antionio costume Parade Lisbon

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Santo Antonio (Saint Anthony) Mouraria 2 girls