Portugal

108
SETTLING INTO LISBON
5
WHERE TO DINE
breast baked with pears. This is a perfect spot to retreat to when you want an elegant meal
in a refined atmosphere.
In the Lapa Palace Hotel, Rua do Pau de Bandeira 4. & 21/394-94-01. Reservations recommended. Main
courses 25€–37€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 12:30–3pm and 7:30–10:30pm. Closed for lunch in summer. Tram:
15.
Moderate
A Gôndola INTERNATIONAL/ITALIAN A Gôndola serves some of the finest
Italian specialties in town. Although the decor isn’t particularly inspired, the good food
makes the restaurant worth the trip out of the city center. The price makes a full dinner
quite a buy, considering what you get. A first-course selection might be Chaves ham with
melon and figs, followed by filet of sole meunière or grilled sardines with pimientos. Yet
another course—ravioli or cannelloni Roman style or veal cutlet Milanese—follows. The
banquet might conclude with fruit or dessert. The Italian dishes don’t compare with the
best in Italy, but they’re competent and professionally served. The restaurant is convenient
to the Gulbenkian Museum. Courtyard seating is available.
Av. de Berna 64. & 21/797-04-26. Reservations recommended. Main courses 16€–27€; fixed-price lunch
28€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 12:30–3pm and 7:30–11pm. Metro: Praça de Espanha. Bus: 16, 26, 31, or 46.
Adega da Tia Matilde PORTUGUESE Tia Matilde is a large, busy place in the
Praça de Espanha area. The atmosphere is often hectic, but the Portuguese love this restaurant—foreign
visitors are rare. We once overhead a Portuguese father here telling his
son, “Food like this will make a man out of you.” Indeed, it’s a great place to sample the
savory and hearty specialties of Ribatejo, including cabrito assado (roast mountain goat),
arroz de frango (chicken with rice), and pungent caldeirada (fish stew).
Rua da Beneficência 77. & 21/797-21-72. www.adegatiamatilde.com. Main courses 10€–28€. AE, DC,
MC, V. Mon–Sat noon–4pm; Mon–Fri 7:30–11pm. Metro: Praça d’Espanha. Bus: 31.
Bachus INTERNATIONAL/PORTUGUESE Amusing murals cover the
wood-paneled facade of this deluxe restaurant; inside, the decor is elaborate and sophisticated.
The ambience is a mixture of a private salon in a Russian palace, a turn-of-the-
20th-century English club, and a stylized Manhattan bistro. A brass staircase winds
around a column of illuminated glass to the dining room. Menu specialties change frequently,
depending on what ingredients are available. Full meals might include mixed
grill Bachus, chateaubriand with béarnaise, mountain goat, beef Stroganoff, shrimp
Bachus, or other daily specials. The chef has a conservative approach, and perhaps
because of this, he reportedly rarely gets complaints. The wine list is extensive.
Largo da Trindade 8–9. & 21/342-28-28. www.bachus.com.pt. Reservations recommended. Main
courses 17€–26€. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues–Fri noon–2pm and 7pm–midnight; Sat–Sun 6pm–2am. Metro:
Chiado. Bus: 58.
Il Gattopardo Restaurant ITALIAN The most appealing and stylish Italian restaurant
in Lisbon is distinctly different from the pasta and pizza joints that have filled that
niche until now. On the third floor of the Hotel Dom Pedro, it has a soothing color
scheme of beiges, browns, exposed hardwoods, and leopard skin. Virtually everything
was imported from Italy, including many staff members, who prepare ultrafresh seafood
and pastas, among other dishes. We’re mad for pappardelle seasoned with cubed zucchini
and saffron. Risotto with cuttlefish is another winner, as are sea wolf coated with bread
crumbs and sautéed grilled swordfish steak in parsley sauce, and roasted veal cooked in