march-2013

ILLUSTRATION: EMILY ROBERTSON
I
n Lisbon, breakfast is the most
important meal of the day. I like to
stop off at the Confeitaria Nacional
on Praça da Figueira at least once a week for
a treat. All five essential cake groups are here:
creamy, chocolatey, flaky, fruity and doughy.
But even on an empty stomach you have to
remember what each one is called – each cake
is a unique design, with its own name, elevating
bakery into an art form of cultural significance.
This display of excellence is about pride.
Fortunately for visitors to the city, there’s
a lot of hilly walking between breakfast and
lunchtime, because lunch in Lisbon isn’t simply
a sandwich. Like most southern European
countries, Portugal shows its commitment to
food, family and friends by shutting up shop
and sitting down to eat. There is nothing so
important at the office that it can’t wait until
FLY TO lisbon daily. brusselsairlines.com
observation deck: lisbon
everything stops for lunch in lisbon, and rightly so, says Emma Brunton
after lunch. And there it is – the Portuguese
are relaxed and they get their priorities right.
So what are the people of Lisbon eating?
Neither wealthy nor pretentious,
Lisboetas care less for the exotic and more
for flavoursome food in generous proportions.
Eat at Casa da India in Chiado, where you sit
next to complete strangers crowded together
at communal tables. Big plates of grilled
sardines, squid and cuttlefish, chicken and
pork, masses of rice, salad and potatoes
arrive at the table without delay, amid rowdy
conversation and waiters shouting beer orders.
It’s chaotic, cheerful and inclusive.
In Lisbon, dining out is not just about
the food. You go to see the traditional décor
as well. Casa do Alentejo in the Baixa has
two extraordinarily tiled dining rooms and a
fading baroque ballroom with frescos and
chandeliers. Restaurant Trinidade in Bairro
Alto has a long history as a beer hall and is also
fabulously tiled and decorated. You don’t have
to look far for history – it’s there, wherever
you are. Galeto Saldanha is an amazing
example of 1960s interior design, all dramatic
gold bubbles and dark wood.
Portugal’s ego is best detected in Lisbon’s
fine dining. At the lauded XL in São Bento
there’s no snobbery or stiffness. The food is
subtle and defined, trend and gimmick-free.
The wine list too, sums it up. There’s a small
foreign selection, like a nod of recognition, but
the rest is a portfolio of one of the greatest
wine producers in the world: Portugal. The
Portuguese know what they have, and they
don’t need to brag about it.
emmashouseinportugal.com
Next month: Nice
march 2013 11