PORTUGAL - LISBON - BAIRRO DO AVILLEZ

7 hours ago

2 min read

BAIRRO DO AVILLEZ

For our third and final lunch on our short trip to Lisbon, we decided to try somewhere a little more modern and trendy, after already eating at two very traditional restaurants.

Celebrated Portuguese chef José Avillez opened Bairro do Avillez in August 2016. Situated in Lisbon’s fashionable Chiado district, the restaurant occupies part of the former Convento da Trindade, with architectural features dating back to the 13th century. The impressive interior combines original stone arches with contemporary design, creating a series of different dining spaces under one roof.

From the outside, Bairro do Avillez Lisbon Páteo Restaurant looks relatively small, but it actually houses two restaurants under one roof. At the front is the Taberna and delicatessen, serving small plates and tapas in a lively, buzzy atmosphere.

The rear is the Páteo, a full-service restaurant with modern interpretations of Portuguese cuisine.

We dined at Páteo, the main restaurant, where an open kitchen overlooks a spacious patio-style dining room. This creates a pleasant atmosphere, though I imagine it can get quite noisy when full in the evening.

The restaurant was about a third full when we arrived for lunch.

To start, we had: amêijoas à bulhão pato (house-style clams) and gambas com alho e malagueta (garlic and chilli prawns).

Barriga atum conserva (tuna belly, homemade preserve with miso sauce, lime, and ginger).

Pica pau lomo (beef tenderloin pica-pau with three sauces).

Mains were:

Bife do lombo (ribeye steak grilled over coals, with a slice of dry-cured ham and special sauce).

Pres porco Alentejano (Iberian pork presa grilled over coals with a smoked garlic sauce).

Vazia maturada (aged beef loin steak grilled over coals with béarnaise sauce).

Legumes salteados (grilled lettuce heart, roasted tomato, almonds and pumpkin, parmesan and lemon vinaigrette).

Desserts followed:

Mil-folhas de pastel de nata (this is chef José Avillez’s take on the Lisbon classic custard tart).

Avelá (hazelnut ice cream, hazelnut foam, freshly grated hazelnut and fleur de sal served in a glass)

From the extensive wine list, we had: One white, Anthea Alvarinho (€20) and one red, Papa Figos (€22)

All the food was well prepared and delicious, and the service was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient.

For the four of us, including four coffees and three bottles of water, the total bill came to €240. The prices were slightly above average for Lisbon, perhaps reflecting chef José Avillez’s high profile and reputation. Although the food was very good, we felt the portions were small for the prices.

The wall on the way in, - Picture by our friend @Stretford_Dogs, who joined us for lunch.