Café Do Castelo - Lisboa Portugal

Another amazing spot that's in the corner of a very touristy section of town, but you should really stop here even if it looks like a tourist spot. The owner and his wife are great. They are working hard every day and if you are lucky get there in the evening before the tourist attractions close. It's lovely on this corner. The metro bus passing you buy at 0.5m. This place is tiny with a few tables. Try to get the one outside and watch the world go by. The food is spectacular, we had the polvo was so tender (and easy to make according to him. The price galo (John dory) and the polvi (octopus was so tender and tasty). It's clear that the good ingredients make a difference. The Frango was with tomato (chicken) was really phenomenal. The drinks were wonderful. Nothing like 1.5L of sangria and caprinha (the vodka version of a Caltonska). The Porto to end the meal was great. Overall a magical place time. Thanks so much. Not to be missed!

After reading the reviews on Clara's, we decided to make the hike up the hill to have supper one Monday night. We didn't realize just how small the place is, and she was barely able to squeeze us in on our promise that we'd be out of there before the folks with the 9:00 reservation arrived. We're glad she did! She was a very nice lady, going through the menu and describing each of the dishes. (I think there's basically one guy working the kitchen, so it's not a big menu. We started with the chourico plate, which was wonderful. There were about six different cured meats on the platter, all of which were excellent. Some hearty bread was served to go with the meat. My main course was cod cooked with peppers and it was delicious. My wife went with the cod and cream, which we all agreed was done very well. My daughter has been doing something of a survey of grilled octopus in Portugal, and Clara's was the fourth version she's tried so far. It was maybe the best, having just the right amount of tenderness and a lot of flavor. Clara suggested a wine for us which was excellent. Unfortunately, by the time we got through it all, we had no room for dessert. When we left, she had plenty of time to clear the table for that 9:00 group. So in summary, nice lady, great food good wine, excellent service. Mike sez check it out!

Stopped by after visiting the castle, which is about a block away. It's a small restaurant with 4-6 tables. And, yes, there are craft items for sale in the space, too (that the wife makes). The husband was very kind about explaining the menu. The food was fine, but definitely one of the least memorable meals I had in Portugal.

This place has all the signatures of a tourist trap with bad food located adjacent to the entrance of a tourist attraction, empty dining room at 1 P.M. on a weekend, and displays of non food related merchandize in the dining room. The truth could be any further. We dropped in for lunch based on recommendation of the guide of a recent tour. Despite our doubt, we decided to trust our guide....and so glad we did. It was one of our best meals in Portugal! We ordered lamb stew, meat pie, stuffed squid, and monk fish. Every dish was delicious. My favorite is the stuffed squid. Nothing fancy...just really fresh squid stuffed with really fresh shrimp. As soon as I bite into the squid, there was an explosion of seafood flavor. And the squid was so well cooked and tender...it almost melts in my mouth. The meat pie was really good too....the chorizo in it gives it a unique smoky flavor. Because the entrees were so good, we decided to order dessert...great move!! I didn't even know what we ordered one was a dried fruit cake with almond, the other was like a custard pudding. Both are flavorful and not too sweet....perfect with a cup of unsweetened coffee. The service was great too. The two servers patiently explained the menu, which is in Portuguese. Throughout lunch, they were friendly, helpful, and courteous. Of course they were very happy that we couldn't stop complimenting the food. Overall, it's highly recommended.

Incredible lunch spot just outside the Castelo do S. Jorge exit. The dishes were surprisingly inventive and tasty, and very inexpensive for the quality. It's literally an 8-table hole in the wall joint, and there is literally someone's grandmother in the kitchen. You might walk right past it if you can even find it, have a very inexpensive vino while you wait for a table, it's worth it.