Your author has been travelling to Portugal for over 20 years. It’s one of his favourite countries: great weather, places to visit, people to hang out with and food to eat. Even if London can’t quite deliver a Portuguese climate with any consistency, the good news is that Nuno Mendes has created in Lisboeta a venue that pays homage to the food in his home country.
Many readers will be familiar with Mendes from his successes at the Chiltern Firehouse and Viajante. Lisboeta is more about the chef going back to his roots. The angle behind the venue is one of authenticity. The place is staffed almost exclusively by Portuguese nationals and each server has their own story relating to one of the offerings brought to the table. The country’s food is steeped in tradition and family lore and Mendes successfully manages to merge these histories with a dash of contemporary panache. Sure, there’s the obligatory bacalhau à brás (or salted cod) on the menu, but here it’s been rendered wonderfully fresh and airy, topped with fried onion shavings and nothing like a bad nightmare from the 1970s. Bacalhau was just one of the dishes our group of three selected, since everything at Lisboeta is intended for sharing. This approach is a nod not just to the current fad, but also to how it’s always been done where Mendes comes from. Beyond bacalhau, there was cured amberjack – a local fish with some tuna similarities – decorated artfully with orange and onion slithers. There’s also a wonderful earthy beef tartar served with house pickles. Even the humble tomato salad (where again orange featured, and coriander too) tasted amazing, more akin to something one would eat by the sea in the sun rather than in central London. Lisboeta, however, left the best until last. We ended with an abade de priscos. This dish must be tasted to be believed: it comprises egg yolk and pork fat in a custard, topped with port wine caramel. It’s both sweet and salty, rich and light. Think of it as a masterclass in culinary quirkiness, a successful execution of a potential oxymoron.
It would be easy to wax lyrical (the décor and vibe are both great), but a word to the wise on pricing: Lisboeta ain’t cheap. Sure, London and the rest of the world are grappling with the worst food inflation and staff costs in a generation, but the portions are small – however excellent they may taste – and the prices therefore add up. Our Goan spiced pork pie appetisers came in at £3 a pop but were gone in not even two bites. We needed to order more small dishes than originally intended and the lamb chanfana (which sadly we did not try on this occasion), while allegedly for two, might comfortably feed just one. It costs £44. That said, an experience at Lisboeta is still markedly cheaper than a flight to Lisbon. Go visit.