This is one of 2 restaurants of Chef Ljubomir Stanisic in Lisbon. It is a tasting menu only for about 30 people and has 2 seatings each evening. Wines, run around the top of all the walls and they offer wine pairings in classic or premium style. We chose the classic and they were fine and generous pours.
The small setting is nicely intimate but it took a while for the waitstaff to “warm up” and make us feel like they were glad we were there. Most of the staff did not seem to be Lisbon natives. Since they need to turn the table the pacing is brisk but not rushed.
Starting with the cod chips were tasty but a bit salty on the finish. A fun presentation though, I wanted to take the little clothespins home! The third plate was nice with the black pork stew being very tasty and the croquettes having a texture of pulled pork. The raw beef with foie was a fun mix of textures with lots of seeds adding a good crunch. The sardine was a nice surprise, cause I liked it – not too fishy mainly due to the pickled onions and the cornbread added a good grit. The seared cod was pretty but rather forgettable, no strong taste here. The sorbet was quite good but not great. The tawny port went with the last bite of the lamb course (small bit on the side of the plate), which was a very strong cheese that smelled strong and tasted quite good. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the carrot and pea tendrils were very tasty accompaniments. The sauce was rich without being full of grease. For the deconstructed cheesecake I would have added rum to give it a little kick. The chocolate crumble was a wonderful, not too sweet, finish to a very nice meal.
