Lisboeta

Lisboeta opened in March 2022, the latest venture of Nuno Mendes. Mr Mendes has a significant culinary history in the capital, including Viajante, where he won a Michelin star, Taberno do Mercado and the innovative Bacchus. The head chef at Lisboetta is Diogo Lages, who has worked with Nuno since his time at Chiltern Firehouse. Both chefs were in evidence at this weekday lunch service. There is a bar at ground level, with the dining room upstairs. Tables are reasonably well spaced, though all the hard surfaces means that the noise levels can be a little high. The menu was a la carte, with groupings of dishes roughly into snacks, starters and mains, though the “sharing plate” concept apparently applies. There was also a three-course set menu at £35.

The wine list had 86 labels and ranged in price from £39 to £890, with a median price of £80 and an average markup to retail price of 4.15 times, which is shockingly high (one of the highest I have ever seen). Sample references were Rui Madeira Beyra Branco Síria & Fonte Cal 2021 at £48 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for £14, Tiago Teles Raiz 2021 at £67 compared to its retail price of £20, and Quinta dos Roques Encruzado Encruzado 2022 at £98 for a wine that will set you back £19 in the high street. For those with the means there was Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition at £428 compared to its retail price of £208, and Buçaco Tinto Reservado ‘Vinha da Mata’ 2010 at £360 for a wine whose current market value is £118.

We tried three of the snacks. A little duck pie was very enjoyable, with good pastry and the meat inside nicely cooked and seasoned (15/20). Sea trout tartare was served on a little crisp base, the trout marinated with white wine and garnished with coriander. This was pleasant enough, and the trout certainly had better flavour than farmed river trout. However, the base had gone a little soggy due to its contact with the trout (13/20). Stuffed chestnut mushrooms had a filling with garlic, sherry vinegar and Madeira as well as pumpkin seeds, and the flavour balance here was very good (15/20).

Carabineros deep sea scarlet prawns were smoked and served with crisp garlic, and rested in a jus flavoured with chilli and lemon. The heads of the prawns were served alongside with a little lemon, the idea being to squeeze the juices form the heads over the bodies of the prawns. These high quality prawns had excellent flavour (15/20). My main course was crab rice with samphire and brown butter, and this worked very well. The crab flavour came through nicely and the rice had lovely texture (15/20). Alongside we had a Castelfranco radicchio (a mild flavoured chicory) salad with shallots and soy vinaigrette. The slight bitterness of the leaves was a pleasing contrast to the rice and crab.  I also tasted a dish of duck and beetroot, which was a well designed dish, the earthy sharpness of the beetroot balancing the richness of the meat. 

For dessert, biscuit cake with coffee and ice cream had pleasing coffee flavour and good texture (14/20). Coffee was from a supplier called Delta Coffee, and was pleasant enough. Service was friendly and the bill came to £58 each with a glass of wine and beer to drink.  I enjoyed Lisboeta, which had interesting dishes that were generally very well made. Charlotte Street is blessed with a range of restaurants, and Lisboeta fits well into this culinary hotspot. Just don’t expect too much from the wine list unless you are a masochist.