LISBON - Portugal - page 109

red wine. Another good standby is a bifana , a pork sandwich made with a secret sauce to
give it character (€2.20).
Restaurants in the Alfama
(See “Alfama Restaurants” map, here .)
You'll invariably be sightseeing in the Alfama. While there, make a point to enjoy a good
meal. Or come back later in the evening for a dinner with a fado performance: A Baiuca
is small but full of cheer, with lively fado accompanying its home-style meals (Rua de
São Miguel 20). Clube de Fado offers expensive dinners with its quality fado (Rua São
João da Praça 94); see listings under “Entertainment in Lisbon.”
RestauranteSantoAntoniodeAlfama, buried scenically in the Alfama, is bohemian
yet dressy and intimate. “Actors” (notice the classic cinema theme) serve a global cuisine
with creative €9 tapas and €15 main courses. While it's tempting to cobble together a
tapas meal, I liked the main dishes better. On a balmy evening, the small courtyard seat-
ing overlooking the classic Alfama square must be the best shabby-romantic setting in
Lisbon (Wed-Sun 12:00-16:00 & 19:30-23:00, closed Tue, Beco de São Miguel 7, tel.
218-881-328).
Restô do Chapitô is a hip collection of pubs, patios, and BBQ joints connected to a
circus school and capped by a bohemian-chic restaurant. It offers good, creative interna-
tional cuisine to a young and trendy crowd, and has superb views of the river. This is a
memorable place for dinner, no matter which venue you choose: You can climb the tight
iron spiral staircase to dine upstairs amid the tasteful and woody warm decor with a big
view (€20-25 plates); or you can drink and munch tapas (more cheaply) in the pub or on
the welcoming, tented bohemian patio (nightly 19:30-24:00, cash only; leaving the castle,
head downhill to the right, then take a right on Rua Milagre Santo António; the restaurant
is 100 yards ahead on the left at Rua Costa do Castelo 7; tel. [phone]).
FaroldeSantaLuzia, which offers a nice seafood feast with a delicate and delightful
dining area, is a favorite of mine for lunch in the Alfama. A family-run place with a local
clientele, they offer the Algarve cataplana style of cooking (€6-8 daily specials, €20 big
sharable special cataplana , €17.50 fixed-price menu turistico, indoor seating only, Mon-
Sat 12:00-23:00, closed Sun, Largo Santa Luzia 5, across from Santa Luzia viewpoint ter-
race, tiny sign, tel. [phone]).
Lunch on Largo do Contador Mor: Two basic restaurants— A Tasquinha Restaur-
ante and ComidasdeSantiago —feed hungry tourists on this leafy square just below the
castle. Both specialize in plates of grilled sardines, called sardinhas grelhadas , and are
handy for a simple lunch.
Authentic Dining near Largo Rodrigues de Freitas: For more of an adventure with
your meal, walk past Largo das Portas do Sol and follow the trolley tracks along Rua de