13 - Lisboa

If you are looking for good food at good prices in the heart of the old city center than this is the right place to be! We went with a group of 6 and had the entire appetizers and tapas menu and we absolutely loved it! The menu of this new restaurant took a young and hip twist on the fabulous traditions Portuguese cuisine, it was splendid. We had an amazing time and the staff was friendly and gave us great recommendations for both the food and wine.

We very much enjoyed our evening here. We split a whole fish and it was wonderful. Service was good and sides were nice as well.

This is certainly one of the more difficult restaurants to find in Barrio Alto. The number 13 Travessa Da Agua Flor is across from a large three story older building being presently held together with multiple I beams bolted together like a cage. The façade is either defaced or enhanced by the extensive grafitti depending on which half of your brain is in control of your opinions. Their web site states that it is open from 7 PM which seemed strange for Lisbon which usually states 8 PM. When I telephoned for a reservation at that time (we had a modern day flight experience and were exhausted and wanted to eat early), it was suggested 7:30 PM which we accepted. We killed time at a wine bar eating deep fried small sardines with a glass of Albarinho and arrived at the appointed time. A waiter opened the locked door upon our knock but said that they were not open yet. We had a discussion that we needed to just sit down and he acquiesced nicely. He was still unpacking supplies from cardboard boxes that were stacked just inside the door. He said that for some reason traffic was terrible this Wednesday and he was really late. A few minutes before 8 PM, he seated a table for 3 and another twosome and came to take our order. We enquired about several dishes and his recommendation. There was no octopus that day so my wife chose tuna nuggets in a mayonnaise cilantro sauce. This was quite good although I would have left off the light breading. I chose the steak in a port wine reduction (that also certainly used cilantro). There were about 6 different jus or sauces that could be ordered with steak. The steak was ordered rose in the center and that is how it arrived. The reduction was a very interesting combination with the cilantro. I would suggest putting that information on the menu as some persons are vehemently opposed to this taste (which I happen to favor). A side dish of creamed spinach (without the cream) was bland and uninteresting. It lacked condiment except salt and benefited from ground nutmeg which was provided at my request. The open red wine suggested for my steak was from Alentejo and was quite good. The recommended open white was a multiple grape white that contained Malvasia which was off putting for both of us. A vinho verde or a pure Albarinho (not available open) would have suited the tuna nuggets better. They stocked only small bottles of mineral water instead of half liter or one liter bottles. This always strikes me as creative billing We decided to hop over dessert and coffee because of our exhaustion and shortly arrived a port glass for each of us with a red of recent vintage. That is what makes the Portuguese so lovable and why one always stops in Portugal whenever one can. I got the impression that the restaurant had changed hands about 9 months ago and there are four young people involved. A chef and a waiter/stocker/ bar man all days open and a sous chef and extra waiter towards the end of the week. I talked with the young Portuguese chef who spoke some French and was optimistic and smiled a lot. The waiter/stockman/barman is attentive and a really nice person (no fake smiles here). This cuisine is hard to evaluate. It will require a number of courses to see what their métier is. Anyone who is interested in slightly different tastes and innovations should try it. We liked it and will return whenever we are in Lisbon.

My husband and I ate here tonight had a fantastic meal. A tiny bit off the main streets in Barrio Alto but well worth finding. The prawns in coconut curry were amazing as was my steak in garlic bay leaf. Wonderful service with 3 starters (we wanted more! , 2 main courses, 1 dessert, 1 coffee, 1 brandy a bottle of rose costing us 72 euros including a tip, we'd say it was a complete bargain. Please do give it a go!

Charming, very nicely designed and decorated small restaurant. Staff is very friendly and caring. Food is superb! Absolutely. As well as prices. We had a beautiful evening and are definitely comming back!