El Sombrero - Lisboa

This restaurant has changed to Parque das Nações. (Av dos Oceanos). We have been fans of this restaurant since it was in the beautiful marginal. Those days, the restaurant was big, nice environment, great view, great staff. With the crisis, it changed from one place to another and always reducing it's greatness. We have visited recently the new position. Bad things: no transports, paid parking everywhere. The restaurant has nothing that defines it as mexican except a hat and a picture on the wall. I have more mexicans things at home than this place has. The food was bellow average. The owner makes an effort, no question there, but there is something missing... We'll give it a time to improve until our next visit. Alameda dos Oceanos, 3.1402F 13D Lisboa 1990 197

I've been to mexican restaurants before, what I can tell is that this is the worst I ever been to. Decoration: No mariachi playing or the feeling of being in a Mexican restaurant...perhaps I saw only 2 large Mexican hats The restaurant: As I was identifying my reservation, my eyes got a glance to the kitchen and saw that the owner and the cooker where touching the food without gloves, preparing and touching a banana with his hands after he took a cellphone call without washing his hands.... The place is very small, we had to seat near the bathroom where there is no door just a curtain...imagine... Drinks: The marguerites were not good somehow too much bitter...has the food was taking take time I went outside to drink and catch some air, suddenly my glass is full of mini Mosquitos and don't ask me why but that place is crowded of them. Couvert: normal nachos and sauce had to ask the guacamole otherwise they would bring it. Food: Has the food arrived, the plate was small and the quantity of food smaller, I even asked politely if it was normal main meal or if it was the couverts... or if they bring an extra burrito...BUT NO....I went out with a feeling in my stomach I could eat more 2 or 3 of those. Arrived home to eat again 20min after. Dessert: Nothing really special, just a pre-made coconut pudding with strawberry sirup on top and was all of it. The positive thing: The owner tried to make up to us not charging a couple of nachos for my 7yrs old daughter but still wasn't enough. I won't come back!

I have known this restaurant since it was located on Carcavelos Beach. I like Mexican food, and I have tasted one or two places that sell this king of food, but this is, by far, the best. Great food, Mexican atmosphere, a careful service, and a great variety of Mexican dishes. I have tasted Mexican food done by Mexican people, and El Sombrero does not embarass any Mexican! It's not that cheap but the quality and freshness of the food make up for that! Best for me: margaritas, guacamole

Although my experience with mexican cuisine is almost none, this little and cozy restaurant convinced me right from the start. The decoration is nice and simple. The staff is reduced to a few people which can make you wait a little bit longer than you'd like to, but the small size of the restaurant with only a few tables ends up giving it some balance. The food is simply delicious and fresh, the sauces/salsas are just to die for and nothing to do with those terrible store bought ones some restaurants insist to use. There are also vegetarian burritos, enchiladas and tacos. It may be a little pricey, but it is definitely worth for what you get on the table!

We were very disappointed by a recent visit to El Sombrero. Service was exceedingly slow and disorganised; many items listed on the menu were unavailable and our food, when it eventually arrived, was rather more Portuguese in terms of taste and flavouring, than Mexican. The restaurant is small and intimate, with about thirty covers, and on the evening we visited, seventeen places were occupied. The single waitress owner? had no system and spent too much time chatting with people, so that although some members of our party managed to get a drink shortly after sitting down, others were left for forty minutes before they even had a drink in front of them. Our food arrived one hour and ten minutes after we were seated. It had spent some time sitting on the counter getting cold before it arrived at our table, as the proprietor ? dealt with another customer's bill and engaged in a long chat. Another problem was with the menus. Some of our party requested menus in English, and only two were available and indeed, the menu was somewhat redundant anyway, as many of the items listed were unavailable. Why not do away with printed menus and put up a chalk board instead? My chilli bore little resemblance to either Mexican or American food, although the quality of the meat was very nice. It also lacked any sort of identifiable flavour. The rice was poorly cooked and unappetising. It's a pity that a small place like this can't aspire to do better.