Ticked off the streets (and rooftops) of Lisbon
Switch up city living with these Portuguese beach boltholes
Portugal Fetais Rua do Casalinho 5A 2970-052
Rua Brás de Abreu Soares nº 222 Praia do Cabedelo
Get your weekly dose of armchair travelling
and as the sun bounces off the River Tagus on to shiny cobblestones
brightly painted tiles and yellow-walled buildings
and although I set off to travel the world when I was 19
it is still the home of my heart."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Now I have a reason to come back more regularly
with the opening of my new rooftop restaurant in the gloriously regenerated Bairro Alto Hotel
It’s about reinventing and reimagining traditional Portuguese cuisine — the menu is totally different from anything I’ve done before."},"children":[]}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"The big kicker is being able to use products that I can’t get in London
and to look more closely at local traditions
I want"},"children":[]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":" to show people that Portuguese food — and wine — is worth shouting about."},"children":[]}]}]},{"name":"paywall","children":[{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"a5aea445-e6fa-47fc-bc3a-c2310bd191a9","display":"primary","caption":"Nuno Mendes opened Mãos in London last year","title":"Times
Not only do we stand as tall as our Iberian neighbours in terms of amazing rice and seafood dishes
we also braved unknown seas and brought culinary brilliance from across continents to our kitchens
Portuguese food is very distinctive."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Maybe because I’m not based in Portugal
I can’t help but always get excited about the ingredients here
The area around Lisbon in particular is blessed with one of the greatest natural larders
to the sardines and mackerel caught by local fishermen
the octopus of Cascais and the red mullet of Setubal
The latter is unlike anything you’ll taste from British waters — we cure it lightly and serve it simply with roasted red peppers
which instantly transports me to Portuguese summers."}}]},{"name":"ad","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Or take "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"percebes"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" (goose barnacles)
You pay stupid money for them in London and they have been in transit too long
but the ones I serve at the hotel are from two hours down the coast
We smoke them lightly and serve them on toast."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"We get amberjack from the Azores
serving it raw with braised and marinated sweet onions in a dish that pays homage to a favourite from the Algarve."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The only thing I can’t get excited about is "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"bacalao"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" — salt cod
but I struggle with the saltiness and dryness
then cook gently so it retains its sweetness
serving it with caramelised onions and a coriander sauce."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The place in Lisbon where I most enjoy eating fish is Ramiro — it’s a classic and well worth the queues
Drive past the rather run-down main town and keep going for half an hour or so before turning right on to any one of a number of dirt roads
and you’ll find some of the best beaches in Europe and a few family-run restaurants — take your pick
they’re all good."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Another very Lisbon thing to do is to nibble on "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"salgados "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"— two-bite savouries eaten from late morning onwards in cafés
They are best eaten straight from the pan — beware the cold and floppy ones in the window
It’s worth getting in early for the best of them
My favourites are the prawn turnovers."}}]},{"name":"inlineAd1","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"I love samosas too
there are many Goan restaurants in Lisbon (try Jesus e Goes
The cuisine takes me back to my childhood and I always have a Goan cookbook on my bedside table — it’s part of my palate."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Almost every pastry is wrapped up in a memory for me
There’s a "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pastelaria"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" on every other corner in Lisbon
Look for the words “"}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"fabrico proprio"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"” when you pick one — it means “produced by us”
The "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pastel de nata"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" (custard tart) is our most famous pastry — among my favourites are those from Manteigaria Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata on Rua do Loreto
But it’s just one of hundreds of kinds of pastry made throughout the country
I’m particularly partial to the cone-shaped
almond-packed "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"jesuitas"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"
so called because they resemble the hats worn by members of the Jesuit order
The recipe is more than 100 years old and can vary depending on the "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pastelaria"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"
there are the pastries from the "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pastelaria"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" that we recently opened at the hotel
we have played around with the traditional recipes — it took us months to perfect the "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pastel de nata"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":" recipe
reducing the sugar content by nearly a third and crisping it up further."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"e9ca8276-b0bf-4924-9505-1a3f067ef255","display":"primary","caption":"Pastel de Nata
even though the cabbage soup is considered the national dish
finding a traditional "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"taberna "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"isn’t easy any more — you have to go to places such as O Cardoso do Estrela de Ouro
where two women chefs cook the best meat croquettes in town
The rents are too high and "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"taberna "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"owners think that traditional Portuguese cuisine is now something you have only at home
So when you do find a really good place in the centre
when there’s a different vibe as another chef takes over
This is a big thing in Lisbon — talented young chefs who have embraced their culture and opened fabulous little eateries
often reviving old "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"tabernas"}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"
such as Taberna do Sal Grosso in the Alfama."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"There’s an excitement about the Lisbon food scene
and I believe that the energy of Portuguese cooking comes from its adventurous past — most notably the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries
when the sailors and merchants returned with ingredients that would change our cooking for ever."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The city is on the move
embracing the future with a delicious kind of optimism while carefully preserving its rich past
as well as the mild winters and hot summers."}}]},{"name":"inlineAd2","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"In my view
it’s the best long-weekend destination there is."}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"NEED TO KNOW"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Nuno Mendes is creative director of food and beverage at BAHR at the Bairro Alto Hotel
where doubles cost from £270 "}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"(bairroaltohotel.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.bairroaltohotel.com/pt/"}},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"); chef/founder of Chiltern Firehouse and Mãos in London; author of "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Lisboeta "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"(Bloomsbury
£26); and a director of Fuel for Learning ("}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"fuel4learning.co.uk"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.fuel4learning.co.uk/"}},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":")
He spoke to Fiona Sims."}}]},{"name":"image","attributes":{"id":"6a43e2aa-b40a-4d2e-9c11-69b67f14c799","display":"primary","caption":"Prado
Lisbon"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"This is an amazing farm-to-table concept; the restaurant combines incredible produce cooked in a creative way in a beautiful space with fantastic wines and friendly service
and also a world-class destination — that makes it the perfect restaurant
in my opinion."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €30pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"pradorestaurante.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://pradorestaurante.com/"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Ramiro
Lisbon"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"The ultimate "}},{"name":"italic","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"marisqueira "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"(traditional seafood restaurant)
Ramiro is a brilliant example of Portuguese food culture
Anthony Bourdain and Rick Stein both hailed it so expect long queues
but it’s worth the wait."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €40pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"cervejariaramiro.pt"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://geral24128.wixsite.com/cervejariaramiro/copia-visite-nos"}}]},{"name":"inlineAd3","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Torel 1884
Porto"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"This is an incredible hotel that opened in February in the middle of Porto
It has a lovely independent feel and is my new favourite place to stay in the city
it has a great little bar and restaurant that serves tapas-style plates."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €25pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"torelboutiques.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.torelboutiques.com/torel-1884/"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Sao Lourenço do Barrocal
Monsaraz "}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Two hours east of Lisbon
Sao Lourenço do Barrocal is a beautiful farm estate surrounded by vineyards
and is my heaven on earth — I spent a lot of my childhood in the Alentejo and this is one of the most picturesque places."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €40pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"barrocal.pt"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://barrocal.pt/"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Sublime Comporta
Grandola"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Sublime was one of the first hotels to open in Comporta and it’s still my favourite in the area
It’s on a 17-acre estate on Herdade da Comporta
a swoop of coast between the Sado estuary and the sea south of Lisbon
modern cuisine."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €45pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"sublimecomporta.pt"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.sublimecomporta.pt/restaurant-bar"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Feitoria
Lisbon"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"A Michelin-starred restaurant in a beautiful setting on the city’s riverfront
The chef Joao Rodrigues showcases Portuguese produce
The tasting-menu-format restaurant is slick
It’s a destination and deserving of its star rating."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Tasting menu costs €135pp
Lisbon"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"A great young business that takes the guise of an organic food and wine shop in the day and a wine bar in the evening
It offers one of the best selections of “natural wines” in Lisbon
Guests can enjoy their drinks with cured meats and cheeses
and a selection of small plates that change daily."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Wine and snacks from about €15pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"comidaindependente.pt"}}],"attributes":{"href":"http://www.comidaindependente.pt/"}}]},{"name":"inlineAd4","children":[]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Areias do Seixo
A dos Cunhados"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"This boutique hotel is less than an hour’s drive from Lisbon and a ten-minute walk from tranquil Mexilhoeira beach
making the best of local produce and its kitchen garden."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €45pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"areiasdoseixo.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.areiasdoseixo.com/"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Ceia
Lisbon"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"This is a well-curated experience that in some ways is comparable to that at Mãos
A 14-seater chef’s table is hosted by a talented young chef
It’s arguably one of the best dining experiences in Lisbon."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €100pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"ceia.dinesuperb.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://ceia.dinesuperb.com/"}}]},{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Six Senses Douro Valley
Lamego"}}]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"This amazing wine estate dates from the 19th century and is in the middle of Douro wine country
It’s the perfect place for a quiet retreat while trying the best the region has to offer
on the plate and in the glass."}},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"bold","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Details "}}]},{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"Meals from about €60pp
"}},{"name":"link","children":[{"name":"text","children":[],"attributes":{"value":"sixsenses.com"}}],"attributes":{"href":"https://www.sixsenses.com/en/resorts/douro-valley"}}]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":200})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Lisbon is known as the city of light
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the coolest mini‑break in Portugal","id":"30c77686-fa5c-11e9-a4b4-b816768ca711","label":"LUXURY TRAVEL","publicationName":"TIMES","publishedTime":"2019-11-02T00:01:00.000Z","updatedTime":"2019-11-02T18:04:46.000Z","section":"weekend","shortIdentifier":"m8cp2sbsk","shortHeadline":"The coolest mini‑break in Portugal","seoDescription":"With a raft of new boutique hotels
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LisbonALAMYNuno MendesFriday November 22 2019
The TimesLisbon is known as the city of light
Now I have a reason to come back more regularly
It’s about reinventing and reimagining traditional Portuguese cuisine — the menu is totally different from anything I’ve done before
The big kicker is being able to use products that I can’t get in London
I want to show people that Portuguese food — and wine — is worth shouting about
Nuno Mendes opened Mãos in London last yearKATIE WILSON FOR TIMES NEWSPAPERSIt is one of the most overlooked cuisines in Europe
which instantly transports me to Portuguese summers
We smoke them lightly and serve them on toast
serving it raw with braised and marinated sweet onions in a dish that pays homage to a favourite from the Algarve
The only thing I can’t get excited about is bacalao — salt cod
serving it with caramelised onions and a coriander sauce
The place in Lisbon where I most enjoy eating fish is Ramiro — it’s a classic and well worth the queues
Another very Lisbon thing to do is to nibble on salgados — two-bite savouries eaten from late morning onwards in cafés
The cuisine takes me back to my childhood and I always have a Goan cookbook on my bedside table — it’s part of my palate
Almost every pastry is wrapped up in a memory for me
There’s a pastelaria on every other corner in Lisbon
Look for the words “fabrico proprio” when you pick one — it means “produced by us”
The pastel de nata (custard tart) is our most famous pastry — among my favourites are those from Manteigaria Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata on Rua do Loreto
The recipe is more than 100 years old and can vary depending on the pastelaria
there are the pastries from the pastelaria that we recently opened at the hotel
we have played around with the traditional recipes — it took us months to perfect the pastel de nata recipe
reducing the sugar content by nearly a third and crisping it up further
a Portugese egg custard tartGETTY IMAGESThese days it’s hard to find a good bowl of caldo verde in central Lisbon
finding a traditional taberna isn’t easy any more — you have to go to places such as O Cardoso do Estrela de Ouro
The rents are too high and taberna owners think that traditional Portuguese cuisine is now something you have only at home
such as Taberna do Sal Grosso in the Alfama
There’s an excitement about the Lisbon food scene
when the sailors and merchants returned with ingredients that would change our cooking for ever
as well as the mild winters and hot summers
it’s the best long-weekend destination there is
NEED TO KNOWNuno Mendes is creative director of food and beverage at BAHR at the Bairro Alto Hotel, where doubles cost from £270 (bairroaltohotel.com); chef/founder of Chiltern Firehouse and Mãos in London; author of Lisboeta (Bloomsbury, £26); and a director of Fuel for Learning (fuel4learning.co.uk)
is a farm-to-table concept restaurantRODRIGO CARDOSOMY TOP TENNuno’s favourite places to eat
Ramiro, LisbonThe ultimate marisqueira (traditional seafood restaurant), Ramiro is a brilliant example of Portuguese food culture. Anthony Bourdain and Rick Stein both hailed it so expect long queues, but it’s worth the wait.Details Meals from about €40pp, Avenida Almirante Reis 1, 00 351 969 839 472, cervejariaramiro.pt
Torel 1884, PortoThis is an incredible hotel that opened in February in the middle of Porto. It has a lovely independent feel and is my new favourite place to stay in the city. Housed in a 19th-century palace, it has a great little bar and restaurant that serves tapas-style plates.Details Meals from about €25pp, Rua de Mouzinho da Silveira 4050-417, 00 351 226 001 966, torelboutiques.com
Sao Lourenço do Barrocal, Monsaraz Two hours east of Lisbon, Sao Lourenço do Barrocal is a beautiful farm estate surrounded by vineyards. It serves great farm-to-table dishes, and is my heaven on earth — I spent a lot of my childhood in the Alentejo and this is one of the most picturesque places.Details Meals from about €40pp, 7200-177 Monsaraz, 00 351 266 247 140, barrocal.pt
Sublime Comporta, GrandolaSublime was one of the first hotels to open in Comporta and it’s still my favourite in the area. It’s on a 17-acre estate on Herdade da Comporta, a swoop of coast between the Sado estuary and the sea south of Lisbon, and has chic cabanas, a beautiful pool and fresh, modern cuisine.Details Meals from about €45pp, Grandola, 00 351 269 449 376, sublimecomporta.pt
Areias do Seixo, A dos CunhadosThis boutique hotel is less than an hour’s drive from Lisbon and a ten-minute walk from tranquil Mexilhoeira beach. Its restaurant is sustainable, making the best of local produce and its kitchen garden.Details Meals from about €45pp, Povoa de Penafirme, 00 351 261 936 340, areiasdoseixo.com
Ceia, LisbonThis is a well-curated experience that in some ways is comparable to that at Mãos, my restaurant in Shoreditch. A 14-seater chef’s table is hosted by a talented young chef, Pena Bastos. It’s arguably one of the best dining experiences in Lisbon.Details Meals from about €100pp, Campo de Santa Clara 128, 00 351 910 715 587, ceia.dinesuperb.com
Six Senses Douro Valley, LamegoThis amazing wine estate dates from the 19th century and is in the middle of Douro wine country. It’s the perfect place for a quiet retreat while trying the best the region has to offer, on the plate and in the glass.Details Meals from about €60pp, Quinta de Vale de Abraao, Samodaes, 00 351 254 660 600, sixsenses.com
Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.
The name Areias do Seixo roughly translates as "pebble beach"
coastal location with a motif of purity and nature
But Areias do Seixo's curveball is that it is a modernist glass and concrete construction on a protected patch of Portugal's Costa de Prata ("silver coast")
Equally as contrary is the fact that Marta Alves
had been working for Pricewaterhouse-Coopers prior to opening the hotel in 2010
But everything falls into place during the Circle of Fire when
guests are invited by Marta and her husband
to join them on the cliff-top sand dunes in front of the hotel for a glass of wine and a sing-song around the campfire
because Areias do Seixo is a place that challenges clichés
Rather than have you running for the cliff edge
the Circle of Fire is a curiously charming experience
the young couple explained how this personal project took eight years to bear fruit
from choosing the location – a derelict chicken factory near where they both grew up – to the three-year construction which was blighted by a tornado that ripped steel from the girders and uprooted dozens of surrounding pine trees
The remains of those trees now stand upside down in a circle around the fire
their crooked roots encircling the scene like a Tim Burton film set
charting water and electricity consumption in the hotel
while wood salvaged from the storm forms a makeshift addition to a piano and a gnarled piece of driftwood makes a fitting addition to the outside terrace
you eat at chunky wooden tables surrounded by antique dressers and vases filled with dried verbena and corn husks
This is likely to be a moreish combination of traditional dishes (migas – a bubble and squeak-like concoction of bread
turnip and garlic) and contemporary creations (a tapas selection of scrambled eggs with chorizo
salted mushrooms and cheese-filled pastries with honey)
served with an impressive list of Portuguese wines
It all serves to create a narrative for a sharp-lined assemblage of concrete and glass that might otherwise feel too starkly new
Add to the picture colourful West African fabric upholstery
plus a fairy-tale farm shop of sorts selling seasonal vegetables
and it won't be long before you're singing its praises
The hotel is an hour's drive north west of Lisbon
is of interest only to surfboard-wielding tourists; the beaches that run south down from here to Ericeira promise some of the best surfing in Europe
the beach at the foot of the cliff-top on which Areias do Seixo stands is wild and the waves very often too big and rough to brave without a board
This does mean that you often have it entirely to yourself
the dune-topped cliff is vibrant with herbaceous foliage
wild grasses and darting rabbits and is lovely for late afternoon walks
tours of its vegetable garden and excursions to villages
There are also two suite-like Gold Rooms and
a collection of villas intended for longer stays
Each has its own motif ("Timeless" recalls North Africa; "Prata" is done out in silver and gold tones) but all have floor-to-ceiling windows opening on to a private terrace that looks out on the dunes
The aesthetic in Three Wishes was soothing and sleek
created against a backdrop of concrete – rough rendered on the walls and varnished on the floor
A steel four-poster bed was softened by a quilt with a trim of fabric leaves
while a suspended stove and Starck-style Perspex chairs were chic
the bedside tables were fashioned from old branches
a thoughtfully selected soundtrack of Louis Armstrong
Gilberto Gil and the Buena Vista Social Club was piped into the room and seemed more fitting than my iPod's library
rose-scented candles were lit – a welcome alternative to chocolates on the pillow
The polished concrete bathroom was as big as the bedroom
with one wall entirely covered with pebbles and a big sunken bath
and a carved wooden tree sculpture that twinkled with tea lights at night
two antique timber doors off reception open to reveal the entrance to the spa
lit by a huge Egyptian copper lamp and scented by soothing essential oils
Areias do Seixo, Praceta do Atlantico, Povoa de Penafirme, A-dos-Cunhados, Torres Vedras, Portugal (00 351 261 936 340; areiasdoseixo.com).
Double rooms start at €265, including breakfast
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