Lisboeta in Camden

Sob a batuta do Chef Nuno Mendes finalmente fui conhecer o Lisboeta, com uma bela carta de vinhos, e comida portuguesa com sabor foi uma bela surpresa, em breve vou voltar!!

We had dinner at Lisboeta as we were in the area and used Google ratings for restaurants to opt for this place. We weren’t aware that this is a Michelin restaurant - this may explain the exaggerated prices for unexpectedly small portions. We ate in multiple Portuguese restaurants in the UK and abroad, but Lisboeta is the only one where the portions are so small (especially for the money paid) that you feel like eating in a French restaurant. Very atypical for a restaurant with Portuguese specific, even for London. I’m posting a photo of the current menu. Looking at the prices, you’d think that the items listed in the second paragraph are main courses, but they are starters! Since we love seafood, we ordered Smoked Carabineiros. The most expensive prawns we have ever had! You literally get 3 half slices of bread and 3 prawns (heads and bodies in separate plates, maybe to look more?). The bread was tasty, the prawns - average. £36! Photo attached. In the first paragraph you have what they call snacks. We had the trout tartare toast (£7). Good, but it was gone in 2 bites! The third paragraph lists the main courses. We had the crab rice, expecting a decent size for a main (£30). This was tasty but a starter size for a regular Portuguese restaurant. Glad we were inspired to order a summer tomato salad as a side as well, because, surprisingly, this was maybe as filling and large as the snack and starter together! The sides are listed in paragraph 4. As someone else has already said, the service is 13.5% (honestly, after seeing so much pampering attitude from the staff and the small portions for the prices, we expected even a higher service charge!) which is pretty high, but we wouldn’t mind if the quantity and quality of the food and drinks justified the high prices. For us, paying £36 for 3 medium prawns and 3 small slices of bread was the highlight of this dinner. We will not return because, although the overall atmosphere in the restaurant is nice, you can get better food quality and decent portions inline with what you get in a normal Portuguese restaurant in Portugal and abroad elsewhere for less money.

Couldn't actually get there for a family birthday!! To book a table you need to give all your postal address details, DoB, full details of your credit card and your pin number, i would not recommend this on the internet - too much details and poor security. Rang the restaurant to book but you cannot talk to anyone - after leaving two messages where they promise to call you back - " as your custom is important to them"!!!!!

I didn’t connect with the vibe initially wanting a relaxed birthday experience but the evening warmed up beautifully. Sitting at the counter was actually lovely with the charming , engaging maitre d’hote André and sommelier Ibrahim. A festival of flavour and texture ensued, like a tasting Portuguese / fusion tasting menu for a fair price . Very special . Will be back !

Food was tasty but the chefs clearly don’t want to share, and management are focused on fleecing you. Even the mains were starter size, if you had bread to mop up the sauce that was £6 for 3 slices, wine by the glass looks reasonable until you see it’s only a 125 ml serving, and service charge is 13.5% rather than normal 12.5% Shame I now have a link in my mind between Portugal and being ripped off

However, I am not sure if this was a one-off, but it wasn't an unforgettable culinary experience. It was just lovely and expensive for what it is. Maybe will try again one day.

Questo locale mi ha piacevolmente sorpreso! Personale simpatico e preparato, cibo ottimo e curato, ideale per condividere tanti piccoli piatti. Ho amato l’halibut e la Farofias. I prezzi sono nella media per Londra.

The food was nice but extremely overpriced for the ingredients that were used, which was not worth it there was nothing about the menu that was Portuguese, don't get me started on the wine menu the most overpriced Portuguese wines I have ever seen they are selling bottles upwards of £60 that you can buy in any Portuguese shop from £15-£20. White wine was placed away from the table in an ice cooler, which is fine, but this only works if the waiter tops up, on this occasion, it seems like he forgot about us. I was about to get up to go and get the bottle when he suddenly runs into the room, and then started to top up. Not what I expected. But the icing on the cake was we were forced to order dessert because they wanted the table for somebody else as we overstayed our welcome. £120 per person, don't think it's worth it. therefore, I would not recommend it to anyone.

Fantastic food amazing flavours, bought main out when still eating starter. Then finished main then they bought sides. One down side the barman - sneezed twice in his hands behind bar walk passed sink didnt wash hands and continued to lay table out at window pour drinks and serve veryoff putting a dirty!!!!!!

Incredible! Initially looking at the menu beforehand tbh none of what was on offer would be anything I’d go for. But my bro in law (who’s Portuguese) took us here and I left him to order. EVERY plate was delicious. Cocktails as well were great and the staff were top notch! Would love to visit again and highly recommend this to anyone. We had such a great night!

Some of the best flavours London has to offer. Would recommend many dishes from the menu and staff are very helpful and friendly.

We just had the most magical meal here, one where everything aligns to equal perfection. We were lunch for 5 and I had high expectations having eaten Nuno's food at Viajante. We received a warm greeting from all the staff, including from Mr Mendes, a charming man that clearly leads from the front! Notable was the warm, collaborative relationshp he has with all the staff and this made for knowledgeable and enthusiatic service throughout. The food was simply fantastic. Breathtakingly great. Not just crowd-pleasing comfort food, but satisfying and innovative at the same time. Just too many wonderful dishes to mention, but each one was a hit with our entire table. We had some great wines, but just a shout out to a very special White Port supplied exclusively in the UK to this restaurant. A fantastic aperitif. We can't wait to return...

The most wonderful experience, the food was spectacular especially the hospitality cabbage. Thank you to Conan and the team for looking after us so well

Staff The staff make the difference - All seem to be super well trained in charismatic, responsive customer service and confident enough to add in their own personalities, humour and energy. Great. Food The food is for sharing with an emphasis on seafood and sophisticated meat dishes. The appetisers are flavourful and more of a bite than a starter. The starters were more substantial with bundling flavour with interesting combinations - Charred cabbage with beans and pumpkin seeds. And the seafood Pastel de Nata was unique and wonderful. Value It is not cheap. You are reminded that you are in Charlotte street and everything is about 30% more!!! Don't go in starving or you may end up starving later in the week for financial reasons. Order widely, take your time and really get into the flavours. And do engage with the staff - They may be the nicest restaurant crew in London! Recommended.

What a fantastic experience. From the moment we sat down until the moment we walked out the staff were incredible and the food sensational. It always helps when the company you're with is great too but even if that weren't the case, the food, wine and service would have made up for it. We had a set menu as a group of ten, both the pork and duck rice were clear standouts though everything was very good. The sommelier was great fun and recommended a stunning bottle (magnum) of red. As one of the guests commented 'i'll definitely come back here with my partner'. Thanks to the entire team, I'll certainly be back.

Though we would try this as a change. It did not disappoint. We were looked after by the effortlessly efficient Angelo who answered all questions with confidence and ease. Food was best we have had in a long time, and better still, there's plenty left on the menu to warrant going back to try soon. Can't fault anything. Service from any member of the team was always with a warming smile. It was a pleasure to be here. Can't wait to return and to bring a few others who I know will be as impressed as we were. We left with a contended glow, knowing we were not saying goodbye.

Had an incredible dinner for my birthday at Lisboeta. The food was great, but what made our experience all the more enjoyable was the amazing customer service. Big shout out to Conal, our waiter, who was super knowledgeable about the dishes, made some great recommendations, was attentive and friendly. It made our evening and just shows what a long way good customer service can go. We also got a couple of pastel de natas on the house at the end from another member of the team (who we didn’t catch the name of sadly!) which was amazing. Left feeling very happy and completely stuffed!

The team was really friendly and welcoming!!Since we step in with the tall Brazilian gentleman ( apologies forgot the name), passing to Ima ( AGM) till our main waiter/ bartender Manel and finishing on Tomas, another waiter very friendly and first person making direct contact with us as soon he recognized we were Portuguese.Being as well from the industry long time … I can only say that had a perfect experience, the food is simply amazing… from the empada…. starter, bifana and bacalhau à Brás… main, finishing with a pastel de nata… every bite were memorable and definitely is the best Portuguese restaurant in London.You won 2 more loyal guests.See you soon.

Fabulous dinner at Lisboeta. I particularly enjoyed the monkfish, bacalhau à brás and pãu de ló. Great atmosphere and really nice staff made for a special evening. It's not cheap, but I hope I can go back next year.

Easy to see why this Portuguese restaurant is getting all the plaudits. We had dinner there in the upstairs dining hall on a busy Saturday evening and loved everything about it. The food was outstanding. A medley of traditional and innovative Portuguese dishes, some of which came with accompanying sauces that left you wanting to lick the plate clean. We particularly enjoyed the scallop tostadas, Cornish mussels with slabs of crusty bread soaked in a sweet garlicky tomato sauce (that tasted so good I would quote happily order the dish even if the mussels were missing), and a divine halibut steak with charcoaled blackened skin and a finger-licking good Piri Piri sauce. We finished off with the pork fat custard - a tantalising dollop of milky silky rich custard in a bitter sweet port infused caramelised sauce - different and delicious. We found all the waiting staff and front of house to be endearing, positive, down to earth and kind. Lots of smiles, humour, attention but no pomposity or attitude. Difficult to single anyone out in particular as they were all so good across the board but special thanks to our enigmatic and charismatic waiter Tomas (I have never seen anyone carve up a fish steak one handed using only a fork and spoon with such meticulous surgical finesse) and the gracious, charming Khadija who made us feel very special and welcome.

I rarely write reviews but was compelled to after a work/birthday lunch with colleagues today. I was also slightly surprised the rating here isn’t much higher as my experience certainly puts at least one dish in my top five ever. If you’re looking for something cheap look elsewhere, but if you value fabulous food, a perfectly constructed menu using the best ingredients, first class service and beautiful but unpretentious surroundings then Lisboeta needs a visit. We ordered the bread with whipped pork fat, empada pork pies and smoked scallop toast, all were delicious but the scallop dish stood out, beautifully fresh, perfectly balanced. We moved on to mushroom acorda, bacalhau, wood pigeon and iberico pork. Then halibut and roasted potatoes, all stunning dishes. However, the mushroom acorda has skyrocketed to the top of my all-time favorite dishes. Its blend of flavors is so irresistible that I could easily indulge in it every day for the rest of my life, I might have even audibly gasped after my first mouthful. The dish is an exquisite amalgamation of egg yolk and bread sauce intricately woven with a mix of wild mushrooms. The dish is saturated in a dashi at the table which perfectly complements the mushrooms which are crowned with a velvety egg yolk and a naughty shaving of black truffle (that does cost extra but is well worth it!) This dish stands as a testament to culinary genius, I would bathe in it if that was socially acceptable. We finished with the olive oil cake, which was the highlight for a fellow diner and the pork fat custard with port caramel sauce which on paper sounds unpleasant but was another standout for me, it’s the sign of a great chef to create something so utterly unique and actually pull it off, unlike a lot of fine dining, that tries to be innovative but just doesn’t get it right. This dish confuses me, in the best way possible! To celebrate my colleagues birthday we also received the poached meringue accompanied by a rousing rendition of happy birthday, which wasn’t arranged but a very thoughtful touch by the restaurant. Overall an exceptional meal, we were unrushed, the staff were knowledgeable, happy and very friendly and the food was fabulous. You may soon find me scoffing the mushroom dish, on my own, at the counter, for my lunch and having absolutely no shame about that!

Had a birthday dinner here. Food was amazing and Connal (apologies that’s spelt so wrong) was so lovely. Such a nice evening and great atmosphere.

Superb meal, will definitely be coming back here. Andre was our waiter and was very welcoming and helpful The olive oil cake is a must

Nous avons eu la chance de visiter le Portugal (du Nord au Sud) en septembre-octobre 2019. Quelque soit l'endroit (villes et villages), nous avons adoré leur cuisine, en particulier, le riz aux fruits de mer (arroz de marisco en portugais), un plat traditionnel portugais, considéré comme l'une des sept merveilles de la gastronomie portugaise. C'est pourquoi, en sortant du British Museum situé tout près, nous nous sommes rendus au restaurant Lisboeta pour le repas du midi afin de déguster cette spécialité portugaise. Quelle déception !!! Rien à voir avec les plats offerts dans les restaurants du Portugal. Comme fruits de mer, uniquement quelques rares crevettes qui en plus étaient presque crues. On a demandé aux serveurs de les rapporter à la cuisine pour les faire cuire à un niveau acceptable sur le plan de salubrité. Ne parlons pas du coût, ce repas a été le plus dispendieux que nous ayons mangé lors de notre séjour de 15 jours à Londres en avril 2023. Beau décor. Bon service. Quand le serveur nous a gentiment demandé à la fin du service comment cela avait été, nous lui avons fait part de notre grande déception et il nous a répondu que c'était un peu normal que ce plat soit moins bon à Londres qu'au Portugal ??? J'invite les chefs du Lisboeta à aller se ressourcer un peu au Portugal pour justifier le nom que porte ce restaurant londonien.

I have relied on Tripadvisor for reviews for years now, never actually having left one myself. I felt compelled to leave one after our experience at Lisboeta last night, because I don't think that the some of the reviews here are fair. We ate here at a 6pm sitting in the upstairs dining room for my husbands birthday last night. We thought it would be empty at that early time but the atmosphere was lively, and there were many tables already seated. There were plenty of staff who were all very friendly and welcoming as we were taken to our seat. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable on the menu, and talked us through each item as well as the days specials. I am pregnant, so he took care to point out what I could and couldn't eat, as well as some altering suggestions to make my experience more enjoyable. We opted for 2 snacks, 2 starters, 1 sharing main and 2 sides. The food incredible, with our favourite being the confit cod on the starter options, however the prawn pastel de nata snack on the specials is something you have to try if it is on that day. The chorizo and cuttlefish skewer was our least favourite but that doesn't mean it wasn't nice, it was just everything else was extraordinary. We were too full for pudding, but our waiter insisted on bringing out a dessert for my husband's birthday anyway, which was the meringue and orange cream and delicious but decadent, and was at no extra charge. There have been some comments here about it being overpriced for small portions. To be transparent, our bill came to around £150 with the above and 3 drinks plus service. However I think it is important to point out that the quality of food, the high level of service and a central London location with experienced and talented staff does not come at high street chain prices. Their costs are clearly marked on their website and signposted outside, so it feels a little unreasonable to go in blindsided by it. It is a lot of money generally yes, but for this particular meal and evening out, I would say it was reasonable. Our experience was so positive, that I would happily dine there again and thank you to everyone who made it a wonderful birthday!