Reopening Lisbon III: Touring Belém and Catching an Opera and Dining Inside!

The sun grows warmer, the streets and walkways begin to fill a bit more, and Lisbon’s charms continue to unfold for Sarah and me, with an extra treat of being able to dine inside as we discover even more wonderful restaurants as they are able to reopen.

As with our visit to the historic Castelo de Saõ Jorge, we still get to enjoy the relative absence of tourists when we explore the iconic sights of Lisbon. In the last few of weeks, we focused on the Belém neighborhood, along the Rio Teju just west of the city center and about a ten minute train ride for us. Lisbon’s transportation system continues to amaze us as our Viva Viagem passes include the train lines as well as the trams, buses, funiculars, and the underground metro. The two train stations–one leading northwest out to Sintra and the other running along the river to Cascais–are both only about a ten minute walk from our flat.

Belém is a well known tourist attraction for Lisbon, with several famous venues, including the sprawling Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the monks provided assistance to seafarers beginning more than 500 years ago. Sarah and I truly had the entire monastery to ourselves, along with the many helpful docents, as we wandered the vaulted walkways and explored the several chambers including the refectory. It was fascinating to see the tomb of Vasco da Gama since we had also seen the original tomb of the explorer–before his remains were moved to Lisbon–where he was buried in Ft. Kochi, Kerala, on one of our last vacations when we lived in India.

The adjoining Igreja (Church) of Santa Maria was also impressive and it was the site, during our visit, of some high level ceremony with the Portuguese Navy and even the President of the Republic, whose limo with its distinctive “PR” license plate, tipped us off to his presence when we strolled right by it. Incidentally, the neighboring Cultural Centre of Belém is the current seat of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and where we were just a bit too late recently to get tickets to see a famous keyboard artist play Bach’s The Art of Fugue on a historic harpsichord made for Louis XVI of France.

A few days after our initial visit to Belém, we returned for a special exhibit at the National Museum of Archeology, which is also housed at the Monastery. The exhibit, titled “Idols: Millennial Gazes,” featured Neolithic and Chalcolithic era anthropomorphic figures from the Iberian Peninsula dating as far back as the Bronze Age. We loved the detailed and artfully lit presentations, especially those of the ancient “mother goddess.”

On our first trip to Belém, we also stopped by another famous tourist attraction to work on our ongoing quest for favorite dishes–in this case, the ubiquitous custard tart, the pastel de nata! The pastéis (the plural of pastel) were developed initially by the monks at the Jerónimos Monastery and, in 1837, a bakery nearby was given the secret recipe which is still followed by the bakers at the Pastéis de Belém cafe. Sarah and I both agreed these pastéis ranked right up at the top among the handful we’ve sampled–very creamy, relatively rich custard with beautifully flakey crust that was actually crisp! At any rate, we can check this one off the list, as the cafe, quite large and rambling with a maze of rooms and terraces, was nearly empty for us this time, but endures long lines down the street during tourist times.

We also wandered around the intriguing Monument to the Discoveries across the street from the monastery, again nearly alone this time! The monument is dedicated to Henry the Navigator and the many other explorers who expanded the map of the world from Portugal in the 16th and 17th centuries. We love living so close to the busy river and only a handful of miles from the Atlantic.

At any rate, we will need to return to Belém to take in more of its charms, including the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology) with its stunning riverside design; the historic Tower of Belém, still guarding the entrance to the Teju from the Atlantic; and the National Coach Museum (no, neither Vince Lombardi nor Jose Mourinho are on display there) with its collection of 18th and 19th century royal coaches.

Closer to home in our Chiado neighborhood, we were thrilled when we noticed the removal of the scaffolding across the front of the opera house, the Teatro Nacional de Saõ Carlos, and a newly painted blue facade (the original color, we’ve been told) greeted us. I wandered down that evening and sat in on a free recital of Portuguese songs from the romantic period, sung by soprano Rita Marques and baritone Tiago Amado Gomes in the small lobby of the theater. They were both powerful, evocative singers and I was thrilled to hear a live performance again. Sarah and I soon decided we needed to see the inside of the opera house and reserved a box (at only 20€ per seat) for a concert performance of the one act Puccini opera, Il Tabarro, where the ill fated Luigi, sung by tenor Marco Berti, rocked down the house with his aria Hai ben ragione! The photos of the hall speak for themselves.

Of course, no post would be complete without food, right? We got to enjoy dining out even more as the city’s restaurants invited their patrons to return and dine inside. Of course, with our February vaccinations–thanks again to a great job in the US and the state of Indiana–Sarah and I feel comfortable dining inside, especially as mask wearing and social distancing remain the norm here in Portugal. We continue to discover fabulous experiences, from the delightfully local where several members of the black-clad stage crew from our neighbor, the Teatro Trindade, grab a cerveja pequeno and a plate of snails before a performance–to the upscale sister venues of a couple of Michelin Star restaurants. Yep, there are four of those notables within a few blocks of our flat and we’ll have to try them for a special occasion, but for now, we are in love with the more local spots and the polvo and sardinha and bacalhau a bras!

Favorites over the last few weeks include Pastelaria Flor do Mundo, just across the street, where Gabriela and Anna help us with our Portuguese while delighting our palates–their polvo is sliced and grilled, their bacalhau a bras is lusty and chunky and flavorful, and last night we tread more lightly with a traditional bifana (pork sandwich on an amazing bun) and a prego (steak sandwich on another magical bun), with batata frita and a pair of Sagres cervejas (beers) for under 12€. Of course, its the powerful mostarda that really highlights the flavors! Check it out and you may well see us there at our usual table!

We also finally stopped in to a tiny place we had passed nearly every day when we walked down the Calçada do Carmo and where we invariably commented on the enticing aromas floating out the door. The Grelha do Carmo is a nearly hidden gem frequented largely by local folks who know special food at a great price! We grabbed our first prato do dia (plate of the day) lunch and were elated with the full boat meal–Sarah had frango (chicken) and I had sardhina (pilchards) with tomato rice, a traditional luncheon side dish. Best yet, we enjoyed cerveja and we loved our desserts of stunning chocolate mousse for me and a frozen kiwi-strawberry delight for Sarah, and, when we asked for the check, we were reminded we hadn’t yet had our café! Oh, and I was offered seconds on my sardinha but declined . . . price, 18€!

Next up was another Chiado gem, well regarded among gurus like Conde Naste Traveler, but again hidden on a side lane, Taberna da Rua das Flores! Can you say, WOW! Catalina and Tiago welcomed us and took us through the tiny dining room and seated us at one of the two tables in the even tinier bar. We loved the intimate vibe and the chalkboard menu and we adored their take on a dish that also reflects a nickname for those who live here in Lisbon, the alfacinha, grilled baby romaine with anchovies and a spicy dressing. Their dinner menu features small plates with imaginative takes on traditional Portuguese fare. Secret tip: they also operate the quiosque at the Praça São Paulo where we love the Saturday farmers’ market.

And how could we forget our first foray into the slowly re-emerging Bairro Alto neighborhood, the heart of the younger cafe and bar and fado scene that only really gets started around our bedtime! Again, serendipity, we strolled the narrow lanes and, for whatever reason, we liked the feel of Taberna do Bairro Alto and returned the next evening for me to try the marvelous sea bass while Sarah fell in love with the best polvo ever. It turned out the young chef, Sudeep, is from Nepal and his cooking reflects a hint of the eastern end of the spice box that complements his years of European training. His polvo was also perfectly done, just crispy enough outside while tender and buttery inside, with a scattering of crunchy cornbread! Who knew?! Okay, we have a clear leader in the polvo category!

Then, we decided to check out an intriguing concept around the corner from us on the “Blue Street,” a recently pedestrianized block with several restaurants/cafes including one of those sisters of a Michelin Star venue. The Bairro de Avillez–a spin off from Chef José Avillez’s two star Belcanto also here in Chiado–features a “neighborhood” of several different vibes within and outside the space. Wow, where to start? We dined inside, in the first “neighborhood,” the Taberna, where we could watch the street scene as well as the open kitchen and even gaze on the offerings from the in house retail charcuterie. Farther inside was the Pateo, an airy, high ceilinged space with its own menu. There is also the Mini Bar and the Pizzaria Lisboa, and word is that chef Avillez will soon be bringing in another concept. For our Taberna dinner, Sarah and I opted to share a few dishes, so we sampled their hearty version of the Alfacinha’s with crispy bacalhau, garlic mayo, and a spicy tomato sauce. Double thumbs up, as the combination of the textures and flavors was a definite winner. But our favorite was probably the tuna tartare in a seaweed cone, a marvelous combination of the raw tuna, spiced just right, and the crispy cone. Did I say that was our favorite? Not so fast! We then shared a masterful treatment of the classical prego, a lovely, rare, slab of tender beef on another fabulous tradition, the bola do caco, a unique roll that looked a bit like an English muffin and tasted like heaven. Yeah, wow is right!

Finally, to round out our afternoon matinee at the opera house, we decided to finally try another neighbor, the Bistro 100 Maneiras (100 Ways). The Bistro is another one of those sister venues–this one a sibling of the Restaurant 100 Maneiras, just a bit further up the street and one of those Michelin Star restaurants we mentioned. Can you say double WOW again? A unique venue with a welcoming, cozy bar and multiple whimsical spaces, all under the orchestration of Bosnian chef Ljubomir Stanisic. The incredibly attentive yet respectful service from the entire staff impressed us throughout the evening, as we sampled the bistro’s unique takes on some traditional Portuguese dishes. Sarah started with the savory ceviche de peixas and our waiter even remembered that she can’t eat cilantro–coentro in Porguese–so he served the guacamole on the side. I couldn’t resist trying the Enfrascada, “Genius in a bottle,” a salad with mushroom and asparagus that our waiter tossed/mixed at the table. Oh, my! Like nothing we’ve tasted before, this “salad,” more like a chilled stew, put 100 Maneiras high up our overall dining list before we even tried our mains! Sarah went for the Nadador Salvador–“today’s swimmer”–and I went full Bosnian with the Bosniazinha, Chef Ljubomir’s take on the traditional Portuguese Francesinha. Sarah’s rice and fresh fish was creamy and spicy, while my ‘zinha‘s burek was stuffed with toothsome sausage and other dry aged meats, and slathered with a rich sauce that drew me onward to finish, yes, finish every bite. Triple wow perhaps?

So, life in Lisbon continues to unfold and we love seeing the energy of new tourists in the streets. And every one of these places—other than Belém of course—is no more than a ten minute walk from our home! Now we just need to remember to go out early in the morning and to make reservations for dinners–and even lunches as we got turned away at Grelho do Carmo the other day already–so we can sample and support more of Lisbon’s restaurants. Next up, we’re hoping the Time Out Market will reopen soon . . . Oh, wait, we just walked over and another big WOW, it opened today!!! I guess that will have to be another story . . .