Lua Nova — Restaurant in Coimbra

This place is busy and we know why!! We showed up on a Saturday afternoon around 2:30pm (14:30) and there was a line outside to be seated at a table indoors. The restaurant is small to medium, seat maybe 40 - 50 people and all those tables were full. Of locals!! Yay! If the locals are eating at a restaurant that we show up at we get very excited because we know the food will be good. And we were right again!! We were lucky enough to be a party of 2 and we're seated almost immediately. The larger parties of 4 were seated shortly after. The chef came to our table and much to our surprise spoke English. She proceeded to decribe the dishes that were available. She took our drink and food order personally and then flew back into the kitchen. Modifications to the order were totally accepted. Drinks arrived quickly and then we enjoyed watching families of multiple generations laugh, chat like only the Portuguese do, and enjoy their lunches and amazing desserts. My chicken noodle soup arrived and it was delicious. I wasn't sure if it would be tasty when I first saw it because the broth looked quite watery and clear but boy was I wrong. Lots of chicken flavor in the broth, and chicken and pearl barley in the bowl. I gobbled it all down! They brought bread and olives to the table as well.

When our entrées arrived they were exactly as ordered. The chicken cutlets were flavored with lemon, salt and pepper and the with some olive oil and lemon peel at the end. Simple but delicious. The sides were good as well.

We were too full to enjoy a dessert but we saw many enticing choices go by to other diner's tables while we ate our lunches. My husband enjoyed a wonderful beer, Estrella Galicia, which smelled so good I actually tried it and it was delightful. They also offer tea or coffee at the end of your entrée but we did not partake in either dessert or coffee as we were sufficiently full from the meal.

I also want to express that the two people on staff were a server and the chef. Both women ran around that restaurant doing everything from seating, serving, cooking, cashier, busing tables and answering any and all questions. They were absolutely amazing!! If I could give e 10 stars for service I would. Wholeheartedly recommend...

I've been in Portugal for 2 years now, and I still haven't found a better restaurant – this place makes me feel like home because the food is always fresh and deliciously prepared. It's a family-run café, and the owners themselves work here, so everything is top-notch! Lua Nova,...

Tenho ido almoçar sempre uma vez por mês, mas hoje fiquei desiludido. A comida é boa, sem dúvida, bem confeccionada, mas a carne de porco à portuguesa leva azeitonas. A dose não trazia, reclamei, mas eles consideraram as azeitonas, como aperitivo, que foram colocadas previamente na mesa... Ora a dose devia trazer...