100 Maneiras — Restaurant in Lisbon

After visiting several Michelin restaurants in the city (including one of 2-Michelin-stars studded establishment in Lisbon), we couldn't stop raving about 100 Maneiras and its daring Chef Ljubo(mir) Stanicis, the explorer, navigator and experimentator in the field of modern gastronomy. From the carefully selected menu, to the wine pairing, to the fairytale-resembling interior to the totally awesome and impeccable service, 100 Maneiras, as the French would have put it, "C'est le top!" To find the place is easy: from the central square Praça dos Restauradores take the funicular "Elevador da Glória" or just climb up Calçada da Glória to the either side of the tracks, all the way to the top. Cross Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara, keep straight onto Travessa da Boa Hora (partially under construction), turn right on Rua do Diário de Notícias, first right on Travessa da Cara and first left on Rua do Teixeira. The restaurant is going to be on your left, towards the end of the street. The previous location of 100 Maneiras, a few doors before the actual restaurant is marked by the sign, "We moved down the street". If the directions sound complicated, they are really not. From our Hotel Avenida Palace it took us about 12 minutes' walk. The door to the restaurant has to be buzzed, the same as in Alma; it is apparently a local thing. The service, as mentioned already, is amazingly polished, not one wrong move. The restaurant offers à la carte option and 3 tasting menus, "The Story" (about 22 courses, depending on how to count small bites) and is priced at 110 euros per person. Trus us, this is a great deal for a restaurant of that class and level. The 2nd tasting menu, "The Short Story" is a lighter version of the above, about 16 courses, and is priced at 80 euros pp. The last tasting menu is "Echos 100" is a vegetarian representation of "The Story" and equally consists of about 22 or 23 courses. There are 3 different wine pairing options available: HARMONIZAÇÃO 100 RISCO (UNDERLINE PAIRING) offered at 60 euro pp, ideal for "The Short Story", HARMONIZAÇÃO COM RISCO (BOLD PAIRING), priced at 95 euro pp, more suitable for "The Story", and "The Italian Wine Pairing" reserved for the vegetarian "Echos 100" tasting menu only. Of course, the wine list features multiple à la carte choices. Many of the dishes are the evocation of the Chef's 'pays natal', Bosnia as it was before the war, representing both Serbian, Croatian, and 'Bosniak' specialties; however, as a whole, the tasting menu is an excellent rendition of the world's cuisine. The music, including pieces by Emir Kusturica and his No Smoking Orchestra, is a fine addition to the unreal, enchanting and creative ambiance reigning at 100 Maneiras. Please refer to our pictures for more info, or better yet, book your table at 100 Maneiras for a truly...

I usually tend to avoid writing negative reviews but I felt in this case it was worth my while to share. That aspect is towards the end of this post.

100 Maneiras has been highly praised so I made reservation for myself and my wife during our traves through Lisbon.

The pros: Nice ambiance, personalized service, welcomed at the door at brought to our seats, interesting and creative concept of the chef's story along with each of the 17 dishes.

The cons:

1. Considering the nearly 400 Euro bill, it was difficult to recognize that the ingredients themselves weren't really worth the cost. Lots of root vegetables, maggots (no joke). The more expensive ingredients like seafood, caviar, meats, were given sparingly.

2. The theme of a story with all the courses ... well, it started that way then it just fizzled. After first few rounds, no more stories, just plates placed on the table with a rundown of what the ingredients were.

3. Too long - it took 4.5 hours for our 17 dishes whereas the neighboring table was done a full hour earlier. It go to be a bit tedious with 20 minutes between visits from the waitstaff.

4. And this final point which is really what prompted me to write this review: At the end of the meal when settling our bill, the waitress rather insultingly prompted us for a tip. This was the very first time that had happened for us in Portugal and we had eaten at many restaurants of all different levels, other Michelin star restaurants also. To be clear with you, a tip was not requested of the Portuguese couple next to us. My wife and I were offended, understandably so. My wife asked the waitress why we were being asked this, the waitress stood there and spoke for a minute to justify her request. We asked for guidance, like how do people here usually tip - the waitress' response was "as much as you want". I was tired, it was 4.5 hours of dining, midnight at this point, exhausted and now offended ... I just gave a pittance to get out of this establishment as soon as possible. It really left a bad taste in our mouths to be treated differently. My wife is of Asian descent and she is very sensitive to microaggressions like this where she gets targeted and I must agree in this case - the waitress let the Portuguese couple pay the bill with no begging for a tip but had the gaul to shake down foreigners for a gratuity.

Overall, bad experience. It's a shame, truly. Lisbon is a beautiful city, great trip for us but this one left a mark. Three stars considering the treatment we received for the...

Allow me to share my experience at this restaurant.

In brief, for those who prefer a quick summary:

The food was not tasty. The ambiance was uncomfortable. The service was exceedingly slow. The prices were exorbitant.

Now, for the detailed review:

We arrived at the restaurant at 7 PM and were greeted by very friendly and polite waitstaff. It’s worth noting that the staff's service was the only positive aspect of our visit.

Upon being seated, we were informed that we could not know exactly what we would be eating and could only choose between 11, 14, or 17 dishes from the menu. We opted for the 17-course menu, deciding to trust the chef’s choices. This turned out to be a mistake.

Each dish took an inordinate amount of time to arrive. To put it into perspective, we left the restaurant at 10:06 PM. It wasn’t because we enjoyed our time there so much that we spent three hours dining; rather, the entire experience was incredibly prolonged.

The dinner felt more like a theatrical presentation than a meal. We were expected to engage with the chef’s personal stories and experiences through the food. While this approach might be interesting in theory, it was poorly executed. Most of the dishes were simply not palatable, and some were downright unpleasant.

After struggling through two courses that we couldn’t finish, I spent about ten minutes fighting the urge to vomit. Perhaps I just couldn’t handle the intensely fishy and salty flavors.

The low point came when we were served a dish made with worms. Our appetite vanished completely. We didn’t eat the worms, but the waiter left them on the table and walked away.

Throughout the meal, we felt a constant sense of discomfort. The atmosphere was oppressive, and the elaborate stories behind each dish were overbearing. For example, one dish was dedicated to the chef’s father, who was an alcoholic and abusive. The chef had a vision during an Ayahuasca trip where his father apologized to him. Thus, we were presented with a bone adorned with a flower and a tube labeled “poison.” This was unsettling.

The few dishes we did enjoy were simple. In our view, this restaurant prioritizes style over substance, which is very disappointing. We dine at many restaurants, including Michelin-starred ones, in various countries. However, this particular experience left us deeply dissatisfied.

I am unlikely to visit this...