31 d'Armada — Restaurant in Lisbon

Review of Restaurant 31 da Armada – A Disappointing Experience

On October 21, 2024, three couples decided to have dinner at Restaurant 31 da Armada, hoping to enjoy a pleasant meal. However, the experience was far from what we expected, marked by a series of unacceptable incidents that made the evening truly disappointing and frustrating.

Let’s start with the French fries, which were supposedly a house specialty. Unfortunately, the fries we were served were overly fried, almost burnt. Considering the relaxed nature of our meal, we didn’t hesitate to ask the waiter to replace them with a fresher batch. To our surprise, the waiter responded rudely, stating that, in his opinion, the fries were fine, and if we wanted others, we would have to pay extra. This response was not only disrespectful but also a clear sign of unprofessionalism and a lack of courtesy in dealing with customers.

The situation, already uncomfortable, worsened when we checked the bill. The total came to €309, which seemed disproportionate for the meal we had ordered. We decided to go through the details of the bill, and that’s when we noticed several errors and discrepancies. When the waiter realized we were questioning the amount, he hurriedly brought us a new bill, claiming there had been a mistake. The new total was €224, a reduction of €85, but curiously, the dishes we had actually eaten were the same. The difference seemed to lie in items that were never served (such as the carpaccio) and the addition of extras like bottles of water and bread baskets that weren’t ordered or consumed.

This kind of behavior raises serious concerns about the restaurant’s transparency and honesty. Not just because of the initial error, but also the attempt to manipulate the bill and charge for items that were never served. The overall impression is that Restaurant 31 da Armada is more interested in inflating its customers’ bills than providing a quality dining experience.

In summary, what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening with friends turned into a frustrating and unpleasant experience. The service was lacking, and the unclear bill and attempt at overcharging were the final straw in what was a thoroughly disappointing visit. Our recommendation is to avoid this restaurant unless you’re prepared to deal with poorly prepared dishes, disrespectful service, and unexpected surprises...

Went yesterday for our anniversary dinner. Asked for the table in corner and also requested a cake/desert with happy anniversary written at the end of the meal. They agreed so we went there. When we arrived, table we wanted they said was reserved for someone else. We agreed on another table. Food and atmosphere was good. But service wasn’t great. While giving order we weren’t sure abt the food as they were too many beef dishes. So asked him for recommendations, at the end he brought food we didn’t order and some items he didn’t bring. We didn’t complain abt what he brought which we didn’t order but I reminded him for our chips , and he brought that at the end. Big disappointment was when we asked for desert with happy anniversary written on it . They first said they cant write it as they didn’t have big enough plate. But when we insisted we agreed that before making reservations, they brought desert with happy birthday written on it. We asked its not birthday but anniversary, the waiter kept saying bday and anniversary are same thing. He was raising his voice on us. How can birthday and anniversary be the same thing, how can we have desert with happy birthday written on it when it was our anniversary and we asked for it few times beforehand. At the end they brought small brownie with happy anniversary written with strawberry sauce which was fine . They could have done it without all the hassles and raising voices. Our anniversary dinner was stessed because of that. So i give zero star for...

We were a party of 3. Nice enough setting by a fountain and quiet ambience. The decor was tasteful. After very hot weather it was blissfully cooler today so we sat under a tent outside. The inside is dark so better,imo, in the evening so would suit a more intimate dining experience. The area is a mix of abandoned houses and trendy restaurants: one of my favorite in Lisbon as it’s close to Janelas Verdes and Alcântara and central to so many eateries and bars. The service Rafaela provided was attentive. The lunch menu ( executivo) was inflated (7 eu) by olive paste / butter / olive oil and bread so they add these items after and by the time we finished it was around 27 euros (split 3-ways) after 3 glasses of house wine). The portions are not large. Arroz de pato on dark (Nero) rice was tasty enough though not a large portion. One of us had the mushroom risotto that was a little ‘soupy’. The starter was a crispy taco with some veggies: a little hard to eat without the ‘crunch’ going all over the table. Dessert was a very rich chocolate medallion with caramel. Overall ok though nothing to write home about, and there are so many other haunts...