A Cozinha - Sr. Lisboa — Restaurant in Lisbon

A Dismal Decline – Cozinha Sr. Lisboa’s Food and Service No Longer Worth It

I recently revisited Cozinha Sr. Lisboa for the 3 time with high hopes, but what I experienced was far from what this restaurant used to offer. Sadly, the food and service have taken a serious nosedive.

The meal started with what was once a beloved staple of the restaurant, the couvert bread, which has unfortunately changed for the worse. What used to be fresh, flavorful, and comforting now feels like an afterthought—a dry, uninspired version of its former self. It set the tone for what became an even greater disappointment when I realized they’ve removed the shrimp dish from the menu—one of the few highlights that gave this place its charm. It’s hard to understand how a chef could remove such a beloved dish without offering anything remotely as good to replace it.

As for the service, it was nothing short of disheartening. Chef Pedro Rocha seems to have lost his passion for the kitchen. He served us at out table. He was sloppy, lazy and rude. The food felt lazy, lacking in creativity or attention to detail. There was no spark, no sense that he cared about delivering a memorable experience to his guests. It was as if the kitchen was going through the motions, with no real care for the quality that was once a point of pride.

Even worse, the restaurant still refuses to accept credit cards in 2024. This outdated policy feels frustrating and inconvenient for customers, especially when most other establishments have adapted to modern payment methods. It’s hard to believe a restaurant of this supposed caliber still imposes this unnecessary hassle on its patrons.

In short, Cozinha Sr. Lisboa is a shadow of what it once was. The food has lost its flavor and excitement, and Chef Pedro Rocha’s uninspired approach is reflected in every dish. If you’re looking for a memorable dining experience, unfortunately, this is no longer the...

The restaurant immediately impresses with its beautiful interior—thoughtfully designed, creative, and charming. The atmosphere feels warm and inviting. Service was another highlight: the staff were exceptionally friendly, attentive, and well-organized. One inconvenience to note is that reservations are mandatory and only cash payments are accepted. While there’s an ATM nearby, this arrangement can still be a hassle.

Culinarily, the restaurant presents an exciting concept: Portuguese cuisine with fusion elements. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t fully live up to the promise. • Cauliflower with Gochujang: While the pairing sounded intriguing, the dish fell flat. The cauliflower was overcooked and mushy, lacking the firmness it should have. Considering the small portion size and the premium pricing, this was disappointing. • Octopus with Chimichurri and Pickles: The grilled octopus itself was decent, but the flavors clashed. Chimichurri, traditionally used with meats, didn’t harmonize with the seafood. The pickles were barely noticeable, and the accompanying potatoes were unsalted and bland. • Starters: The fresh, warm sourdough bread was a clear highlight—delicious and well-made. The miso butter was flavorful, but the Portuguese-style olive oil tasted ordinary, and the whipped cheese dip lacked depth and intensity.

Overall, the restaurant feels like it’s aiming to stand out but hasn’t quite refined its culinary identity. The concept is appealing, but the dishes seem under-tested and under-seasoned. Given the high prices and modest portions, the flavors should deliver much more.

Bottom line: A lovely setting with excellent service, but the kitchen still has room for improvement—especially when it comes to balancing flavors and perfecting the fusion approach. Rating: 3.5...

Clearly a pretentious place aimed to attract mostly tourists based on the reviews since many write that this is a good place to get proper Portuguese cuisine. My boyfriend is Portuguese, so we went here with an open mind hoping the good reviews were accurate. I am writing this review only to say - go somewhere else if you wish to get good Portuguese cuisine. This is not it. The food is not necessarily bad, but for the price and for the vibe this place has, you would expect more. Outside on the menu, nothing was stating that this would be like a tapas based restaurant where you are expected to get around 2-3 dishes per person - and the price gave no hint of that either, seeing every smaller dish was basically priced like a single dish. We had the picapau which was good although the cheese on the fries was completely unnecessary and the fries tasted like they had been done 2 hours ago and just reheated, leitao (piglet) was fine and the shrimp dish was absolutely disgusting, tasted like toilet water. The service was awful and usually we are not one to complain about mediocre service as long as we are attended to in due time but this was way beyond that. Most of the time we were waiting. They forgot a simple thing as serving me a glass of wine despite us sitting in the bar area literally staring at the wine bottles. Not only that but they had served my boyfriend but not me which is like serving 101 to serve the table together, not separately and especially not something as simple as a wine. Had to remind them to even get it. Only accepts cash which is super weird in 2025. If you are looking for a posh hipster "Portuguese" restaurant with barely no tables and bad service go here. But don't expect it to be 4,6* like the...