arkhe — Restaurant in Lisbon

My wife and I recently dined at Arkhe and we debated vigorously about what exactly to say in our review.

We both agreed that the food was not bad and we both agreed that the food was not great.

Arkhe is a fine dining establishment and our dinner was approximately €550 for two people (with tip— though, it appears that this is based on a recent change to prices). We had the full tasting menu (€110 each) and wine pairing (€105 each, water and aperitif charged separately as additions). My wife appreciated dressing up for the occasion and we both agreed that the restaurant staff had impeccable manners.

That said, comparing Arkhe to other fine dining establishments where we had eaten, I settled on the formulation that this was ‘the worst of the fine dining we had previously experienced.’ My wife worried that this sounded too harsh and instead thought it would be better to say that ‘every other fine dining establishment at which we had eaten had been better’ (which, to my ear, is not any less harsh). We both meant to indicate that within the first rank establishments in which Arkhe classes itself, Arkhe came dead last in the running.

We agreed that Arkhe deserved to be designated as a fine dining establishment, but that we would not willingly go there again and pay €550 for the dinner we experienced. We each believed that every other fine dining experience that we had ever had at that price point was better than this one.

The food was not as imaginative as we had expected, given the pride the founders appeared to place in their concept. The ingredients were not treated with the same care as we had experienced in other fine dining establishments and the intentions of the chef were not at all clear. (That said, the wine pairing was great, so we raised the score a bit.)

Arkhe might be a worthwhile dining experience at €200 to €250 for dinner for two people. However, even at that price point one would still hope not to be served by a “founder” of the restaurant wearing his blue jeans and presuming to honor the dining table with his fussy, brief, inarticulate presence (stopping by in a rush to frown as each course was placed by staff on our table).

So, all in all, if you are seeking out a fine dining experience, it is probably better to go somewhere else (and I would say ‘anywhere else’ at that price point will almost certainly be a better...

Michelin, when * ?

Very nice lunch, yesterday. We tried their 7-course Carte Blanche, and it was fantastic. The time, energy, and love invested into each dish was apparent by the sound of our plates being scraped (with zero shame) by our cutlery, eager to capture every last morsel.

I don't feel my review of the food in detail would give it much justice, what I can say is this:

There is a great film by the name of "Pig" that stars Nicolas Cage. There is a memorable scene where Nicolas Cage's character, a former renowned chef, reflects on the power of food to evoke memories and transport people back to specific moments in their lives.

Cage's character expresses the idea that a great meal can be a transformative experience, capable of capturing a moment in time. He suggests that if you were to eat that same meal again, it would bring you back to the exact moment and emotions you experienced when you first tasted it. This notion highlights the emotional and nostalgic connections we can form with food and the profound impact it can have on our lives.

I do feel quite confidently that if I were to eat much of what I enjoyed yesterday, say, in 15 years, I would travel back in time and immediately recall my experience yesterday. It would be a great feeling.

Moving on.... The Service:

Attentive but not invasive; warm and ligh-hearted. The sommelier was warm and easy to engage; he gave us a perfect light red to enjoy with our meal. The fromager was equally knowledgable and intuitive; my cheese dish was a perfect blend of smokey, robust, and a bit of spice which is what I asked for, she nailed it. The runners were lovely guys who spoke clearly and confidently about what they were delivering; plus, they were fun to engage when picking-up our finely-cleaned plates.

We left with big smiles, fond memories, and strong intentions to return.

Thanks for the great experience, Chef...

Thank you very much for the exceptional dinner! Tonight is certainly a night to be remembered!

We have enjoyed the five course vegetarian menu and the food has been truly amazing! It was perfectly seasoned. Smoked ingredients have been used throughout as a signature ingredient making sure that all courses were special and not the least average. If you have ever been in doubt whether vegan or vegetarian food lacks something, make sure to experience arkme.

We also enjoyed the vine pairing which was slightly adventurous but very much complementing the food.

But we also want to highlight the impeccable service at the highest level. The team was truly a team and able to communicate and synchronise without words. Great to watch.

Also, we want to thank Alejandro who provided us with his very motivating take on fine dining in general and on the journey of arkhe. We understood that it’s important to: remain true to yourself and your convictions. make sure everyone understands your vision, ambition and strategy be bold and go all in constantly enable and train the team and provide the space for each and everyone to excel think long term focus on providing a great customer experience.

Get each step of the journey right and success will automatically be the result. Many thanks for the great food and your motivating take on being an entrepreneur. We have the greatest respect!

I will surely come back and am very happy to recommend arkhe without...