Atalho Real — Restaurant in Lisbon

I really don't know how does this place have 4.5 stars on google maps.

If you want go there, better have a reservation: We arrived with no reservation and were greeted very politely by a staff member who let us know that there will be a "maximum of 35 minutes wait". We decided to wait, ordered a very nice coctail but unfortunately it was pretty much downhill from there...

We waited for 45 minutes at a sofa in the entrance with people passing by us constantly, then were asked to wait at a table in a hall where we waited for approximately 10 more minutes before we were finally invited to sit at our table. Long story short we spent roughly an hour and a half before our first bite.

The food: The meat was disappointing. The highlight of the meal was the coctail at the beginning, the bread and the cheese. Both our stakes were barely cooked, yes we ordered medium rare but those stakes spent hardly any time on the grill... Especially from the side that was touching our plates they didn't even have a the right colour and completely raw inside. I've had bavette before and can confidently say that this is not how it should look, feel, or taste.

The service: The only redeeming part about Atalho was their staff. Quick to help you, polite and helpful without doing something exceptional.

The atmosphere: Nothing special, clearly trying to be of higher standard than it is. Cheap not well maintained decor that doesn't match, weirdly structered rooms, uncomfortable sitting (low coach with parts that move), and poorly washed utensils. The whole place is not well designed to make you feel comfortable.

Maybe I was expecting too much and I'm being harsh now but overall not impressed and especially disappointed...

My wife, Emma and I visited Atalho Real on our final evening in Lisbon last month.

Upon arrival, we were given a warm welcome by Pedro, and were then shown to our table, which was located beside the lovely fountain in the stunning esplanada area. A vibrant and pleasant atmosphere surrounded us throughout the evening.

Our server, Yaro introduced himself and talked us through the menu. He was friendly and very attentive and made us feel at home. Obrigado!

We enjoyed some pre-meal drinks. Emma had a Piña Colada and, being a weiss beer aficionado, I tried the Super Bock Bavaria Weiss. It was excellent.

As a starter, we ordered the Croquetes de Novilho (Beef Croquettes), which were served with Dijon mustard. Saboroso!

We both had the Entrecôte Maturado (Rib-Eye) for our main, which came with two sides. We chose Batatas Fritas (wedges) and Coleslaw / Salada Mista (mixed salad). The steaks were cooked to perfection and we were very pleased with the presentation of the plates. Having enjoyed many a steak on our travels, these ranked highly in our estimation.

After dinner, we had cocktails and a sweet. Emma opted for an Espresso Martini with Bolo de alfarroba (Carob cake), while I had the Old Fashioned and Bolo de Chocolate (Chocolate cake) Tremendo!

A perfect end to truly a wonderful evening.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed Atalho Real. The service excellent and the food and drink were first class. We would certainly recommend without any hesitation.

We are returning to Lisboa next month and shall make it a priority to return...

Exceptional! Lisbon is a superb destination in any case but this restaurant proved an excellent and lucky stumble upon on our last night to make it even better.

We had a relatively brief wait of 45 minutes for our table while a substantial jug of the best sangria on offer in Iberia kept us more than happy. The wait illustrating kern demand.

We were given a lovely table with excellent efficient service from very pleasant staff under the warmth of the lisbon night sky. The atmosphere was very welcoming and warm. The location is central and close to avenida so is useful when walking to and from most city centre locations.

The food was excellently prepared. Succulent meat options in abundance. Its their speciality. Beef, pork and chicken options were complimented by Portuguese coleslaw with apple accompanied with green salad, potato dauphinoise and skin on fries.

A fresh fruit bowl option for desert was a pleasant surprise. Attractive looking, tasty and refreshing. Obviously the chocolate and cream based options were there. There was only Portugese wine options which isn't necessarily a drawback.

Can't see much in the way of negatives. The hotel restaurant area to which the outdoor restaurant is associated is actually an 18th century building, which if nothing provided a fairly interesting sidebar when using the toilet facilities. All good Atalho!...