Balcão — Restaurant in Lisbon

Mediocre food (I had the green bean tempura, which was lacking salt and the tomato rice, which was supposed to be made with confit tomatoes, just uninspired and not capitalizing on the Miami the tomatoes have to offer, rúcula topping was obviously composed of not entirely fresh leaves) doesn't help if the service is, put diplomatically, icey. Scolded already for "not entering properly", no effort was made to make us feel wanted there: Being a party of 5, we were initially not allowed to pull two tables together, even though they did only have tables for groups of 2 or 4. I observed eyes being roled for simple requests, they couldn't accommodate a dish for my child and we had to separate an egg from the burger one we had ordered to serve her with some rice. Just below service expectations, which was only complemented by service leaving us after having ordered one dish with 3 people still not even having ordered. Anyways, acts like a posh bistro without delivering on the service - if you know, how people treat you at places that actually live up to their expectations you will understand why dining here is not an enjoyable experience, especially if you...

5 Stars – A Culinary Plot Twist at Balcão!

We wandered into Balcão at El Corte Inglés expecting a good meal… and left spiritually changed by mushrooms and a pig. Yes, really.

First came the mushroom escabeche — a dish we expected to enjoy politely, but it launched a full-blown flavor symphony in our mouths. Who knew mushrooms could throw such a party?

Then came the star: the confit suckling pig. Oh. My. Pork. Decadent, soft, rich — it practically wrote poetry as we ate it. The crispy top crackled like a tiny applause for itself (and we joined in). The turnip greens purée? Delicate, velvety, and elegant — like the pig brought its own sidekick in a velvet cape. Fine dining Marvel Universe, basically.

Oh, and the fish sandwich? Delicious too — but after the pig, we were emotionally unavailable.

We came for lunch. We left in love. Balcão, thank you for the edible plot twist of our...

Had a glass of white and the .. still not sure what soup I ordered, but it basically tasted like refried beans that had been watered down with cut up carrot added. Looks like vomit in a bowl to be honest. Took two small bites and found it to be a hard pass. Staff is lovely and accommodating and totally understood. Lady Chef a bit perturbed that I said something about her soup, but that’s to be expected. Beautiful space and right next to a major monument which made it appealing and I’m sure the rest of the menu is more profound than what I ordered, but I was looking for...