Boubou's — Restaurant in Lisbon

During our visit to BouBou's in December 2023, we encountered several aspects of the dining experience that left us feeling dissatisfied. Despite the anticipation of exploring a new culinary venture, we were disappointed to find ourselves feeling like unwitting participants in a menu experiment, with each menu coming at a substantial cost of 170€ per person. This approach left us questioning the value and authenticity of the experience.

Upon entering BouBou's, we were immediately struck by an unpleasant odor reminiscent of sewage, which detracted from the ambiance and initial impressions of the restaurant. Additionally, our interaction with the staff further compounded our concerns. Initially greeted by a waitress who was only able to communicate in English or French, we were met with an indifferent attitude towards accommodating our native language, which is Portuguese. This lack of customer-centric service was disheartening and raised questions about the establishment's commitment to inclusivity and hospitality. Despite our initial misgivings, we appreciated the efforts of a subsequent waitress who attempted to assist us in navigating the menu. Her willingness to engage and provide assistance earned BouBou's some commendation in an otherwise underwhelming experience.

However, our disappointment deepened as we progressed through the meal. While the appetizers showed promise, subsequent courses failed to maintain the same standard, with flavors becoming increasingly disjointed and unbalanced. Notably, the vegetarian menu relied heavily on mushrooms, resulting in an overwhelming and monotonous flavor profile that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the meal. Similarly, the omnivorous options lacked cohesion and failed to deliver on the anticipated culinary experience. Furthermore, even the dessert, which purportedly showcased the talents of the chef, failed to impress. The acclaimed dish, purportedly recognized by winning accolades such as Top Chef, fell short of expectations, adding to our disappointment.

An incident involving the mushroom bourguignon further highlighted our concerns. After voicing our dissatisfaction with the dish, we observed that subsequent servings at neighboring tables lacked the accompanying sauce, suggesting a lack of consistency and quality control in the kitchen.

While we acknowledge that every establishment may have off days, our overall experience at BouBou's does not inspire confidence in a return visit. We hope that this critique serves as constructive feedback for the restaurant management, highlighting areas for improvement in customer service, menu development, and kitchen...

My husband and I wanted to have a special date night meal while in Lisbon. With the days we were there the only time we could possibly come here was at 10pm after our flight arrived. It was absolutely worth it - this was easily one of the best dining experiences of our year.

We had the tasting menus: I had the one which was veg and my husband the one with some meat. I really appreciated that when we began they asked if we had major dislikes they should avoid. We really liked every dish. The menu changes so I won't go into much detail about the dishes we ate but eating there just made me want to see more of what the chef and her team would have to offer. Some of the dishes made me rethink how certain foods can be eaten (like zaatar in a macaroon) and I am glad we went in with open minds.

My husband had the wine pairing and I had the non alcoholic pairing. It was nice to get to share both, we really appreciated getting to sample some wines from across Portugal and learn a bit about Portuguese wine. Our waitress also kindly wrote down the wines we got and we look forward to bringing it to our local wine shops so we can remember what we enjoyed so much at BouBous. The star of the show though was the nonalcoholic pairing. Often if you are not drinking you feel left out. However that was not the case here. I knew it would be a good night when we started with a chilled chai drink. They had such creative ideas about how to compliment the food. Each drink was incredibly interesting and could stand on it's own.

I have to add that the service was absolutely exceptional. Each member of the staff really added to our experience whether it was telling us more about the food and drink, being outrageously nice, or making sure we each got the right plates. They made us feel like welcome faces and even if the food and drink hadn't been exceptional I would have considered coming back here again just to have the experience of the service.

Although the chef is now popular from TopChef France, I am sure the popularity and acclaim will only grow from here. We hope that when it happens we will still be able to get a table because we would love...

Boubou’s offers (I assume) good food under almost pathological management. We arrived on 9/30/21 for our reservation. Manager complained that we had not answered his phone call earlier in the day to confirm reservation. We explained that as Americans in Europe, we did not have access to our cell phones. He insisted he also sent us an email (we couldn't find it). Nonetheless he berated us from the moment we walked in, complained about cancellations (which he seemed to blame us for), told us he couldn't run a business this way, and at first suggested he had given our reservation away. It was quite shocking as all we had done was show up for our dining reservation. Grudgingly he offered us bar seating in a 3/4 empty restaurant, and then berated us some more after we sat down. As the tirade continued - yes I understand it’s difficult to operate a restaurant under COVID- we eventuality rose and left. The night before we had dined at Belcanto, an extraordinary Michelin rated restaurant where the service was impeccable, so we know what Lisbon can offer at its best. This was crude and nasty and stupid -- unworthy of a fine kitchen and chef. We were left to stumble around the neighborhood at 8:30 pm (me in heels, plus cobblestones...). Fortunately we came upon the nearby Adega Dom Luis, an unpretentious restaurant run by a husband and wife who serve authentic, homecooked Portuguese cuisine. The owner could not have been more welcoming to two strays. We left the ordering to him, including the wine, and ended up having a spectacular meal that cost us only 60 Euros. Highly recommend Adega Dom Luis for fresh seasonal local cuisine made from the finest ingredients (including beef imported from Uruguay). The Portuguese red he served to go with everything was delicious. We came...