CANTINHO DO AVILLEZ — Restaurant in Lisbon

Cantinho do Avillez was everything I was looking for. I visited the restaurant with a friend and we have both continued to praise the food, ambiance, and service since we left. Our order was:

Appetizer: Empadinhas de perdiz Tártaro de atum com sabores asiáticos Pisco Sour

Main: Polvo do Algarve a batata-dolce de Aljezur Carabineros de Algarve com molho Thai Quinta do Gradil - Cabernet Sauvignon - Tinto Roriz 2015

Dessert: Bolo de chocolate à CANTINHO com gelado de morango Cheesecake enfrascado con framboesa e manjericão Mint Tea

The staff/ambiance: We had dinner reservations for 10:30pm and when we arrived, we waited at the bar and ordered some drinks while our table was prepared. Once shown to our seats, the staff greeted us and were very friendly and attentive throughout the night. They would be very professional whenever we interacted but also amiable. They often would confirm everything was good and it was done in a genuine manner, not an overbearing one. They also would speak to us in English and Portuguese to accommodate the fact they heard my friend and I jump in and out of conversation in English and Portuguese - I was impressed by this because (even though simple) it shows attention to detail on their behalf.

The section of the restaurant we were in was next to an open kitchen. The lighting set for a very personal atmosphere and the decorations were modern and traditional. I was very comfortable and really enjoyed the ambiance.

Food: The food was amazing. The flavors were always present and bold but never overbearing. I would highly recommend both of the appetizers but especially the tuna tartar; it's is one of the best I've ever had. The combination and sensation of a cold tuna tartar and warm empadinhas could not have paired any better.

For the main course I had the carabineros and my friend the polvo. Again, both dishes were amazing. I don't like sweet potatoes but the restaurant did an amazing job of preparing them for the octopus. The carabineros were very tender and served with a zesty sauce that accompanied the dish very well. My only reservation was the portion for the carabineros. If I were to do it over again, I would have gotten another dish simply because, even though it was delicious, I felt the value did not match the price. The wine we ordered was dry, bold, and smooth. It paired very well with our dishes.

For dessert, the bolo is a slice of cake served cold accompanied by strawberry ice cream and the cheesecake was more of ice cream texture with whipped cream, not a slice like traditionally served. Both were very good. However, I would recommend the bolo over the cheesecake. The mint tea was also refreshing and helped bring an end to all that we has just eaten. You need to visit and try the food. It is delicious. Overall, I'm very satisfied and happy with the value for the meal.

If you're considering this restaurant, definitely go. Does a satisfying job of giving you quality food and service for greta value, with the exception...

I have visited this well known restaurant earlier and posted the below review with five stars. But after a few other visits and a very unpleasant experience last night l felt obliged to change the rating and upgrade it. Starting from the mixup with our reservation, and the table we reserved, everything was an unpleasant experience as we took our guests visiting from abroad to give them a nice Lisbon food experience. The cod fish came cold. The salad was inedible. One of the main dishes arrived very late and our friend had to watch us eating while his was served much later. The deliberately mentioned “cold” glass of white wine order came hot and when we said it was not cold the answer was that they did not have cold wine! The service was terrible. We had to beg for salt as the waiter turned her face and walked away when we asked for it. When we made our complaints at the end they said we were right and they apologized but it did not help the situation. It looked like a terrible copy of the restaurant we had been before with no care and the staff was unable to cope with the work. I was noticing the decline in my previous visit too but last night’s performance was really unfortunate in front of our guests. My first review follows below: This is one of the restaurants of Lisbon’s celebrated chef Jose Avillez . It is a good start if you are into discovering the foodie side of Lisbon and also tasting the inventive cooking of local tastes. It is a gastronomical experience with nice flavors. It is obvious that they treat food seriously. It is not easy to find a table so always book in advance. The atmosphere is good and the ambiance is relaxing. Nothing pretentious but chic. Service is friendly. Wine list is impressive. It is hard to find a mistake here. It is also in Lisbon’s historical center Chicado where you can take a walk after your meal to do a little exercise and enjoy the sights or first start with your tour and then stop here to relax over a glass of wine or choose one of their...

I would give no stars if I could!

The evening at the Cantinho was by far one of the most disappointing meals I have had in a long time. I am normally not the person that writes reviews online, but after this experience there was no way around it.

We chose this restaurant to celebrate the birthday of a friend after hearing so many good things about it. We are all real foodies (with my dad being a Michelin starred chef) and we love trying exciting restaurants everywhere we go. However the disappointment started at arrival. We were greeted in a manner that wasn't just lacking enthusiasm - it was simply RUDE! The front of house should seriously consider another profession if customer service is such a burden to her. Having booked for 6 and arriving with 7 guests was such an inconvenience for this incompetent lady that she let us wait 30 min at the bar and then reluctantly leading us to a table - making clear they don't have room for 7 people.

Trying to make the best of the situation we ordered drinks at the bar which took so long to make that we ordered a bottle of wine in the meantime!!!

The food was average at best and not what we've experienced in restaurants such as Mini Bar or Cantina Peruana. The service at the table continued to be rude. The staff has obviously not been told to say please and thank you!

It ended up that the whole group was put off by the atmosphere and the meal left a very bitter after taste.

The cherry on top of the ice cream was when the waiter tried to make a joke bringing us fruit salad instead of creme brulee as a dessert - because at that point we were ready to cause a big scene about how terrible the whole evening was!

All in all a massive disappointment!!!! I would not recommend it.

It's really unfortunate given that all other restaurants of Jose Avillez were absolutely fantastic! But the whole experience depends on the staff and...