Ceia — Restaurant in Lisbon

The entire meal was a standout - my wife and I do not do many of these kinds of extremely fine dining meals, namely because of cost and the worry that such a thing will “not be worth it”. I can confidently say that the staff and the dishes at Ceia put all that to bed, the experience is one that we’ll be talking about for years to come.

I think the thing I come away most impressed by is the level of detail and thought that went into the vegetarian substitutions. I was thinking we would get basically a different menu, but the communal table at Ceia eschews such orthodoxy as what you’d find in a lesser restaurant content to throw vegetarians a half-baked salad and call it a day. No, the chefs here took exhaustive care to make sure that we had the same experience as the other guests and that is so, so appreciated.

One unintentional result of the changes is that the theme of the evening as well as several of the preludes to the dishes included topics such as climate change, coral bleaching, algae choking out waterways, overfishing, unsustainable octopus farming, and the idea that the best way to sustainably eat is to reduce the animal / fish footprint on your plate actually ended up indicting the rest of the table more than it did us. There’s an interesting incongruity between the served food and the stated goals that was made I think even more apparent by our ask to have vegetarian substitutes for most of the straight-forwardly served animals / fish at dinner.

From media I have seen as well as this experience, I believe chefs are trying to walk the walk about what they see as an unsustainable food ecology on this planet and our role in it. That clashes quite hard with the fine dining idea that paying a certain premium means receiving the best of everything a chef has to offer - including animals. I think this was most apparent during the explanation of overfishing, where the chef (not head) that presented the dish readily admitted that the best thing we could do for overfishing is to simply stop eating fish but that by giving diners a less over-fished fish we can start to do something about this. While I don’t disagree with the idea in principle, it has to be funny to admit that the best thing you could do for the stated problem your dish is highlighting is to simply not make it.

I only mention the above because it colored our experience of the evening so thoroughly - we had a fantastic time, it was worth the asking price (E$180/person) and the food we ate I think ended up being just as (or more!) inventive as the main dishes the rest of the diners were served. You should make what you made for us for the rest of your guests! I understand the trepidation there, given the massive failure of Eleven Madison for their fully vegan menu and having to revert back, but given the menu can change at any time, I think the boldest way that Ceia can sell us on their vision of a more sustainable future for eating is to give it to us by removing the last of the cognitively dissonant dishes that are on an inventive menu led by inventive young chefs who are clearly at the height of their talent.

Should my wife and I return to Lisbon in the future, we would certainly make a return to Ceia. By then I have no doubt they will have the Michelin star they so clearly deserve.

Google won't let me post the entire review I had written per dish, so please see images below of what we were served. Will post the entire thing on...

After reading a lot about Ceia in the Portuguese press and "stalking" their IG account with regular drool inducing photos, I must say that my expectations for dining here were high. Yet, Chef Pedro Pena Bastos and his lovely team managed to go beyond what I had in mind. I LOVE that you get to dine around the same table with strangers and, even more so, that there are no adaptations in the menu. You come in, you sit down and you gotta truste the Chef - that straightforward.. and it works oh-so-well!

There were many different tastings across the evening and every single one was outstanding. Not only flavors wise, but also conceptually. You feel there's much love for Portuguese ingredients that goes in all of their work, yet without turning your back to influences from the rest of the world. Every dish is presented with care, very pleasing when it comes to aesthetics (regarding the arrangement of the ingredients themselves and also the choice of plates and table accessories), but equally remarkable when it comes to the actual flavors, textures and aromas of the food. It's well worth taking your time to let your eyes "eat" before you actually dig.

If the food was as great as expected, the selection of wines by Sommelier Mário Marques was impressive. All Portuguese, all quite specific and matching the food choices impeccably.

Yet, food and drinks aside, what I will take as the greatest memory from the evening at Ceia is their team. Alex and Mário make you feel so welcome from the moment you walk through their door! And then comes Chef Pedro Pena Bastos and the rest of the amazing kitchen crew and, somehow, they all manage to make you feel like almost at home, as if this is what dinner every day should be like!.. It’s so inspiring to see young people doing such amazing work. Sophisticated, yet not pretentious.

I left Ceia full of good vibes. Maybe it was because Mário kept introducing me to different wines from across Portugal, or maybe it was because you feel there’s such positive energy and passion at a restaurant that blends elegance with such a down-to-earth feel, like not many others manage to do. Either way, I would sincerely recommend this experience for those out there...

We had the privilege of staying at Silent Living Santa Clara this month, and dining at Ceia, Santa Clara’s fine dining restaurant, was one of the highlights of our stay. The menu, aptly named “Change,” was designed to inspire reflection and small shifts toward sustainability—and it delivered on that promise.

The 10-course menu was nothing short of spectacular, leaving our palates joyful, intrigued, and completely satisfied. This is not just a meal; it’s a meticulously crafted experience unlike anything we’ve encountered. My husband and I have frequented many Michelin-starred and fine dining restaurants, but truly, nothing compares to Ceia.

The team at Ceia works in perfect harmony, seamlessly blending storytelling, artistry, and innovation. Their care, passion, and dedication to creating the unexpected are palpable in every dish and interaction. I especially appreciated the team’s commitment to sustainability, creating a mostly vegetarian menu with only a few dishes incorporating fish or meat — every part of which is used with care and intention.

Our host, Kristin, was a delight, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for us to interact and engage with the Ceia team. She also curated the most unique non-alcoholic pairings, with the beet juice being my personal favorite. Our sommelier, Francisco, was equally exceptional. These were some of the best wines we’ve ever had.

This experience goes beyond food. It makes you go inward to reflect on your role in the world and how small changes can make a difference. Dining at Ceia is not just a meal; it’s a life changing experience you’ll never forget. We send our deepest gratitude to Chef Renato Bonfim and his team: Tiago, Ricardo, Gonçalo and Prakash.

Beyond Ceia… Our experience at Santa Clara was life changing. We went back to the US and immediately started to create a “Silent Living” atmosphere in our own home. We are forever grateful to the Silent Living team—Carmo, Nuno, Sokhrema, Lucy, Ricardo—and all of the wonderful guests we met. We thank you for being part of our lives, albeit brief. We can’t...