Chapitô à Mesa — Restaurant in Lisbon

TL; DR: worth every dollar - a fine dining experience at a very reasonable price!

note: this review is for the “self made chef” omakase/prix fixe experience at the cantina with Chef Alexandre Bothelo at Chapitô. There are different types of dining experiences at Chapitô and three levels, so you can enjoy how you want, whether prix fixe or à la carte.

Walking up to this establishment was an experience itself. In fact Chapitô is not just a restaurant but also a cultural center and homage to circus arts thus the main dining room is under a circus tent! So cool. You walk down stairs as you admire the view of the Tagus - perfect for sunset. The cantina level where we dined had beautiful sunset views.

We were in LUCK to be the last table of the night for this experience with Chef Alex at the cantina level (we did not make reservations but I highly recommend doing so for the cantina). There were three tiers for this prix fixe/omakase - we chose the mid tier at €70 pp which promised amuse-bouche, two mains and a dessert. We got MUCH more than was presented (9 courses!) and had an unforgettable experience. Chef Alex, a Master Chef Portugal finalist and truly self-made chef, personally cooked and served each dish. Due to his background in Asian cuisine there were subtle homages to those flavors mixed with local Portuguese cuisine. It was fabulous!

The amuse-bouche courses: white shrimp (rare and only found in south Portugal) with wasabi mayo (finger-licking good), grilled snapper on top of a potato and Parmesan purée (give me 14 of them) with micro coriander, and clams with Thai basil for a fun tactile finale before the mains.

The mains: a “poke plate” salad/prep for the rest of the meal that was so incredibly well balanced in flavor, color and texture…it was perfect: shredded green apple and orange chunks (fresh), salmon slices (protein), avocado (creamy), puffed rice and green tobiko (crunchy), beet (sweet and pink), sliced red and green onion and arugula for that spicy vibe to balance it all out. king prawn in a shallow pool of brown butter (yum!!!) and garlic chunks mixed with mint. I said I needed some bread for the butter and chef laughingly said “trust me you do not need that - we are only halfway through!” … he was right :) rice dish: rice dyed with squid ink, fried moray eel (such a yummy crunch), sliced green bean and green onion, green tobiko. it was so delicious and hearty! sea bass roe (encapsulated in the sac) in olive oil topped with green onion: a perfect little amuse-bouche before the final main…the texture of this was unlike anything I’ve had before and almost tasted like sea bass sausage if that makes sense. The olive oil was to die for - I could have drank it off the plate! Bone-in Wild black iberico pork with fries/chips: omg - this was insanely good. Portugal’s equivalent to wagyu. Cooked to perfection and so incredibly juicy! The fries were so fresh - perfect for dipping in the juice which was also flavored with garlic.

The dessert - which we did our best to tackle although we were so full - was delicious. Rice pudding topped with caramel and caramel crunch, sliced pear, a delicious pastry sandwiched between two dollops of lime/avocado/olive oil foam (I was obsessed). Chef even brought us a shot of port to close the evening!

Chef repeatedly stated this would be a dinner we would never forget - and he was correct. After we finished dinner we chatted for a bit and learned of his journey to becoming a chef - he is self-trained and super passionate about his work and it shows! Every bite was enjoyable, paired with the beautiful views and Nat King Cole in the background. Equal parts fun, romantic, educational, and adventurous. The only downside is that this was our first dinner in Lisbon so not sure if we will top this...

The worst places I have visited, for the whole trip to Portugal! First I ordered sausage, the waiter told me that it is home, made by chefs in the kitchen. but since I am a chef myself and it is extremely difficult to deceive me, when serving this sausage, I immediately realized that it was bought in the store. simple bought sausage, grilled! moreover: it is very salty, I absolutely do not chewed I called the waiter, explained to him, he invited his boss, I explained to him, he said that no problem will replace me with another dish. I asked for a Portuguese Burger, but the boss strongly recommended another dish, saying that it is generally fantastic tasty! I ordered this dish, it was brought quite quickly, It looked beautiful, but, first of all, it was not tasty at all! As absolutely without any spices, and secondly: two pieces of meat I was able to chew, and the third piece was disgusting! He was with veins, with chunks of fat that absolutely could not be eaten! I believe that if you pay money for a dish, then you should be able to eat it whole! Unless, of course, it's a knuckle and ribs, where the bones are present. moreover, you should enjoy the dish! And not here is this here is an abomination, that me had been given! the score was very big, which upset me even more! the views from the restaurant are beautiful, I do not argue. But beautiful views can be seen in other places, and for free!

Худшее заведения, которые Я посетил, за всю поездку в Португалии! Сначала я заказал колбасу, официант сказал мне что она домашняя, сделана поварами на кухне. но так как я сам являюсь шеф-поваром и обмануть меня крайне сложно, при подаче этой колбасы, я сразу понял что она куплена в магазине. простая купленная колбаса, обжаренная на гриле! более того: она очень солёная, я абсолютно не жевалась Я позвал официанта, объяснил ему, он пригласил своего босса, я объяснил ему, тот сказал что без проблем заменят мне на другое блюдо. Я попросил португальский бургер, но босс мне настоятельно порекомендовал другое блюдо, сказав что она вообще фантастический вкусная! Я заказал это блюдо, его довольно быстро принесли, Она красиво выглядела, но, во-первых, она была вообще не вкусная! Как абсолютно без всяких специй, а во-вторых: два куска мяса я смог разжевать, а третий кусок был отвратительный! Он был с жилами, с кусками жира, которые абсолютно нельзя было съесть! Я считаю, что если ты платишь деньги за блюдо, то ты должен суметь съесть его целиком! Если это, конечно, не рулька, и не рёбра, где присутствует кости. более того, ты должен получить удовольствие от блюда! А не вот это вот мерзость, которую мне подарили! счёт был очень большой, что меня расстроила ещё больше! виды из ресторана красивые, не спорю. Но красивые виды можно посмотреть и в других местах,...

AVOID IF YOU HAVE ALLERGIES OR ARE NOT A LOCAL!

We had one of the most upsetting and dangerous dining experiences we’ve ever encountered at Chapitô à Mesa in Lisbon. The issues we faced were not just about poor service — they involved serious allergy negligence, a complete lack of accountability, and possible discriminatory behavior.

From the beginning, we were made to feel like an inconvenience. We were seated before the two tables beside us, but they were served first. My partner (a visibly mixed-race man) disclosed his severe and life-threatening allergies to eggs and nuts. The server, called Navu, assured us the dish we ordered was safe. It wasn’t. Our gazpacho starter arrived with a full slice of egg inside. When we flagged it, the server didn’t apologize, he blamed us, falsely claiming we had only asked about eggs in the coleslaw for the mains (which we hadn’t even received yet). The soup was whisked away and returned 30 seconds later, clearly just strained, not remade. We saw the server wait idly by the kitchen during this. This is reckless and dangerous, not to mention a violation of EU food safety law.

We decided it wasn’t safe to eat there and asked for the bill. They tried to charge us for mains we never received, and when we asked for a manager, she pushed the responsibility back on us again by making my partner speak directly to the server — a deeply inappropriate and unprofessional move.

What made this all the more disturbing is that Chapito à Mesa presents itself as an inclusive, artistic, progressive space. It’s affiliated with a circus school that claims to champion diversity and social inclusion. Yet our experience felt anything but inclusive. The disregard, defensiveness, and lack of accountability suggested either prejudice or complete apathy toward serious health and safety issues. Either way, it's unacceptable. Under EU Regulations, food service establishments are required by law to clearly communicate allergens and take them seriously. Chapitô à Mesa failed this duty of care and put someone’s life at risk.

If you think I am overreacting, have a look at their Trip Advisor reviews. My partner and I both work in the service industry, and are always very understanding and reluctant to make complaints at restaurants or about service, unless it is TRULY this bad.

The service, management and ethos here is messed up. I wonder if Chapito will take this seriously, as in the moment all they offered us was a ‘free desert’. We left and went to a small, locally owned restaurant somewhere else where we received significantly better service. Don’t go here, there are so many better places in Lisbon to...