Fado ao Carmo - Alfama — Restaurant in Lisbon

I went for dinner last night and have never been treated so rudely in all of my time in Portugal. Specifically by a single waitress, who continually made snide remarks and criticisms from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Most of my times here have been after hours (11-2) when it is just fado and a small a la carte menu of petiscos. It's a very special ambiance, always with amazing musicians. During the dinner service, however, you will be treated like a tourist. We arrived at 8:15, and when we tried to pay at midnight in between the musical performances, it took nearly 15 minutes from the time we asked until the time we completed. We were asked "do you want to pay now or after the next performance?" To which we responded "now please". Right as we completed another musical set began, so we waited until the song completed, and when it finished, in between songs, we got up and quickly, and quietly left. As we walked out the door the waitress followed us and made a loud, rude comment of "really!? Right during the fado guys!?" As if we were supposed to wait an additional 20 mins to leave after 12am (on a Wednesday). I have lived in Portugal for 4 yrs and I have been to many fado shows, including 5/6 shows at this place, and I have never received this kind of inappropriately rude treatment before. My intuition tells me this place is frustrated by dealing with tourists and has lost a bit of its patience for treating humans with kindness and respect. I really cannot recommend going for the pre-fixe dinner, but for after hours, it's still the best fado in town. That said, it was a very sad experience to go to a place you really like, recommend everyone visiting to go, and then walk away feeling this bad. I will still leave 3 stars because the service was the sole issue--music and food were still great.

Edit (reply to owner's response below): This is not true about us being upset about paying the show fee. On the contrary, we apologized for missing the prix fixe price and gladly paid the 25€ cover fee for the show. There was no bitterness experienced or expressed about this point. The only issue arose when because 1/3 diners did not eat meat/dairy (myself), the other two were not given steak tartar and scallops but instead a sundried tomato dish and a lentil soup. These substitutes were inadequate, given 2/3 had no dietary restrictions and were paying 65€ each. I was not involved in this discussion but form my experience the restaurant was kind enough to offer the other two courses to the ladies without the dietary restriction. Our main server was a young gentleman and was kind and accommodating throughout; the woman who was rude on multiple occasions was not even our table's server.

In the interest of offering accurate and honest feedback, the owner was accommodating about another friend showing up for the music (which we informed and requested upon our initial arrival), without charging them an additional cover fee. When our additional friend arrived this is where the treatment began to become extremely rude and warranting this review. I have been to many Portuguese restaurants, all over this country's and have never once received any treatment like this; It's as if they forgot about google reviews??? We ended up fitting within a footprint of two seats, so there was no issue with blocking any other guest. This is also not true. All in all, I cannot in good conscience recommend the dinner experience based on the treatment we received. The music after dinner is still a wonderful option, and there is an a la carte menu with good...

It’s a popular place, so make sure to reserve in advance. As soon as we stepped inside, we could see why — the atmosphere was magical. The space felt like a cosy cave, with stone walls, soft candlelight, and elegant touches everywhere. It already felt like a special night… and we hadn’t even eaten yet ❤️

We thought we’d get a simple three-course dinner — but what followed was much more than that. For €60 per person, it felt like a full tasting menu. It all began with the couvert: warm bread, sun-dried tomatoes, seasoned goat cheese, and anchovy butter — surprisingly delicious. Then came the starters: first, a pastel — a thin, golden pastry filled with tender, savoury pork. Then a fresh octopus salad — a little adventurous for us, but really tasty. And finally, a beetroot salad topped with edible flowers — it looked like a work of art and tasted just as good. As we finished the starters, the lights dimmed… and the first Fado performance began. And honestly — it gave us chills. The voice was raw, powerful, filled with emotion. Even without understanding the words, you could feel every note.

Then it was time for mains. My boyfriend had the venison 🥩🫐 — served with a rich berry sauce, crispy polenta, and creamy spinach mousse. And I went for the grilled octopus 🐙🍠🍅 — my first time trying it — and it came with sweet potato gratin and a broad bean and cherry tomato salad. Everything was beautifully cooked and full of flavour.

Later in the evening, another Fado artist took the stage — this time accompanied by traditional instruments. Somehow, it felt even more moving.

For the grand finale, my boyfriend went straight for the chocolate mousse with almond crunch — rich, velvety, and intensely chocolatey with that perfect nutty bite. I couldn’t resist the “drunk pear” — poached in red wine and served warm with cinnamon ice cream. It was comforting, a little boozy, perfectly spiced… and honestly, one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.

We arrived at 7:30 and didn’t leave until just before midnight — partially because all the tables were quite full and regardless of the reservation for 7/7:30/7:45/8 pm etc. you’ll be served all the things pretty much kind of same time. I would suggest coming earlier because the last guests would be really served late because the place is opened til 2 am. But between the food, the music, and the emotion of it all, time just melted away. It wasn’t just dinner — it was an experience. And the perfect way to end our time...

After reading much about Fado ao Carmo being the most renowned fado house in Lisbon, we went into this meal with very high expectations. I’m sad to say, however, the music remained the sole highlight of the night, a thankful accompaniment to the worst meal (and by far the most expensive) we had in our two weeks of travel in Portugal.

As another reviewer stated, the starters were underwhelming, but the music began soon after. The courses are timed to the performances and we had to wait nearly 2 hours after seating to get our main course — and by then our appetite was tough to salvage.

We ordered the bread bowl with pumpkin and spinach which was slathered in cheese (?) and borderline inedible. We only took a few bites before giving up on it. The smell of the dish is really quite nauseating. :( We also ordered the chicken and rice which was just okay, though the chicken was overcooked, under-seasoned, and dry. The dessert was fine. Chocolate mouse and a single raspberry.

An occasional look around the room revealed other guests who were seemingly having similar issues with their food.

After the fourth round of music, we were tired and desperate to leave. You tend to feel a bit “trapped” there due to the way they’ve timed the food with the music. (They stop bringing food out during the performances.)

The music was lovely, and the musicians and singers are a talented bunch. I’d say come here for the music and not the food, though it’s hard to vouch for it with the price point — so perhaps pick a different...