Garrafeira Nacional — Restaurant in Lisbon

Just back from a 2 week visit to Portugal. My visits to the Rua Santa Justa location of Garrafeira Nacional, and the 2 cases I brought back from there, were a definite highlight. I walked in with a target list of about 40 bottles and their internet prices. I told them my plan was to buy 2 cases, but I wasn’t buying that day…merely doing research. They spent at least 30 minutes with me, looking at my list, discussing those bottles, some of which they had on the shelf at quite competitive prices, as well as recommendations for similar wines, in some cases at lower prices and better relative value. I ended up taking home 3 bottles that first day to validate the recommendations. I and my family were blown away. Still, I did due diligence and repeated the process at other shops in Lisboa. None came close to the level of service, variety or value I found at GN. Ultimately I did go back and make my 2 case purchase, spending only about 60% of what I had budgeted. Couldn’t be any happier with my experience. Big shout out and ‘Obrigado’ to Andre and Rita G., who were patient, thoughtful and knowledgeable about their inventory as well as respectful of my intent and budget. Rita also worked through the gruesome paperwork of the VAT refund forms and made that painless for me. Most highly recommend this shop. And the Dalva Colheita 💕PS: they delivered to my apartment - how...

Short version: Staff ignored me at first, and when I went to buy something they were straight-up rude. One of the most memorably bad customer service experiences I've had in my life. Awful. Don't shop here, there are better options nearby.

Details: I was basically ignored by the staff - I initially thought maybe it was my fault for not being assertive enough, but I was in there for probably 40min browsing and at no point did anyone ask if I wanted any assistance. Eventually I decided what I wanted (although some help would have been nice) and asked a staff member for some help getting it from behind the perspex screens that they have on some shelves. She essentially spoke to me as though I was a criminal (or maybe that I was stupid) saying sarcastically "yeah they're designed that way, you're not supposed to be able to get the bottle out". Yes I know that, that's why I need your help. She was then surprised when I wanted to buy the bottle, which was strange. Why else would I be here? I had considered buying multiple bottles, but after this experience I just got one that I needed for that night and left. I thought maybe it was a cultural thing (I'm from Australia and can't speak Portuguese) but then a few days later I went to a different shop down the street, and they were much more welcoming and...

I had the pleasure of visiting Garrafeira Nacional during my search for the 30 Year Old Aged Tawny Port by Dow’s. From the moment I stepped into the store, I was impressed by its elegant and well-organized layout. The atmosphere was welcoming and sophisticated without feeling pretentious.

I was greeted by Daniela, who immediately offered her assistance. I asked her about the wine I was looking for, and although it wasn’t available in the store at the time, Daniela went above and beyond to help me. She checked their inventory and even looked up availability at other branches. When it turned out that none of their locations had it, she kindly directed me to other places where I might find it.

Thanks to her recommendation, I was able to locate the exact wine I was searching for in one of the suggested stores. I returned back to Garrafeira Nacional to personally thank Daniela – and while I was there, I couldn’t resist picking up a bottle of Graham’s 30 Year Old Aged Tawny Port.

Daniela’s professionalism, knowledge, and genuine willingness to assist truly stood out and made my experience exceptional. I highly recommend Garrafeira Nacional for their outstanding service and incredible selection of wines and spirits. Thank you, Daniela, for making my visit so memorable!

Hope we will meet again, to...