Il Mercato — Restaurant in Lisbon

We went 4 people for lunch. Food was quite good and the price was right for quality but not for service. It was packed inside so we had lunch outside were one has to be compulsory with smokers all around. In Portugal people can smoke outside, so if you are a non smoker you can't enjoy the open air. But my main complaint is not for this, but for the fact that when we asked for the bill, the waiter (very friendly) told us we had to pay inside the restaurant. We asked him that as customers we wanted to pay with credit card at our table. He said that the bill had to be paid inside. Customers, all did get up, cued, and payed inside. We called the manager. He came. We explained the issue and he said that the network for the credit card payment machine did not work outside well. We knew for sure that all other restaurants around have this service working correctly all year round. We insisted in paying at the table and that the restaurant had to provide that service in the same way the food is brought to the table. To make the story short, the manager brought us the mobile credit card (I must say he was annoyed), we payed (the network worked fine, of course it did!), but he said that he was doing an exception and that he would not do that exception again. This is a pity for I eat quite a lot in that neighborhood. My question is: Is the restaurant saving some money in taxes by making you pay inside where they sell products and have a different tax percentage? Because otherwise it makes no sense in making people get up and pay inside. The food is good and it is worth a...

The restaurant itself was really cool. All the classic italian ingredients hanging, the beautiful decoration, everything was spot on. The focaccia couvert was really nice, and after that we also had a really good burrata. For the main dish, we tried the carbonara, the tagliatelle al Ragu, Linguini con Gamberoni and a pasta with mushrooms that I can't remember the name. The carbonara and the mushroom pasta were perfect. The carbonara was super creamy, not too salty, and the mushroom pasta elevated the mushroom flavour to a whole different level. The Tagliatelle al Ragu was good, but lacked a bit of that intense meaty flavour, and the ragu chunks were too big, and not as tender as I was expecting. But it was really good nonetheless. The Linguini con Gamberoni had too much tomato sauce, and it overpowered the shrimp. For dessert, we tried the Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, which were great, and the Nutella Cheesecake, which was not my type of dessert, as I think fruity flavours work better in Cheesecake. The staff was fine, it was just a bit neutral when it came to that. However, one of the staff members was really kind and pointed out that we could ask for less tomato sauce next time, which is nice, as he cared about our experience. Overall, it was a really pleasant meal, it wasn't perfect, but nothing that would bring it down...

The food was world class. Some really brilliant, well made food from a chef whose skill, passion, and artistry burst out of the dishes. I would give the food 6 stars if I could. The Mozzarella Di Bufala Del Giorno was probably the best mozzarella I have ever eaten. It was smooth, succulent, and delicate with a perfect consistency. It tasted so fresh, like it was just made. The soppressa con aglio igp was a generous portion of mild soppressata. It really paired welled with the mozzarella but was just fine on its own. The gnocci bio all ragu was another superb dish. The gnocci was hand rolled, tender, and melted in my mouth. It was paired with a mix of a tomato sauce, veal, oxtail, and pork. It is not a dish I would normally order but it was magical and one of the best Italian dishes I have ever eaten. The flavor profile was intense and a real pleasure. World-class cuisine. The downfall on this restaurant was the server. He was miserable and unfriendly. Slow-moving, not polite, did not ask how any of our courses were, and never got us a second round of drinks. The food runners were friendly and attentive. The prices are in the higher side but worth every penny...