Instant Crunch — Restaurant in Lisbon

This was our only disappointing experience while in Portugal. Note that this review is based on service only and not food, as you will see upon reading the review.

We arrived in the morning for brunch and were immediately turned away - being told that they were “closed” when there were clearly many people in the restaurant. Not only this, but as we were standing outside looking for another place to eat, we saw multiple other parties greeted and seated.

If it were a matter of not being able to accommodate our party size (would have required table of 5), that would have been one thing. But the host/woman who “greeted” us didn’t even see how many people we yet had. She just came around and not nicely said they were closed. If a reservation was required, we were not told this either. We could have easily made one for another day but we were not even spoken to besides being told they were closed.

It was very disappointing, as I mentioned, because she gave no explanation and made us feel very unwelcome. I would not recommend. We did very much enjoy our breakfast from down the street at Brooklyn Lisboa across from...

One of our best experiences in Lisbon! Like most of the gems in Lisbon, it's not surprising to have found them while walking uphill. The modest entrance masks a romantic, cozy back yard that is ideal for an intimate date night of flavors and sensations. Every single dish was spot on. We tried to take photos of our plates but they were gone before we remembered to actually take the photos. The presentation is esthetic and plates are small enough to fill you up while sampling but are also great to share and try your partner's choices. You definitely want to try out the next item on the menu and the next. The owners/operators are a wonderful French couple that made their home here in Lisbon. So, as foreigners ourselves, visiting, it was easy to relate and recognize how all these different details add up to make perfect sense on a plate. If I wasn't clear enough I highly recommend dining at Instant Crunch, Lisbon. You'll see attached a few of the dishes we did get a photo of, but we had to stop ourselves to do that, so don't mind the fork and the spread sauce (it...

Okay, so like, brunch in Lisbon can be totally hit or miss, but Instant Crunch? Absolute main character energy. I had the eggs benedict with salmon and asparagus and it was this gorgeous little tower of brunch perfection. The hollandaise was silky, the salmon was fresh, and the asparagus made me feel like I was making a healthy life choice even though we all know I wasn’t.

He went for the avocado toast and I swear, it looked so pretty I was low-key jealous. Perfectly ripe avo, crunchy bread, and just enough seasoning to make you think, “Wow, I could totally make this at home,” but let’s be real, you won’t.

Then came the fries with truffle mayo and parmesan and… wow. Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, dripping in truffle goodness and a dusting of parmesan that made them taste like luxury. If fries had a red carpet, these would be wearing designer.

The vibe is cute, the plates are pretty, and the food delivers. If Lisbon brunch spots were a reality show, Instant Crunch would...