Nicolau Lisboa — Restaurant in Lisbon

*Unsanitary and Service nightmare!

Was excited food close to US style food. We got seated right away but, inside it was hot! No fans, No AC. A simple fan to move air would be nice.

Wait staff was nice but slowwwww!

Food was “meh” Will not go back. Not impressed.

After being seated we waited 30 min just for water after placing entire order.

While hoping for some cold water in the hot place, I was able to observe some nasty unsanitary issues.

*Food brought from kitchen it sits on bar, waiting for servers, but had flies landing and buzzing over food. 🤢

*I observed the guy behind the bar moving food plates from kitchen to bar for server wearing gloves. (false sense of sanitation).

While wearing those gloves the man proceeded to get the mop and bucket and mop the floor, empty out mop water in sink next to bar food. He would touch every plate with same gloves placing his dirty gloved fingers on every food dish 🤢.

I also watched him with the same dirty gloves peel a mango and hold the mango against his dirty apron/ worn while mopping. 🤢

Same gloved dude, putting away clean silver wear and prepping silverware for next tables 🤢.

I barely ate my food, which took like 45 min to get. Two other tables sat after us and were served drinks right away (WTH)? We would have been pleased with water or our juices we ordered and wait for our food but, after not even water I had plenty of time to observe the unsanitary conditions!...

I loved the food so much, I ate there three times for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast: The vegan brunch was delicious and it was the perfect amount. It included hot drink, OJ, Coconut yoghurt with home made apple/cinnamon jam and granola and a bread with hummus, spinach and mushrooms. All very tasty! Total price 16€, which is great compared to quality and quantity.

Lunch: I got the take away flower power salad with chickpeas, sweet cucumber, quinoa, spinach, avocado and turmeric spiced granola for 10€ and it was the perfect choice for the train ride up to Porto. It tasted DELICIOUS!!

Dinner: Ordered roasted veggies with add on Halumni cheese (11€) It was my least favorite choice especially because cheese lay heavy in my stomach the whole night. You can chose a different protein such as meat or tofu.

The place is always packed but lines move quickly so the wait is not long. The waiters are all very friendly and smiling.

The menu is very vegan and vegetarian friendly thus its become one of my favorite cafes in Lisbon. They also have a Cafe in Porto.

Overall I’ve always had a great experience. Highly...

My recent brunch experience at Nicolau in Lisbon was absolutely delightful, prompting me to rate it highly across the board. The food easily earns a 5-star rating from me—every dish was a hit on our table, offering mouthwatering flavors that are perfect for a foodie’s palate. The prices are also very reasonable, providing great value for such high-quality offerings.

The atmosphere is vibrant and the decor is charming, though be prepared to queue as they don’t take reservations for brunch.

We faced a minor issue with the service when they ran out of decaf coffee without informing us, which we only realised when they brought us the coffee. Despite this small hiccup, the staff did their best under the pressure of a packed house.

Definitely put Nicolau on your Lisbon itinerary for a delightful brunch as it is definitely a must-visit for anyone looking for a top-notch brunch experience. The minor issues we faced were just small bumps in an otherwise fantastic meal.

I highly recommend giving Nicolau a try for a taste of local flavor that will leave you satisfied and ready to explore the...