Noobai - Rooftop Bar e Restaurante — Restaurant in Lisbon

Unfortunately I will have to post my unpleasant experience. I used to go to this restaurant a few years ago, and hadn't been there in a while. It seems to have changed ownership, as the service, which used to be impeccable, was replaced by rude employees who can barely speak Portuguese, and with a low English -level speaking. I went online to book a table prior to the date, in order to make sure I had a table. I selected the option to have dinner with outdoor seating. When we got there, no table had been reserved, and the person at the door told me to select any table, the only table available outdoors, where dinner plates would fit, was one with a speaker right on top of the seat, pointing to the table. When we asked if that speaker could be turned off, in very rudimentary English, the waiter said rudely "other people have the right to hear music". When I asked for another table, they pointed us to some tiny table that would barely fit a plate of food, let alone 2. When I said "what about the table I had booked", the answer I got was "you can leave it you want to". This restaurant is definitely not what it used to be, I got to check the menu, and it just seems overpriced food that you pay to get a view. If you are looking for places with a view, that has a true Portuguese food experience, you have plenty other places to choose from. For example Le Chat in Santos has great food, great service and a great view as well. There is the Skybar on Tivoli Hotel in Av. Liberdade. There is Rossio Gastrobar in Altis. If you want a nice cocktail with Portuguese Tapas, you have the Bar at Calçada do Combro carpark (on the rooftop with an amazing view as well). There are definitely plenty of options where the service is nice, and where you are not treated like they are doing you a favor to even just be...

Dinner on the 1st of June with friends. We had reservations. The table was available and allowed us to enjoy the beautiful view from the adjacent Miradouro de Santa Catarina. We ordered falafel, codfish cakes, a board of cheese board, ham and smoked meats, prawns and desserts. Everything ranged from bad to very bad. The falafel was in the form of small discs with a floury texture and no taste at all. The codfish cakes were adequate but accompanied by cheap mayonnaise, which took away any taste of their own, the cheeses on the board were 50 or 100 gr of four or five varieties of cheap supermarket cheese, and a small, liquid, very badly cut ovine cheese with a bitter taste, most of which was lost due to the cutting. The sausages were mostly constituted of grease and of very poor quality, the worst and cheapest quality one can find, as was the ham, dark brown and soft, probably out of date. Most of us refrained from eating the meats because of their poor quality and possible degradation. The prawns were also soft, textureless, and tasteless. A disaster, which the sympathy of the staff could not compensate. Too many clients, the tables are so near that it easier to follow the conversation of the neighbors that to ear...

I did not appreciate being chastised for not adding a gratuity to my bill. I decided to stop for the sunset view overlooking the Tagus River for a drink but decided to have a light snack. When the server collected the plates I mentioned that the clams were very gritty and should be washed better before serving. My wife gave me the look and I didn’t dare say more. When he presented the bill he asked about an added service fee, I declined to add any, he seemed taken aback and asked, if the service and the food were not good. I raised my eyebrows and again, politely declined to leave a gratuity. FYI, Noobai Cafe, when your clams are gritty and 4 are closed shut and served anyway, that’s bad. When your prawns are overcooked and mushy that’s bad too. When you demand a gratuity, that’s worst. I am an American and I’ve traveled to over 20 countries, I tip when appropriate and I leave my Americanism-ness in America. If I were having this meal in America, it would have been sent back to the kitchen and the only thing I would have paid for were the drinks. I will not be dining at this establishment again and I employ anyone else not to dine...