O Gambuzino — Restaurant in Lisbon

I knew I was going to love this restaurant as soon as I heard that they ferment their own kombucha, tempeh, kimchi, and pickles. Not only did it live up to my expectations, but it ended up being so good that I came for dinner two nights in a row (out of my 3-night stay in Lisbon).

I started with a bottle of the kombucha; the current flavor was apple mint cucumber (made with black tea). Really enjoyed it. It has a homebrew vibe. Pleasantly cloudy. Well-flavored. Mild natural fizz. Not particularly sour. Served with a little strainer if you care to avoid any stray pieces of goo (although there weren’t really any that I noticed).

After that came the sourdough focaccia (served with olives, miso butter, and Algarvian style pickled carrots - super fun) and the hummus. All extremely fresh and good.

The appetizers: the kimchi krupuk (rice crackers with kimchi) is a must-try. They come topped with crunchy diced cucumber and bell pepper, but the kimchi is the star of the show. Spicy, sour, and delicious. The pani puri gaspacho was super fun. They had created a new menu item, homemade seitan with fermented onion, but they were sadly out of it when I visited.

Next onto the entrees. The gado gado (homemade black bean and peanut tempeh with chard, sweet potato, and charred orange) was one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. I’m still daydreaming about it, and already planning my next trip to Lisbon just so I can get more of this tempeh. If you’ve never had fresh, unpasteurized tempeh before, it’s mind-blowing. Not even in the same category as the generic tempeh found in American supermarkets. So funky and fermenty it almost tastes chocolatey. The veggie accompaniments including the succulent sweet potatoes fill it out into the perfect meal that was bursting with so much flavor that I barely used any of the satay sauce that comes on the side.

The xerem do mar (confit celeriac fillet) entree is innovative, delicious, unforgettable. How brilliant to use the naturally layered celeriac to mimic the layers of fish flesh. The bed of polenta with delicious mushrooms and herby cornmeal croutons elevate it into a crowd-pleasing and comforting dish.

The popular tofu bibimbap entree is excellent, hearty, and beautiful - a true rainbow of vegetables. It comes with some of their signature kimchi as well as super fun pickled red cabbage (both of which pack a lot more flavor than the red pepper sauce). I was hoping to add some tempeh to this dish, but the server told me that was impossible. Disappointing, but I get it. Their tempeh deserves to be the star of its own dish, not an adjunct.

Onto dessert. The staff were really kind about clarifying which desserts contained coconut, which I was looking to avoid. I got the banoffee, which was a banana tart made with almond crust and topped with chantilly and a caramel-y crunchy cracker. Really refined and delicious.

As an additional endorsement, very non-vegan best friend said it was the best vegan food she’s ever had, and that everything she tried was incredible (especially the celeriac fillet and the banoffee dessert).

They are quite busy starting around 7 or 8, so do try to make a reservation! They are also extremely responsive and helpful over Instagram if you have any questions before you go.

In summary - life-changing vegan food! If you’re into high-quality fermented products, O Gambuzino is worth planning a whole trip around. Make a reservation...

To begin, I rarely provide a one-star review, as most businesses do not warrant such a rating. I would typically give a business a second chance in the event of a single bad day. However, O Gambuzino performance after my initial visit was so poor that a second opportunity was not feasible.

After reviewing the reviews for O Gambuzino, I was eager to try their establishment. I made an online reservation for 6:30 PM. We arrived a few minutes early and were promptly seated, with no customers present inside or outside the restaurant. The server informed us that the kitchen would open in 15 minutes, allowing us to order drinks and wait until it did. I was confident that this would be a smooth experience.

I believe that all businesses experience occasional setbacks, but how they address these issues is what distinguishes them. However, after being seated, the server disappeared for approximately 10 minutes without taking our drink order. When she returned, she took both our drink and food orders. Within a few minutes, our drinks arrived. Subsequently, our appetizers were served a few minutes later.

The “scallops” (king mushrooms) were acceptable but not exceptional, exhibiting a slight chewiness. By this time, our drinks had been consumed and required refilling. Unfortunately, the server was nowhere to be found. Instead, the manager was seen leaning against a wall on his personal phone, indulging in unprofessional screen time.

After a 10-minute wait, we placed our glasses on the table next to us in the hope of attracting attention. The manager eventually noticed and removed the glasses. Despite the absence of a server, the server was still outside socializing with other servers and a friend. Frustrated, I approached the manager and inquired about the possibility of receiving service soon or if our server was overwhelmed. However, the manager seemed to misunderstand my request. He finally asked, “What? Do you need more drinks?”

At that point, I was beyond patient. Some of the worst service I have experienced in a restaurant had transpired. I informed the manager that we simply required our check, without any apologies or explanations. Instead, we were presented with a bill for $26, which included two drinks and...

The best vegan restaurant I have ever been to, period. I started my journey with a Margarida, an amazing cocktail with just the right amount of sweetness and foamy texture of aquafaba on top. I asked the sweet potato tempura with poppy seed alioli but I could have gone without it. Don't get me wrong: it was delicious, but it didn't have the WOW factor the other things I ordered had. The vieiras are a must at O Gambuzino, as a vegan of 2 years, I missed that seafood consistency and it blew me away. The flavor combination with the pea purée and the lemon foam was mind-blowing and it keeps you wanting more. Do not hesitate to order it.

I could have stopped at that and my review would have been 5 stars already, but I decided to be super extra and I also ordered bibimbap. I had tried the vegetarian version at Korean restaurants, so I had an idea about what to expect. What arrived was beyond my expectations: that egg yollk was sooo close to the original, I really think it can fool many egg-eaters on the regular. Another thing I really liked was that each "portion" of the dish was perfectly seasoned, nothing seemed like just a filler. I could taste sweet, spicy, sour and savory at the same time. I wasn't hungy anymore, but I ate the entire dish because of its delicious flavor.

Of course, the levels of hunger have nothing to do with ordering dessert, so I asked the cheesecake and, once again, I was completely surprised and marveled. I really loved that the dough wasn't terribly sweet (which is something that usually happens to vegan cheesecake, due to the excess of dates) and it was a perfect match with the almond cream cheese and the miso salted caramel. OMG, miso brought such an umami flavor and depth that I appreciated a lot. The size of the dessert is just about right and let me tell you about that sesame seed crunchy textures on top: incredible.

I would go back instantly if I could. With this incredibly (and even price-convenient) dinner, O Gambuzino has become my favorite restaurant of all time. If you're a local or just visiting Portugal, please do yourself a favor and try their delicious treats. You will not be...