O Segredo D'Alfama — Restaurant in Lisbon

I really wanted to give this place 5 stars but unfortunately the service was terrible - because they take chances with you if you’re a tourist - which brings my overall rating down to 3 stars.

I’ll start with the good. The food was incredible! Starters, mains and dessert was delicious traditional Portuguese cuisine. The live fado music was breathtaking, which was the main reason we went to this restaurant.

And now for the bad… Our waitress Maria on the surface appears charismatic, friendly and helpful but it is just a facade. These were the deceptive tricks she tried to use on us:

1. Before we decided to sit down, we looked at the menu, the all inclusive option was €50 for the show, bread, starters, mains, dessert and coffee. She was telling us that we can save money if we just order both a starter and main then 15 euro for the show for both me and my friend. When you work it out, it works out to more money than €50 each for no bread, no desert and no coffee. This seemed a bit manipulative but gave her the benefit of the doubt that she wasn’t trying to trick us. So we agreed to sit and did the €50 all inclusive option.
2. When we sat down she told us the octopus and prawns were finished so we couldn’t order those from the menu. Conveniently, the most expensive items on the menu. I didn’t believe her because of what she said earlier, so I asked another waiter and the octopus and prawns were still available. She then came back and told us that there is one octopus still available (probably a lie too, but we ordered that one octopus).
3. It was the end of the evening and we hadn’t yet received our coffees that she told us was included. So I reminded her about it and she said she forgot then brought the coffees. Probably taking a chance to save money by not bringing our coffees.
4. When it was time to pay, she didn’t bring the slip. Just came with the machine and asked for €53.50 each (because me and my friend were splitting the bill). However, I only drank tap water so my part should’ve been only €50 because tap water is free. My friend ordered one coke to drink which is €3. So she was charging an extra €4 in total? So I asked her, and she pointed to the coffees on the table and someone else’s empty wine glass and said it was for the wine and coffees. Then I told her that the coffee is included in the €50 and the wine isn’t ours and she agreed then corrected the total amount we owed.

Maybe these 4 things were honest mistakes but it seemed that she was taking chances that could be excused as an honest mistake. However, these four things happened in one evening so it probably was intentional.

Other than that, I’d still recommend you try this place for the food and music. Just keep an eye out for...

This place was recommended by our hotel. While it is a tourist spot, it was very enjoyable and a highlight of our trip. Our hotel recommended a reservation between 8:00pm and 8:30pm. We arrived around 8:15pm. It is easily accessible by taxi or Uber. I recommend an Uber because it is very affordable and reliable. The Uber can drop you off fairly close to the restaurant, which is favorable especially for people who have difficulty walking the narrow, steep cobblestone streets.

The menu is a fixed price with a starter of tuna salad, garlic butter, olives and fresh bread. Then you can choose an appetizer - we chose the shrimp and sausage cornbread cakes, both were tasty. For the main course we chose the pork cheeks and the steak. Very tasty! Next time I would try the seafood. I believe the octopus and codfish would be delicious. The dessert was very light and just the right amount of sweetness - cheesecake and chocolate mousse with hazelnuts. We ordered the house wine by the glass. The staff were very kind and attentive.

We went on a Tuesday night and there was only one other couple. They left early and we had a private event! For us, we enjoyed this intimate experience after being around people all day long sightseeing.

I read some comments about the musicians leaving every so often. I was nervous before going due to these reviews, however the reality is that the musicians need a break after 3 songs. They performed 3 sets of songs, with each set consisting of 3 songs. They sing so passionately that they need a break. Also, the break allows the staff to bring food, clear dishes, and give guests a moment to talk. There is no talking while the musicians are singing. Please understand this isn’t music in the background while you eat - this is a musical performance of heart and soul that should be fully enjoyed without distraction.

They take credit card and the dress code seems to be casual. The music ended 11pm. All in all a very enjoyable experience and one that you shouldn’t miss during your...

As others have mentioned, this is a small, intimate restaurant with a big soul. The hostess (Ms. Maria Joao, I believe) is extremely pleasant and talks to everybody in every table, making sure to explain your food options, which are all delicious (she speaks multiple languages, I counted at least four). The waitress was very sweet, super polite and delicate in everything she does. Their chef is a pro and knows what he/she is doing for sure. We had the shrimp which was seasoned to perfection and the medalions of alheira sausage as starters. Both were delicious. Our main dishes were the bacalhau com broa and the octopus. The best such dishes I’ve tried, ever! A bottle of vinho verde paired really well with the bacalhau. Since the fado performances are supposed to be enjoyed as if you were seating in a theater, rather than treated as “background music”, they request total silence and dim the lights during each of multiple short performances during the night. What was fascinating to us was how the restaurant manages to orchestrate the food experience in between fado performances flawlessly, regardless of your reservation time. There was not one moment when we had no food or drinks in front of us, and they will not bring you food in the middle of the performances, which are typically 3 songs each, to avoid disruption of the experience. I am now a huge fan of the Portuguese guitar and its beautiful sound, besides the vocal performances of fado, filled with heart and sentiment. If you understand Portuguese, it’s even better of course. This was the highlight of our trip, and we can’t wait to visit again. My wife and I closed the place, and they were kind enough to even give us a very pleasant ride back to...