O Trigueirinho — Restaurant in Lisbon

Shockingly bad experience today.

TLDR: Hair in my food, no apology (or even acknowledgment) and generally terrible service.

I arrived close to 3pm and waited at the door for a few minutes and no one greeted me.

I spotted the waitress inside and stood next to her. She saw me, looked me in the eyes, did not acknowledge me, and continued chatting to her friend for another minute, while I awkwardly waited.

Eventually there was a pause and I interrupted asking if this kitchen is still open (Google hours say they close 3.30pm.) She looked at me like I was an idiot before confirming.

I then requested to sit outside to which she immediately shot down with a no, despite another table starting their meal outside and there being two free tables.

After her colleague said something, she gestured to go outside. I immediately knew it was going to be a bad lunch and should have left but I gave them benefit of the doubt, after having a good experience there a few years ago on previous visits.

Anyway, I make my order. It came out fairly quickly, maybe 10-15 minutes. I asked the male waitor if he could bring me salt, and he said he'd be back with it in a moment.

That moment had me waiting for 10 minutes without eating before I got up and went inside to ask for it again. Obviously he forgot as he asked what I wanted when he saw me.

Food was OK until towards the end of my meal, when I found a hair under the tuna steak (pictured). Obviously I stopped eating and just waited for the waitress to come by, which took another 15 or 20 minutes.

I told her about the hair, she picked up the plate, and didn't even acknowledge it. I had to ask if she had seen it before she walked out of earshot, and she said yes.

No acknowledgement, no apology. Unbelievable.

She then had the audacity to put a desert menu on my table after I was served hair to eat. And was shocked when I said no.

Absolute jokesters.

You might have assumed they'd bring the bill soon after as I wasn't eating desert but I then waited another 20-30 minutes with no interaction or seeing them before I went inside to pay.

The only smile I received from the waitress was when I paid. And no mention of the hair, no discount / free beer or whatever,you might think they'd offer as an apology.

I had recommended this place to friends and fellow travellers visiting Lisbon before, but they have gone downhill and treated me with contempt, like a stranger, like I shouldn't be there.

And I won't be again. Give...

A local recommended this place and it always has a line so we had very high hopes but were disappointed by our experience. Some of the classic Portuguese dishes we expected to see were not on the menu, the kitchen leaned heavily towards grilled dishes. The grilled mackerel came with boiled potatoes and my dinner partner had the codfish cooked in the house style with fried potatoes. The portions were generous but the prices were normal for an area popular with visitors. The food was fine but was not anything particularly special and the flavoring was blander than we have eaten at other authentic Lisboa restaurants. The servers were distracted but pleasant. They take only cash but do not have signs out so us and several other tables had to go seek out the ATM--- a cash only sign would have been helpful. They did not have the two of the desserts we wanted to order so we went elsewhere for dessert.

If you can get in the first seating and or can be seated within 20-30 minutes this restaurant is nice to try but the food does not merit the hour(or more) long wait at peak dinner time. Overall, we walked away a little disappointed. Would not recommend waiting in the very long line of primarily visitors to Lisboa that quickly grew, we recommend arriving right at 7:30/19:30.

The atmosphere felt very authentic, it is in the heart of Alfama, staff were nice and it is always good to support a family...

I walked by this place on my first night in Lisbon, and am glad I came back for dinner. The night I got there, I was put on a waiting list, so I had a drink at the local fado club. The place was packed in early February, mostly a local crowd. When I returned, I ordered the blackened swordfish, which arrived as two narrow fish grilled and blacked to perfection accompanied with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage boiled in heavily salted water because nothing needed more seasoning. I had a 375 ml bottle of vino verde and the house dessert. The staff were friendly, helpful, and all smiles. I felt welcome, and I am a solo traveler. A classy joint and a great meal, what else could you ask for?

I highly recommend this two block neighborhood. I started my morning coffee here, explored Lisbon, had lunch somewhere else, but returned here every night for drinks, dinner, and fado. This was the sweetest place to land in Lisbon. Check out my Google reviews of these neighborhood joints: Cantinho do Aziz, O Trigueirinho, Union Empanadas, Tasqinha Canto do Fado, O Velho Eurico, and Leitaria Moderna. There are other places including an Italian restaurant and a gelato shop. You cannot go wrong staying in this area. The people were friendly, inviting, with big smiles and bigger laughs. I...