Parreirinha de Alfama — Restaurant in Lisbon

After having ordered 2 main dishes, 2 glasses of wine and a small bottle of still water, we were billed 105 euros. We decided then to ask for more clarifications to the manager. He argued that we were supposed to pay for the full menu regardless the number of dishes we ordered. He claimed as well that this policy was disclaimed in the physical menu we received once seated and highlighted by the waitress during the order. We would like to underline that it’s true that the physical menu reports the price of the menu, but it does not specify that the whole price would be applicable even in case of order of a single main dish. Moreover, this was NOT highlighted by the waitress. Nonetheless the manager was very ill temperature, while we were having a very calm behaviour. He presumed to be right, while we were trying to convey the message that the disclaimer is NOT straightforward and it should be amended. Instead of trying to understand our message, he argued that “if you have money to stay, you stay and you are welcome, otherwise you don’t come” (quotation). I believe this is not polite to say to any client.

Finally I would like to stress the attention on the fact that they do NOT accept credit card. Just to make it clear, it is well disclaimed the message, but in 2021 they should evolve. If they don’t want to pay huge fees to the banks, there is plenty of option in 2021 (almost 2022). I perfectly know that it is LEGAL not to accept credit card in Portugal (Italy, my country, just made it mandatory to avoid any problem), but it would be a great service for the clients.

To conclude the music show was good, but during the dinner the fire alarm was accidentally triggered. It rang for a bit (like 5 minutes no stop). The manager praised the music show to justify the price of the menu, but it didn’t say a word about the fire alarm (please, note that this kind of event can occur, but if you praise so much about the music to justify the price, take into account everything such as the fire alarm and the fact that we checked in at 8:07 pm and the only 2 dishes we ordered showed up at 9:10 pm).

Please just try to be more calm when dealing with clients :)

Thank you in advance for your reply. Please, if you don’t mind, you could share a picture of the...

I selected this location based on online reviews. I have no regrets. What a wonderful night! I felt very well cared for from the moment I came in. Chef de salle is an outstanding professional who gives each guest the sense that they're the most important figures. Help when selecting items from the menu is invaluable. I regret not asking for your name, but I'd want to thank you for your excellent service. So now - I read that many people did not enjoy the cuisine at Parreinha de Alfama. I believe this is because they are accustomed to modernised Portuguese cuisine. This restaurant serves mother's and grandmother's cuisine - they weren't terrified of use of cream or olive oil! In general I was quite impressed - it felt authentic. The wine list also offers something for everyone. For several days, I searched for a great Douro Oboe in Lisbon, which I drank there, but I could not find it. All the more reason to argue that it was a unique experience. But the truth is that you're here for fado. The evening is really well organised, and I'm shocked that some people couldn't decide whether to eat or listen to the music. The food has been served to the table; it is time to eat, and the fado is taking a break while you wait for the next course. Easy. Fado musicians are outstanding. Yes, I know - I also went to other spots in Lisbon. Yes, some of them may have a wonderful environment, but I've never seen such professionalism anyplace. I see why Amalia Rodrigues came here and had her favourite table. But tourists know better... It was a great experience for me. Both younger and older generations demonstrate a high level of artistic ability. There will be a lot of emotions, so be prepared for both laughter and tears. Don't worry if you don't speak Portuguese; the level of expression in fado is so great that unless you have a chicken's IQ, you'll comprehend the message. With the chef de salle, we debated whether the term fado should be translated as fate or destination. Very interesting; when I next visit Lisbon, I will surely return to Parreinha de Alfama to...

Lots to love here, but... My wife and I had dinner here during a recent visit to Lisbon. We wanted to experience some authentic fado. The good: the food was excellent, surpassed only by the quality of the service from the waitresses, who were professional, charming and efficient. Same goes for the fado. Excellent! The owner and his son play Portuguese guitar, while a male and female vocalist sing. We absolutely enjoyed the performances. The problem lies in the format. The performances begin as the guests are still having supper, yet the lights are dimmed to such a degree that you can't realistically keep eating, as you're no longer able to see anything on your plate. The performance goes on for about 20 minutes, then they stop, the lights come back on and the waitresses spring into action. By then our food was cold, and it was returned unfinished. 20ish minutes later, the fado began anew. This was presumably repeated several more times, but we left at the 2nd intermission. The equally annoying issue was the requirement for TOTAL silence during performances, and as others have noted, that extends to the sound of your cutlery touching your plate. "Noises" that my wife and I hadn't even noticed were continually being shussed by the owner as he played. I wish he would realized that his constant shushing was way more distracting than the sound of cutlery or whispers. I can understand and respect the need and requirement for silence during a "concert", but this is a restaurant. Dinner and a show, as it were. 2 groups arrived and were seated just before the first performance. They were "shushed" several times as they tried to see the menu and discuss it with their group. They left... In my opinion, it would make more sense to wait until everyone has finished eating before beginning the performances.

Also please be aware, there is a minimum 40€ charge for dinner here. And it was significantly more including a...