Príncipe do Calhariz — Restaurant in Lisbon

Please go hear at your own risk. We were recommended this place by our walking tour guide. We booked a table in advance and were super excited to go here. Got seated in a corner but the excitement was still there especially seeing all the people around enjoying the food. I barely saw any tourists or English speaking folks. As we weren't super hungry, we ordered house wine, water, some starters - olives, cheese, and grilled sardines. We waited more than 35 minutes to get the wine we ordered. Another 10 minutes later comes the olives. Meanwhile the water is still not there and we have already reminded the server thrice. We waited 5 minutes more and then started to drink from the bottle that we had in our bag. Infact the server saw us and still didn't get the water. After close to an hour, we get the cheese. Meanwhile the tables around us that got seated after us are already eating their main course. And so many tables around are getting the grilled sardines but there's no sign of ours. Finally after close to 65 minutes, the server comes and tells us that he forgot to inform us that sardines are over and that we should order something else. By this time it was already 22.00 . We both had had enough and asked him to get the bill. Then he decides to bring to the table the bottle of water we ordered more than an hour ago. I told him to take it back. I'm sorry this is such a long review but i had really high expectations from this place. I was willing to give it a benefit of doubt considering it was a Sunday evening. But it was very evident from their attitude that the staff barely cared for 1 unhappy Indian customer who had a small unimportant insignificant order compared to the large amounts of food ordered on other tables. I wish I could give 0...

The food is a solid 4. Maybe 5. Service is one. Maybe zero. The drama gets five stars. The place was packed with locals on a Sunday night. Miguel, our server may have been having a bad day and was definitely unhappy on having to wait on another table. He sighed when we asked for an item to be added to the order, wagged his finger when asking a refill of water, and told us that he was busy when asking for more vino. To be fair, he was not just rude to us foreigners, but to local patrons as well, except for a family seated right next to us. He seemed to know them, joked and backslapped, and took them to the dessert counter to show the sweets. There was a kitchen that opens through a window. The servers were coming there, slamming down used dishes, and shouting at the harried workers for more food. The women working in there were shouting back, often restrained by a matronly Mrs. Patmore look alike, who kept on serving these delightful dishes while being on the verge of exasperation and tears. I was seated right in front of this window, and while I felt bad for Ms. Patmore, the drama was delightful. So go for the drama. Stay for the food. The bad service is the price you have to pay for...

As someone from the industry I am very very forgiving when it comes to a really busy place but this was shocking.

At the end of the day we are just there to eat and they are there to take your money.

Food looked and smelled incredible but I was not able to eat anything as I walked away after waiting a half hour and watching 3 other groups get seated before me. Obviously because I was only one person.

Food was being prepared for cooking by one man and cooked by another. I felt the only person who cared about me was the busiest person in the restaurant, yes, one man cooking for a full house. Kudos to him, he constantly bothered the service staff to help me but they could not care less even after I approached them calmly about seating the other guests before me, the response was "speak to that person, its got nothing to do with me".

Its worth noting that in my time waiting, I could not help but notice uncooked pork left on top of garlic that is served fresh on meat and potatoes to guests. They must really trust their pork because that can make someone really ill.

Food may do the Portuguese justice but the...