Provincia — Restaurant in Lisbon

This is our 4th time in this place and the last 2 times we had the worst experience with the waiters. The waiters change in that place but the attitude doesn’t. This time we only dropped by to have desserts and warm up with hot tea after a long evening walk. To start with The waitress who was taking our order was showing with all her appearance that she is annoyed with my kid playing with cutlery, although it was not at all loud, but I asked my kid to be quiet, because the woman was looking unkind at him. After that we ordered tea and she said that there is black tea option, my husband ordered coffee, we ordered desserts. Ina minute the waitress comes back and says there is no hot drinks except coffee. But my kids cannot have desserts without a drink and we were very cold from the walk so initially we were coming to drink hot drinks, it was important for us.

To not to cancel desserts and leave the place I started coming up with ideas how can we make hot drinks for my kids. I asked that maybe they can have milk but with foam as if cappuccino but without espresso. Waitress was not happy with it, she kept repeating: it is a restaurant, not a bar. I was surprised because first of all a good waiter would themselves try to invent something hot drinkable for kids, but it was me who was doing it. And second of all - in every cafe it is easy to make just milk without espresso. Its not a problem tor us to pay for it as for regular cappuccino.

Then my older kid reminded me that he doesn’t like pure milk, he needs inside at least a drop of espresso to change milks taste. So I hurried up to follow the waitress to say it to her, that we will need two foamed milks but with espresso on the side. When I told her this in a totally polite manner,as I always do, she repeated again: “it is a restaurant, not a bar, I don’t know if I can do this.“ I was shocked, it was said in a very rude manner. Then I said: If it is a restaurant then it is supposed to have at least tea. And she replied even ruder than before: “No! It is supposed to have food, not hot drinks”.

Then our nice family evening was just ruined. We all were very disappointed with that. And yes, last time we were here it was 6 months ago and it was about the same attitude. They always forget what you and it takes them 15 mins to bring the bill. This time it was the same, she forgot to bring tiramisu that we ordered and the bill was...

In the heart of Lisbon lies 'Provincia', an establishment dripping in 'old money' allure, with its low-lit ambiance and a decor reminiscent of an opulent past. As one steps in, an overpowering scent of cleanliness greets you—a boon for some, but perhaps overwhelming for the more olfactory-sensitive. One must give a nod to their musical curation, pitch-perfect in volume, allowing the delicate dance of conversation to proceed unhindered.

Alas, where 'Provincia' shines in some respects, it falters in others. The couvert, crudely presented, belies the promise of an upscale dining experience. Mere slabs of bread, accompanied by flavoured oil and butter? One would expect more, given the venue's pretensions.

Yet, hope was restored momentarily by the much-anticipated Neapolitan pizza—its zesty lime undertones melding seamlessly with the anchovies and capers. The botarga was, disappointingly, a ghost—promised, but elusive even to the most discerning of palates.

The grievous misstep, however, lay in the pace. Time, that precious commodity in dining, seemed lost on 'Provincia'. The startling rapidity with which our main course followed the couvert—merely two minutes—felt like an unwelcome gust of wind, blowing away any semblance of a relaxed evening.

Their wine list? Adequate, though without notable flair.

Yet, as the evening reached its denouement, redemption arrived in the form of dessert. A chocolate cake, accented with crumble and salted caramel, sang a sweet serenade, leaving us to wonder—what if the entire meal echoed this culinary triumph?

In sum, 'Provincia' left us underwhelmed, the hurried tempo serving as its cardinal sin. While curiosity might beckon a return for a drink at their bar, one wonders if 'Provincia', in its haste, would even grant the luxury of time to sip...

Since it's an intended upscale restaurant, I have to provide more details regarding the high- and lowlights.

Lowlights: they handed over the drinks cards, before we were even sitting (we made a reservation, they knew we were there for lunch) my table was not stable (seesawing) and when I asked for a piece of paper to adjust it, they had to change the whole table. (This didn't solve the issue entirely, since the issue seemed to be the floor) pizza dough was very thin, (more like many pizza bread starters) - but this might be a personal preference the portion was too small and I ordered another dish - can be also my personal problem. Not sure if it is intended that the customer is ordering a Pasta dish and afterwards a meat or fish dish. Price-wise it's the same?! - but the meat dish is bigger.

Highlights: The Ravioli dish with spinach and goats cheese filled is flavour-wise a very satisfying dish I ordered another dish afterwards: Saltimbocca with Alcegas was very delicious and a good portion! The Tiramisu is homemade and they were showing it by scoping the Tiramisu from the bowl in front of me - a very nice and many times underestimated detail!

We had some Focaccia as a starter, a cocktail, additionally I had a glass of wine and a coffee. Price: on the expensive sid, but 40€/per Person is fair, if everything else is...