SEM Restaurant — Restaurant in Lisbon

For our honeymoon, we wanted a special dining experience without the formality of a Michelin-star restaurant. Our choice, SEM Restaurant, recommended by the Michelin Guide, didn't disappoint.

The food was outstanding, with each dish exploring different flavours and incorporating local elements. The wine pairing was unique and equally excellent, particularly the sparkling orange wine, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

The ambience was pleasant, enhanced by our window seat view of the famous No. 28 tram zooming by in the evening. However, the rest of the view included some rundown buildings and a construction site, which was less appealing but added a "hidden street" vibe. The main downside was the cramped seating. The tables were too close together, causing the waiting staff to frequently bump into tables and knock cutlery off tables due to the lack of space. Despite this, the atmosphere was nice and not overly busy.

The service was outstanding, matching that of a Michelin-star restaurant but with a casual, quirky touch that made us feel welcome and allowed us to relax and enjoy our evening with some light-hearted jokes.

One of our guests is gluten-free, and their adaptations were well received. Although some elements were not directly compared to the regular dishes, a slightly larger portion size for the alternative would have been appreciated.

Overall, SEM is a hidden gem tucked away on one of the old streets. It showcases what a Michelin-recommended restaurant can achieve without being too pretentious or overly pricey. The local influences and casual, street-vibe setting gave the whole experience a touch of expert rusticness. We would definitely...

Phenomenal! I’d read a bit on the website about their zero waste and sustainability focus and was intrigued but once we were seated all focus was on the food. Beautiful and creative combinations from a mushroom and cardamom leaf broth that somehow reminded me of borsch to raw slivers of white asparagus that tasted unlike any asparagus I’ve ever had. The last dish-pork served with acorns - was brought over by the owner herself (filling in on the floor as they were short staffed) and she took the time to explain how the dish represents the height of Portuguese regenerative farming - the pigs eat the acorns from the ground, aerating the soil and further fertilizing it. Now this is one “flavor of climate consciousness” that i can get behind. Delicious! The passion and joy of the kitchen is evident and we enjoyed talking to her.

We didn’t do the wine paring but the sommelier recommended three glasses throughout our meal and all were great Portuguese whites and reds.

They were able to accommodate our dairy-free and gluten-free needs and brought us the most superb gluten free bread I have had in a decade-lightly charred over the fire and the olive oil served with it somehow managed to taste like honey.

We had a seat by the window so enjoyed the charming tram rolling past and sunset colors. Lovely ambiance, would highly recommend if you visit Lisbon as a culinary treat. One of our servers, Maria even took the time to share her list of favorite places in Lisbon and we really...

I have mixed feelings about Sem. On one hand, most of the food is pretty tasty, especially the alentejo pork and the fish. The cooking techniques are interesting and I did feel that the restaurant lives up to its ethos of being innovative and minimizing waste.

The drawbacks: 72 euros per person is quite expensive for what it is, especially given that there are other cheaper and equally good options, and that they serve invasive species and many fermented ingredients. The whole experience felt a bit stingy - they charge for regular water, there was no amuse bouche or petit four, and they only give you a tiny piece of bread to start. some of the descriptions are a bit misleading, e.g. they crush things up into a powder rather than serving the actual ingredient on the plate (e.g. pimiento padron). not a single server at this restaurant appears to be from Portugal and only one wait staff speaks Portuguese. I’m a tourist, but this was a bit strange given that my partner and I are Portuguese speakers. That said, the service was good. we asked to order wine by the glass and we were told they did not have a menu for that. So we had to ask the prices of each individual glass that we ordered, which was awkward. One time we forgot to ask, and the glass of wine turned out to be 14 euros- the most expensive glass I encountered in 2 weeks travelling Portugal and Spain. the dessert courses were very...