Solar do Bacalhau — Restaurant in Lisbon

Solid traditional Portuguese food, albeit largely catered toward tourists / hotel residents near Rossio Square. We weren’t in the mood to stray too far in our hunt for food on Christmas Day in Lisbon, so my mom and I decided to walk across the street from our hotel to give Solar do Bacalhau a shot. It’s a cute space, with lots of live seafood swimming about in their fish tanks, and an interesting pink / salmon-color for all of their decor, tablecloths, and napkins. We started off our meal with the codfish fritters, which were phenomenal — they were flaky in the center and nice and crispy on the outside, and there were a few small chunks of various veggies mixed in for a pop of color and texture. It also came on a bed of salad, which was super fresh and simple.

For our mains, my mom got one of their signature pork dishes, which includes a loin with slices of ham on top, and coated with a lovely, rich sauce. The pork was tender and the sauce was flavorful, and the ham also offered an extra bit of saltiness and a contrasting texture. The dish also came with fries, which were nice and crispy, although a bit lacking in seasoning. On my end, I opted for the grilled sea bass; it was well-grilled, with a nice char on the outside and a lot of tender, flaky meat. The fish was pretty fresh, although I wouldn’t say that it was the highest quality seafood I had had in Portugal. It came with a few boiled potatoes and sauteed spinach, which were both solid. We decided to end the meal with the Portuguese rice pudding, which was delightfully creamy and cinnamon-y — a great end to our Christmas food adventures.

Beyond the food, the service was phenomenal. The staff was incredibly diligent, clearing plates remarkably quickly (almost seconds after we finished), and refilling drinks with almost superhuman speed. Our server was also super helpful in helping us decide on what to eat; I was initially waffling on which type of fish to get, and he kindly informed me that all of their cod dishes aren’t fresh, but are frozen and salted…not necessarily the type of information I would expect a server to give out willingly, but I really appreciated the honesty, and it helped me settle on a dish that I was way...

I wish I could give this place zero stars. From the moment we arrived, the warning signs were there the kind of restaurant with glossy pictures plastered all over the menu and a crew of guys out front begging you to come inside. We decided to give it a try because they served lunch portions and we just needed a small bite while we waited for dinner.

The paella was, without exaggeration, the worst I have ever had in my entire life. It was bland, overcooked, and downright inedible. We asked for some French fries that never came, yet we still had to make sure they weren’t added to the bill. Speaking of the bill imagine our surprise when we were charged for bread that no one ever told us would cost money. Where I’m from, bread is complimentary, so it felt like a sneaky upcharge. Communication is important especially as a tourist restaurant you don’t assume anything

The whole experience screamed tourist trap bad food, careless service, and hidden charges. Lisbon is full of incredible, authentic places to eat, and this is absolutely not one of them. Do yourself a favor: avoid this place at all costs and seek out a genuine local...

Food was ok but they were definitely trying to rip us off when it came to the bill.

Our waiter put the card reader on the table with the total amount already on there - without giving us the paper receipt. It was higher than we expected so we asked to look at the receipt (he had it off to the side, hidden from us). Turns out he had put a 20% tip on top without our consent/knowledge. When we questioned it, he quickly deleted the total to give us the option to change the tip. This interaction seemed so deceitful.

AFTER ALL THAT, we still gave a tip. It was a smaller one as we were now unhappy and angry and I really wished we didn’t because he then commented rudely about the amount because it wasn’t what he wanted!

We feel like we should notify our guide not to recommend this place anymore to tourists as I can see other reviews saying the same thing.

A tip should be decided by the customer, not pre-determined by the waiter and then hidden from the customer. The receipt even says tip optional. Absolute scam so triple check your bill if you still want...