Taberna Carolina — Restaurant in Lisbon

I was looking for a place to eat in the Chiado area. And Taberna Carolina popped up on Google maps with good reviews, so I thought I’d give it a go. I was NOT disappointed!

Everything was mouthwateringly good. My wonderful waiter, João, explained how the dishes were small plates and meant to be ordered in multiples. Well, I took his advice and got the bread with 3 butters, crispy farinheira balls with goat cheese and home made pumpkin compote (the compote alone is enough to make me want to fly back), taberneiro’s codfish, and the marinated olives. If I had to pick, I’d say the farinheira balls were my favorite.

I also had a Gimlet Alentejano and Grandma’s Biscuit Cake. It was sweet without being too rich. Perfect ending to my lunch.

João was incredible! He saw that I was dining/traveling alone, so came over to chat with me for a little while. He was also kind enough to give me some recommendations on places in the city to check out and a couple of restaurants for dinner.

I highly recommend trying Taberna Carolina. You won’t leave disappointed...

This is the best food and experience we found in Lisbon / Chaido. (I have my own food business near San Francisco and I really care about this stuff. We ate here a couple times;)

It’s a classy quiet spot just off the rambunctious Praça Louis de Camõs, hidden behind the oldest Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs. Like my place, it has no signs. You know or you don’t.

I judge a restaurant on soup. Start with the soup here! Calo Verde - Grandmas recipe dolled up with amazing chorizo.

Get the cheese plate paired perfectly with some kind of brilliant sweet pumpkin compote.

The sandwich was great, I had two.

The classic cuttlefish salad with beans has a magic dressing you’ll never guess. Kimchi?

It’s all good. This place obviously chooses the best ingredients. Better yet, the staff seems like family.

Oh yeah, and the cocktails are next level paradoxical.

And, the presentation is thoughtfully...

Terrible service and food with small portions for the cost. Would give 0/5 stars if possible. Ordered the bread and three butters with marinated olives, caldo verde(soup) and Bifana. Bread and Bifana arrived to the table first. Bifana was cold, and not fresh. Waited so long for the soup thought it had been forgotten, had to flag the server and ask. Soup was brought out last, after all food was finished. Soup was very small, with minimal flavour. When the bill was brought there was espresso that we did not order added onto the bill. After reading many good reviews this was an extremely...