Taberna do Bairro alto — Restaurant in Lisbon

Wow! Sarah and I moved to Lisbon a few months ago and have been delighted to sample and support the many restaurants and cafes here as they reopen following lockdown. We’ve enjoyed some lovely meals and met some wonderful people and basked in the marvelous vibes of open plazas and historic sites. But we have only recently explored the Bairro Alto neighborhood and turned down Travessa da Boa Hora (Happy Hour Lane, we were told ) where we discovered Taberna do Bairro Alto, an intimate, historic restaurant featuring local Portuguese fare with a tiny twist. We have now dined there twice, and Sarah and I both have relished the polvo (octopus), a dish we have only eaten since we moved here and which we now absolutely love, and I also have had the dourado (sea bream) while Sarah had the salmon steak that was moist and perfectly tasty. Their polvo is grilled with olive oil and was just perfect, crispy outside and melt in your mouth inside. Best, yet, it has a touch of some spicing that brought out the flavors in a way we’ve not experienced before. Also, lightly fried garbanzo beans (crunchy outside and soft inside) and tiny crumbs of crispy cornbread provided a foil and delicious accompaniment! The dourado was served whole, of course, and it was also done to perfection, with the meat so flavorful and rich! As it typical for this cuisine, both dishes were served with potatoes and I had some sliced veggies, and they were all magnificently flavorful and done with a slight crispiness. The staff and chef Sudeep were gracious and attentive and we cannot wait to return and to bring friends! If you enjoy traditional Portuguêse seafood and preparations, do not miss this slightly hidden gem in Bairro Alto. Tell them David &...

We went to this restaurant near my hotel, and I honestly regret it. We started with the fried calamari. The rings looked unnaturally round, and the texture was completely wrong. When I bit into them, they tasted like some strange, rubbery substitute with only a faint hint of fish — definitely not the fresh squid rings I was expecting. Sure, you can cover a lot with thick batter, deep frying, and dipping sauce, but seafood is my main diet, and I know when something is off. If this really was squid, it must have been sitting in a freezer for years. For the second course, I pointed to the picture of Bacalhau à Brás on the menu, and the waitress told me, “It’s cod fish.” Naturally, I assumed I was getting a proper fish dish — maybe a stew or at least something with pieces of fish, like the picture suggested. Instead, what arrived was a giant plate of shredded potatoes with onions and barely any trace of fish. It was dry, heavy, and honestly unpleasant to eat. This dish should have been presented as a side or recommended for sharing, not served as a main course for one person. I’m on vacation — I didn’t come here to eat a mountain of dry potatoes for dinner! Calling this “cod fish” is misleading. It’s like serving clam chowder and just saying “it’s clam.” This is basically a potato dish with a tiny bit of salted fish mixed in — you hardly see the fish at all. The menu descriptions were unclear, the waitress didn’t bother to explain properly, and the entire experience left me frustrated and disappointed. I had to pay the bill with empty stomach, definitely not a place I...

Taberna do Bairro Alto is without doubt one of the best places in Lisbon if you are looking for fresh fish and traditional Portuguese flavors in a cozy, lively setting. The location itself is unbeatable right in the heart of Bairro Alto surrounded by the charm of old streets, yet with a warm and inviting interior that makes you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy a long meal. The service here is exceptional. The staff are friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, always ready to recommend the perfect wine to pair with your meal or explain the story behind a traditional dish. It truly feels like dining among friends. When it comes to the food, everything is outstanding, but the fish dishes here are on another level. The bacalhau is cooked to perfection soft, flavorful, and full of the classic Portuguese taste that makes it the star of the national cuisine. If you want something lighter to start with, the pastéis de bacalhau are a must-try. Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, and absolutely delicious the kind of snack that disappears too quickly from the table. Another highlight is the dourada (sea bream), without question one of the best fish dishes I’ve had in Lisbon. Freshly grilled, delicate, and seasoned just right, it captures the essence of Portuguese seafood at its best. And if you still have room after this fish feast, the desserts are the perfect ending – from traditional sweets to creamy indulgences, each one is...