Tasca do Bairro — Restaurant in Lisbon

This was not just the best restaurant we visited in Lisbon but one of the best culinary experiences of our lives - not an exaggeration.

We had tried several highly rated places on previous nights of our holiday but wanted a real local's place on our last night. We walked in and were greeted by Fernando, who didn't even offer us a menu but just asked if we liked meat or fish, and then gave us some options. Whilst some may have balked, we went along for the ride and were given incredible sea bass and pork loin. We had olives and bread included and when I finished the (amazing) pork, he brought over some more meat for me.

Having avoided supposed fado spots for fear of being caught in a tourist trap, we were lucky to find that there was a fado performance that night by the owner's (Mario) mother and others. It was absolutely beautiful and an experience I'll remember forever. When we were about to leave for fear of overstaying our welcome, Fernando asked why we were not drinking and poured us more drinks! We even got given some shots. We had great conversations with Fernando and the locals in the restaurant.

We had no idea what to expect when it came time to pay the bill as we hadn't seen a single menu or price, but for: olives, bread, a jug and a half of wine, several beers, sea bass and chips, pork loin and chips (with extra meat), as well as a round of drinks we bought for the fado performers, it cost us €80 between two of us. We paid €100 instead because we were so thankful and even then I feel like it wasn't enough.

Please visit this restaurant - you will not regret it. I hope we can come...

Food: The T-bone steak was good but I feel like they could have rendered a bit more of the fat to make for a perfect steak. The value however is really good for the portion that you get. He asked me 'Meat or fish'? And honestly, when you only give your diner two choices, you have to deliver. And deliver they did.

Service: Fernando was jovial, funny and his service alone makes it worth visiting. The staff were all polite, checked in with me a couple of times while I was asking and was happy and making jokes when I was enjoying my steak.

Atmosphere: It was a quieter part of the day, but you can tell that everyone there was extremely comfortable.

'Trust takes years to build and seconds to break.' was something he said to me before I left.

If you are reading this review, you should enjoy the trust that Fernando and his team have worked hard to build and you will have a...

(tourist) We felt welcome and fed like family, a warm and unforgettable experience contrasted to the many delicious but more tourist-oriented restaurants. We walked past two different evenings and saw them filled with Portuguese diners. Turns out we missed regular fado performances! We returned on a calm Sunday evening and had one of our most memorable meals in Lisbon. Our host was welcoming, attentive, and hilarious. Though they had a menu it was clear the real deal was the fish or meat of the day the chef was grilling. For a fixed price 20 euro each, we each got ample olives, bread, salad, a choice of whole sea bream or a large sea bass filet, cooked greens, basically bottomless house wine, dessert (from a local patisserie - the mango custard was...