Trobadores - Taberna Medieval — Restaurant in Lisbon

Abridged for the weary wayfarer and the hasty townsfolk alike:

By all means do go in, lay off your burdens for as long as you may and take the time to enjoy and cherish the uniqueness of this venue, the calm amenity of its tap-room, the ample variety of food and drinks, the cooks outstanding craftsmanship and the overall courtesy and obligingness of their staff!

Comprehensive relevant excerpt from our travel journal:

“(...) thus we were more than lucky that my companion was observant enough to notice this venue in passing as we were precisely looking to take a good rest and an invigorating meal afore the final stage of our prolonged journey.

The busy hubbub of the Lusitanian capital and the still sweltering heat of the declining day quickly fell away from us like a hastily dropped heavy burden, even as we made our way down into the commodious tap room.

We were courteously welcomed, promptly seated by the gracious waitstaff and then downright spoiled for choice by the copious menu, which we took ample time to study. We finally decided on duck with orange and garlic rice for my companion and roasted octopus with baked mashed potato balls and spearmint for myself.

Facing the sequent prospect of yet another few hours on the caravan trail, we had to forgo the allure of mead, let alone stronger beverages and opted instead for liquid bread as potation. Alas, as the designated coachman, even then I could only take a sip from my companions jar of the house’s own exquisite brew while settling for the teetotal variant of the prevalent Lusitanian brand - while not by itself a bad choice, it felt utterly unexciting compared to the vast offer of rare and daintily sounding choices thereby available.

The drinks arrived cool and almost immediately, the food was hot and served not long after, everything tasted absolutely delicious and the waitstaf proved more than solicitous. I also relished the dessert of the week - which turned out to be ‘Leite Crême’, the Lusitanian (and in my humble opinion, much scrumier) version of ‘Crème Brûlée’ - while my companion was already comfortably sated by the main course.

In accordance with local custom, we each finally ended our meal with a ‘bica’, which was brought by the young innkeeper himself, who then also took time for a truly amicable and engaging conversation with us.

All in all t'was thus with a sense of contentment deriving from much more than physical nourishment, that we resumed our journey - despite a sojourn that felt much shorter than it had actually been.

A last noteworthy peculiarity: Throughout the whole time, there seemed to have been a whole contingent of bards hidden away somewhere out of sight, taking turns performing alone or in groups, as a diverse and yet always thematically fiting chain of soft and pleasant tunes continuously played in the background - perfectly rounding up the atmosphere and subtly reifying the name of this most remarkable Inn: ‘Os Trobadores’!”

We thank Thee for the enthralling experience, we’ll be sure to return whenever we happen to be in the vicinity. Conversely we genuinely hope for the occasion to arise someday, that we may also meet up at a similar genre convention or fair in a realm somewhat closer to us. ‘Até à próxima!’ and mayest...

This is not a restaurant. This is a dinning experience, and it is undoubtedly a great one.

You walk into this incredibly well decorated medieval tavern where every visual element ranging from the lighting to the ornaments transport you back in time to experience distant flavors of dishes of a time long gone.

The service is amazing. They commit to the experience by dressing accordingly in medieval attires, even during hot summers. They are also very polite, fast, and efficient. They know their menu well and are ready to make recommendations in case you’d like to know more about dishes or what drinks to pair them with.

The food was delicious and honestly, quite unique. I had never tasted rabbit prepared like that, or pickled deer. The bread was a bit on the hard side, but everything else was delicious.

Most people come here for their famous fire sausage, which is also quite a treat. Served on fire at your table, it can also be requested previously cooked if you wish to avoid possible fire hazards. A bit on the salty side, but you can pair it nicely with their mead to balance out the flavors.

The ladies will welcome you with a tapas cart, which is a nice start before you move on to a bigger meal. The rabbit or the deer are great if you’re feeling adventurous, otherwise the charcuterie board or honey cheese are safe bets.

Some themed restaurants overlook the importance of music and audio in terms of what it brings to the table, but not here. It could only be better if they had an actual bard playing live, but the medieval tracks they provide go nicely with the experience and are not too loud or invasive to disrupt or limit conversation.

Although quite medieval in style going with the theme, visually, their bathrooms were very modern and clean.

The locale is housed in an older building, so handicap access might be difficult but not impossible.

Children might appreciate the experience as well, and there are chicken dishes available for them to enjoy but I would consider this more of a treat for adults than for younger clients who might not appreciate the theme or flavors as much.

Vegetarian options can be arranged but the menu itself doesn’t necessarily cater to them.

If you have dietary restrictions let them know so they can accommodate or inform you what to avoid in case of allergies.

Parking might be a bit tricky in the area but there are some paid and unpaid options around, but easier to get here by foot or...

Ensure that you visit whilst you are in Lisbon.

Every element of this restaurant was perfect. From the design of the menu, to the decor and the food and drink itself - exceptional.

We were hosted and served by Mariana who was phenomenal the entire evening. She was knowledgable, perfect with timing and made great suggestions.

We tried a whole range of the menu between 2 of us.

We started by viewing the cart which they try to route the options of regularly. I cannot recall the names, but we tried 3 dishes. One contained Octopus, one Veal and the other was Partridge. All 3 were incredibly tasty, but the cold Veal dish was definitely a stand-out option.

There are 3 meads available in 2 different sized offerings. Ensure that you opt for the larger of the 2 as for the ~1 euro difference in cost you appear to get significantly more. All 3 were faultless with their own undertones traits. There is a neutral, a sweet and a much heavier hitting. I would recommend trying all 3, with the sweeter of the 3 being my personal favourite. At 5 euros each, it is a must.

Our mains were exquisite. I opted for their house steak and French fries. The meat was beyond delectable, cooked as requested (medium rare) and the fries tasted like deep fried potato wedges, without the over zealous artificial oily finish. They were a real surprise and again, a must try whilst visiting.

We tried their poster Flaming Sausage, which we chose to have the experience of cooking ourselves and wow. We didn’t really know what we were doing, regardless, it was easily the best sausage I have ever tasted. It was accompanied by bread too, so that is worth noting - of course it was great bread too (2 different variants).

Finally, we finished with their Chocolate Mousse which would typically come with a sprinkle of nuts on top, but they were very considerate of my nut allergy throughout the entire evening and it was prepared without. Needless to say, fantastic.

Our entire meal was enjoyed with a live band playing many old Irish songs that perfectly captured the old medieval tavern feel, reminiscent of what you would hear in the Witcher series for example and games.

Do not hesitate to visit this...