Zunzum Gastrobar — Restaurant in Lisbon

Quite remote at the cruise ship harbor, but also just 300m walk from the blue metro line final stop Sta. Apolonis, so just 2 stops from downtown lisbon lies an adventure to explore …

They are Michelin tracked (so no star but on their watch out list for great quality for decent price) - so I went for the 6-course Tasting Menue (68€) and to my joy some of the dishes I would have chosen anyway on the a la carte menue came up … so there is a la carte choice as well.

Avocado Toast : a thin cracker topped with avocado mouse and crab meat, and salmon roe … a tasty experience when the salmon roe explodes in your mouth … great fishy crusty super food starter

Tuna tartare tartlet - delicious tuna fresh and tender was for my taste a bit over-shadowed by the lime but otherwise nicely done with a thin tartlet shell barely keeping it all stable together - so rather go for it fast

Ceviche - what a dish served in a bowl floating in a sauce little onions tweak your taste buds, popcorn (!) gives the crunch, passion fruit the fruity tone and the fish is just tasty fresh. Enjoy

Creamy rice with fish and coriander - not too intense on the coriander so well-balanced - this famous local dish creates a warm feeling of „coming home“ - comforting the soul in a subtle way and not to dominant

Then the surprise : Thin layered Beef „souvlaki style“ on a skewer with nice cubes of fried polenta and red peppers cream - actually a nice variation after all the fish dishes, for me a bit on the too oily side of things and as a little „road bump“ in the tasting menu

And as a pudding : A creme Catalan style dessert with a creamy sweet honey glacé … some raspberries that finish all in...

I came here initially for lunch, and enjoyed it so much that I returned again another day for dinner. All the dishes were delicious, flavourful and beautifully presented without being pretentious, and indeed this applies to their style of cuisine too. No wildly unusual ingredients or techinques were usedm but instead the focus is clearly on updating traditional cuisine and elevating it to a higher level of refinement. At lunch, the pork croquettes were simple but elevated with a citrus sauce, and the fish stew (dish of the day) was heartwarming and generously portioned. For dinner, the Alentejo pork was perfectly cooked, tasted delightful and was accompanied by some pickled vegetables which cut through the richness of the meat well. A thoughtful flavour combination.

It is definitely worth saving room for their beautiful desserts, which were probably the highlights of two excellent meals. The traditional pradim pudding was unusual and very rich and satisfying, whereas their banoffee choux was very light yet delectable. You are also served petits fours at the end which were all wonderful too and a nice touch.

The service on both occasions was excellent, with both hosts happy to talk about Lisbon and recommendations for places to visit (as the restaurant was very quiet both times perhaps because it is located near the empty cruise terminal).

Whilst the restaurant is a little expensive by Lisbon standards, the quality was very high and I thought represented great value for money, and I was extremely satisfied by my experience on both occasions. I would thoroughly...

Good news, Chef! You've won the red plaque outside, with the "Bib Gourmand" label, your published cookbook memoir is not-so-subtlety displayed on shelving within 3m of the guests, along with a couple bottles of your wine (no photo, but your name is prominent).

As one of the guests, the food during my Monday "no-reservations," dinner wasn't too bad, such as the octopus stir fry, despite being drowned in sauce. Although, when I originally saw the grilled turbot, I thought, "portion control," but a lot of the perceived volume is the bones. The other guests might need that extra nutrition, considering the time I expended to fully de-bone the plated fish.

Next comes the second part of, "Good news, bad news." The food may have been acceptable, but the service definitely was not.

The two inattentive servers spent too much time watching the bartender make drinks or staring at the cooks through the pass, and not monitoring only 5 tables of guests, as more than one table looked for help or assistance.

When one guest, at the table next to me, complimented the swordfish ceviche, the server could not answer basic questions about the preparation if the dish, and did not offer to find answers to those questions. "Sorry. I don't know." (That's it? Should I just guess?)

Perhaps the Monday night is training night for the weaker members of staff, but I doubt it.

I may return, but it's going to be a while.

2023 09...