Bela Lisboa Restaurant — Restaurant in Chattanooga

My boyfriend and I booked a reservation here for a late Valentine’s Day dinner. We’re both in the service industry, and I asked if I was being too critical or if it genuinely was a bad experience. It was a bad experience.

Right off the bat, parking was confusing. I dont want to deal with parking tickets so we ended up paying for the garage across from Totto. It says on the door that there is parking in rear, but every spot has a “berkshire hathway only” sign on it. The one guy running the front got us seated. We were handed our menus and started to look through everything. We had chosen this place for the lava rock experience. We order our pichana and I got an Amaretto sour. I was a little peeved because the guy had dirty iced my drink (he didnt strain the cocktail and top with fresh ice) and it was watered down. When it came to the stone, we didnt really know what to expect and weren’t given an explanation. At this point, we still had high hopes.

The steak and stone came out alongside a side of potatoes, squash, and zucchini (the only redeeming part because it’s honestly so hard to mess up squash and potatoes). We were under the impression that it would be prepared for us and didn’t expect to prepare our food ourselves. We were not given the option of preparing it ourselves or having someone do it for us.

Thankfully I work at the steakhouse further down Cherokee Boulevard or else we wouldn’t have any idea of how to cook a medium rare steak. I cook steaks for tables and understand how it feels to be swamped and unable to cook, however, we were 1/3 tables at the time. Our hot stones came out at two different temperatures with mt boyfriend’s being much cooler than mine. He had to use mine and ask for a new re-heated stone. We had to cut into our steaks with butter knives which wasnt the most efficient way to cut, but hey we were hungry and over it.

Service-wise, our waiter/host/bartender/food runner was super nice and friendly, but it felt like we were an afterthought. I had finished my cocktail before our food even came out and my empty glass sat on the table (in an accessible spot) until we left. He checked in on us, but it felt like it was just another chore on the to-do list.

Overall, we are very disappointed in our experience. We had high hopes considering that 1) Ive been wanting to try this place for over a year 2) I’ve heard that its a hidden gem on Northshore. My boyfriend ended up taking his food to-go because of how long it took for his steak to be at his preferred temperature. For $64, I would’ve gone to another restaurant. If I wanted to cook for myself, I wouldve gone to a Korean...

My boyfriend and I visited Bela Lisboa while vacationing in Chattanooga this past Labor Day weekend, 2025. We were lucky to get their last reservation available for the night, and despite running late, we were told not to rush when we called. We were greeted at the door by Mary Michael Goolsby, who also turned out to be our server for the evening. She was a perfect representation of this restaurant and what was to come. Kind and well spoken with utmost professionalism, she was exceptionally accommodating. Once sat at our table, a comfortable 2 top in the corner by the windows, Mary Michael began explaining how this restaurant had just reopened, due to a fire that occurred above them earlier in the year that had forced them to close down. She discussed the menu with ease, pairing it with a selection of drinks and wines available. She was attentive but not pushy, described the dishes eloquently, and helped us make our selections. I decided on 3 appetizers (muscles, giant garlic prawns, and seafood bisque) while my boyfriend went for the Picanha on the stone. A small plate with a selection of olives drenched in olive oil, alongside freshly cooked, warm bread, arrived first. Next was the wine, Curvos, an excellent Portuguese Alvarinho that the owner recommended. Fresh and crisp, it has taken over as my top choice in wines. The food came next and it was not rushed, giving us ample time to talk and enjoy the wine and atmosphere. The dishes were brought out by the owner, an upbeat and friendly young man who greeted us warmly. We spoke briefly and he let us know that he and the chef were business partners, and confirmed that this was their grand reopening. He was careful to point out the hot plates, especially my boyfriend’s as it was still cooking on a hot stone. The presentation was immaculate. The aroma coming from the food was tantalizing, and the flavors….well there are no words. I wish I could’ve shook hands with the chef! Rich, deep flavors were perfectly cooked into the food. My boyfriend’s meat, a Brazilian cut, literally melted into our mouths. The seasoning of the prawns was perfection, as were the mussels and the bisque. This was hands down one of the most delicious dinners I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. From the greeting to the beautiful, soft lit atmosphere, to the excellent service and perfectly cooked food, it was an A++ experience that we will not soon...

This was my first visit to this unique restaurant and well worth it. Now parking is alittle tricky with having a restaurant in a building complex right of a main road in north shore Chattanooga but here is the scoop. Facing the restaurant two the left is a big lawyer parking lot. Don't park there ever you will be ticketed or towed. The same law firm has another parking lot directly across the street from the restaurant you can use. If this lot is full there is parking in the back of the building complex but good luck finding how to get up and around with out a hill or obstacles. To the right of the building is a one way street with single file parking is the best play to park and how to get to the back lot too. I did not have a reservation but the friendly staff accommodated me with a minimal wait time. The experience was unique from the white wood shelving like a nook in a corner in your on home feel at each table on the right as you come in the front door. I actually used the shelf to store my salad plate. 😁 Two the left is a bar 🍸 with a full bar to prepare the vast menu list of drinks with lots of wine venue. I was seated to the right at a table towards the back. After looking over the menu and asking lots of questions I decided to get the salmon with cooked vegetables. I was alittle disappointed with them not having a gluten free pasta would have been nice but the salmon with the fig jam right in front was delicious and I loved the combo. The cooked vegetables were done just right too. The salad was huge and the dressing was delicious and homemade. The salad was not a typical tasteless iceberg lettuce but up scale romaine. The fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp was very delicious as well I was told but not gluten free so I did not try it. The whole experience was great from the time I walked into the restaurant to the last bite of me salmon. I was disappointed they did not have gluten free dessert but I went down the street to Clumpies. 🤗 I highly recommend this restaurant and tell them I sent...