Chiado & Baixa – Local tips (restaurants)

I had dinner here for the first time several years ago. The delicious food, warm atmosphere and tango music had me hooked, and I’ve been coming here regularly ever since. That first visit actually prompted one of several trips to Argentina, but that’s another story.

Tucked away on a cobbled stairway near Chiado (but off the beaten track), this little restaurant is a journey in itself. Lined with old postcards and newspaper clippings, posters of Evita and Argentine crooner Carlos Gardel, peeling paint, it could almost be mistaken for a bistro in Buenos Aires’ bohemian district, San Telmo. Graciously, a photograph of Portuguese fado grand dame Amália is also pegged to the wall, a little reminder that this is Lisbon, after all.

The flower salad with chèvre is almost too beautiful to eat, and the endive, pear and roquefort salad is divine. Follow that with a succulent Argentine steak or one of various tartines. An extensive wine menu lists several Argie labels but mostly local varieties, as well as some excellent sangrias. Last but certainly not least, the chocolate cake with dulce de leche is to die for! Think that scene with Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, except she wouldn’t be faking it. It’s that good.

For as long as the weather permits, seating spills out onto the landing, where you can sit at wobbly wrought-iron tables with the St. George’s castle glowing in the distance. In a word: Charm!

Reservations are indoor-only; outdoor seating is first-come-first-served.
No ATM or credit cards – cash only

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Cafe Buenos Aires | Restaurants (Argentine) | Dinner & wine € 25
Calçada Escadinhas do Duque 31B | Chiado & Baixa | +351213420739
Mon – Sat 18:00 – 01:00

Chiado is definitely one of the most charming areas of Lisbon. The main street is has some nice historical cafés, but they tend to be very touristic. A great alternative is Café no Chiado.

The location is excellent: smack in the middle of Chiado, with tram-line 28 passing right in front of you! The place has been renovated in 2006. It nowadays has a very cool interior and a great terrace.

Come here to have a cup of coffee or lunch, read a book on the terrace or just to enjoy the setting. Try the salads, they are great!

At night it’s a great place to dine, especially after visiting one of the nearby theatres, since they serve dinner until 2AM.

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Café no Chiado | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Portuguese) | Great salad € 8.00
Largo do Picadeiro 10-12 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213460501
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 02:00

This place must be hiding beneath a cloak of invisibility since it’s been open a whole year and has still barely registered a beep on the city’s radar of sleek go-to spots. Then again, if city buzz is what you’re after, then you won’t find it here.

Housed in the recently renovated São Roque Museum, home to all things Arte Sacra (Sacred Art), Cafetaria is cool, calm and collected. Having left bustling Chiado and Bairro Alto at its doorstep, the space is a fresh blend of old meets new, in an introspective setting that faces a beautiful courtyard with bamboo trees and a gurgling fountain, to be enjoyed from inside and out. And not a honking car to be heard.

Cafetaria is owned by one of Lisbon’s most elegant restaurants, Casa da Comida, so the food – mainly light lunches, appetizers and snacks – gets its stamp of approval. Brunches are also served on weekends.

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Cafetaria Museu São Roque | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Sandwich € 3.00
Largo Trindade Coelho | Chiado & Baixa | +351213235446
Tue – Wed & Fri – Sun 10:00 – 18:00, Thu 14:00 – 21:00 (Closed holidays)

Portugal in general, and Lisbon specifically, is rightly famed for its food. It is a country of excellent produce but that said sometimes the endless menus of grilled meats and fish (obviously with generous helpings of rice and fried potatoes) can get a little tiring. So when you fancy a change, or perhaps you’re watching your weight, or even, and this is perhaps when it’s most important, you want to try some Portuguese specialities but don’t eat meat then Celeiro provides the answer.

This is a chain of health food shops located all over the city. Most will sell vegetarian snacks and light lunches for you to take away but some have larger canteens. The large shop in Chiado even has a separate restaurant attached to it where you can find favourites such as croquetes and rissois but rather than the typical meat and prawn they are more likely to be soya or vegetable. They also hot meals and a wonderful selection of organic drinks.

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Celeiro | Snacks, Restaurants (Vegetarian) | Snacks € 3.00
Rua 1º Decembro | Chiado & Baixa
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 18:00, Sat 09:00 – 17:00

After a hard day’s shopping in Chiado or after coming down from Bairro Alto there is now the most perfect place to relax, have a drink and a bite to eat.

Fábulos Café is tucked away from the main streets, approachable either from the direction of Chiado, through an excellent esplanade tucked away from the hustle and bustle, or else from the direction of the School of Fine Arts.

The menu is simple but inventive, comprising delicious sandwiches, salads and wraps but there are also more substantial burritos, crepes and omelets for those more hungry.

The food is delicious, my favourite being the goats cheese, caper and spinach sandwich, and the atmosphere relaxed and cosy, especially if you manage to bag one of the many old sofas spread throughout the place.

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Fábulas Cafe | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Sandwiches) | From € 5.00
Calçada Nova de São Francisco, 14 | Chiado & Baixa
Mon – Wed 10:00 – 00:00, Thur – Sat 10:00 – 01:00, closed Sun

Kaffeehaus is located in the middle of Chiado, just next to one of Lisbon’s most famous theatres, São Carlos. It fits in the old, and almost lost, tradition of literary cafés that were the trademark of Chiado. Kaffeehaus, however, does it in her own, Viennese style.

The place is hard to classify since you can go here for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink at night. A better way to describe it would be its style: a great place to get up to date on what is happening in Lisbon, read a newspaper, have a coffee or a drink.

Besides the setting, the food helps! Try great Austrian pastry in the middle of Lisbon! Amazing Apfelstrüdel and a lot of other surprising dishes. There is something different written on the chalkboard every day, so you can always come back for something new!

Great place for a pit-stop on your Saturday-shopping in Chiado or a more prolonged break on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Be patient though, it is becoming and awful popular place!

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Kaffeehaus | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (European/Austrian) | Main € 8.00
Rua Anchieta 3 | Chiado & Baixa | +351210956828
Tue – Thu 11:00 – 0:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 11:00 – 20:00

La Brasserie de l’entrecôte it’s a classic French-style restaurant in the heart of the city, with a very unprecedented feature: there isn’t a menu for you to choose from!

The meal always consists on a starter (a fresh salad with nuts and sweet and sour sauce) followed by the entrecôte (a delicious sliced piece of entrecôte steak with a secret sauce and French fries that will make you beg for more).

After this, if you still wish to comfort your stomach, you can choose something sweet from the dessert trolley.

The elegant (but still cosy) atmosphere, make it an ideal place to go for a date or to gather around the table and chat for hours with friends.

Vee’s favourites – The uber confidential sauce is the pièce de resistance!

Rita’s favourites – The delicious French fries and the strawberry purée with vanilla ice-cream and cinnamon.

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La brasserie de l’entrecôte | Restaurants (Entrecôte) | Dinner & wine € 22.50
Rua do Alecrim 117 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213473616
Mon – Sat 12:30 – 15:00 & 20:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:30 – 15:00 & 20:00 – 23:00

Nood is the city’s spot where East meets West and you can find excellent Asian fusion food. The restaurant is based in a modern canteen layout and all dishes are created with different types of Asian ingredients.

The motto here is “Food for your soul” – they claim one can not leave the restaurant without a smile on the face.

You can choose from a wide selection of appetizers – don’t forget to try out the duck gyosas or tori kare age (marinated chicken on a stick). The classic sushi and sashimi are also on the menu, as well as a wide choice of yakisobas (Japanese pasta). They come with a lot of ingredients, so you can take out whatever you don’t want – just ask the waiter.

The juices are freshly squeezed and mix traditional fruits with uncommon ingredients, like mint, ginger or lime. The dessert department is constantly changing – new flavors and recipes are added on a regular basis (do ask what the day specials are).

If you are just up for a cocktail or a long drink, Nood has a cosy lounge area with great couches to relax after work or start a night out with friends! (Happy hour from 18:00 to 20:00)

Vee’s favorites: Chicken Yakisoba, Apple Crumble.

Rita’s favorites: Minto Juice, Gyosas, Nood Vanilla Ice cream (with Chocolate topping and wasabi)

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Nood | Restaurants (Asian) | Yakisoba € 8.50
Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro 20 | Chiado & Baixa | +351213474141
12:00 – 00:00

You know the feeling. It starts with a little twinge, builds up to a nagging desire – should I or shouldn’t I? – and eventually escalates to a craving you just can’t shake. You want it, and fast. No doubt, most pleasure is had from taking things slow and savouring each morsel of the moment. But let’s face it; sometimes all you want is a quickie.

Well, search no further because Noori is just the place …for a good sushi quickie, that is (whatever else?). And cheap too. The no-frills menu offers a pretty good variety of nooris (cone-shaped temaki rolls) or rools (slender maki rolls). Whilst the choice of fish is limited to salmon, tuna and little else, portions are generous, making for an even split on the fish:rice ratio. They’re available separately or as part of a “menu” (e.g.: 1 or 2 noori + a drink).

This place is tiny and although there’s seating at the counter, you’re better off getting your food to go and finding a bench in a nearby square before digging in.

I hope it’s as good for you as it was for me

NB: A second Noori has also just opened in the food court at Monumental shopping mall in Saldanha square.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Noori | Snacks, Restaurants (Japanese) | Menus from € 4.50
Rua do Crucifixo 87 | Chiado & Baixa | +351918639287
11:00 – 22:00 daily