Taberna Ideal – Feel at home…in Lisbon

If you’re keen on savouring some good old home-style Portuguese cooking the way grandma used to make, this is where you’ll find it. Taberna Ideal is right up there on my list of favourite restaurants for the great food, the relaxed ambiance and the familial service.

Set up like a ’40s or ’50s eatery, there’s a definite nod to days of yore, with heavy wooden tables and marble countertops, tired velvet sofas and a myriad of kitschy knick knacks that you’d expect to find in a dusty old attic. Your Portuguese grandmother’s attic, that is. It’s all a bit of a hodgepodge, and that’s the charm.

The menu is scribbled on a big chalkboard, and divided into tibornas (toasts basted in olive oil), petiscos (nibbles), salads and entrees. All very rich; all very Portuguese, right down to the last ingredient (the owners are committed to supporting only small, national producers). Portions are generous so if there are enough of you I suggest ordering different dishes and sharing. Just as you would, well, at home!

The wine list is jotted down in pencil in an old-fashioned notebook, and includes a huge selection by the glass.

And don’t get me started on desserts…

This place always seems to be full, so booking ahead is recommended. For this reason, reservations are given a 15-minute grace period.

Cash only (yes, whether by coincidence or design, even payment is antiquated).

Smoking allowed.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Taberna Ideal | Restaurants (Portuguese) | Full meal € 25
Rua da Esperança 112-114 | Santos & Alcântara | +351213962744
Tue – Sat 19:00 – 02:00, Sun 13:30 – 00:30