Darwin is the kind of restaurant I would imagine myself going to in New York, São Paulo, Tokyo. Never would I ever imagine Lisbon would have such an exquisite and spacious restaurant like Darwin. The place itself is very charming, providing a fantastic view over Lisbon’s most valuable treasure, the Tagus river, plus the Belem Tower. The interior is carefully decorated with pictures based on Darwin’s originals drawings, along with some of his famous sentences along the walls.
I love going there, first because the restaurant is part of the Champalimaud Foundation, a brand new and, architecturally speaking, nice building built to be a medical science research center. Second, because the surroundings are great, and finally, because the food is very good indeed.
And most importantly, it’s inexpensive. I can go there and spend as much as € 20 for a lunch, which, considering the fanciness and coolness of everything, is a very good deal! I have tasted most of their risottos and they are mouthwatering. My favourite is the alheira risotto with fried egg. I normally skip dessert, since it will add almost 10 more bucks to the bill.
The restaurant has also a great terrace facing the river for warmer days. For lunch, dinner or just a coffee during the afternoon. Sincerely, can’t wait for my next visit!
