Bocca Restaurant – Captivating Contemporary Cuisine in Lisbon

By Gregorio | May 3, 2011 at 3:34 pm | No comments | Dining, Lisbon | Tags: alexandre silva, dining, Lisbon, restaurant

Bocca Restaurante & Bar openend in early 2008. It quickly caught on as a popular lunch spot for the business crowd, and an exciting evening haunt for Lisbon’s trendy set. The youthful exuberance of the staff is evident the moment you walk in the door, and it endures in every creative dish delivered to the table.

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Located on Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca (just off of Rua Joaquim Augusto Aguiar), Bocca is a rspite form the urban streets of the area. Décor is cool, casual and cosmopolitan with shades of white, cream, and light green. A photo mural of a Lisbon neighborhood covers the dining area wall providing some dimension. An unexpected window on this wall offers a peak into the excitement and drama of the kitchen. Along the far back wall, undulating lines in sculptural relief succeeds both as an artistic element, and visual cue of harmony and relaxation

The kitchen is the realm of Alexandre Silva. He honed his culinary skills working at the hip Bica do Sapato, and with another popular Lisbon chef, Fausto Airoli. Silva takes traditional Portuguese cuisine to a whole new level by blending state-of-the-art preparation techniques with unique international flavors. The result is innovative taste sensations that appear as a masterpiece on the plate.

Silva´s menus change with the seasons. Some current highlights include:

Foie gras stuffed with dried figs in almond crust
Carpaccio of Muscovy duck with shallot and chive ragout, pineapple chutney
Terrine of Atlantic lobster with mushrooms and leeks, chestnut mousse
Sautéed scallops on a purée of celery, orange zest confit, and sautéed porcini mushrooms
Roasted duck soup with sautéed duck liver, served over green tea noodles
Triggerfish fillet tempura, with creamy clam stew rice
Oven-baked John Dory, with sautéed celery and fish stew ravioli
Sautéed turbot fillet with porcini mushroom risotto and truffle potato sauce
Roasted loin and rack of lamb, on a pumpkin purée, eggplant caviar and shallot confit
Pork cheeks braised in red wine, caramelized apple and roasted black pudding
Sautéed quail with breaded mushroom polenta, chouriço gnocchi and sautéed vegetables
Dark chocolate coulant with “ginja d’Óbidos” sorbet
Sweet pumpkin soup with curd cheese and nuts ice cream

If you can’t decide which a la carte dish to select, Bocca makes it easy for you by offering a Tasting Menu. At lunch during the week, you can opt for the Executive Menu.

It will be equally difficult to decide on the perfect wine to accompany the meal, as the menu offers 120 Portuguese and international labels. Yet, have no fear. Bocca offers 90 of the selections by the glass. This provides an excellent opportunity to taste a wide variety of wines. Just ask the server for his/her paring suggestion for your dish.