One look and taste of the popular and respected chef Henrique Sá Pessoa’s creative cuisine, and you know cooking is in his soul. Therefore, his restaurant Alma (which is Portuguese for “soul”) is an apt venue to showcase the emotion and innovation of his talents. And, Michelin Guide agrees. Alma was awarded a Michelin star in 2017.
Of all of Lisbon’s Michelin-star restaurants, Alma may well be the most hushed and reverent. Behind a locked, all but unmarked door in Chiado, the low-lit dining room is stripped-down: bare wood tables, brown leather banquettes, original stone arches, and simple conical brass lanterns hanging overhead. All the better to avoid distracting from the precision of the chef’s cooking and the purity of his ingredients.
Sá Pessoa knows his way around Portuguese fish, as well as suckling pig, octopus and a very popular seared foie gras. Across the three- and five-course tasting menu (a la carte is also available), the food has a Lusitanian soul but with a bit of an Asian accent—red prawns come under a foamed bisque emulsified with lemongrass, grilled Iberian pork prensa is paired with banana chutney and passion fruit pickle, and monkfish loin is spiced up with green curry.
The all-Portuguese wine list and pairings are equally daring, with bottles from the country’s best-known producers joined by natural wines and other unorthodox choices, many of which are available by the glass.
For more information, visit the Alma website.
Alma
Rua Anchieta
Lisbon
Phone: +351 213 470 650
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 12:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 to 23:30