Lisbon today is so full of lively, neighborhood spots with classy dishes that are a big step up from traditional tasca fare that it can be easy to forget what a pioneer Bistro 100 Maneiras was. The first restaurant in the group led by Yugoslavian-Portuguese chef Ljubomir Stanisic, it opened in 2010 in an Art Deco space in Chiado, and went on to be featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations in 2011 and named the world’s number 1 restaurant by Monocle in 2017.
Over more than a decade—in which it won cocktail awards, hosted wine events, film cycles, art auctions, truffle festivals and Yugoslavian parties—it has always managed to stay relevant, through refreshes of the menu and redesigns of the space.
While Stanisic’s flagship, 100 Maneiras, is a high-concept place with a Michelin star, the Bistro is the kind of joint you can return to week after week. The food is consistently tasty without being formal. And befitting a place whose name can mean “100 ways” or “without manners” when said out loud, the menus, devised by the kitchen team led by executive chef Manuel Maldonado, are always bold, featuring some of the restaurant’s classics such as the Yugoslavian burek with cheese and spinach, the spicy octopus with honey, and the cheese foam with guava.
There’s also a daily menu with seasonal products and a “No Questions Asked” section with “guts,” offal, organ meats, and other “unconventional suggestions.” (It’s perhaps meant to be provocative, but it also fits in nicely with the welcome trends of zero-waste and whole-animal butchery.)
Barman João Sancheira, named Bartender of the Year at the 2021 World Class cocktail competition, has come up with a cocktail menu of 12 drinks that reflect the essence of the Bistro—with its “down the rabbit hole” Alice in Wonderland vibe—using natural ingredients. The Sage Pumpkin, for instance, includes Monkey Shoulder, sage, pumpkin, passion fruit, and spices, while the Queen of Hearts has Hendrick’s Erbium, Noilly Prat, Martini Ambrati, cider vinegar, raspberry and watermelon. They also kept some time-honored classics, including one called Damn!!!! That’s Good (Hendrick’s. raspberry, peppermint, and lemon juice).
The dining rooms are no less playful and irreverent. A 3D rendition of the Bistro’s famous Arrebenta Coração (“exploding heart”), made of Nordic pine and illuminated by LEDs, to which gigantic wooden knives and cleavers merge, arcs across the ceiling toward the bar. A counter along the shelves contains various pine light boxes that reproduce the idea of a grandfather’s library, showing off references to Stanisic’s life—fleeing war, yes, but also swimming among tuna, and some of the sensory and emotional elements that go into creating delicious dishes.
The attention to detail doesn’t end there. The team uniforms where designed by the sustainable Portuguese brand wetheknot, and the playlist was created by Nuno Faria, a partner and F&B manager of the group, to incorporate “our kind of classics” from around the world, Portugal and Bosnia included. One thing that hasn’t changed during the restaurant’s years and evolutions is its mission to make sure that everyone has a damn good time.
For more information, visit the 100 Maneiras website.
Bistro 100 Maneiras
Largo da Trindade 9
Chiado
Lisbon
Phone: +351 910 307 575
Email: info@100maneiras.com
Hours:
Thursday, Friday & Monday -18:00 to 2:00
Saturday & Sunday – 12:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 02:00
Tuesday and Wednesday – closed
Photos courtesy of 100 Maneiras | Credit: Fabrice Demoulin
