Bistrô Bicho Mau in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon

At this sweet little restaurant in Campo de Ourique, the name should be your first clue that the chefs don’t take things overly seriously. Bicho Mau is a playful term-of-endearment from childhood (more info below…).

It’s a curious choice for a quietly appealing restaurant—between the neighborhood vibe and good but unpretentious cooking, it’s the kind of place where you could eat every day.

Bistrô Bicho Mau is unique in the restaurant world for having a chef couple as equal partners behind the small counter that separates the kitchen from the casual dining room, which is a bit reminiscent of a French bistro, but with more plants on the ceiling. And the backstory is as cute as the inadvertently adorable caterpillar I picture when I hear the name.

Rita Gama (“Bicho Mau,” a nickname given to Rita as a child by her parents) and Tomás Andrade Rocha met as cooks at Kiko Martins’ Cevicheria. From there, they went on together to an esteemed restaurant in Nice. There, they were inspired by Michelin two-star chef Dominique Le Stanc, who left fine dining to open a bistro. Eventually, it was time to come back to Lisbon and open a bistro of their own.

Here, they get to be playful, frequently changing the menu based on what looks good at the market and from their local suppliers. Within months of opening, they gained a reputation for their flavorful steak tartare and a handful of staple dishes. “The pig that wanted to be a sheep” is pork belly prepared in a manner more typical for lamb, and “Kraken in the forest,” a perfectly tender squid served on a bed of wood and moss atop a specially designed clear plate. No ugly bugs in sight.