As the name suggests, Cheesy Bar is a celebration of cheese in its best possible sense: creamy, gooey, sharp, and funky goodness. And while the name might also seem to suggest some less favorable interpretations, the new bar, on a quiet street in Alcântara, is not gimmicky, kitschy, or contrived.
Rather, it grew out of one Frenchman’s enduring fondness for cheese. Joris Lemaire, who helped launch BouBou’s and is now a partner in the chic Mona Verde, says, ‘Cheesy Bar started as a home project. I’m a cheese craver, meaning I eat cheese morning, day, and night.”
When he didn’t find anyplace in Lisbon that satisfied that craving, he opened his own. Although Cheesy Bar is open only on certain nights, it’s still a temple with dozens of international cheeses.
The starting point on the menu—or perhaps an entire dinner—is the selection of cheeses that can be assembled into a board with compotes, nuts, grapes, sourdough bread, and olive oil. The cheeses come from the posh Maître Renard Fromagerie in Campo de Ourique, and the (mostly French) offerings are sorted by bloomy rind, natural rind, washed rind, hard cheese, and blue.
A special section for Portuguese cheeses includes delicacies like gooey queijo de Azeitão, creamy sheep’s milk cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains, and 24-months-aged cheese from São Jorge Island in the Azores, whose salty crystals rival those in the best parmesan.
The cheese can be complemented with meats from Charcuterie Chez Fred, or diners may move on to hot and melted cheese dishes, including melted Monte d’Or with bread and potatoes, a version of eggplant parmesan, and a croque-monsieur with edam, comté, and ham. A special treat is the DIY raclette, which comes in plain or truffled versions.
Even some of the cocktails get in on the cheese. The Cheesy Peachy is made with citrus gin, beach, bell pepper puree, lemon juice, and cheese foam, while the Cheesy Bar Parmigiano Martini is basically an espresso martini topped off with grated 30-month-aged parmesan.
There are also cheese-free, creative cocktails, and a good selection of French, Portuguese, and international wines. Apart from the dining rooms, there’s a cozy lounge area where drinks are served into the night.
For more information, visit the Cheesy Bar website.
Cheesy Bar
Rua do Prior do Crato 47
Lisbon
Phone: +351968 553 575
Email: reserva@cheesybar.com
Hours: Thursday to Monday – 17:00 to 01:00
