It was with much fanfare that Sublime Lisboa opened in 2022—it was the first crossover to jump from Portugal’s poshest beach enclave to the capital. And given the quality of the food at the original countryside property, expectations were high for the city hotel and its sophisticated restaurant Davvero.
Davvero is, of course, set up to serve guests who don’t feel like venturing beyond the hotel’s location in the charming Amoreiras neighborhood. But it was also designed to be a destination in its own right for the city’s food lovers. Davvero—whose name means “the real one” in Italian—plays homage to classic Italian restaurants but with a contemporary twist.
All right: That reads like a sentence from so many marketing brochures. But Veneto-born chef Isaac Kumi (who opened Cipriani restaurants around the world), makes that balancing act look effortless, from the snacks—perhaps whipped bacalhau on crispy black polenta—that emerge with the aperitif at the beginning of the meal to the sumptuous tiramisu that rounds it out.
In between, there are classic starters like crispy artichokes with anchovy sauce, burrata with pesto, and San Daniele DOP prosciutto. The pastas include favorites like cacio e pepe (pecorino and black pepper); fisherman’s spaghetti with mussels, clams, prawns, and sea bass; and beetroot gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. The fish and meat courses take on a bit more of a Portuguese accent, with familiar fish like sea bass and sole, and an Iberian pork chop that’s fried in clarified butter with arugula and cherry tomatoes.
Pastry chef Mauro Abignente, who was born in Puglia, also holds up his end of the pan-Italian concept. His dessert menu includes the classic tiramisu, as well as white chocolate fondant with whiskey and hazelnut ice cream, and Sicilian cannoli filled with ricotta, chocolate, orange, and prickly pear sauce.
While the wine and cocktail lists are respectable, with good bottles at fair prices, not to mention the house-made bellinis, one special note is Sublime’s own collection of house wines and gin, produced near the flagship Sublime Comporta.
For more information, visit the Davvero website.
Davvero
Sublime Lisboa Hotel
Rua Artilharia 1, 70
Lisbon
Phone: +351 911 771 610
Email: info@davvero.pt
Bar: 12:30 to 0:00
Lunch: 12:30 to 15:00
Dinner, Sunday to Wednesday: 19:30 to 22:00
Dinner: Thursday to Saturday: 19:30 to 22:30
