Erva Restaurant - Contemporary Portuguese with Natural Roots, in Lisbon

The mission statement is telling: “ERVA restaurant offers unpretentious food without concoctions. We do not want to camouflage the natural taste of the food.” The name, which means “herb,” offers another clue.

And so, like many other new arrivals on the Lisbon restaurant scene, this dining room in the Corinthia Hotel (formerly the Typico restaurant), ERVA emphasizes contemporary Portuguese cuisine, local ingredients from small producers, and simple flavors that speak for themselves.

That means starting meals off with a couvert of artisanal bread from Gleba bakery with a selection of butters and olive oil from Quinta das Bágeiras. After that, there are “snacks” like marinated shrimp, avocado, and chicken skin. Then playful takes on Portuguese ingredients appear in the appetizers, such as horse mackerel with Algarve salad of tomatoes and beets, and marinated tuna with watermelon, orange, and pata negra ham.

Main courses run the gamut. The most popular dish is the roasted lamb with aligot potatoes. The chef is also quite proud of its grilled octopus, and there are two well-thought-out vegetarian dishes on the short menu. For dessert, there is a brulée of yuzu with pineapple from Azores, or goat cheese from the Maçussa region served with apricot, lemon, and hazelnut.

(above) Fresh cod with garlic mayonnaise, pickle and unagui sauce, (at top) Marinated shrimp, avocado and crispy chicken skin

Also in keeping with current vogue, the laid-back dining room has a deep connection with nature. The tables are bare wood and one wall is a vertical garden. The kitchen is open to the dining room, both to supply theater and to demonstrate the authenticity that goes into everything the chefs do.