Chef João Diogo Mendes Saloio has been serving deeply-satisfying, no-pretense meals to a neighborhood clientele for years. His unassuming restaurant Mãe – Cozinha com Amor is a standout in Lisbon’s central but largely untouristed district of Estefânia.
The name means, basically, “Mom – cooking with love,” so it’s little surprise that he says his mother and grandmother were important influences on his decision to cook for a living. Likewise, a meal at Mãe recalls a cozy family lunch, rather than a fussy fine-dining extravaganza.
The menu – displayed on chalkboards – is made up of dishes that remind Portuguese of special family meals in places like Casével and Santarém (where Saloio’s family is from), or anywhere in the country, really, to anyone who is not a specialist in the subtleties of regional Portuguese cuisine. There are homey dishes like peas with poached egg and sausage, peixinhos da horta (tempura green beans), octopus rice, various preparations of bacalhau, and picanha (beef fillet).
The dining room is similarly cozy, decorated with simple furnishings and vintage electronics. The place mats are decorated with mom-like sayings, like “Call me when you arrive.” In early days, Saloio and his business partners invited diners to bring in photos of their own mothers. Now the walls are covered with these homespun tributes to some of the most important people in everyone’s lives.
For more information, visit the Facebook page for Mãe – Cozinha com Amor.
Mãe – Cozinha com Amor
Rua de Dona Estefânia 92B
Lisbon
Phone: +351 215 851 792
Hours: Monday to Saturday – 12:00 to 5:00 and 19:00 to 22:30
Photos courtesy of Mãe Cozinha com Amor
