No Convento restaurant, in Lisbon, is assuredly a refined spot for 21st-century romance without the usual trappings of fine dining—there’s not a white tablecloth in sight. As soon as it opened, the candlelit restaurant, tucked away in a 17th-century convent in Santos, established itself as a date night spot for the city’s creative class. (The name means “in the convent” in Portuguese.)
This isn’t really much of a surprise, as it shares its owners and much of its DNA with Costa da Caparica’s beloved Casa Reîa beach club. The Santos neighborhood restaurant is dark and hushed (though less so than in its previous incarnation, A Travessa), full of couples in full flirt, as well as larger groups celebrating special occasions.
The menu is concise but thoughtful, covering all the bases. Head chef João de Oliveira executes a menu orchestrated by the group’s overseeing chef, Pedro Henrique Lima and supported by French chefs Alexis Gielbaum and Maxime Kien, meaning the dishes feature Portuguese ingredients and traditions but often have a strong French accent.
Starters include onion soup with Emmental cheese foam, foie gras with red-wine-poached pears, and St. Jacques scallops with coral and saffron sauce (which are for some reason served three to an order). Main courses are similarly luxurious, like roasted beef tenderloin with duck foie gras and bordelaise truffle sauce, and duck leg confit with smoked carrot cream.
Although the menu can be pricey—48€ for corvina with tomato rice, 78€ for 170 grams of wagyu beef, with vegetables offered as additional side dishes when the restaurant opened—you’re paying for the ambiance, which is hands-down one of the most romantic in town.
For more information, visit the No Convento Lisbon website.
No Convento
Travessa do Convento das Bernardas 12
Santos Neighborhood
Lisbon
Phone: +351 915 389 532
Email: gather@noconvento.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 19:00 to 24:00
Photos ©Henrique Isidoro courtesy of No Convento
