Quite possibly the most (old-school) gorgeous restaurant in Lisbon, Palácio Chiado occupies an art-filled 18th-century palace on one of the most prime streets in the posh Chiado neighborhood. Lavish artworks still depict themes based on curious Portuguese expressions like “farrobodó,” which loosely translates to a loud and lively party.
Things are a bit more subdued now, but it’s still a place that drips with history and glamour. A sweeping staircase takes you from the relatively casual ground floor bar and dining room up to various environments. In the frescoed bar area, which also has dining tables, a gilded, winged lion hangs from the center of the ceiling.
Further inside, a space with full walls of art and a rectangular seating counter serves Portuguese snacks. Local oysters, smoked Iberian ham and typical cured sheep and goat cheese can work as the warm-up for a fuller dinner, or as an early evening snack or late-night bite.
The main dining rooms have a warm, historic and handsome feel. These are the best place to enjoy the gastronomic menu by chef Manuel Bóia, who gained early experience in some of Lisbon’s most influential kitchens, including Bica do Sapato and 100 Maneiras.
It’s worth saying here that for a place that gives itself equal billing for its art and its cuisine, Palácio Chiado also offers an elegant and very worthwhile cuisine. Bóia’s menu is intended to explore “the four corners of Portugal and the four corners of the world.”
It includes dishes meant to please Lisboetas who come to the restaurant “to escape the ordinary,” as well as first-time visitors to the city. Standout dishes include octopus roasted olive oil and garlic, grilled tiger prawns with shrimp risotto, and char-grilled matured entrecôte.
There are also more hardcore Portuguese dishes, such as “cabidela” rooster leg—the English menu omits the fact that a key ingredient in cabidela is hen’s blood—and the polar opposite, with vegan fare like cauliflower tabbouli with curry and a vegetarian Thai spring roll.
For more information, visit the Palácio Chiado website.
Palácio Chiado
Rua do Alecrim 70
Chiado
Lisbon
Phone: +351 210 101 184
Email: geral@palaciochiado.pt
Restaurant:
Sunday to Wednesday – 12:30 to 16:00 and 19:00 to 24:00
Thursday to Sunday – 12:30 to 16:00 and 19:00 to 02:00
Ground-Floor Space:
Sunday to Wednesday – 12:30 to 24:00
Thursday to Saturday – 12:30 to 02:00
