Palácio do Grilo, Surreal Dining in Lisbon

A couple dances back-to-back with a giant fan. A man punches away at a vintage typewriter at the edge of a dinner table. A woman arranges items on the floor while wearing what looks like a fringed lampshade on her head. Palácio do Grilo in the Beato neighborhood of Lisbon, offers a surrealist fairy tale in the guise of an all-day restaurant.

As a piece of immersive theater, it could have gone very wrong. But in the skilled hands of Parisian theater director Julien Labrousse and his team of artist-performer-collaborators, it goes very right. The artists may be the same from day-to-day, but their work is always unexpected and generally enthralling.

It helps that the space itself—both the interiors of the 350-year-old palace and the gardens outside—is cinematically gorgeous, with its well-preserved azulejos and frescoes, heavy drapes, and artfully crumbling walls.

Although the ambiance and performances are a key draw, the food is plenty tasty too. There are luxurious imported products like bresaola and burrata, homemade preparations like labne with red pesto, and creamy hummus with artisanal bread. Main courses include plates such as black Angus, fresh sea bass, and risotto with Kashmir saffron.