Chef Carla Sousa quietly made a name for herself as the unassuming but talented chef at the Sítio restaurant in the Valverde Hotel. The hotel was Lisbon’s only contender on the Relais & Châteaux list, likely thanks to Sousa’s cooking. But by early 2023, bigger stages were calling her.
She found one on the northeastern flank of the city, where scruffy Marvila rubs up against prestigious Parque das Nações. There, in a ground floor space in the luxurious, new Prata Riverside Village, she has claimed a luminous space of her own, and called it Rio de Prata.
No longer limited by the whims of hotel guests, or even tourists at all—only a few make it to this corner of the city—she’s free here to serve her take on traditional Portuguese food, but with some clear accents from her native Cabo Verde.
Guests can try a (very Portuguese) codfish sandwich on homemade brioche, or the tender and well-cooked tentacle of an octopus with sweet potatoes and romanesco (a delicious sauce based on red pepper, garlic, and nuts), or braised tuna with corn mush and baby clams, both of which sound better in Portuguese than they do in English.
There are as many desserts as there are main plates, and all of them are homemade. Expect treats along the lines of pistachio and sorbet millefeuille, cheese and medronho tile pies, and red fruit mousseline.
For more information visit the Rio de Prata Instagram.
Rio de Prata
Rua F aos Jardins Braço de Prata, Lote 8, Loja 6
Prata Riverside Village
Lisbon
Phone: +351 218 681 080
Lunch Hours:
Wednesday to Saturday – 12:30 to 15:00
Sunday – 12:30 to 17:00
Dinner Hours
Wednesday and Thursday – 19:00 to 23:00
Friday and Saturday – 19:00 to 24:00
