Around the corner from the perennially packed O Velho Eurico the new Tasca Baldracca shares a lot of that “traditional with a twist” restaurant’s DNA—simple sharable plates, bare tables, graffiti (encouraged) on the bathroom wall, top-quality ingredients and technique, and a complete lack of pretension. That’s not a coincidence. As at its popular neighbor, the chef here, Pedro Monteiro, is a member of New Kids on the Block, Lisbon’s influential collective of young cooks.
The menu is a mix of ingredients and influences from Portugal, Spain, and Monteiro’s native Brazil. Along with chefs Octavio Delmonte and Bruno Gama, Monteiro (formerly of Sal Grosso and still the chef at Fabrica da Musa) elevates standard tasca fare from the beginning—breaded and fried olives, whipped liver paté, and bread from the Millstone.
From there, the ever-changing, meaty menu offers dishes like beef tartare with anchovies, mayonnaise, and mustard; crispy-skin piglet with pickled fennel and orange; and tongue escabeche. But less carnivorous eaters aren’t left behind. A recent vegetable dish was spring peas, almond ajo blanco, and wasabi, and a playful pescatarian one was a “McFish” sandwich with deep fried cod tongues.
The beer is from Musa, and there’s a nice pet-nat for those who are inclined toward natural wine. Dessert is a classic, simple cheese tart with guava.
For more information, visit the Tasca Baldracca Instagram page.
Tasca Baldracca
Rua das Farinhas 1
Mouraria neighborhood
Lisbon
Reservations via Instagram or
Email: tascabaldracca@gmail.com
Tuesday to Saturday
