Two new restaurants open in Lisbon

Sunday, 04 October 2009 17:54

Visitors looking for a warm and welcoming spot where they can mingle with the locals without breaking the wallet should look try Vitor Sobral’s Tasca da Esquina in Campo de Ourique. Tasca da Esquina is a real neighborhood restaurant: small, simple and informal. This snack shop is a traditional petisqueira with more than 20 items on its tasting menu, priced from four to nine Euros. Try quail and cherries, fresh cheese with pimentos and local herbs, or a soup and 3 petiscos – or tasty bites -- for 14.50 Euros. Another affordable, yet high-quality restaurant is JA à Mesa, opened by well-know chef and cooking instructor Jose Avillez. Avillez latest project is called “fast food,” but there’s no greasy, burger flipping here. Opened in Lisbon’s Santos district, it is a big step from his haughty eatery Tavares. The menu features fresh daily specials, like Thai rice, kale and farinheira sausages. Everything costs between six and 12 Euros, proving that good food need not be expensive.