Right by the A Vida Portuguesa store in the baixa district of Lisbon you’ll find Alma, a one Michelin-starred restaurant. Opened in 2009 by executive-chef, Henrique Sá Pessoa, Alma (which means soul in Portuguese) is one of the best restaurants in town.
The decor is modern and cool: minimalistic, featuring bold, dark woods. But it’s the food, not the decor, that really steals the show.
Diners can choose between several set menus – one of which is seafood only – or a la carte. The food is a fusion between Portuguese and Asian flavors, which serve to create the restaurant’s signature style. The food is beautifully-presented and it’s almost a shame to tuck into your meal.
The food is packed with flavor and the cocktails are lovely. The couvert includes two varieties of delicious Portuguese bread, with a special olive oil and smoked butter, gaspacho (which, even though it’s clear, has a ton of flavor) and crackers. The food was so tasty that everyone was too full for dessert… so be sure not to make the same mistake!
If your Portuguese is limited, don’t worry: the waitress spoke English and a bit of Spanish and everyone was very friendly. Perhaps it was due to them being busy, but the service was a bit slower than expected. Still, it meant you didn’t rush your meal.
As you’d expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant, a dinner at Alma isn’t going to cost you the typical friendly prices that you’re probably used to in Portugal. However, if you’re a foodie and you’re celebrating a special occasion, definitely consider going to Alma so as to make your own food postcards and food memories.
Cover photo c/o almalisboa.pt
Been to the original Alma which closed in 2015. Lovely and tasty Portugal-centric food. You can find some of the original recipes online on Ingrediente Secreto.com. In reality, many of the recipes presented by Sr. Sa Pessoa are truely first class.
Oooh! Thanks for the tip! I’ll check out that site!
Alma’ yeah; I missed eating there too. Back to my cornflakes dinner!