Restaurant - Carvoaria Jacto

Loin

Fellow meat lovers, I am happy to announce that there is a place... a place that will change your life, it is called Carvoaria Jacto.

I went there yesterday with some friends and it was excellent...  everything, the quality of the food, the service, price, variety, its big and there is a smokers room! The only thing I could point out as not good is the location, but it is a small price to pay.

I tried the vazia(sirloin), lombo(loin) and posta mirandesa(rump from Miranda), although everything was very good, for me the vazia was the best and it was the cheapest of the three!
You can also eat fish but this place is definitely specialized in grilled meat, very similar to Grill 20(there is also a salad buffet with mayo souces, several meat types and sizes) but better and cheaper.
On the quality/price/quantity it is even better than Tachadas!

The house wine was good(can't remember the name) and they have a great wine collection, you can even get a Barca Velha... if you have 400 euros to spare :P

Sirloin

As you may know I don't usually eat dessert, but I tried some of my friends and I must say they were very good, specially the "Best chocolate cake in Ribatejo".

So, if you come to Lisbon, this place is mandatory, go there and thank me later, bon apetit!

Posta mirandesa

Misc:
Average price: 10 ~ 20 Euros
Smokers: on a smaller room
Multibanco/Visa: Yes
Closed at Sunday

Pros:
- Excellent meat, salad buffet
- Good for large groups
- Central, Subway near
- Excellent quality/price ratio

Cons:
- Not very good neighbourhood
- No near places for a drink afterwards

Google maps

Rua Maria Andrade 6 B | Alfama & Graça | +351218147555
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 22:00

Restaurant - Dervixe

This is the first time I went to a turkish restaurant, and I must say I liked it, the food, the decoration and the service. The closest thing I tried was the famous middle eastern Joshuas Shoarma fast food franchise, obviously limited in variety and quality.

The first thing I thought when looking at the menu was "I must try everything!", and you almost can because they serve tasting dishes, with different types of food. I can't really remember the names but I liked everything, except the french fries, but then again they are not a traditional turkish food...

As you may know, in the turkish culture they smoke the famous Nargile, which you can try(for 10 Euros), and are not really fond of alcoholic beverage, so you can't order wine or beer, the good news is that they allow you to bring your own.

The owner/waiter was very nice and attentive, but that day were few customers, I don't know how it is on a busy day. The decoration is very pleasing and on the 1st floor you have some nice sofas where you can have a nice relaxed meal and socialize with your friends.

I must definitely go there again!

Misc:
Average price: ~12 Euros
Multibanco/Visa: Yes
Smokers: Outside
Closes at: Monday

Pros:
- Nice price/quality ratio
- Good for groups and couples
- Lots of variety

Cons:
- No near subway
- No alcoholic drinks, but you can bring your own

- Location is not very interesting

More info:

Facebook

Google Maps

Restaurant - O Pocinho

In portugal we have a lot of restaurants, most of them are what we call Tasco, they are small, family managed, cheap and have typical Portuguese food.

Pocinho is one of my recurrent options because of its location(in Santos), good quality/price ratio and of course, it is smokers friendly. There are also 2 strategically placed TVs, always good for football nights, and for a snack while watching the game you have Tremoços(lupines?), Clams and Snails!

They have different dishes every day of the week, like roasted pig leg, duck rice, grilled fish, feijoada, cozido à portuguesa, codfish, etc. You can check out the Portuguese cuisine here.

After many years browsing the roads of Lisbon for Tascos, I'll let you in on a few secretes to find the good ones:

#1 - They are almost never located on the main streets, look for the secondary small roads.

#2 - Check the prices on the window/door, good Tascos have dishes around 5 ~ 6 Euros.

#3 - Look for typical Portuguese daily dishes, like stews.

Misc:

Average price: ~9 Euros

Multibanco/Visa: Yes

Smokers: Yes

Closes at: Sunday or Monday, not sure

Pros:

- Good quality/price ratio

- Lots of places nearby for a drink afterwards

- Try the roasted pig leg!

Cons:

- No near Subway

- Difficult parking

- Small, not good for large groups

Google Maps

Association - Ilusão Paralela

UPDATE - Unfortunately Ilusão Paralela has closed on 1/12/2011.
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Translated to Parallel Ilusion, it is an association, and as many others in Lisbon, it's a place where you can have a drink, eat, play board games, listen to music, attend workshops, read a book, watch art exhibitions, have parties, watch football games, etc. Make yourself a member to get discount at the bar, and like the facebook page to receive the events notifications.

Thursdays it's board game night with Vasco Chita, if you like board games you should go there, you will discover new games, make some friends and have fun!

They have lots of games like, Settlers of Catan, Dixit, Puerto Rico, Times Up, Tichu, Atlantis, Chinatown, etc. And thursdays Vasco brings even more games.

Quiz nights are Tuesdays, so if you are into general knowledge trivia feel free to show up, teams are of five, 50 questions and the winning team gets a prize. Don't worry if you can't round up a team, just show up and ask to join one of the teams.

There is also the Origami workshops and the role-players gathering, and many other activities, check the facebook for the dates and details.

You can talk to the owner and have a private dinner and/or a party, or have an exhibition with your photos, paintings, sculptures, etc.

Misc:

Beer price(20cl): 80 Cents for members

Smokers: yes

Multibanco/Visa: yes

Closes at: Sunday and Monday

Pros:

- Nice place to take your friends for a drink and chat

- Many different activities

- Stays open till late

- Restaurants and bars nearby

Cons:

- Difficult parking

- No near Subway

- Lots of smokers

Facebook page

Bar - Bomb Shelter

If you are looking for a cosy calm place to go for a drink after dinner, Bomb Shelter is the place.

It has a unique decoration, very British, dim lights, signs everywhere and the walls are filled with writings from the customers, very funny to read.

You can go with your friends, or if you just go alone sit in the balcony, chat with the owner(Sr. Domingos) and the usual customers about the weather, football, politics, etc. very "Cheers" style.

The music is normally 90's Rock I think, not too loud fortunately and the drinks are cheap, if you are a bit hungry you can ask for the famous toasts.

I don't realy know what days it is open nor what time it closes, but you can try asking in the Facebook group page.

Have fun!

Average price:

Beer 20 cl. - 1 Euro

Pros:

- Cosy, calm

- Good decoration and ambient

- Cheap

Cons:

- No near subway

- Small place, not good for large groups

Facebook group page

Google maps

Guilherme Cossoul

Founded in 1885, Guilherme Cossoul Theatre School Society is on of the oldest societies in the field, with a vast array of cultural options, you can take theatre classes, watch plays, music, comedy, attend workshops, quiz nights or just stop by to have a drink with friends.

Pros:

- Central place, in Santos, good nearby restaurants

- Lots of different shows and plays to watch

- Usually cheap tickets

- Bar is smokers friendly and closes late

Cons:

- Difficult parking, no near subway

- Small Bar, can become crowded

- Sometimes lots of smoke

- Small theatre, book tickets

http://www.guilhermecossoul.pt/

Restaurant Sr. Taco

Today, I'm having my birthday dinner in a Mexican restaurant, I don't go there often because its a bit off my usual budget(under 10 Euros), but when you have to choose a place for a large group there are several aspects to take in consideration(see below on pros & cons). Its inside the Amoreiras Mall, so also good to take your other half and see a movie afterwards!

Average price:

~15 Euros

Food:

Mexican, grilled, hot, tacos, sauces, etc.

Pros:

- Large groups

- Smoking area

- Free parking

- Average/Good Mexican food

Cons:

- Its inside a Mall

- No good nearby places to have a drink afterwards

- Not cheap

- No TV

Google Maps Link