| Clubs in Lisbon | Bars in Lisbon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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T-Clube Avenida Brasília, Edifício Espelho d'Água, Belém, 1400 (301 6654) Tram 15/bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49, 51/train from Cais do Sodré to Belém. Lunch served 1-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 8pm-midnight Mon-Sat. Average 6,000$00. Credit AmEx, EC, MC, V. Wicked tongues say that Lisbon's jet set is more of a Cessna-set. Whatever the truth, those frequently airborne are frequently to be seen here, munching away happily in this riverside diner-disco. It's a place where ladies who lunch can come back later to dine and then shake their perms to mainstream sounds on the dancefloor. Nothing to get excited about, but owner José Manuel Trigo knows his market and has probably never had a slow night since the place opened in 1993. The food's pricey although not always worth it, but the service is correctíssimo and the view from a window seat at river level is spectacular. Oysters, goose liver with marine salt and flambé duck are good indicators of the menu's scope. Porto Santa Maria Estrada do Guincho, 2750 Cascais (487 1036) Train from Cais do Sodré to Cascais then taxi. Lunch served 12.15-3.30pm Tue-Sun. Dinner served 7-10.30pm Tue-Sun. Average 7,500$00. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC, V Up there vying for the `most expensive restaurant in Portugal' label, the Porto de Santa Maria is definitely among the country's best. Perched on the rocky coast of Guincho, some 40 minutes' drive from Lisbon, it's the place to go for the best fish and seafood money can buy. The tiny shrimps fresh from the bay of nearby Cascais are excellent boiled, while the sea bass baked in a crust of salt or inside a huge loaf of bread is delicious and visually impressive. Airy, classical décor by Francis and Gabriela Leon completes the picture. Worth a ride out to Guincho, but be warned: if you're tempted by quality, don't leave your Gold Card at home. XL Calçada da Estrela 57-63, Estrela, 1200 (395 6118) Tram 28/bus 6, 13, 39, 49, 100. Dinner served 8pm-1am Mon-Wed; 8pm-2am Thur-Sat. Average 5,000$00. Credit AmEx, EC, MC, V. A favourite haunt of the golden youth (and the more silvery middle-aged) of the better quarters of Lisbon, XL built its reputation on steaks and deep-fried potato peelings. One move to bigger premises later and its principal strengths continue to be - steaks and deep-fried potato peelings. Stick with that and you'll be fine. Try anything more complex and you could be out on a limb. Still, it's a good place to spot local politicians (it's opposite parliament), TV personalities and soccer stars, if you have nothing better to do. Casa da Comida Travessa das Amoreiras, Amoreiras, 1250 (388 5376) Metro Rato/bus 22, 27, 38. Lunch served 1-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 8-11pm Mon-Sat. Average 7,500$00. Credit AmEx, DC, EC, MC, V. Not for nothing is the Casa da Comida the restaurant of choice for Lisbon gourmets - owner Jorge Vale's mastery of the cream sauce is total. No matter what you choose, every forkful will be delicious, though not for the calorie-shy. A stickler for detail, Jorge, or his charming and savvy maîtresse d'Ana Silveira, receives guests in the lounge before whisking them off to culinary nirvana at one of the tables set around a jewel of a courtyard. The style is shamelessly upper-crust, as are the prices, but you will not find a more sophisticated table in the city. Recommended. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||