In Review: Lisboeta

Address – 30 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NG

Phone number – 020 3830 9888

Website – Lisboeta

Snapshot:

Lisboeta, a restaurant on London’s Charlotte Street, is Chef Patron Nuno Mendes’ tribute to Lisbon, his hometown.

Celebrating Lisbon’s lifestyle, tradition, and sense of belonging, Lisboeta immerses guests in the city’s dining culture across three floors. 

Throughout the day, guests can enjoy traditional and contemporary ‘Petiscos,’ sharing the stories of Portugal’s rich gastronomic heritage through food, wine, and produce from the heart of the Lisboa region.

Background:

Head Chef, Nuno Mendes, previously hails from Chiltern Firehouse and has run several successful restaurants including Viajante in Bethnal Green, Mãos in Shoreditch and Taberna do Mercado in Spitalfields. 

Strongly influenced by Iberian and Japanese cultures, Nuno returned to his roots to bring a combo of authentic and innovative Portuguese cooking to Charlotte St. 

The extensive wine list consists of only Portuguese wine, highlighting the best in local producers. 

Lisboeta is owned by MJMK Restaurant group who also own critically acclaimed KOL (Michelin-starred), Bar La Rampa, & Casa do Frango. 

Food:

We commenced our dining experience with a delightful Portuguese white wine, a personal favourite of our attentive waiter.

The menu is split into snacks/small plates and larger “tachos & traverses” sharing dishes. For 2, we were encouraged to order 2-3 small plates and 2 larger dishes for a substantial meal.

To start, we had a smoked scallop toast marinated with citrus, coriander and salty fingers and a chorizo and cuttlefish skewer with a turnip relish. The scallop was the standout, it melted in your mouth and contrasted perfectly with the crisp toast.

We then moved on to Cornish mussels with coriander, lemon and white wine & sourdough toast, and the mushroom acorda which was a gorgeous array of grilled mushrooms, bread porridge with dashi and an egg yolk which was a surprisingly delicious combination.

Finally, we ended with a perfectly cooked, lean age rib of beef with a classic ‘a café’ sauce, which was balanced nicely by our chosen sides – gem lettuce with shallots, herbs and soy vinaigrette and cavolo nero with spinach, sweet onion and parsley relish.

Unfortunately, we didn’t save enough space for dessert. We were almost tempted by the Farofias (poached meringue with orange and cinnamon) and Abade de Priscos (pork fat custard with port caramel) but instead finished with a coffee and a browse through Mendes cookbook ‘Lisboeta’. 

Venue: 

From the outside, Lisboeta looks quaint and unassuming until you walk inside. Upon entering, it’s presented as a modern and chic space. The restaurant offers three different styles of dining, on the ground floor the space is vibrant and energetic, the lower ground features a private dining room and the upper level is a superb blend of the two.

We were swiftly greeted by staff and ushered through the busy bar, past the action-packed open kitchen, and upstairs to the cosy dining space where we could still enjoy the quiet buzz of conversation and background music.

Downstairs you were met with dark wood panelling, a sandstone marble countertop, copper accents, tiles, and teal/blue hues contrasted by the upstairs space, which was light and bright with teal wood panelling, greenery and graphic artwork.

Author Tiger Contributor Tiger Recruitment Team