Our last dinner in Lisbon was at a place scoped out by my sister-in-law: A Conzinha Sr. Lisboa. Located a block east of Avenida da Liberdade, A Conzinha Sr. Lisboa (The name means, approximately, “The Kitchen of Mr Lisbon”, the nickname of the executive chef), this was a great choice for a final meal in Portugal, since the menu focuses entirely on traditional Portuguese recipes made with modern, local ingredients.
Sr. Lisboa is a cozy dining establishment, with the main dining room having seating for approximately 24 diners at small tables that can be reconfigured for different party sizes (we shared our table most of the evening with a pleasant couple visiting from the Netherlands). There may be another dining area up the staircase, but from the relatively low amount of staircase travel, I think the small dining room is the majority of the seating, and it’s a pleasant enough spot, with nice wood tones and shelves showcasing local ingredients. The menu is all based on shared small plates, so we ordered a handful of appetizers and a few main courses to share for the table.
After enjoying some of our first bottle of wine, a nice Vinho Tinto from the Dão region, our first appetizer, a plate of marinated oysters mushrooms, arrived. These were served up grilled, with a mushroom reduction, kombu, and lacto-fermented mushroom powder. The combination of the mushroom reduction, powder, and umami made for an intense amount of umami and a deep concentration of mushroom flavors. These were one of the stars of the meal.
Next up was the Verdes aos Molhos (“sauced greens”, basically a green salad). This was a salad of chouchou, lemongrass, green beans, broccolini, asparagus, berries, tomato water, parsley, and flowers. I always love chouchou as a unique ingredient. Native to the western hemisphere, chouchou (also known as a chayote, mirliton, or christophine) is a member of the cucurbit family, adding a nice flavor and texture a bit like a more concentrated summer squash. The overall salad was nicely composed, with a good combination of textures, herbal flavors, and sweet notes offsetting the bitterness.
Next up was a dish of black Iberian pork cheek ravioli. A very flavorful pork filling with a nice, still al dente outer pasta layer, these were served up with a nicely-done, well-reduced Bordelaise sauce, a “caviar” made from lightly-poached mustard seed, and hazelnuts, which provided both a nice nutty note and a firmer texture against the pasta and “caviar”.
Next up was the “De Tradicional, só o nome!” (“Only the name is Traditional!”), which was a Pica Pau with seasonal pickles. We had several Pica Pau (the name means “Woodpecker Beef”) variations in Portugal, with beef simmered in white wine and served with pickles. Despite the name, this was a pretty traditional presentation, albeit a nicely-executed one: good, tender beef, a nice white wine sauce, and some nicely done local pickles.
Before our final round of main courses arrived, we had a nice interlude of a course of frites. These were perfectly double-cooked frites (nice yellow ones of the kind really hard to do with American potatoes), served up with a brown butter emulsion and plenty of shaved Parmesan.
Our final main course was leitão, that classic Portuguese dish of suckling pig that’s been braised in wine until soft, and the skin gets all crunchy. The version at Sr. Lisboa was done sous-vide, which really enhanced the overall profile: the meat was tender and flavorful, the bands of fat through the meat nice and soft and flavorful, and the skin nicely crispy. And everything had all the right flavor notes, of wine, garlic, bay leaf, and lots and lots of black pepper. This was served up with grilled pak choi, which added a nice textural and smoky note.
Finally, our desert choices arrived. For much of my trip I had been craving one particular Portuguese/Brazilian dish, Rabanada, which is basically a caramelized bread dish much like a French toast. It’s all over the cafés of Porto, but apparently a bit rare in Lisbon, so it was great to see it. The version at Sr. Lisboa was made with potato brioche, a port wine sabayon, and a nice cinnamon ice cream. This worked out perfectly, with the melting, cinnamony flavors from the ice cream combining with the caramel of the brioche and the port notes from the sabayon.
Dan and Sophie, meanwhile, went for the torta de chocolate, which was basically a 70.5% Ecuadorian chocolate mousse served up with stamped cocoa crisps. Smooth, creamy, and rich, and not overly sweet, this was a particularly satisfying mousse.
Overall, Sr. Lisboa was a nice spot, the food was great, and it was a nice way to round out a thoroughly pleasing trip to Lisbon and Portugal. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back.
