After a morning of checking out churches and panoramic views (and an aborted attempt at Castelo São Jorge due to unusually heavy crowds), we decided it would be good to seek out a light lunch, and this was a perfect opportunity to drop down into the Baixa and check out one of it’s venerable institutions, Restaurante Nova Pombalina.
Located on the eastern edge of the Baixa, Nova Pombalina is definitely an institution. Having opened in 1938, Nova Pombalina is definitely more of a “snack bar” than a proper restaurant, with a dozen or so wooden tables clustered across from the refrigerated cases of the service area. It’s really one of those great examples of a place that believes in simplicity: the menu is a series of chalkboards with a relatively compact list of items. Nova Pombalina started long ago as a juice bar, and that’s still one of their main focuses: freshly-squeezed juice mixes. But they also have a list of soups and sandwiches, and the latter is the real reason you come to Nova Pombalina.
And it’s not just any sandwich. As I mentioned a few reviews ago as we re-visited Casa Guedes in Porto, the Portuguese have a particular loved for the pork sandwich, and have several variations on it, including the sande de pernil (pork knuckle), the bifana (sliced pork loin), sande de leitão (carved suckling pig). While you can get all of these, and a few other delicious Portuguese sandwiches at Nova Pombalina, the last of these is the highlight of the menu. This is a roasted suckling pig (similar to the Spanish Léchon, and you can see them carving off bits of suckling pig to order for each sandwich) served on a simple crusty Portuguese roll. Everything works here. The pork is tender and moist. The skin is crispy. There’s nice banding of fat throughout, and the pig is lightly marinated with bits of pepper, garlic, and wine. Add in just a bit of salt, and it’s the perfect sandwich, served up plain (although if you ask you can get any of the sandwiches with soft cheese)
As far as the original mission of Nova Pombalina to serve juices? They still do that, and they do it quite well. I went for a nice mint-pineapple juice blend that was fresh, crisp, and flavorful. Add in a small carton of chips with the sandwich, and these were the perfect counterpoint to the savory notes of the sandwich and the sweet notes of the drink.
And the best part? Everything here in my meal cost me under 10 euro. More than 85 years after opening, Nova Pombalina remains a great spot to stop in for some refreshing beverages, and one of Lisbon’s best pork sandwiches.
