I really can’t complain when I have friends that move to foreign countries, mostly because it’s an incredible excuse to visit them. So on my recent London trip, I took a few days to head to Lisbon to visit a great friend who has decided to call it home. Ever since she moved, yet another friend could not stop talking about the best meal she had in Lisbon at A Cevicheria. Sadly, I thought it might not happen because they don’t take bookings and apparently even more friends were going to be there at the same time, so trying to queue up for seven people at a tiny restaurant seemed like the biggest mistake a person could make on holiday. Thankfully, three of them decided to do their own thing for lunch on our final day, so we headed over to see if we could get a table. I guess my biggest tip for dining here? Go for lunch. A table for four was pretty easy to get and the restaurant itself wasn’t too busy until around 2:00 pm.
As you may have gathered from the name, the specialty of the restaurant is seafood with an emphasis on ceviche. Chef Frederick Martins (aka Chef Kiko) is a highly renowned Portuguese chef with South American origins, so he wanted to make a Portuguese take on this classic dish. They have a pretty fantastic wine list, and we had one of their whites as what goes better with fish on a hot spring day? We also didn’t forget that Portugal has a fantastic selection of white wines that they don’t export, so there is always a nice bottle to be had whenever you visit.
We started with some cones filled with lobster, and it was such a great start to the meal. It had such a great flavor, but also the passionfruit gelee inside the cone really opened up the palate. I also loved the bread plate, with a mix of unusual breads and crackers served with a butter and a dipping sauce. We also tried the octopus and pork skewers which may have been my least favorite part of the meal, but were still excellent overall.
We had three different ceviches, all with a different fish and mix of fruit and vegetables. The tuna and foie gras ceviche was probably the most visually appealing with everything on the plate a rich purple or pink color, and it was very tasty, even if the foie gras shaved on top was a bit superfluous. The salmon and dragon fruit ceviche may have been my favorite overall with an acid broth and richness added from the avocado. There was also a prawn ceviche with sweet potato, which sounded a bit weird, but actually everything worked so well together that we ate it all up.
For dessert, we opted for a flan with meringue and lime granita, and it was not at all what I expected it to be. There was a rich cake covered in thin shards of meringue and a crisp lime granita, and everyone who tried it really fell in love.
I was incredibly glad we made it to A Cevicheria while I was in Lisbon, and my friend who was hyping it up was so right to do so. It was such a laid back atmosphere with great food and drink, and the service was spot on as it was attentive enough, but still we didn’t feel rushed through our meal. It’s definitely a must stop place on your trip to Portugal, especially if you are into ceviche and seafood.
Score: 5/5
Recommendation: Pretty much any ceviche, lobster cones, and don’t skip dessert!
A Cevicheria
Príncipe Real – Rua Dom Pedro V, nº 129
1050-046 – Lisbon
