What’s on offer?
Last year, Lee Sim and Marcin Skudlarski, the people behind the Port House and Aperitivo, opened Lisboa Pastelaria. It’s a pastry shop, cafe and takeaway that specialises in pastéis de natas and Portuguese sandwiches. They recently launched “The Hangover Cure of the Century”, the Francesinha, which is available for delivery. The sandwich was invented in 1953 as a working man’s snack when a Portuguese man returned to Porto from France, and adapted the croque monsieur for Portuguese tastes. It is considerably more substantial than its French counterpart and is also available as a Francesinha Especial, with an egg on top.
If you’re looking for something a bit different from Nandos, a branch of which is across the street, one of the lunchtime favourites is their frango piri piri chicken roll. Other options include vegetarian sandwiches, with toasties featuring mushrooms and Brie, and Emmental and roasted vegetables.
What did we order?
The Portuguese classics – frango piri piri, Francesinha Especial and two pastéis de nata.
How was the service?
Very pleasant. We opted to visit the cafe rather than order online. We were told there would be a wait for the Francesinha as the steak and egg needs to be cooked to order. There is some seating at high stools, so it was a pleasant wait.
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Was the food nice?
Yes, but make sure you’re hungry if you’re ordering the Francesinha as it’s very substantial. A perfectly fried egg with a runny yolk is served on top of the sandwich, which is covered in molten grilled cheese. Inside there are layers of meat, including ham, sausage, chorizo and steak, with a side of a tomato and beer sauce for dunking the sandwich. The frango piri piri roll is grilled, panini style, and is filled with chunks of chargrilled marinated chicken, tomato, lettuce and red onion. We’ve gone with the classic pastéis de nata, although there are chocolate, raspberry, blueberry and vegan options available. The pastry is flaky, the custard is just the right consistency and is deliciously scorched on top.
What about the packaging?
Compostable containers and paper sandwich wrapping is used. There is a recycling bin on-site.
What did it cost?
€27 for lunch for two people – frango piri piri, €8; Francesinha, €14; and two pastéis de natas, €5.
Where does it deliver?
Delivery with Deliveroo, daily, 8.30am-6.30pm.
Would I order it again?
Most definitely. The Francesinha will set you up for the day and the pastéis de nata are first-rate.
