Sitting at a counter overlooking the kitchen, it's not hard to understand why O Frade is a local favorite. The small but perfectly-formed restaurant sits just 18 people inside (with an extra 20 now able to dine outside) and its semi-circular seating means that it naturally feels like an intimate experience, where you have the opportunity to talk with the chefs as they serve their plates, or befriend a fellow diner who might just share a fascinating story. In short, it's a restaurant of opportunities and experiences—a sentiment that becomes clearer when you find that the restaurant now has a second outpost in the ever-popular Time Out market.

The coastal Belém district is worth a trip alone for the Jerónimos monastery, Belém Tower and Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument, but while there try to nab a table at O Frade (Calçada da Ajuda 14, instagram.com/restauranteofrade). Run by chef cousins Carlos Afonso and Sérgio Frade, it was recently awarded a Bib Gourmand and the setting (around a U-shaped central bar) is cool and contemporary while the menu dances between traditional "home style" dishes and tweezer-tweaked small plates. In the city centre, try the single-menu restaurant Epur (Largo da Academia Nacional de Belas Artes 14, epur.pt), 100 Maneiras (Rua do Teixeira 39 100maneiras. com">100maneiras.com) run by Bosnian chef Ljubomir Stanisic and Alexandre Silva's 16-course tasting menu at Loco (Rua dos Navegantes 53, loco.pt) – all three with one Michelin star a piece.

Sitting at a counter overlooking the kitchen, it's not hard to understand why O Frade is a local favourite. The small but perfectly-formed restaurant sits just 18 people inside (with an extra 20 now able to dine outside) and its semi-circular seating means that it naturally feels like an intimate experience, where you have the opportunity to talk with the chefs as they serve their plates, or befriend a fellow diner who might just share a fascinating story. In short, it's a restaurant of opportunities and experiences – a sentiment that becomes clearer when you find that the restaurant now has a second outpost in the ever-popular Time Out market.

Alentejo inspired dishes, petiscos and desserts is what O Frade specializes in. This restaurant in Belém has at least one daily special that varies to reflect seasonality and the chef’s inspiration, along with traditional small plates from the Alentejo like scrambled eggs with asparagus, or stewed rabbit with coriander, as well as their signature meat pies such as the one with pork cheeks filling. One of the best features of O Frade is that you get to sit by a big counter which allows you to see chefs Carlos Afonso e Sérgio Frade do their magic right before you get to taste it.

Cousins Carlos Afonso and Sérgio Frade are keeping the flame burning at O Frade, the restaurant that added a boost to the food scene in the Belém neighborhood. Of the nine comfort food mains available for takeaway and delivery, four are new: cozido de grão (a meat and vegetable stew with chickpeas from Alentejo), galinha cerejada (pan-fried chicken, traditionally from the Algarve), Corvina rice with mussels, and roasted lamb alongside their famous duck rice. Delightful amphora wines from a small family production in Alentejo are also available.

Before the pandemic, this small-but-powerful newcomer was racking up awards, for things like “best everyday restaurant” and “rising star chef.” It was a casual, neighborhood place with most of the seats arranged around a counter, where cousins Carlos Afonso and Sérgio Frade hold court as they cook and host. When it reopened in the summer, it was with far fewer places at the counter and many more outdoors. The classic petiscos—“food they like to eat”—such as chickpeas with squid, codfish salad and duck escabeche taste at least as good outside.

Ideal for regional Alentejo dishes and one of Lisbon’s best winelists…. There’s something about sitting at a counter that creates an intimate and personable experience with your dining companion (or even a stranger), and that’s what you get at O Frade. Indeed, one of the best seats in all of Lisbon is at their U-shaped counter, bringing a side order of spectacle to your dinnertime.

This restaurant next to the Presidential Palace (you might even run into the President of Portugal while you’re there) evokes a traditional Alentejo tasca but with a modern twist. Try the wine which the owners produce in clay pots and the duck rice, surely the best in town. Delicious desserts inspired by the traditions of the region’s old convents.

Calçada da Ajuda, 14 (Belém) 939 482 939 Closes on Mondays Price per person: €20. It’s found just a few steps from the Coaches Museum, but it’s not a tourist trap. It’s a restaurant managed by two cousins, who welcome customers as family, sitting everyone around a counter like they would at a large dining room table.

A Michelin Bib Gourmand spot bringing the cuisine of Alentejo to Lisbon. This counter-style eatery offers an immersive and intimate dining experience. 📍 Belém🥚 Must-try: Migas and Alentejano-style pork Chic but grounded | Excellent wine pairings

When you’ve visited Pastéis de Belem, you’re close to O Frade. It’s a gastro bar where you can sit outside or at a common bar in the middle of the venue. Good, authentic but modern food is served with knowledge and enthusiasm.

For the more affordable options, there’s also the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, among the 4 recommendations there is a vegan restaurant called Arkhe, and two Portuguese restaurant O Frade, and Solar dos Nunes.