It was time for lunch on our first day in Lisbon. We received a wonderful suggestion from a staff member at the Turim Hotel. Ribadouro is a seafood restaurant that is a short walk from the hotel.
As soon as we walked in the door, we noticed all of the fresh seafood, whether it was in the fish tanks or the shellfish that was on ice just waiting for us to order.
We were seated right away and took a look at the drink menu. I ordered a Mojito. It was freshly made and not overly sweet. They blended rum, mint, lime, sugar, and sparkling water. It was very refreshing.
We ordered meat croquettes for the table to start with. The meat that was used tasted like roast beef that was blended so fine it made almost like a pate. These croquettes had an amazing savory flavor to them.
A bowl of the seafood soup was also ordered. It was a seafood bisque with pieces of shrimp and cod in the savory, creamy broth. Croutons floated on the top that added additional texture.
Salted Cod (also known as Bacalhau) is a major staple in the Portuguese diet. It is used in so many dishes. One of the dishes we tried was Codfish Loin a la Ribadouro. This was cod fish served with boiled potatoes and broccoli. The potatoes were cut thick and sweet. The cod was not salty at all, it was tender and had a great savory flavor from how it was prepared. Every now and then there was a small fish bone, but nothing too outrageous.
The other dish was Strips of Codfish. These were thick pieces of cod that were sautéed with chopped onions, shredded potatoes and bound together with egg. It has a similar texture to scrambled eggs. It was absolutely amazing. There was a rich and creaminess to the dish. There was a nice salty taste. The cod was flakey, and a few pieces had some crispy edges which had a great crunch.
The Grilled Seabass Filets were also ordered. It was served with boiled potatoes and broccoli on the side. There was a garlic butter that came out was fantastic when it was poured over the fish and potatoes. The fish was fresh and flakey.
The meal was fantastic and a great suggestion from the hotel. We skipped dessert because we knew we would be hitting one of the pastry shops a little later.
Enjoy!
T
