Restaurant
Review: A Travessa, Lisbon
 After
two weeks of delicious seafood all over
Portugal, our carnivorous instincts were
skyrocketing and we were ready for some
kind of roasted beast. Something that had
four legs and had walked the earth at some
point.
And we had heard great things about A Travessa,
a restaurant located in a former convent
somewhere in Lisbon. After one of those
European taxi rides that included our very
nice driver making some pretty impressive
hairpin turns through incredibly narrow
Lapa neighborhood alleys, we found ourselves
walking the last couple of blocks to the
rather discreet sign. And there we found
what was easily one of the best meals we
had in Portugal.
Proprietor and genial host Antonio Moita
offers a lovely evening - full of delicious
bites, beautiful views and friendly service.
Set in a 17th-century convent, with
a picturesque courtyard, A Travessa
features an international menu that includes
a spectacular roasted pork (a house specialty)
along with an array of beef and fish dishes
- all with an appealing rustic elegance.
Dinner begins with fresh baked bread from
the restaurant's wood oven and small plates
of goodies - roasted wild mushrooms, sliced
roasted pork, scrambled eggs with mushrooms
and truffle oil, tiny roasted peppers, chorizo.
The wine list is a treat, with many of
Portugal's best, including an extensive
selection of Duoro reds.
As mentioned, the pork is well worth ordering
for an entrée - it was some of the
best we've ever had. The red deer filet
mignon was also delish (as I say, we were
in a meat mood!). But on a return visit,
the skate in black butter sauce beckons,
as does the octopus (during the trip, we'd
had some fantastic octopus all over the
country!).
Desserts were spectacular, thanks
to the pastry chef hailing from Washington
DC. Katherine Greenwald offered an assortment
of sweets, each more scrumptious than the
other, including an olive oil cake soaked
in sweet milk and topped with green figs
and toasted nuts, a walnut and prune semifreddo,
and a chocolate pralineé with coffee,
toasted almonds and caramel. We were in
absolute heaven.
All of our future visits to Lisbon will
definitely include at least one meal at
A Travessa - in winter, we'll eat inside
by the fireplace, and in summer, we'll dine
al fresco in the wide courtyard. Perfect!
Travessa do Convento das Bernardas, 12
Bairro da Madragoa - Santo
1200-638 Lisbon
Tel: (+351) 21 390 20 34 / 21 394 08 00
www.atravessa.com/uk/index.htm
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