Even though the city shuts itself down on New Year’s Day, there are actually quite a few restaurants open for business on 1 January in Lisbon.
Besides being open for lunch and dinner, some restaurants serve special New Year’s Day menus.
Here’s a list of Lisbon restaurants where you can have your first meal of the year.
Bastardo
Located on the first floor of the Internacional Design Hotel, Bastardo cooks in Portuguese mixing cultures, styles and concepts. For the first day of the year, there’s an à la carte menu with four starters, four dishes and four desserts, favouring dishes that have seduced customers, namely Asian codfish, shrimp vs shitake and slow cooked pork cheek.
Rua da Betesga 3 (Baixa), average price for 2: €40, restaurantebastardo.com
Restaurante Rossio Altis
The rooftop restaurant at Altis Avenida Hotel welcomes the New Year with superb views. For €39 per adult, enjoy a brunch menu that in addition to the usual bread and pastry options includes vegetable soup and hot dishes such as cod with broa bread and a special steak.
Hotel Altis Avenida – Rua 1º Dezembro 120, average price for 2: €70, www.altishotels.com
Boa-Bao
Take a trip to Asia on New Year’s Day in Lisbon. Boa-Bao is a casual-chic restaurant that serves up on this special day new dishes for the new year. These include the Japanese Salmon Bulgogi, marinated salmon in pear juice, the Philippine Ginataang Kalasaba, mixing pork and beans, and the Vietnamese Muc Chien Mam Me, fried squids to dip into an exotic tamarind sauce.
Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro 30 (Chiado), average price for 2: €40, www.boabao.pt
Bairro do Avillez
Signed by the prestigious chef José Avillez, this “neighbourhood of food” combines in a single space the Mercearia (gourmet deli), the Taberna for comfort food, the Páteo dedicated to seafood and fish, the Beco, a cosmopolitan corner serving an internationally-inspired menu, and the Cantina Peruana, home to Peru’s authentic flavours and cocktails.
Rua Nova da Trindade 18 (Chiado), average price for 2: €50, www.bairrodoavillez.pt
Atary Baby
Tempura ramen and gyosa is Atary Baby’s answer to New Year’s Day. Led by the Greek chef Akis Konstantinidis, this place serves Tokyo food including okonomiyak, a Japanese pancake, Atari pizza and sushi. The sake-based cocktails are worth trying.
Rua de São Paulo 120-124 (Cais do Sodré), average price for 2: €30
Mercantina
Without changing its routine, Mercantina serves pizzas on New Year’s Day, with some new options that have entered the menu. A choice of classic Italian pizzas, including several vegetarian options, is combined with salads, risotti and pasta. They have two restaurants, one in Chiado and another one in Alvalade.
Rua da Misericórdia 114 (Chiado), Praça de Alvalade 6B (Alvalade), average price for 2: €30, mercantina.pt
