Atithi

• Saldanha (Linha Amarela/Vermelha) or Arroios (Linha Verde)
• €
• Rua Pascoal de Melo 107, 1000-232

Walking into Atithi, you’re immediately greeted by the kind of warmth that’s as much in the air as it is on the menu. Run by the most industrious restaurateurs in Lisbon. The Nepalese. This curry house recently opened in the place of a Korean BBQ as the Lisbon food scene continues to oscillate wildly between trends.

Ducking out from the home office one lunch time and on an awfully cold day, we slotted ourselves in for good warming both inside and out. We began, as one must, with poppadoms and their trio of chutneys. The real firepower, though, started with the spicy chilli paneer: cubes of cheese, perfectly seared, swimming in a sauce that didn’t hold back. It was spicy enough to command attention but never so overbearing that your afternoon back at the screen would be ruined.

For mains, the chicken karahi curry delivered everything you’d hope for—bold, smoky flavours dancing in a thick, tomato-based sauce. But the star of the show? The bone-in lamb rogan josh curry. The meat, tender enough to fall off the bone, swam in a rich, fragrant gravy that clung to the rice like it never wanted to leave.

This is perfectly good curry, but value is where Atithi truly shines. The generous portion sizes are matched by an extremely reasonable price point. As restaurants battle against ever increasing costs, Atithi is a great shout for those sensitive to price.

The thing with working from home full time is making sure you get our the darned house every day. When you grab a good quick curry round the corner, it's never hard to find the motivation. No doubt Atithi will be a regular for us for years to come. Or until the next food trend moves in.

Drinks: Some lunch time between work water with coffees

Don’t forget to order: The chilli paneer was the pick!