Margarita
In crust we trust
- Arroios (Linha Verde)
- €
- Mercado de Arroios, Rua Ângela Pinto, Loja Margarita, 1900-067
Look, we love a good bacalhau à brás. We get excited when sardinhas are on the menu, look forward to caracóis season, have enjoyed introducing visitors to percebes. We know our bifanas from our pregos and can tell you which quiosque serves the best tosta mista. One of us is even on board with eating hot soup in 30 degree heat. Trust me when I say: we're all here for cozinha portuguesa.
But - pizza. Pizza where the dough has bubbled up to a caramelised crisp. Pizza where the cheese is tangy and creamy all at once. Pizza where the toppings are fresh and complement the dough beautifully. Enjoyed with friends. Enjoyed with a hangover. Enjoyed cold for breakfast. You can never have too many great pizza places - and Lisbon is well served when it comes to pizza, pizza, pizza.
As such, it has taken us a few years to try Margarita, despite it a) being very close to where we live, b) snuggled between lots of other great restaurants in Mercado de Arroios and c) having great reviews already. Which is why it is also telling that fewer than ten days after our first visit, we were back again.
So what makes it so great? In the absence of all ability to be impartial when it comes to pizza, I'm going to keep this as factual as possible:
- Really nice, fresh pizzas with some exciting options (the peri-peri has been a repeat order already)...
- ...but the classic margarita is also banging and really showcases the quality of the dough.
- The prices are really fair for how big/delicious the pizzas are.
- There's a mega cocktail menu (hello!)
- Big outdoor space on the street in the middle of Arroios makes for fun vibes...
- ... and they extend the space in the evening so there's nearly always a table available.
- And - the first time we went - we got a cheeky discount booking through The Fork.
The evenings are still warm and pizza is always a good choice, so grab some pals and get yourself down to Margarita.
Don't forget to order: Pizza? But seriously, the margaritas here are banging.