Nunes Real Marisqueira
Lisbon's most outrageous seafood extravaganza
- Belém (Train)
- €€€+
- R. Bartolomeu Dias 172 E F, 1400-031
Beyond the global dominance of the pastel de nata, the marisqueira is truly Portugal's gift to gastronomy. Literally translated as 'seafood restaurant' , these outlets offer up any, and, every delight that comes out of the ocean. Although present throughout the city, following a cultural visit to the modern art museum at the Cultural Centre Belém, we decided to check out one of the city's more flamboyant destinations, Nunes Real Marisqueira.
To give the game away at the start, this is a restaurant for those with deep pockets, with much of the shellfish on the menu costing over one or two hundred euros per kilogram. However, as long as you are comfortable with the prices, you will be treated to an absolutely divine meal of fresh fish and decor which makes an episode of drag race appear monochrome.
As the picture at the top shows, we did not hold back and requested a fresh blue lobster from the epic seafood tank for our main event. Waiting for the cooking to take place we ordered some oysters and fresh prawns to tide us over.
The oysters are unlike any others we've had in recent years, chunky and meaty, they offered high salinity which paired so kindly with the citrus and spice we threw over them. Likewise, the prawns, huge hulking chunks of crustacean, with a generous pot of mayonnaise to submerge them into.
Eventually, the beast from beneath arrived. Boiled and grilled, the restaurant takes the care and effort to remove any shelling-jeopardy from you by serving it, fully prepared on a platter.
With the tail and claws served as whole meat and leg and head meat served prepared on toast, this came with a fantastic garlic oil to leave you floating on sea in more heavenly way than even Botticelli could paint. A bowl of french fries to pad it out, and we simply yielded to magic of the occasion.
It's quite to describe just how good this restaurant really is. If you're here on holiday and you want a big celebratory blow out before you leave, this might be our number one choice.
Drinks: Quinta Do Poço Do Lobo Reserva Branco, still water and coffees
Don’t forget to order: Come out of your shell for your favourite seafood in one.