Nestled in Lisbon's Ciado neighborhood, two-Michelin-starred Alma dazzles with chef Henrique Sá Pessoa's innovative takes on local meat and seafood in a chic, engaging setting.
"Alma is one of those restaurants in which the fine-dining experience is one of constant pleasure – the combined result of the high level of innovative Portuguese cuisine on offer and the incredible teamwork on display, which is fully focused on the art of quality service.The decor here is contemporary but with lots of character, enhanced by its setting behind the elegant façade of an 18C building that was once the warehouse for the famous Bertrand bookshop, which opened in 1732 and is recognised as the world’s oldest. Henrique Sá Pessoa’s cuisine, which can be enjoyed on two menus (Alma, inspired by the chef’s signature dishes, and Costa a Costa, a tribute to Portuguese fish and seafood), includes dishes such as scarlet shrimp, pumpkin, harissa and black garlic; Portuguese-style baked mullet with grilled sea lettuce and sour pepper; and lamb, red cabbage “migas” and smoked aubergine. The chef himself is a frequent visitor to the dining room, assisting with service and interacting with guests." - Michelin Inspector
"In a refurbished Chiado building from the 17th century, celebrity chef Henrique Sá Pessoa serves the hearty, sophisticated dishes that earned the restaurant two Michelin stars. The menu reflects influences from around the world (mainly Asia), but the chef approaches them from a Portuguese point of view, as in salted cod (with cilantro, kale, and brandade) or Iberian suckling pig confit (served with turnips and black pepper jus). Go a la carte or try the five-course Coast to Coast menu to marvel at the local ingredients from the sea (lobster, razor clams, red mullet), prepared with elegance and skill." - Rafael Tonon, Miguel Pires
"At his two-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Alma, there is so much to love about chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, not the least of which is his charred red pepper paired with, among other things, red pepper coulis—a defining dish that stops taste buds in their tracks. At his flagship restaurant, Alma, he serves some of the city’s best tasting menus, paired with daring wines in a casual atmosphere that lets the food do the talking. Pessoa himself often makes the rounds, visiting tables to explain dishes like the succulent confit of suckling pig with turnip top purée, pickled onions, and pepper jus. There may be more famous restaurants in Lisbon, but none is better than Alma."
"At his two-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Alma, there is so much to love about chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, not the least of which is his charred red pepper paired with, among other things, red pepper coulis—a defining dish that stops taste buds in their tracks. At his flagship restaurant, Alma, he serves some of the city’s best tasting menus, paired with daring wines in a casual atmosphere that lets the food do the talking. Pessoa himself often makes the rounds, visiting tables to explain dishes like the succulent confit of suckling pig with turnip top purée, pickled onions, and pepper jus. There may be more famous restaurants in Lisbon, but none is better than Alma."
"The chef behind two-MICHELIN-starred Alma in Lisbon presents his artful interpretation of salted cod, a quintessential Portuguese dish. Henrique Sá Pessoa’s goal was to come up with an elegant presentation based on an element integral to the traditional recipe. He first experimented with covering the dish with a thin egg sheet, but later settled upon a cape made with a carpaccio of cod that is served thinly sliced with a dusting of black olive powder. The interiors of two-MICHELIN-starred Alma. (Photo by Andre Xavier.) According to Portuguese mothers, bacalhau à brás may be a simple dish, but it is delicious—and the latter depends on the care and love of the person who prepares it. It's a philosophy Alma maintains to this day." - Vincent Leung
