Rota de Tapas 2015

Rota de Tapas is back and full of surprises. From May 21 to June 7 Lisbon will be full of Tapas.

This event is sponsored by Estrella Damm, for those who don't know this a Spanish beer created in 1872 by August Kuentzmann Damm. This brand makes amazing beer which include one of the most amazing beers that I ever tasted (Estrella Damm Inedit) by one of the most amazing chefs in the World Ferran Adriá.

This year the event has more restaurants then ever... 52 to be exact! that's rights 52 places where you can eat the best tapas of Lisbon.

The restaurants are spread by the entire City... Santos, Sé, Alfama, Madragoa and more! this is the perfect opportunity to see the city in a proper way...

But the best surprise this year are the Tuk-Tuks... that's right... the organization made a partnership with a tuk-tuk company called Eco Tuk Tours... to use their services you have bring to 6 friends and need to already one stamp!

For those who don't know you can collect stamp in the places that you visit and with 3 different stamp you can win a trip to Barcelona.

490 Taberna STB

Since the oppening that I wanted to visit this restaurant but never had the chance to do it, until now... And WOW... Amazing.

It is, probably, the best restaurant in Setúbal right now. The space itself is very small, but they have a lot of space outside (by the way must be perfect in the summer).

The Restaurant is located at Luisa Todi avenue (the main avenue of Setúbal). This city has a lot of restaurant, most of them dedicated to fish (since this city has a big fish culture... and has the best fish there are)... but it was missing a great restaurant with other dishes beside fish. There are many restaurant with this concept (tapas, small dishes... tavern style with snack) but none of them seems to care about quality... most of them is very traditional and old... And after my visit to 490 Taberna... I raised my hands to the sky... and said "Thanks God".

This restaurant serves mainly tapas/snacks but also have meat dishes and fish dishes... But I advice you to invest in the snacks and them share the main course... you will not regret it.

So before the order we start with the couvert... codfish with chickpeas and olive-oil (codfish salad - a very traditional Portuguese dish), homemade goat-butter (the first restaurant in Setúbal that I saw serving homemade butter, huge plus)... The only think that I would change would be the bread... they could serve different types of bread.

Restaurant "Flores do Bairro"

This restaurant was a completely strange to me until the event "Peixe em Lisboa"...and this is why I love so much this kind of events... we have the opportunity to meet new people and specially different places that we didn't know that they exist.

So! This restaurant is located in Chiado (Lisbon) and it is part of the Bairro Alto Hotel (a 5-start hotel). The restaurant is very cozy and small, in my opinion, it has the perfect size... but also has a big disadvantage! it doesn't have direct access to the street. Passing outside you don't even notice that there are a great restaurant there.