Ah, Touta. A place filled with attention, love and care, you will walk out of this Lebanese fine dining restaurant softer than you came. Maybe it’s the photos from Lebanon, the shelves of preserves and Lebanese products, or simply the quiet hospitality and feminine energy. I can’t put a finger on it. But I can put a fork in it.
Opened in Lisbon’s Campo de Ourique in 2024, Touta has quickly established itself with a menu that pairs Lebanese traditions with Portuguese ingredients and French technique: Pine nuts from Alcácer do Sal, Alentejo black pork and Azorean seafood all feature in refined, creative dishes, from potato and meat croquettes to slow-cooked fish arnabieh and confit lamb with bulgur and chickpeas.
The restaurant is run by Rita Abou Ghazale alongside head chef Cynthia Bitar, whose Lebanese heritage and French culinary training shape a menu of roots and re-imagination. The daughter of one of Lebanon’s most celebrated chefs, Bitar earned her degree from the Paul Bocuse Institute and has competed in major competitions like the Bocuse d’Or. Earlier this year, Touta received one Sun in the prestigious Repsol Guide, cementing its place among Lisbon’s standout restaurants.
Dishes are light, but flavourful and creative at times, like the little filo dough cheese “bonbons” served in a candy bonboniere — Bitar uses her childhood memories to play on tradition. Pair it with a pungent Lebanese wine or beer. The freshness of the produce and skills from the kitchen shine through in every bite, along with Ghazale’s and Bitar’s ambition and genuine love of Lebanese cuisine.
So, should the chef originate from the country whose food they are cooking? Lucas Azevedo, head chef at Ryōshi, has certainly mastered the art of Japanese cuisine, even though he isn’t Japanese. And this is a very meticulous and detail-obsessed kitchen, from technique to an in-depth understanding of how to handle the ingredients. Preparing and cooking different kinds of rice, for example, is an art form in itself. Azevedo demonstrates his skills at Ryōshi, where he prepares the rice in a large wooden bucket. “Cooking rice in Japan is a personal affair, with each chef having their own style,” he confides before grating wasabi on a traditional piece of sharkskin.
As a child in his native Brazil, he had a Japanese friend who inspired him to cook Japanese food. Needless to say, this kitchen goes far beyond sushi, although Ryōshi has recently expanded its sushi offering due to popular demand. From sashimi to open temaki and oshizushi—the traditional pressed sushi from Osaka — a tribute to Japanese parents, who often pack this in their children’s lunch boxes.
“Our sushi is authentic, artisanal and made with seasonal ingredients. Our fish comes from sustainable fishing and is always in season. That means we choose to offer species that are less subject to overfishing. In particular, we oppose the overuse of so-called wild tuna, which is now consumed in excess,” Azevedo says.
The bestsellers remain on the menu, including the Lucas K-Sandwich (katsu sando), a Japanese take on the Portuguese prego, alongside eel with rice and egg yolk, horse mackerel, and karaage chicken. For dessert, Lucas-style rapanadas complete the fusion. To sum it up: The restaurant is fairly priced, relaxed, and scores highly on my authenticity and fusion-success scale.
I left my dinner at Casa Nepalesa thinking: What a gift it is to share culture and food. And maybe no one does this with more intent than renowned chef Tanka Sapkota. He is kind of the Dino D’Santiago of food: utilising it as cultural exchange and giving back wherever he can. Sapkota is currently celebrating 30 years since his arrival in Portugal with a range of charity dinners at his beautifully decorated restaurant Casa Nepalesa in Avenidas Novas. For a whole year, on the first Wednesday of each month, Casa Nepalesa offers a menu (€50, all included) which explores the culinary traditions of various regions of Nepal, enhanced by performances of traditional dance and music, creating an authentic and culturally rich experience. 100% of the proceeds from each dinner go to SOS Children’s Villages Portugal and Nepal.
“This is a very special initiative for me, being able to share my country. This is important because in Portugal so many low-class workers are Nepalese. And it hurts me to see that Portuguese people only know us from delivery. But we have a rich culture, beautiful nature, and we are rich in many things, and we want to show that, so we become human. I don’t want divisions by colour, country or religion; I just want to be human. In Latin culture, food plays a big role, and I can connect to people via the food,” he explains.
Spices are ground fresh in-house, and Nepalese family recipes are made with high-quality Portuguese ingredients, resulting in a cuisine rich in flavours, aromas, and textures. Go for an authentic experience with excellent food and Portuguese wine pairings, warm hospitality, live music and dancing that everyone is invited to join after dinner (and there is no stopping Sapkota!). And for a good cause? What a win-win.
The ‘temptations of Goa’ is a small restaurant in the narrow streets of Mouraria, which opened 20 years ago, before Martim Moniz became the multicultural neighbourhood and food haven it is today. And these walls can tell quite a few stories. Today it is owned by Maria, who took over from an elderly Goan woman. She whisks around the intimate dining room, handing out ornamented menus, chatting with guests, still keeping a close eye on everything happening in the kitchen. She also prepares the restaurant’s spice blends, a skill she learned from her late husband. He was Goan but born in Mozambique and came to Lisbon after the Carnation Revolution, during the period when Portugal’s former African colonies gained independence. That shared history is also reflected in the menu at Tentações de Goa. Goa was under Portuguese rule for more than 450 years, from 1510 until 1961, and centuries of cultural exchange profoundly shaped its cuisine. Food travelled in both directions: the Portuguese introduced ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, cashews and chillies to Goa, where they became integral to local cooking. In return, Goan flavours and cooking techniques also left a lasting mark on Portuguese cuisine.
The menu features classic Goan dishes that reflect the region’s unique blend of Indian, Portuguese and Konkani culinary traditions. The house speciality is pork vindaloo, and this is the original Goan version — not the British curry-house interpretation. The dish evolved from the Portuguese carne de vinha d’alhos, a preparation of meat marinated in wine and garlic. In Goa, the wine was replaced with palm vinegar, while local chillies and spices transformed it into something new. The name “vindaloo” is widely believed to derive from the Portuguese vinha d’alhos. You’ll also find Chouriço à Goesa on the menu, Goa’s distinctive version of Portuguese chouriço. Made from pork with vinegar, garlic, Kashmiri chillies and aromatic spices, it has evolved into a style of its own. It is typically cooked with potatoes and onions, and sometimes eggs. Tentações de Goa is a place you simply have to try, but reservations are recommended.
Check part one here.
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