Review: Bocca Restaurant
After being named for Condé Nast Traveler Hot List Tables, Bocca Restaurant has been on the mouth of a lot of people. In a modern bright style restaurant, where the informal stand side by side with sophistication, the young chef Alexandre Silva is serving stylish gourmet gastronomy.
The first felling you may get once you enter at Rua da Fonseca 87 (see map), in the business part of town, is that you are truly welcome. Bocca team will make sure everything is right from the moment you get in until you leave.
The wide rooms are decorated in bright colours, and glass walls extend them further into the street through big windows. On the other side, a postered wall with a Chiado night photo sets the mood for a tranquil evening. In the middle, a window opens into the kitchen where you can see the chefs in action. While at lunch this is mainly a business restaurant, at night Bocca dresses itself up for dinner.
Inspired in traditional Portuguese cuisine, the evening menu is somewhat exotic and nouvele cuisine. The presentation is superb and the elegance is always present. The chef welcomed us with an amuse bouche of marinated cod fish with wakame and coriander balls. For Starters, sautéed foie gras escalopes with mango tatin, cocoa caviar and Ginja reduction (€18) is one of the top choices. Others include marinated sardine fillet on a slice of Tiborna bread and Tomato confit sauce (€9) or Cream of rocket and mizuna with fresh cod ceviche (€8). For mains you can choose for example a Sautéed red mullet on a bed of shimeji mushrooms and mussel cream (€30) or a Sautéed breast Duck with a puff pastry fig tart with strawberry, blueberry and dried fig sauce (€22). You can also opt for the Tasting Menu with two starters, two main courses and a dessert (€55).
While I found you may need a three course meal (specialy if you are hungry), one of the things I liked most, though, was the selection of wines. I truly advise to ask for their best option to match your chosen dish. You can either order a bottle or chose to be served by glass which will give you the possibility to change through the night – they have an excellent selection of over 90 wines served by glass.
Where: Rua da Fonseca 87
Open for lunch and dinner, closed Sundays and Mondays
Tel. 213 808 383 (reservations are recommended – reservas@bocca.pt)
You can choose for a non-smoking or for a smoking room
