29. April 2012: Restaurant Brasa dos Leões

The place was recommend by our host and we walked up to it and it looked pretty shabby but it was full, so we decided to give it a shot and waited 20 minutes outside until a table got free. As a starter from the kitchen we got some kind of sausages they were tasty but very greasy.

As a starter I had the typical Portuguese dish “Francesinha Especial” (EUR 6.00). It is basically a toast with a sausage, a steak and a piece of ham topped with melted cheese in a typical sauce. The thing is very calory-intense so you are more than stuffed when you have had one. It is literally a calory bomb but it is yummy.

As a main course I had the “picanha Brasileira na Brasa” (barbecued Brazilian picanha; EUR 17.50). The meat itself was tender and delicious and it came with lots of other ingredients to be combined …

… like black beans and spinach …

… rice …

… and farofa. If you mixed them all together it ended up in a very flavourful combination which was mouth-watering. It was big enough to feed two people. And it was great taste-wise.

The prices are more than okay as you get to eat delicious food and lots of it. I actually shared the Francesinha and the picanha and we both still did not manage to finsih it. A beer costs EUR 1.20, a coffe EUR 0.70 which is also pretty fair.

The waiter was friendly and helpful and up for a joke or two. The interior is nothing special but it is okay. The place is cramped but it is mostly locals who eat there so you get in touch with them. If you are unlucky and have to wait (as we did), you can sit outside in the marvelous neon light of the restaurant sings.

To sum it up, the Restaurant Brasa dos Leões does not look appealing at first but I am happy we gave it a shot as the food is delicious, the prices are very low and the service is friendly and entertaining. If you like meat and if you are into big portions you should definitely eat here. I do not know if it is possible to book a table in advance but if you want to make sure that you actually get a table at a certain time you should try calling.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Brasa dos Leões

Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes 7

4050 Porto (PT)

Tel.: +351 222 051 185

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.