QUOTIDIANO
Quotidiano - Largo das Fontainhas 7, Alcântara, Lisboa
In recent times, the district of Alcântara has become one of the most hipster areas of the city of Lisbon. The opening of LXFactory and the Village Underground Lisboa set the tone for a much-needed change of image of one of the capital's worst-rated neighborhoods.
With this transition, new spaces have emerged and others have been renovated, while at the same time it's still possible to find the typical Portuguese atmosphere, if you want to.
One of the spaces that were renovated was Quotidiano. I think it used to be a regular restaurant, with no major emphasis on food or decor. The important change I spoke about earlier was essential for the survival of the space to this day.
The main feeling you get when you enter the restaurant is that it is a well-decorated and bright place, with a large room where the tables are well laid out. It has a bohemian aspect without being too fancy. The restaurant has a second floor which also retains the cool look and is more friendly for group dinners.
It should be said that Quotidiano is a restaurant directed for dinners with more than four people, with several menu options at different prices. If you accept that, then you can have a good time. If you're thinking of a dinner for two, maybe it's not the best option due to the noise that usually comes with group dinners.
As for the food, the cod has a prominent role in the menu. Of the three times I've eaten there, I chose the cod on two occasions and I was not disappointed although I wasn't surprised either. Once, I ate cod fillet with buckwheat and another time cod lagareiro style, one of my favorite dishes. I also tried the pork loin stuffed with farinheira with mashed potatoes and spinach.
The point is that the food, although it sounds charismatic when we see the menu, is not so different from what we can eat somewhere else. In my opinion, the fact that they target group dinners makes the kitchen less worried about the confection of each dish and that removes some flair to the food.
I won't say that you don't eat well here. But when I go to a restaurant, I always have the food as the center of the experience and in this restaurant, I feel that it falls short of the expected, as if they give more importance to the appearance than to the taste.